Goodbye, K.

I was saddened to learn that a young lady that I know had to move back to Eastern Europe recently. She was trying to establish a life for herself here in the USA, but things didn't work out. She couldn't get the work visa that she wanted, and so she couldn't find employment here.

What a shame. What a terrible, terrible shame. She was a nice person.

Whaddaya mean, "Belief is meaningless"?

Unbelievable.

I was reading a discussion on atheism recently. Two guys were arguing about whether atheism means belief that there is no God or whether it simply means an absence of belief. (FTR, the traditional definition has been an active belief that there is no deity. In more recent years though, a good number of people have used the term to simply denote a lack of belief. Personally, I think this simply leads to confusion, especially since there were already terms to describe a mere lack of belief: either non-theism or, arguably, agnosticism. But I digress.)

One other fella said, "Belief or disbelief doesn't enter into it, for atheists. There isn't anything to believe or not believe in." I've paraphrased slightly, but only by removing some parentheses.

Now that's unbelievable. This person failed to grasp that his statement -- namely that God does not exist -- is a statement of disbelief. Another person said in response, "As an atheist, I am dubious about any assertion that means that 'I don't believe in that' is an impossible statement to correctly make."

Believing that something does not exist is a statement of belief --- or alternatively, a statement of disbelief.

Stock investing

Check out this article on stock investments. It advised people to put their money into defensive stocks during a recession.

This is good advice, but as with any brief article on this topic, certain things are kinda glossed over. For example, while it's probably a good idea to invest in these defensive stocks, this won't guarantee a payoff. Depending on where you are in the recession, for example, it may take a couple of years before you see the stock investments pay off. And of course, defensive stocks aren't absolutely safe. They simply entail lower risks than other stocks.

Another dance anecdote

Here's a story. I was at a 50s event a couple of years ago. My friend Donna asked me to dance with a friend of hers, so I tried a few basic swing moves -- just some simple turns. After a couple of turns, this gal said, "Boy, you have a lot of energy."

Admittedly, I do; however, the moves I was doing were extremely basic and not very demanding. The problem wasn't that I had plenty of energy; rather, the problem was that she had virtually none. She moved in a plodding way, with no bounce to her step and scarcely moving her feet.

That's the way a lot of people are nowadays, though. Americans have become very lazy. I'm reminded of the time I was at a social outing on a nearby island. Our travelling group had planned a bike ride, but these three ladies decided to rent a golf cart instead. I overheard them say, "Yeah, we're being smart! Their butts are going to be sore, but we're going to be taking it easy."

The thing is, it doesn't take much energy to ride a bicycle. If you're in halfway good shape, your posterior is not likely to ache -- not unless you're pedalling uphill or at high speed for half an hour or so. In case you were wondering, two of these women were very much overweight, and I think the third one looked a bit sedentary as well.

Fitness and dance

Earlier, I talked about how I've been attending some social dance events where virtually nobody knew any basic dance moves. Nothing except for some line dance moves and a few country steps, that is.

Here's another source of frustration. Most of those folks, even the ones who are only 35 or so, move like they're in their sixties. They've got no energy and no stamina. I can understand the lack of coordination, as it does take time to develop dance skills. Still, it's frustrating that they won't pick up their feet enough to complete a full turn, for example. Sometimes, they can't even complete a half turn. It throws everything off, and that stinks.

Again, I want to be understanding. When I first learned how to swing dance, for example, it took me a while to keep up the rhythm. I did at least try to keep my feet moving, though. Nobody can say that I was just moving sluggishly.

Therein lies the problem. A lot of people think, "Oh, I can't do this. It takes too much energy" and so they can't. Thinking positively -- being prepared to move energetically -- is about half the battle right there.

Disappointed in these dance events

I'm really getting disappointed and frustrated with these social dance events I've been attending. Except for the occasional line dance and some simple country moves, people just want to shake and sway to the music. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's frustrating; after all, anyone can shake their booty around. It takes more artistry to do something interesting with the music, and it's a lot more satisfying.

Heck, for a lot of music, you can get by with just stepping to the rhythm. A simple box step works well with a lot of strong four-count or eight-count patterns, for example. It also helps if you read up on some basic dance moves or watch a few videos beforehand.

And that's the part that frustrates me a bit. I understand that people just want to enjoy themselves, and that's perfectly fine. Would it really hurt to borrow a DVD from the public library though, or perhaps look up a few dance moves on the web? That way, you can throw in a few simple swing, jazz or salsa moves. That'd make everything more fun.

The problem is that most people don't do much research before embarking on something. It takes effort to study a few dance moves, and most folks don't have the foresight to do so. Like I said, I don't want to begrudge them that, as I understand that they just want to enjoy themselves. Still, I can't help but think... wouldn't they be able to enjoy themselves a lot more if they also worked on ways to up their game? I sure felt that way when I was starting out.

Blood cells are not organisms!

I can't believe it. I just read a discussion wherein somebody claimed that blood cells are living organisms. (He was a staunch pro-choicer who said, "So what if the embryo is a living organism? So are blood cells!")

Now I don't want to discuss the abortion issue, so my point is not to take sides in that discussion. I just want to say that I was absolutely astonished that he said such a thing. You don't need to know about lymphocytes, leukocytes, antigen-presenting cells or any of those other technical details to know that blood cells are not organisms. They are alive, yes, but not in the same sense that a distinct living organism is alive.

Whither Christopher Cowart?

Whatever happened to Christopher Cowart of Transcontinental Warranty? His name might not ring a bell, but his business should. He was one of the people who was indicted for that epidemic of car warranty telephone scams that plagued the nation up until May 2009.

I believe in due process; however, assuming that his company was indeed behind these scam calls (and they were undeniably scams), then he and his employees deserve to languish in jail. I don't say that lightly, and at this point, nobody seems to be contesting the fact that he was in charge of this company or that they performed the calls.

I'd like to have some closure. What happened to these folks, and when will they be jailed?

Debbe

Debbe Dunning is known more for her figure than for her face. Still, there are times when she looks exceptionally pretty as well. Consider these images of Debbe, for example. I like the way she looks in these pics.

She has a truly sparkling smile at times, and she could look really pretty. I think that she was much prettier than Pamela Anderson, even though Pamela was the more famous of the two Tool Time girls. I liked Debbe much better as Tim Taylor's assistant.

I feel sick

I hate being sick. I hate to take sick days, I hate feeling weak, and I hate all of these symptoms.

I do often wind up being very productive when I'm sick. Still, I hate this feeling.

I love working out like a maniac in the gym. When I'm sick though, I have to rein it all in. I feel like such a wimp, and I tend to worry about putting on weight or losing strength. Argh.

I prefer to be an iron man all year long. Sadly, I can't keep doing this. I also have too much yard work to do.

What happened?

What in the world happened to this page? It looks suspiciously like somebody's content management system is on the fritz. Whoa.

The cynic in me wonders if this'll ever get fixed. I only say that because sysads have a difficult job to perform, and because I know that they are often overworked.

New year's resolutioners at the gym

I'm already dreading it. In just three months, the gym is going to be flooded with the nasty New Year's Resolutioners. You know -- the people who say that they want to get fit, but who wait until the first of January before actually deciding to do something about it.

These people aren't serious, which is why they don't last. Someone who truly wants to get in shape isn't going to wait until the first of the year. No, he or she is going to eat better and start exercising regardless of what time of the year it is.

What's wrong with these resolutioners? They fill up the gym. They overcrowd the cardio classes. They make it nearly impossible to find a parking space. And they flood the gym all at once, instead of spacing themselves out through the year. I'd have more sympathy if I thought that they were seriously trying to get in shape, but the reality is that these people who wait around until New Year's Day aren't serious about their efforts, and they create a great inconvenience for everyone else.

There is one upside, though. Some of them will hopefully maintain their gym membership throughout the year, even when they're not using them. That'll help defer the costs for everyone else.

Stacey W

Stacey Williams. I don't understand the appeal of a lot of the modern models, but Stacey was different. That's because she looked healthy and fit. She also had a truly beautiful face, which makes a real difference.

She's athletic and it shows. She's also articulate, which is a huge plus.

Cazzy

So I watched this episode of "Two and a Half Men" on DVD. An actress named Cazzy had been billed as a guest star ("Girl #2"). As it turned out though, she only appeared for practically an instant and had no speaking role -- kinda like her appearance on "That 70s Show." She was basically there to look good.

