We're getting the house insulated. This ia big step in the direction of energy efficiency (Thank you, President Obama, and your tax-credit program!) and staying warm during the winter months.
We're going with cellulose insulation because it's an old house, foam is toxic, and fiberglass is too pink, but mostly because the dispelled cellulose myths are hilarious:
Sprayed foam insulations can be green, too.
Sorry, no way. The only thing green about sprayed foams is the money you pay for them. Sprayed foam insulations are made with petroleum and petroleum byproducts, and that just isn't green.
What about soy based foams?
Sorry, not green. First, they're not soy 'based' - they contain a small amount of soy additive. While soy added to foam does save a little bit of oil or chemicals, the soy had to be grown, watered, fertilized, harvested, trucked, processed - well, you get the idea. Foams with soy additive are heavily marketed for their soy content, which is something called 'greenwashing'.
Unlike cellulose, foam insulations air seal and insulate at the same time
They can, certainly. But we have a lot of experience inspecting structures in the field that says that foams, especially the more rigid foams, don't have the flexibility to move as the structure does. That means there can be separations between the foam and the framing members as the lumber dries, shrinks and moves, which can allow air infiltration. In addition, there are areas that aren't routinely foamed, like the junction of a wall's bottom plate with the floor, or top plate with upper story framing and flooring. The bottom line is that proper installation of any insulation should include air sealing.
I just want my insulation to do a good job insulating
Of course you want your insulation choice to do a good job insulating. But to do that, it has to do a lot of things - effectively prevent air infiltration, manage moisture, etc. And you don't want it to create problems - make a good home for pests, outgas, etc. And then there are things you want it to do that you might not associate with an insulation product, like make your home safer in the event of a fire, do the best job of reducing noise, and have the least impact possible on the environment.
National Fiber's Cel-Pak and Nu-Wool insulations do a great job at all the things a great insulation should do, with none of the potential downsides.
I just need to insulate my attic, so can I do it myself?
Well, you can - but that doesn't mean you should. There is a proper way to install cellulose, and lots of ways that aren't. A proper loose-blown attic job will be inspected for problems, may have old insulation removed, have the soffits blocked off, have air-sealing done - you get the picture. There's more to it than just renting the machine and blowing the cellulose. (And lots of those big box cellulose products aren't as clean as National Fiber's, and many have ammonium sulfate in them - see 'Cellulose produces funny smells', above) Besides, don't you have better things to do with your weekend?
Do yourself a favor - locate a qualified installer and have the job done right.
"Of course insulation should insulate, you idiot! Thank goodness you came to our website, we spend all day trying to educate ignorant bums like you!"
Being funny is certainly better than being the method of harvesting marijuana.
-t
("Cut, and dry.")
Showing posts with label solutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solutions. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Reading
This 'pie crust the super easy way' article (from kottke) intersperses CAPS for yelling.
With all the YELLING about PIES it sounded a lot like an Amazo post to me. (Which is, apparently, all the Amazo we can expect these days)
-t
With all the YELLING about PIES it sounded a lot like an Amazo post to me. (Which is, apparently, all the Amazo we can expect these days)
Today's Dining section brings a roundup of holiday dinner recipes for you wussbags who are too lazy or scared to make desserts with crusts. "Is it Thanksgiving if there is no traditional pie with a traditional filling and a crust that the cook obviously fussed and worried over?" asks Florence Fabrikant. The answer is obviously: NO, YOU HORRIBLE MONSTER, IT IS NOT. (link)
-t
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
I REALLY Love Science
We are going to live to be eight hundred years old
http://www.discoveryon.info/2009/10/switch-to-reverse-biological-clock.html
-t
http://www.discoveryon.info/2009/10/switch-to-reverse-biological-clock.html
-t
Drunk Physics Work!
I love science (via xckd) because ideas as drunk-sounding-crazy as the space fountain have a realistic grounding in physics. Screw the moon base. I'm building a space fountain over Disneyworld.
-t
-t
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Repost Reader Participation Week!
I invite new readers to the blog and twitter followers to enjoy this marvellous movie meme and submit your answers! I still can't believe no one has answered #5!
Originally posted here!
Quotes Game (via Eileen)
(a) Post one quote from each of your 15 favorite movies.
(b) When a reader guesses the movie correctly, post their name and strike the quote.
(c) Memory/guesswork only.
01.I can be in the NBA. I'm tall, I like to wear shorts. Hook! Hook! Dunk! Dunk! Baby, I'm all about three points [Good Will Hunting] Eileen
02.Tell me about an ambush. I ambushed you with a cup of coffee! [Ronin] Hetherjw
03.Watch out, the yellow ones don't stop! [Elf] Eileen
04.Metaman, express elevator! Dynaguy, snagged on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex! No capes! [The Incredibles] Laura
05. I believe it our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe this night holds for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives.
06. Three-two-six three-eight-two-seven!
07.Now when I created the World... [Newsies] Zoe (!)
08.So you're telling me there's a chance! [Dumb and Dumber] Eileen
09.'La ola es mia.' 'the wave is mine'...I spoke Spanish in my dream! [Airborne] Dan
10. With friends like you who needs friends?
11. Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's *not* a genius? Do you especially think I'm *not* a genius? You didn't even have to think about it, did you?
12. Only when I cease to breathe will I be dead,
13. I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American...
14.We were taxiing out to the runway, right? And we, you know, we kind of hit a moose. No, the moose is fine, but we gotta make sure that the plane's all right, so some of the boys are pushing it back so these guys can take a look at it. Patti, the moose is okay. He ran off. I saw it. [Miracle] Heather
15.Now get back to the stands before I shave off half your mustache and shove it up your left nostril.[Bad News Bears] Dan
[Bonus quote: same movie as #15: "Those Yankees are real turds."]
-t
Originally posted here!
Quotes Game (via Eileen)
(a) Post one quote from each of your 15 favorite movies.
(b) When a reader guesses the movie correctly, post their name and strike the quote.
(c) Memory/guesswork only.
01.
02.
03.
04.
05. I believe it our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe this night holds for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives.
06. Three-two-six three-eight-two-seven!
07.
08.
09.
10. With friends like you who needs friends?
11. Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's *not* a genius? Do you especially think I'm *not* a genius? You didn't even have to think about it, did you?
12. Only when I cease to breathe will I be dead,
13. I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American...
14.
15.
[Bonus quote: same movie as #15: "Those Yankees are real turds."]
-t
Thursday, July 09, 2009
On Improving The Allstar Game
Some quick thoughts on changes to the MLB Mid-Summer Classic
Other ideas? Make them hit with old school bats that weigh forty pounds like Ruth and Mantle did? Pull a fan randomly from the seats to manage the bullpen or draw up the batting order? Play with tennis balls and plastic bats? Everyone plays the game with their glove on the wrong hand! Others?
-t
- Belly-Itchers - I've mentioned this here before: Don't let All-Star pitchers pitch, it's boring. Sure, Halladay striking out five of six batters is a demonstration of talent, filthiness, or further proof that he is the dominant right-hander of his generation, but, as Glavine and Maddux put it, "Chicks dig the long ball"
So, instead of Greinke, Halladay, Santana, Marquis, etc, the game should be thrown by middle-of-the-road relievers: the Farnesworths, the Julian Tavarezes, and back-of-the-rotation starters: Wang, Matsuzaka, Willis.
Poorer pitching means