The thing is, they could have hired a much less attractive actress for that part and it would have still been credible. What a waste, especially since it seems to me that she can act. (How well? I don't know for sure, but she can act.)

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A sad message

I received the following message from a friend. It has been slightly edited, but the sentiment remains.

Hello Everyone!

This is hard to email and will be a shock for you as it is for us but the nodules in my mom's lungs are cancer. She had a couple of them biopsied. The hardest part of this is that the doctors say it is incurable. This cancer is the same as her breast cancer and because it's in another location it's concidered stage 4 but I guess because it is in the lungs the treatment can only stop the nodules from growing. I'm not sure what else to say....Please intercede in prayer for us.

I have set up a CaringBridge website for my mom since I don't like sending out these mass emails. That way you can stay up to date through the webstie and also leave encouragement for my mom and family. Below is the information:

To keep you up to date on her, I created a CaringBridge website. You can follow Patricia’s progress and show your support.

You can visit her website in either of two easy ways:

1. Visit the CaringBridge website by clicking the link below.
<< link removed for privacy reasons >>

2. Enter the website name, << name removed for privacy reasons >>, at www.CaringBridge.org.


When you visit you’ll be asked to log in, because I’ve chosen to keep the site private.

Losing respect

I know that I've said it before, but I've really lost a lot of respect for Hope. She is a nice person with a lot of wonderful qualities, but I've lost a lot of respect for her now.

Her parents, on the other hand, are commendable and admirable. I respect them a lot.

Not a fan of the substitute

My Monday cardio bootcamp instructor was laid up for a few weeks due to a torn muscle. Another instructor, Donna, filled in for her. Donna isn’t very good, which is why attendance drops when she takes over. Donna’s movements tend to be horribly repetitive, and she doesn’t pour a lot of energy into her voice. I don’t think I’ll ever take another one of her classes.

When chivalry is misunderstood

I've been surprised at how vehemently some people denounce acts of chivalry -- you know, actions such as helping a woman down some difficult steps or pulling her chair out when seating at a table. "Don't do it for a woman if you wouldn't do it for a man!" they say.

I understand the sentiment, but I think it's overreacting. People shouldn't take offense at these gestures. They're not meant to imply that the other person is incapable of walking down steps by themselves, or that they can't open their own doors. These are just social niceties and signs of respect.

I like what Carrie Lukas said in her article from the National Review Online:

Gentlemanly conduct isn't about women at all. It's about men and their sense of themselves. Paul Anderson continues to say that he would give up his seat to someone truly in need, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and the disabled. But that's not gentlemanly, that's just humane.

A man giving up his seat to a woman who he knows is equally capable of standing on her own is different. It's a gesture that doesn't (as some feminist suggest) imply women are weak. It's a simple show of respect. Respect not just for the woman, but also for himself. It shows that this man believes himself to be a gentleman and holds himself to high standards. Those standards are more important than enjoying the comfort of a seat on his morning commute.

Resurrecting chivalry begins by remembering why it's important. Chivalry is part of a civil world. Women should welcome gentlemanly gestures, and graciously accept them with a thank you. I'll start by thanking the men of the Titanic, who 96 years ago gave up their seats so that the women could live.

Hope

I lost a lot of respect for my friend Hope this weekend.

Hope got married back in June. I never called her after that (in fact, I hardly ever called her beforehand); however, I would occasionally shoot her an e-mail message saying things like "Hey, how are you?" or "I'm really glad that you showed us photos from your trip" or "Just FYI, I told Mon that I really think that you picked a good husband" or words to that effect. Most of the time, she didn't respond, nor did I necessarily expect her to.

As it turns out though, she didn't like receiving those messages. Why? Because she was a married woman and she felt like these messages were an intrusion into her emotional boundaries.

I think she's being an idiot. I know that sounds kinda harsh, but I think it's true. She's not a dummy in general, but on this particular issue, she's being a bit of a jackass.

E-mail messages are not like telephone conversations. A quick message that says "I'm glad you folks got to visit" generally is not loaded with emotional content. It's not the sort of thing that should feel like an intrusion into one's marriage or emotional boundaries. Give me a break.

Most of these messages don't even require any response! Of course, a message that contains a direct question like "How are you?" may require a response -- though even then, many people understand that other folks are kinda busy. To say that this somehow constitutes a break of emotional protocol is simply dumb.

Hope, I have lost a great deal of respect for you.

This GAL is no bozo either!

I also appreciate Sylvia, this German lady who attends three of the gym classes that I go to. She is at least my age, if not older, and yet she puts in more effort than almost anyone else. I love having her around, and I’m always disappointed when she’s not there. (Except during the Monday bootcamp classes, perhaps. The class is large enough that I don’t necessarily notice her around. However, when she’s not attending the kickboxing and hi-lo classes, the energy level in the class is noticeably lower.)

During the hi-lo classes, we perform various demanding moves wherein we have to travel in a rectangular pattern. Most people don’t move very much during these exercises, and some pretty much just stay in one place while doing less energetic versions of the moves. I love it when Sylvia moves up next to me during those moves, as we get to compete with each other a little bit. We both like to cover a lot of ground during these moves, which is great.

Some would say that this is showing off, and to some extent, maybe it is. I think it is helpful for people to see others really taking it to the max, though. My Monday night instructor pretty much says the same thing when she says that we are there, not just for ourselves, but for everyone else as well.

This guy is no bozo

On a more positive note, there is another fella who attends the bootcamp classes. He puts in a lot of real energy and enthusiasm into his moves. So does his friend who used to attend these classes, though I did not see the friend this week.

I love it when there are people around me who push themselves hard. It makes a huge difference. It motivates me to work harder than I otherwise would.

This guy doesn’t always have good form. Due to his energy and enthusiasm, he sometimes gets too bouncy. His punches and kicks aren’t always well controlled. Still, he pours in plenty of effort, and I like that.

The bozo revisited

More about the bozo who barks like a dog during the cardio bootcamp classes that I attend…

Yesterday, I mentioned that he bragged about getting his second wind, and the instructor asked if when he got his first one. During the same session, when he was acting all bad*ss, the instructor also asked him if he was demonstrating the “low” versions of the moves. Heh.

Does this guy even realize how little effort he’s putting into his moves? He’s got no basis for bragging.

I’d be kinda pleased if he’d be kicked out of the gym. I know that would be a vast overreaction, but part of me thinks that it’d be kinda nice.

Barking gym bozo

I previously complained about this bozo who keeps barking like a dog during the cardio bootcamp classes at my gym. He keeps hollering stuff like “I love this!” even though he’s barely doing the moves. He wants to make it sound as though he’s all bad*ss, but he’s not putting any real effort in.

Last night, about 15 minutes into the hour-long bootcamp session, he yelled out, “I’m getting my second wind!” In a good-natured manner, the instructor asked, “When did you get the first one?” Oh, snap.

She seems to be pretty chummy with the guy, which may be why she’s not as annoyed with him as I am. Still, I wish that she’d tell him not to keep acting like he’s all bad*ss if he’s not really putting much effort into the work.

Of course, it would be difficult for anyone to take this guy aside and tell him that he’s making a fool of himself. That sort of thing just wouldn’t go over well. Sigh.

Why can’t he just move away?

A Hollywood Geek?

I found out that this comely actress named Olivia Munn is publishing a book called Suck it Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek.

I'd like to read it, but I'm not sure that I'd pay good money for it. It's an interesting concept to say the least.

BTW, when I say that she's a comely actress, I simply acknowledge that she's attractive. She doesn't really grab my attention, though some guys apparently think that she's way hot.

Worst kickboxing class ever

One of the local Bally Total Fitness studios has the worst kickboxing class that I've ever seen. The instructor spends most of the time prancing about, performing moves that bear no resemblance to anything that one would use in actual combat. A lot of easy bicep curls with no resistance, for example, as well as these weird moves where she's pushing her hands toward the floor.

I suppose that it'd be a perfectly good lightweight aerobic workout. Whatever it is though, it's not kickboxing. There's scarcely any kicking and hardly any boxing.

It's more of a lame dance workout, really. That's probably why you have this flamboyant fella up front hooting throughout the workout as though he were at a party. He's annoying as heck, and his shenanigans should not be tolerated in any real kickboxing class.

The Apprentice

I found this old (and kinda lame) discussion board of TV's "The Apprentice". On this board, a couple of guys apparently were discussing the episode in which Elizabeth Jarosz was fired. Based on the footage shown, this firing was richly deserved.

I did get to listen to some of her Fishbowl broadcasts though, and she impressed me more in those shows. Couple that with her performance during the finale, and this makes me think that she was more capable than she appeared to be at first.

I wish I could watch the commercial that she shot for Bally Total Fitness, though. That'd be kinda nice.

Long phone conversation

I just had a 2.5 hour phone conversation with a friend of mine. It was a very difficult conversation. She was whispering the whole time because she didn't want to wake her in-laws up. What's more, she was bringing up stuff that we had discussed many times before. She's kinda lacking in confidence; that's the problem.

She's a good friend, but that was tough.

Ezri

Boy, Nicole deBoer is a real cutie, isn't she? She's both incredibly cute and very pretty. She's got that kind of look.

Oh, and she was clearly in good shape. Or at least, she was during her single season on DS9. Wowza.

I thought that Terry Farrell was attractive, and indeed, she was a willowy beauty with great eyes. I think that Nicole blows her away though, even though she's not as statuesque. I just like her look a whole lot more.

Groggy meanderings

I'm tired and sleepy. I just had a long conversation with a friend, and I felt like dozing off during this time, even though she's a wonderful person.

Heck, I can barely type right now.

Man, I am so sleepy. I could use some rest, and I would love to hit the gym for a while. I have been overworked and I need my energy.

Came across the BioRes site. Now that looks interesting. Not flashy, but it has some valuable content.

I also like the HowStuffWorks site. Very educational.

You stink!

Tammie S, you stink! You're a liar. You have no integrity.

DM Sarge, you were a terrible human being a few years ago. I hope that you've changed your ways.

Amy T.... well, I wouldn't say that you stink, but I am disappointed in you.

David F, you're not a nice person.

Countless screaming argonauts

Gotta love those lyrics. It's humorous when someone sings about being an underperforming lighthouse and how this would have caused the deaths of Jasons and the crew of the Argo. Funny stuff.

The Da Vinci Code

I can't believe that a lot of people still take "The Da Vinci Code" seriously. Open up a history book, people! When Dan Brown says that the book is based on serious history, he's either lying or seriously deluded.

Of course, he later backed down from those claims, even though he had originally insisted that the book was based on solid historical facts. I think this shows that Dan Brown is not a very honest person. He clearly has no grasp of history.

Semirandom thoughts

I wish that I had time to watch that TV series, "Chuck." It looks like a lot of fun, and I've heard great things about it. I just need to curb my TV watching habits, though. I don't watch huge amounts of TV, but I probably watch more than what's optimal.

I do watch "Heroes," but I don't follow the sotrylines very closely. BTW, even though she doesn't appeal to me, I bet that a lot of guys go for that Hayden Panettiere gal. I would also like to watch "Pushing Daisies," perhaps while getting some work done.

I came across the 01webdirectory site. Interesting. Kinda.

Discovering the Big Bang Theory

I recently discovered "The Big Bang Theory" on TV -- or rather, on DVD. Now that is a funny show! A lot of comedic talent there.

The four male leads are all hilarious, and it's patently obvious that Kaley Cuoco isn't just a pretty face. I also loved seeing the relationships between them grow and how much Penny has become thoroughly integrated into their little group.

Funny, funny stuff. I think the humor is a little bit tasteless at times, in part because I favor more conservative humor. Still, I can't deny that the writing is clever and that the comedic acting is excellent.

Whither April?

Whatever happened to April Lerman?

Well, I found out that she did some acting in a stage production of Annie. She also did some skin flick, to my disappointment.

She was so cute as one of the children on the first season of "Charles in Charge." They revamped the cast for the following year, and I didn't like the new folks as much. This, despite the cover girl appeal of Nicole Eggert.

When HP fails to fix a laptop properly

This excerpt is from a letter that I once wrote, complaining about my HP laptop that required multiple repairs.

The fellow that I spoke to on HP’s tech support line instructed me to include a note with this computer, explaining what’s wrong with my computer. I explained the nature of this problem on the telephone, but just to be thorough:


• The computer does not power on. It is simply dead. Nothing I do causes it to turn on.

• This is the fourth time that this problem has occurred within the past year. The first time it happened, I took it back to CompUSA and the problem mysteriously disappeared. The second time, it took about two weeks to fix it. The third time around, it tooks 2½ months to effect repairs.

I am very deeply concerned about this situation. In effect, I have only been able to use it for about 75% of the past year, due to all the problems this thing has given me. Please, please get it back to me soon. This item cost me a huge amount of money, and if this continues to be a problem, then I will have to look to other companies for my future needs.

Joan Rivers needs to hear this

One Mary Kreutz posted this on Annie Duke's blog. I think that it's worth repeating.

To Joan Rivers,

I respected you before, but was so disappointed by your remarks equating or making an analogy about Annie Duke and Hitler. Those remarks are unforgivable in my view. Your remarks about Melissa being a “Wharton” grad and inferring that somehow it made her better than Annie showed even more your lack of class. I don’t really know the personal issues that caused you to show your hatred for Annie so much, but your remarks about Adolf Hitler (said over and over and even made worse by the implication that Annie was worse than Hitler), and the Wharton remark showed a real lack of class, self control and an even greater lack of caring for other people’s feelings. I know that you’ll say, “To hell with other people’s feelings,” but making money and being in the right place with the “right” people shouldn’t take away your compassion and humanity. I’m proud to say that I don’t and never desire to fit into your group. It’s a mean group. That type of group has brought America to its knees financially. You must be friends with the bankers that sit in their mansions and could care less about those that have lost their homes. Their personal greed and lack of morality seems to be your style. I’m sure you’ll continue to be their friends because they still have their mansions and money, and since ethics and morality don’t seem to be very important, they are your “peers”. Fortunately, most people that are wealthy are also ethical and moral. I’ve known many and I know that most do care and teach their children to remain responsible, caring and polite when challenged with things that don’t go their way. Few have celebrated rude, spoiled and bratty children. Their children have grown up showing those values-even those that have gone to Wharton. I teach first grade. You’re right, my students don’t fit into your group, and you may consider these 20 seven year olds not worthy. Their parents work hard, but they are just middle class, working poor and some at my school are homeless. I’ll try to continue teaching them that the words that come out of their mouths do matter, that sticks and stone hurt, but words hurt more. Sometimes, holding hurtful words is the hardest thing to do. The easiest thing is to blurt them out with no care or concern for what damage those words can cause. My kids said that being a hero means doing the right thing, when the right thing is the hardest thing to do and the wrong thing would be the easiest. My second graders gave that definition. They may never be “Wharton” grads, but I am happy to be in their world. They make me proud. They care about others and don’t judge others by how much money they make, who they know, what they wear or how pretty or thin they are. The best part is that when they do something nice for someone, it’s not done to promote themselves. I hope that you learn that before it’s too late. Your grandchildren need to know that. It’s never to late to learn. I know that I will be learning long after I am 75, God willing. The only good thing out of this show this year is that good causes will get money. Your group will get a lot of laughs and I cringe at what the young people will learn from what they’ve heard. The one thing that I know, and this is for QVC- I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars with QVC, but that has changed this month. I will never buy another thing from Joan or Melissa’s. It won’t mean much in the long run, but at least I’ll be able to sleep at night.

Trump and Respect

I just watched a season two episode of "The Apprentice" (episode four, in fact) in which Trump said, "People have to respect you or you cannot be a leader."

Well, after turning his TV show into a parody of its former self, after making all sorts of capricious firings, after repeatedly ignoring his own rules for evaluating his TV show candidates, and after hiring Joan Rivers in defiance of all logic -- not to mention his behavior with regard to Rosie O'Donnell -- I don't see how he can expect people to respect him.

Really.

A documentation sample

Here is the introduction to some documentation that I once wrote. The formatting is awry because I cut and paste this from the original Word file, and some of the formatting (the table, in particular) was lost.

Wafer transfers are done through the use of stations – that is, user-specified locations at which the wafers are to be picked or placed. These stations can be wafer cassettes, prealigner chucks, or any other location where a wafer might normally reside. Each station is identified by the following set of parameters which determine where and how the wafer is to be picked up or set down, and how the robot should scan for their presence.


Station Parameters
Radial (mm) The radial position (i.e. the R-axis position) at which the robot would pick up the wafer or set it down.
Theta (deg) The rotational angle (i.e. the -axis position) at which the robot would pick up the wafer or set it down.
Z (mm) The height (i.e. the Z-axis position) at which the robot would enter the station to set down the bottommost wafer. Equivalently, this is also the height at which it would retract from the station when picking up the bottommost wafer.
Z offset (mm) A parameter used by the pick/place routines for certain end-effectors. When using the ROB310 vacuum gripper, its value should be set to zero.
Pitch (mm) The vertical distance between consecutive wafers in a multi-slot station. This distance is measured between the bottom surfaces of each wafer.
Stroke (mm) The vertical distance that the robot moves when the arm is extended and picking or placing the wafer. Its value should be less than that of the pitch.
Retract (mm) The R-axis position to which the robot should retract after grasping a wafer. This is also the position to which the R-axis would retract before rotating to the station for a pick or place move.
End-effector option An integer designating the end-effector to be used (typically 0 or 1).
Slots The number of slots at the station in question.
Pick/Place Vel (mm/s) The maximum velocity to be used during the vertical stroke, when picking or placing a wafer.
Pick/Place Accel (mm/s2) The maximum acceleration to be used during the vertical stroke, when picking or placing a wafer.
Radial per Slot (mm) A parameter for compensating for stations that are tilted from the vertical axis. In most situations, this should be set to zero.
Scan Radial (mm) The R-axis position to be used for scanning the wafers. This value should be selected so as to place the wafer mapping sensor at an optimal distance from the wafers.
Scan Z (mm) The height at which the robot begins its upward scan movement
Scan Velocity (mm/s) The maximum vertical velocity to be used when scanning a station.
Scan Acceleration (mm/s2) The vertical acceleration limit to be used when scanning a station.
Scan Radial Offset (mm) A parameter which allows the robot to use two different radial positions for the upward and downward scans. This value should typically be set to zero.
Scan Theta Offset (deg) A parameter which permits two different rotational positions to be used for the upward and downward scans. This should typically be non-zero.
Scan Above (% of pitch) One of the parameters used for identifying cross-slotted wafers
Scan Below (% of pitch) One of the parameters used for identifying cross-slotted wafers
Scan Thick (% of pitch) A parameter used for identifying double- and cross-slotted wafers

Joan Rivers is wacko

Joan Rivers has conducted herself very poorly on "The Celebrity Apprentice." Frankly, she is giving us plenty of reasons not to respect her conduct as a businesswoman. She has competence and business savvy, but she does a poor job of dealing with people.

I like the following comment that someone on TWOP made about the elder Ms. Rivers:

Whether I like her or not, I have to respect her business sense. She's also a contradiction, because she often seems stuck in a different decade ("poker players are trash"...she's probably recalling her performing days in the 50s and 60s), and yet she's always been known for her crudeness & brash humor, even back when that was frowned upon for anyone, male or female. She tries desparately to be 'current' and yet she isn't.

Also the following:

The Brande arc really bothered me. Joan said that if Brande looked like Joan, she wouldn't still be sitting there... but the truth is, that if Brande didn't look like Brande, no one would have been calling her "dumb." The stereotype that a blonde woman with big boobs is dumb is offensive and unacceptable. Brande was no stupider than anyone else there! In fact, she defended herself very effectively and articulately several times. Jesse sat there like a post half the time, and no one called him dumb. Dennis Rodman needed friggin' captions to know what the hell he was talking about, and no one would have dared to call him dumb. But it's perfectly fine to throw around the word "dumb blonde" for Brande, to the point where Piers thought it would be an embarrassment for her to win? Really? On this show, THAT would be the embarrassment?

Abs

Gotta work on my abs. I am so disappointed in how weak my abs can be... and I'm in pretty darned good shape. Yikes.

Incidentally, I'm sick and tired of people saying, "Oh, take it easy with those workouts! You don't want to look like Arnold." These people have NO IDEA how difficult it is to reach bodybuilder levels. It's very difficult to do without being a full-time gym rat and without using steroids.

Ladd and the Angels

I was watching this "Best of Charlies Angels" DVD that covered episodes from the first season. Actually, I mostly skimmed through it. The women were beautiful, but the storylines were forgettable and the dialogue was positively horrible. ("I am not a yo-yo!" said Farrah. Ugh!)

Besides, I liked Cheryl Ladd best of all. Here are a few shots from a very early appearance of hers prior to her days as Kris Munroe.

Have you seen this?

Holy cow! Have you seen this? This has got to be one of the top late night talk show moments of all time -- and I remember watching it in its original broadcast.

I'm talking about the time when Debra Winger discussed her old Wonder Girl role with David Letterman. At the end of that interview, she quickly changed into her old duds and then ran out of the studio. The studio audience went wild!

And so did I.

eBay

I ordered an item off eBay, but after one month, I had not heard back from the vendor. This was despite multiple attempts at contacting them.

On my third attempt, I reminded them that I'd like to leave positive feedback if I can. I received this response:

Thank you for your purchase.

This order did not go out yet. There is a chance that it was misplaced in our inventory (we stock several thousand items on our shelves). I did personally find the order, pack it and ship it yesterday (Tuesday). You should receive it tomorrow (Thursday). It shipped via USPS Priority Mail.

I really do apologize for the inconvenience. We sell a lot of misc. surplus equipment (I have approximately 5000 listings on eBay). And stuff like this can slip by me sometimes.

We always try to avoid negative and/or neutral feedback (since eBay counts neutrals as negatives now). If you have any further issues, please contact me directly.
Feel free to call or email if you have any other questions.

This puts me in a quandry. I don't buy their excuse, since I did repeatedly contact them. On the other hand, I know that eBay is charging higher fees for vendors nowadays when they receive negative feedback. I don't want to discourage people from using eBay, so perhaps I'll just decline to offer any feedback. Sigh.

The Price is Right

I caught some video clips of "The Price is Right" on YouTube recently. The one that stands out the most is this clip from a recent Drew Carey episode where some hysterical woman apparently has trouble with basic math.

You know how four contestants are required to estimate the cost of an item without going over? Whoever gets the closest bid without going over wins the chance to compete for more prizes. Well, this lady decided to bid $1 *LESS* than the woman behind her -- the worst possible strategy, short of deliberately overbidding. What's more, when Drew called out the actual price, she went hysterical, thinking that she had won, and then proceeded to excitedly go up on stage. What an embarassment it was for her to be told that she didn't win.

I have to wonder... Did she have a mental glitch, or was she really just that bad at math?

Speaking of "The Price is Right," there's a "Best of..." DVD set with various classic Bob Barker episodes, plus some from his last week of hosting. Personally, I'd rather see some episodes with the luminously lovely Chantel Dubay, but she was only on the show for a couple of years.

Yet another Locrian example

By now, there should be no doubt that this Locrian character thinks like a six-year-old and that he has no regard for the welfare of other people. He pretty much acts like scum.

Just to hammer the point home though, here's another example of what he said:

Last year in Van Nuys, CA (little Mexico, as some call it), it was Easter Sunday. On a corner near Van Nuys Bl, there was some tie up at a light. On the corner was a man with one o' them ancient speakers around his neck with a mike attached. He was spouting in Latin American Spanish about Jesus. With each sentence, I held my horn, drowning out his distorted testimony. He got REAL angry after about five straight minutes of this, dropped his pamphlets and ran towards my car. I rolled down my window and we started arguing (me in English him in Spanish, so it wasn't really going anywhere )

A cop on a bicycle saw him run towards me and interceded, pulling the yelling gentleman away. I said, "It's alright, officer." He asked me why all the noise with the horn. I said, "I was drowning him out." He reminded me it was Easter Sunday and I replied with, "So?" He told me to just drive ahead when the lane's clear. I said thank you. (Thank goodness I wasn't in Burbank, CA, but there, the only Spanish people allowed are ones cleaning homes.) When I drove off, I did a little polite, donk-donk, with the horn and politely waved to them man who put the mike/speaker back on. He politely waved back too.

So, no fight, no tickets, no harm, no foul to either of us. I just thought if he should witness in public, I should disagree in public.

So the guy had no problem making a public nuisance of himself, and why? Just because he didn't want to hear a street preacher. This fella is a child, plain and simple.

Locrian: Is this guy for real?

This Locrian fella is almost too twisted to be real. Here's an example of something he said.

Somebody asked, "So, 'Would you please not say that around me?' is rude?"

His reply? "I really do think it's rude. Especially from an adult. 'O, wuld yooo pease not say around me?(Baby voice)' Ugh. I'd say, we're in public, rosary gripper. The best reply is, 'Then don't be around me.'"

He honestly sees no problem with pretending that these people are spouting baby jabber? And he has the temerity to impugn their maturity?

The guy is a jerk and he knows it. He just tries to take the moral high ground, even as he's fully aware that he's behaving in almost the most obnoxious manner possible.

Here is how politeness is demonstrated

Now here is an example of a polite reply (referencing previous posts). This is from another fella's contribution to that discussion thread.

This happened to me at work. I was working on a project with a guy. I said "Christ on a bike" at one point. He visibly winced, and said "please don't say that - I find it really offensive". I said "Oh sorry, didn't realise" and never said anything similar in his presence again.

Short, simple conversation.

It doesn't take much to make little adjustments to ensure we all get on in the workplace.

What is wrong with people who just don't get it? Who think that the only appropriate response is to be a grade-A jackass?

As another person said,

Of course I would. Doing otherwise would be what's called, by those of us who like this whole 'politeness' thing, 'being a raging a**hole'.

Another Locrian gem

Good grief. Here's another gem from that Locrian fella.

With regard to people who believe in God and ask that he refrain from using God's name in his swearing, he said,

[I]sn't it MY responsibility to reply with, "Jesus never existed", or "there's no god, sweetie"? I always add the "sweetie" in my reply to them. In essence, they are children. What would be offensive about showing this person there's an alternative?

So he thinks that he should show people that there's an alternative. (Nothing wrong with that per se. And he apparently thinks that this gives him free license to state things with a complete lack of tact or diplomacy. Sheesh.

And he feels perfectly comfortable in regarding them as little children. That says a lot more about his own childishness than anything else.

He then goes on to say,

Basically, if I utter, "Jesus Christ", and I'm told I'm offending them, please realize that I AM VERY offended that they believe such nonsense. Maybe we can have a truce: I'll never take your fictitious god's name in vain, and that person will never mention anything religious around me. Wait-- wasn't that in the Constitution?

The guy just takes complete delight in being as obnoxious as possible, doesn't he?

Locrian and people's motives

Continuing my previous ruminations...

To say that these people (those who ask that one avoid swearing with God's name) must just be trying to get points from the big guy is simply obnoxious. Even if we grant that they're trying to save you from hell (which is surely not their motivation, at least not in this case), isn't it possible that this is simply out of genuine concern? Heck, if a Moslem were to try to evangelize me, I wouldn't assume that he's just sucking up to Allah. I'd assume that he's acting out of genuine concern, even if I disagree with his beliefs.

The thing is, it's not enough for some people to simply disagree with one's polite request. No, they have to ascribe the vilest of motives to that person first, even in the absence of any evidence for such motives. It's simply reprehensible. Even if you disagree with that person, why not give the benefit of the doubt?

BTW, it's also foolish of Locrian to think that when someone asks him to avoid swearing using God's name, it's because they think they need to keep him from uttering such words lest he fall into Hell.

After all, some people are just uncomfortable with that kind of langauge. Also, if people really feel some sort of devotion to God, perhaps they don't like his name being used disrespectfully. To paraphrase another person, "I had a teacher who took us to watch 'Meet the Parents' on a free day. She never said anything in order to 'get points from the big guy,' but she winced a little when the phrase 'goddammit' was said."

This Locrian guy is a real piece of work

I came across this message board that had some real colorful characters. One was a fella by the name of Locrian, and he's a really interesting individual. I don't mean that in a positive way.

Somebody posed the following question (and I paraphrase): "If somebody were to ask you not to take God's name in vain in their presence, would you agree to do so?" Most of the respondents -- whether theist or atheist -- said that they would; after all, it was a minor inconvenience, and it's just good manners.

This Locrian fella took an extreme view, though. Here is his response:

Absolutely NOT. Most likely, if the request WAS polite, I feel it's my duty to politely request the complainer to stop believing in just bullshit. I would counter request that they actually go home and read their bible, beginning to end and quiz them the next day to see if they really had. If they DO read it, they wouldn't need religion, if they didn't I'd tell them that they really weren't a believer anyway.

People who request such a thing are only making their own version of their religion, like all so-called believers do. They're most likely thinking, "I'll get points from the big guy if I make someone stop.", or "If I allow this person to keep saying this, I'LL GO TO HELL!!!"

I really don't think it's polite to even believe in it, or smart, or responsible.

Now that's just needlessly abrasive. Even if you don't agree with their beliefs, only a first-class jackass would say that it's his duty to "politely request the complainer to stop believing in just bullshit." (Hey, I do think we sometimes have a duty to correct other people, but not in that way!)

This guy claims to be somewhat mature (in one thread, he was talking about a driving experience), but he comes across as a hostile ten-year-old.

Joan Rivers is a nutjob on "Celebrity Apprentice"

Okay, so I'm watching the latest episode of "Celebrity Apprentice." Joan Rivers is out of control and out of her gourd. She needs a few dozen chill pills -- stat!

What a nutjob. Her criticisms of Annie Duke were completely over the top. Watching her flip out was just painful to watch. Argh.

Is that how she behaves in real life? The woman must be utterly unstable.

Yeow.

I do like Annie Duke. Obviously, a lot of other people like her, as evidenced by the number of outsiders who are willing to fly in just to help her. I wish that she'd stop swearing so much, though. It simply isn't necessary.

Cell phone users on the road

Once again, I had to deal with a motorist who was crawling along at a snail's pace. Upon passing her, I found out that she was gabbing away on her cell phone.

I should have guessed. If you can't keep pace with the traffic, then put the phone down, lady! Either that or pull over. Sheesh.

What's the big deal? Quite simply, not only is she inconveniencing othet motorists, she's also creating a road hazard by slowing down so much. Argh.

Buy Google stock!

I'm serious. If you're smart, you're going to buy Google stock right now!

It is severely undervalued and worth a lot more than it is selling for. Morningstar gives it a five star rating, and for good reason. Its value is bound to keep increasing, and increasing, and increasing.

Let's face it; nobody is going to topple Google. Not anytime soon, at least. Yahoo? Not strong eough. MSN? Left in the dust. Altavista? Don't make me laugh.

Give 'em a shot. Their ticker symbol is GOOG. Easy to remember, right? Do it now.

Senile dementia

I keep hearing stories about people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. I really hate to hear these stories.

It's a sad, sad thing to see someone's mind just deteriorate away. I remember hearing storis about my grandfather and what it was like for him. I earnestly hope that I never have to deal with it myself, and that none of my family members ever have to suffer in that manner. You need to have wellsprings of patience to cope with situations like that.

What a terrible, terrible state to find one's self in.

Well, it's tax day

It's that time of the year again. It's the deadline for filing one's federal and state income tax returns. Whoopee.

Actually, I'm fortunate in that I'm receiving a rather large refund. Still, I hate the amount of work that goes into computing one's taxes. I also hate all the documentation required, not to mention the amount of tax I have to pay.

It'd be different if the government were run in a cost-efficient way. There's just so much wastage though, largely because of bureaucracy, incompetence, and taking on too many programs that should have been left to the private sector. Terrific.

And now some people want to increase taxes on those who are in the best possible position to create jobs. I'm concerned that this will drive those companies and their jobs overseas.

More on Wendy and Marvin

A bit more on the "Wonder Twins Phenomenon" feature.

One of those talking heads commented on Wendy and Marvin of the original SuperFriends. He said that Marvin at least tried, on the grounds that he wore a superhero outfit. Wendy just wore street clothes.

I think he had it backwards. Oh, they both tried to be heroes, and they both made valuable contributions despite their lack of powers. Marvin was delusional though, having an overly inflated sense of his abilities. Wendy was heroic, but she understood that she didn't need to wear a costume in order to be a hero.

The Wonder Twins Phenomenon

So I borrowed this Super Friends DVD from Netflix. It had one special feature on it: "The Wonder Twins Phenomenon." I groaned; after all, the Wonder Twins were incredibly stupid characters who almost never used their powers effectively. What kind of phenomenon was that?

To my relief though, the commentators did lay down a lot of snark. They commented on how they should have been nearly undefeatable but usually changed into the same three or four forms each time. They also commented on Gleek's stupid name and his mysteriously appearing bucket.

"Zan could be beaten by a roll of paper towels." That's funny. Funnier than the laughing fadeouts that Gleek invariably produced, and which the talking heads in this feature rightfully mocked.

They also made comments about Wendy and Marvin, the predecessors of the twins. I think that Wendy and Marvin have been unfairly maligned, but the talking heads were right to point out that there wasn't any good reason for these two to hang around the heroes.

Putting your heart into exercise

I don't mind it when people struggle through the cardio classes at my gym if they are clearly concentrating and putting in a lot of effort. In fact, I've often offered them words or gestures of encouragement. Everyone has to start somewhere, after all, and some of these folks are clearly filled with determination.

However, you've also got people who keep attending the class and cannot do the moves at all. Now I don't want to be cruel, especially since some people are in really bad shape and need to catch up. I also know that some people have non-obvious disabilities. However -- and again, I want to be careful in saying this -- it seems to me that if you can barely lift your feet above the ground, you should probably try some walking or light jogging first before attending a vigorous kickboxing class. I'm not saying this to mock people who do struggle; rather, the reality is that people won't get much benefit from the class if the moves are far beyond what they can do. Better to start off slow, then.

Also, if you have a hard time following the class instructions -- if you keep stepping to the right while everyone else is jumping to the left, for example -- you might want to practice at home before joining a group class. I know that sounds mean, but this is ultimately a safety issue. That, and the fact that you'll probably get more benefits from self-directed exercise anyway, since it lets you focus on the areas in which you have difficulty.

I hope that none of that sounds too harsh. Believe me, there was a time when I was in bad shape and horribly uncoordinated as well. I got better with time though, and so can most people.

Stupid things that kids do

I just read a story about a kid who had shoved a bean up his nostril and let it sprout.

Now I realize that children don't have the same amount of sense as adults; however, you have to wonder about the mind-numbing foolishness of any child who would do such a thing. Shoving the bean in there has got to hurt, and so why would any kid willfully endure it?

On a lesser note, I'm reminded of old classmates of mine who would eat the free toothpaste samples that we received at church. They wouldn't brush with the stuff; no, they'd EAT the toothpaste. Now that's just stupid as well. Just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should.

Wearing a jacket during cardio boot camp class

There's this woman who joined our cardio bootcamp class. She was heavily dressed; that is, she had a thick jacket on. The rest of us were doing jumping jacks, high knee raises, lunges, and other high-intensity activities. She tried to join in, but could barely even throw a punch.

Now, I don't mind that she couldn't keep up; after all, everyone has to start somewhere. I have to wonder, though... if she had such a hard time performing these movies, then why didn't she at least take her jacket off? You'd think that would have been the common sense thing to do.

Ya just have to wonder about some people.

SuperFriends -- what a dumb bunch of cartoons!

I'm watching some old episodes of the SuperFriends on DVD. What a stupid, stupid show! Or more accurately, what a stupid show this was in its various incarnations. The dialog was stilted, the plots were usually paper-thin, the villians were cartoonish, and the way that these heroes used their powers was usually laughable.

I especially hated the way Robin was frequently portrayed as a victim, and how the Bat-duo would invariably have some sort of outlandish gadgets in their boots or utility belts. Ugh.

The very first series was much better, mind you. In the original SuperFriends series, the heroes used their abilities wisely. They were portrayed as having brains (especially Wonder Woman and Aquaman). What's more, Batman and Robin didn't have to rely on an excess of Bat-paraphernalia. (I remember one episode in which they had to slide down some ski lift cables. Did they pull out some Bat-puller or Bat-cable car? No, they just used their batarangs. Sadly, such simplicity was abandoned in favor of increasingly ridiculous gadgetry.)

He was at it again

Remember that guy I mentioned from the gym? The one who keeps bringing up idiotic topics of conversation in the locker room? He was at it again. Once again, he was spouting nonsense about how foreigners don't have to pay income tax for seven years if they come to the USA to work.

Where do people get this sort of nonsense? That's what happens when they rely on gossip and water cooler conversations to educate themselves on the nuances of taxation and immigration law.

I've met some very nice people at the gym. I've also encountered some incredible yahoos. He is one of the latter.

Disgusting gym talk

There's this very talkative guy in my gym who says the most idiotic things. I remember when he was chatting up one of the hispanic cleaning crew guys, asking about how strong the fella's penis was. Good grief. That kind of talk just reinforces the notion that gym rats are jocks with no brains.

BTW, I'm not saying that he's an athlete, mind you. He always seems to be meandering casually on the track, or perhaps pedalling gently on the exercise bikes. Once, I think I might have seen him using some heavy weight on one of the machines, but I'm not sure about that.

Anyway, he was going on and on about how terrible it is that foreigners can come to the USA and work here for seven years without paying income tax. Where did he get that notion? Sure, it's possible that some of them get away without paying taxes, but that's not because the law allows it. He is doubtlessly spouting some sort of inanities without bothering to check the facts.

Sadly, he's not alone. Many people think that H-1B visa holders don't need to pay taxes, for example. That's simply wrong; however, due to a few articles written by a few rabid individuals, such myths get spread and blown out of proportion. Sigh.

Gym rant: That whooping, howling bozo

He was at it again. Remember those guys in my cardio bootcamp class who keep whooping and hollering, acting as though they're having the time of their lives? The ones who keep cheating on their moves?

I've mentioned the worst offender in their group. Tonight, he was hollering, "Hey, Donna!" trying to get the attention of one of the class attendees, even as the instructor was talking. If I were her, I would have asked him to keep it down.

He was also moving from one spot to another, talking to various ladies. And while he was whooping it up, he was barely moving around. In other words, all his enthusiasm was in his mouth, not in his arms or feet. The guy was all talk!

At one point, we were supposed to be jumping around, turning in 180 degree arcs as we jumped. He was yelling out, "I love this!" -- but he wasn't jumping. What, did he think that we'd be impressed because he said that he was really enjoying the exercise?

Then there's the time when he turned around and kept talking to this lady in his little troupe. Instead of facing the instructor, he was facing backwards so that he could keep talking to the woman. After a while, she grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around, obviously thinking that he needed to concentrate on the class exercise.

What a bozo. I wish that the gym would give him a stern talking to, and maybe ban him from these classes if he didn't shape up.

SolidWorks and Leonardo da Vinci

Here is a message that I once sent to SolidWorks. This was in response to their "Da Vinci campaign."

--------------------------------------

I was very impressed with your flash presentation of Leonardo da Vinci's work. However, I was disappointed to find that your scriptwriters repeatedly referred to him as "Da Vinci."

As any Renaissance art historian can tell you, his proper name was "Leonardo." "Da Vinci" was not a surname; rather, it was merely a suffix that meant "from Vinci." Calling him "Da Vinci" would be like referring to a certain Catholic saint as "Of Assisi."

Moreover, people were customarily denoted by their first names -- in part because the adoption of surnames was not yet a universal practice. This is why Dante Alighieri is commonly known as "Dante," and why Michelangelo Buonarroti is best known simply as "Michelangelo."

Given your tremendously impressive demo (and it was indeed impressive!), I was surprised and disappointed that nobody involved in this ad campaign caught that error.

Mike Rowe... soft?

Usually, there is no problem with claiming website domains, certainly here in the USA. In the USA, you can claim a variety of domains, even .com domains, and there is generally no problem as long as nobody else challenges their use.

The only problem occurs if somebody legitimately has a stronger claim to them due to trademarks or other mitigating circumstances. For example, claiming "MikeRoweSoft.com" was famously challenged by Microsoft, but only because there was potential for brand name confusion. Even then though, the case was decided out of court, since its owner, Mike Rowe, also had a strong basis for his claim. (I don't know if Mike could have similarly sued Microsoft. I doubt that he could have done so non-frivolously, especially since he's surely not the only Michael Rowe in the world.)

Techno-what?

Okay, I cannot get over this site. Technosaurus? Really?

Actually, it's rather amusing and quite a bit clever. It also provides a strong contrast -- technology vs. primeval times. Hah.

It is interesting indeed. Unfortunately, I can't read Japanese very well. I can make out the English words ("Software" and "Analyzer," for example). I can also make out a few of the simpler Japanese characters (e.g. "リーダ"), but that's just about it.

Heh. Most amusing.

Almond cookies?

Okay, I just have to ask about this site: Almond cookies? Really?

My idea of almond cookies involves something like this:

1 cup blanched almond halves
1/2 cup ground almonds
2 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure almond extract or Amaretto
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar

For someone else though, it's apparently a blog with too many e's in the name. Wonder what prompted that. Huh.

What to do this April 1st

Okay, I should have something witty to say on this April 1st. I've got nothing, though.

Exercise DVD recommendations

I'd like to recommend the following exercise DVDs for you all:

* Star Trainers Ab Blast
* Gilad Elite Forces Fat Burning Workout
* The Works With Sharon Mann: Cardio
* Shape Up With Sharon Mann: Circuit Training
* Shape Up With Sharon Mann: Kickboxing
* 30 Day Shred (Jillian Michaels)
* Fat-Burning Workout for Dummies
* S.W.A.T. Workout: Extreme Weight Loss & Fat Burning

Biomed research

A few friends of mine are involved in biomedical research. I almost wish I had gone into that field. It's rather interesting and it requires a lot of cross-disciplinary education.

I do like my own field, though. Perhaps if I were to go into a related field, such as biomedical engineering? That'd be kewl.

There is so much more that I'd like to do.

Blogger freezing

Why the heck does Blogger keep freezing on me as I type? Good grief.

It's probably due in part to the tremendous inefficiency of Windows Vista, one of the most hated operating systems of all time. This is positively maddening.

Divorce is sad

It's so sad. I just learned that former teen star Willie Aames has hit rock bottom. He attempted suicide, was divorced last year from his wife Maylo McCaslin, and his pretty much broke.

I've read about how Aames and McCaslin were a bad boy and a bad girl in their youth, how they turned to Christ, how they cleaned up their acts, and how their lives were turned around. Now things have become much worse for them both.

Some would therefore scoff and their turnaround. Some sneering individuals would even blame religion or cast aspersions on its worth. I would not judge these two too harshly, though. Even the best of us can be driven to the depths of despair, especially when it looks like everything has been taken from us.

They deserve our compassion, not our derision.

DD lost a sale

Dunkin Donuts lost a sale from me.

I was trying to buy breakfast at their drive-thru. Their cashier kept asking for my order, and I kept saying, "I'm still deciding." After doing this three times, he said, "I can't hear you," at which point I chose to go to McDonald's instead.

It might not have been his fault, I hasten to say. For all I know, the drive-thru's microphone might not have been very good. I do know that the cashier at McDonald's had no problem hearing me when I chose to grab a sausage biscuit there instead.

Still, I was disappointed that this person kept asking me for my order. Usually, drive-thru cashiers will say something like "Please order when you're ready." That would have been a better thing to say.

I'd hate to have their job

Almost everyday for the past few weeks, I've been driving past this one tax preparation office. On most days, they had a guy standing outside in a Statue of Liberty office, waving as passers-by in an obvious attempt to drum up business. On occasion, they'd have another fella wearing an Uncle Sam costume.

What an unfortunate job. Oh, there are worse occupations, but still... to be standing outside, tediously waving at people, must be an awfully mind-numbing job. These people must really need the money, and I doubt that they're making anything more than minimum wage for it.

What a stinker. I really feel bad for those folks.

AIM mail

What the heck is going on with AIM mail? It has been obnoxiously slow as of late... so much so that I find myself yelling at the computer in frustration. It's not just that it's slow; it's that it's so slow that the web browser practically hangs, and sometimes stops working altogether.

Heck, I can't even access it on my PDA. Its slow response times cause my Blackberry's browser to freeze up, forcing a restart and preventing me from accessing any other web pages. (Thankfully, I found a way around that.)

This is what happens when kewlness-happy web designers embed too much cutesy stuff into their webpages. Ugh.

People who are lazy when it comes to potlucks

I hate it when you organize a potluck dinner and people are lazy about what to bring.

I've received a few potluck invitations lately wherein the organizers had to announce "No chips!" The problem is that so many people put minimal effort into what they bring. They'll just grab a box of chips -- or maybe cookies -- and bring those instead of preparing something more substantial.

I attended a social recently wherein everyone with last names from A to M had to bring an appetizer, and everyone else had to bring a dessert. Virtually everyone brought a dessert though. Why? Because it's easier, that's why.

A company that I worked for used to organize these monthly cookouts to boost morale. When it came to volunteering to bring stuff, one guy always piped up, "I'll bring the pop!" Every. Single. Time. He took the lazy way out.

It's so disappointing.

Good gym news, bad gym news

I have good news and bad news about tonight's cardio bootcamp class at the gym. The good news is that the noisy, obnoxious guys -- the ones who keep barking and howling continuously -- were not there. If they were to quit the gym altogether, I would be positively thrilled.

The bad news: Our regular instructor was not there. Instead, a woman named Donna was filling in, and she wasn't very popular. In fact, only about 2/3 of the class bothered to attend, and several of them petered out before the class was over. It wasn't because she was overly demanding; in fact, our regular instructor gives us a much more thorough workout. Rather, it's because she was boring. She did the same exercises over and over again -- plenty of jumping jacks, for example, with just minor variations. She also had no energy in her voice, and when you're leading a demanding cardio class, that's extremely important.

I wish they'd find someone else to fill in as necessary. Ugh.

Farley

I don't trust Farley. Back in our college days, he habitually stole stuff, cheated during sports, and blatantly copied off people during exams -- even the easiest ones. He'd borrow things, and then when you tried to claim them back, he'd pretend that he had no idea what you were talking about.

He was a crook, plain and simple. I guess it never occurred to him that people might not trust him after they graduated and had to interact in the real world.

A lady with dementia

An elderly lady sat down at my restaurant table a few days ago. She was obviously suffering from some sort o fdementia -- probably Alzheimer's disease. Her family had to explain to her that that wasn't her table, and pointed to the table they were occupying. At that point, she started to gather up my stuff and move. This one woman (her daughter, perhaps) gently took the things out of her hands and said "That's not ours," and placed them back on my table.

She also had a few embarassing emotional outbursts in the restaurant. Hoo boy.

I felt so bad for the family. They were obviously trying to be patient, as they should. After all, it wasn't that old lady's fault that her mind wasn't working the way that it should. I really, really felt for all of them.

Still saddened that Cheryl is gone

I am still saddened at the death of Cheryl Holdridge, one of the early Mouseketeers. She had a successful life in her post-Mouseketeer days, and she even married into a wealthy family. I do wish that Disney had made better use of her in as a Mouseketeer, though.

She seldom performed any solo acts, due to her lack of singing ability. Still, I think it would have been nice to see her do a few comedic routines or some solo dance numbers.

Supposedly, she was elevated to the prestigious red team due to her winsome smile and all of her fan mail. Doreen Tracy, one of her friends, reported that Disney did this in order to capitalize on her popularity. I can't help but wonder if some people felt that she was skating by on her looks, the way some performing artists and female athletes are popular nowadays largely due to their beauty and/or sex appeal. Who knows?

I thought she seemed quite charming, and she seemed to have a lot of fun in the MMC dance numbers. I would have liked to see her strut her stuff more.

Dempster

I've been watching cardio exercise videos by a whole lot of different instructors lately -- Janis Saffell, Kimberly Spreen, Kathy Smith, Kendall Hogan, Gilad, Keli Roberts, Gay Gasper, Jillian Michaels, Kim Lyons, and more.

I wish that Jennifer Dempster would produce such a video. She's really fit, or at least, she was while she was on TV. I don't know what she's like know, but I bet that she's in awesome shape. She was also fun and engaging, and she had a girl-next-door kind of appeal.

BTW, I highly recommend the S.W.A.T. workout DVDs. This guy knows what he's doing.

I can't believe I agreed with this guy

I was shocked to find myself agreeing with this very difficult and unlikable individual on another message board. In a rare moment of lucidity, he said the following:

I see plenty of foolish men going for looks above everything, and foolish women preferring scum over decent men. The difference IMHO being that men as a group are more willing to admit that they have an obsession with looks, while women as a group want to blame the common female attraction to thuggery on some supposed massive character flaws of any man who refers to himself as nice and on the alleged "confidence" of the thugs in question.

Blackberry photos

I was at a dance party recently, taking photos with my new Blackberry's built-in camera. This requires a lot of precision timing and concentration, as people are whirling around. You've got to time things right if you want to get a good shot.

This guy comes up to me and asks, "Say, what kind of camera is that?" I politely explain that it's a Blackberry. Then he asks all sorts of other questions like "So how many megapixels does it have? How many photos can it store?" and so forth. He must really have been bored to make such idle chitchat.

He meant well, but I found it kinda annoying. After all, the questions were really nothing more than idle chatter, and I was trying very hard to snap some photos of people at just the right angles. Sigh.

At least they're trying this time

Okay, I've said a lot about these loud, obnoxious attention whores who attend my cardio bootcamp classes. They were at tonight's class, and their loud attention-grabbing hooting and hollering started up almost immediately. On more than one occasion, I muttered, "Shut up. Just shut up."

I have to give them credit tonight, though. Tonight, they were actually trying to do the work. I could see them lifting their legs higher than usual and squatting deeper than usual. They were still kind of annoying, but at least their efforts were starting to match their displays of boundless enthusiasm.

Still, I'd be happier if they would just leave. Either that or shut the heck up.

I don't want to do my taxes

I don't want to do my taxes. I don't want to do my taxes. I don't want to do them. I don't.

I know that I'd get my refund a lot sooner if I would just buckle down; however, this is such an unpleasant task, and it requires so much research and double-checking just to ensure that I get everything right. Argh.

I hate this. And I know that I'm not the only one.

A pleasant treat at the gym

I received a pleasant treat at the gym today. Those obnoxiously loud guys who show up to my cardio classes -- the one who keep whooping, barking, howling, and hollering in a blatant attempt to call attention to themselves? They weren't there. Thank goodness for that! They are so incredibly annoying. I wish they'd funnel all of that energy from their mouths and redirect it into their feet.

The drawback is that they hang out with this one cute short-haired gal, and she wasn't there either. I don't know if they're friends outside the gym or not, so I don't know if their absences were related. Oh, well.

Why I don't like the Atlanta airport

I’ve already mentioned the crowding and the noise at the Atlanta, Georgia airport, right? I also mentioned its inconvenient location. Here’s another thing I don’t like: They impose a surcharge if you choose to use their Wi-Fi access.

Mind you, I’m not talking about the normal fees that go into having T-Mobile access, for example. Rather, I’m talking about the fact that the airport charges extra for using their network -- $4.95 for a day’s usage, if I recall correctly. I was tempted to use this, but in the end, I decided againt it.

Why I don’t like to fly Delta

I don’t like to use Delta Airlines for my flights. One reason is that choosing Delta typically forces me to take an out-of-the-way detour to Atlanta, home of a big Delta hub. Not only does this huge detour add a lot of travel time, it also forces me to stop over in a very unpleasant airport.

Don’t get me wrong; the Atlanta airport is clean and orderly. It’s also very noisy though, and even as I type, I see all the throngs of people. Ugh.

This time, I found yet another reason to avoid Delta. When my flight was cancelled, I had to approach some Delta personnel for alternative bookings. Well, guess what? Over and over again, they pointed me to the wrong place, bouncing me from one office to another. I finally found someone who knew what she was doing, and that really helped… but I had lost valuable time. I’ll be arriving at my destination very late, and if I had received more immediate and competent help, I might have been able to avoid this.

Stuck in Atlanta

I’m stuck in Atlanta right now. I’ve been stuck here for hours, due to flight cancellations. I’m trying to get to New England, and the weather has not been cooperating.

Staying at an airport for hours has serious drawbacks. For one thing, there’s not much to do. It’s also hard to get any work done in an environment like this. For example, I should be editing and updating some manuals, but I can’t focus on that very well with all the background hubbub. Being forced to sit on an airport floor, without a convenient table onto which I can spread my materials, certainly does not help.

This is one reason why I don’t like flying. Delays like this are a huge inconvenience, and I stress over things like whether my luggage will get there along with me. Rats.

Johnny B Goode

I've been learning some way cool, very understated dance steps for the Chuck Berry classic, "Johnny B Goode." Unfortunately, I don't have enough floor space to do all of these moves properly. Also, the floor in my den tends to flex under the jumping that's involved, and my basement has even less space.

Interestingly enough, the fellows who produced this video spelled the song title as "Johnny Be Good." They know their dance, but not their music trivia.

Stuck on a plane with an idiot kid

Okay, so maybe that was a bit harsh. Maybe it’s not the most charitable thing to say, and I’ll admit that it betrays a flawed character on my part. Basically, I got stuck on a plane beside this stupid teenager who decided to play his music loud enough for me to hear it despite his headphones, and who decided to sing along with the music! In an airplane, for pity’s sake.

Maybe I should have said something to him. If I had been more bold, or if the situation had been more aggravating, perhaps I would have done so. Instead, I suffered the annoyance.

I’ll admit to some culpability in this regard – both with regard to my lack of boldness and my lack of patience in putting up with this fella. Still, you’d think that a little bit of common sense would have told him that singing on the plane was a bad idea.

Can microbes trigger autoimmunity?

I read an article from the June 21, 1997 issue of Science News that talked about a possible microbial trigger for autoimmunity. I wonder what happened to this research. Here are a few excerpts from the article in question.

Several investigators now propose that one of the body’s initial responses to infection, the production of a compound called interleukin-12, may also awaken self-reactive immune cells.
…
More important, the researchers have largely pieced together how these microbial products ignite autoimmunity. Macrophages and other immune cells that are the first to respond to infections react to the bacterial material by producing interleukin-12. This potent immune system stimujlator then triggers the production of compounds that help the immune system create an army of cells specific to a particular microbe.
…
Shevach and his colleagues suggest that interleukin-12 inhibitors may aid people with autoimmune disorders. Such diseases are particularly difficult to treat because physicians must find ways to dampen the autoimmune attack without severely curtailing normal immne responses. “That’s always the tradeoff,” says Pisetsky.

She's getting wed!

One of my favorite female friends just got engaged. She’s sweet, she’s charming, she’s intelligent, she’s godly, and she’s stunningly beautiful. I’m not interested and I don’t think that we’d be particularly compatible, so I can say those things in a disinterested manner. It also means that I can rejoice, since I’ve long wanted her to find someone who’s right for her.

She’s had several false starts over the past two years. In part, that’s because she surely does not lack for suitable suitors. It’s good to see that she’s found someone who seems right for her.

Eardrum care

Okay, so I want to complain again. I’d like to complain about young folks who play their music at horrifically loud levels. You know the type – folks who drive by with the bass turned way up, apparently figuring that it’s not enough for them to appreciate their music. Rather, they’ve got to ensure that the passengers in all the neighboring cars must hear their tunes as well.

Heck, what about people who put headphones on, yet play their music so loudly that other people can still hear it? I shudder to think of what this must be doing to their hearing. It can’t be good. I bet it turns their brains to mush.

Airline etiquette

In times past, I’ve complained about people who talk too loudly on an airplane or who are otherwise annoying and disruptive. I had a more pleasant experience on my most recent flight, though.

Okay, so “pleasant” isn’t really the right word. After all, the second leg of my flight had been horribly delayed, and I wasn’t able to escape the Atlanta airport until six hours after I was supposed to. I was cranky and quite annoyed. Still, when I finally did get to board a plane, the people on that flight were fairly nice.

Oh, there were a lot of conversations on that flight. I could tell that some of these conversations were between people who got to know each other while waiting on standby or while waiting for their long overdue plane to arrive. Still, the volume was kept to a reasonable level. People understood that they could converse with each other without having the entire plane overhear their conversations.

I wish I could have drummed that into the head of this one passenger that I encountered a few weeks ago. What an annoyance that fellow was.

On a more positive note...

On a more positive note, I’ve met some truly wonderful people at these dances. Some of the people there are snobbish or weird, but some are just plain nice.

I recently renewed my acquiantances with two gals named Monica, for example. One is an old friend that I had scarcely seen over the past year. We had been pretty casual friends, but after touching base with each other again, we became really close buddies.

The other Monica is a gal that I first met at these dances three years ago. She did a lot to help me get started and feel more comfortable. I really appreciated that. She started attending again last month, after which I slowly realized who she was. She’s an incredibly friendly gal with a lot of other wonderful qualities – intelligent, pretty, and very, very sweet. I’m pretty sure that she’s involved with some other fella though (also a nice person) and besides, I think we have other areas of incompatibility. Still, she’s a delightful gal.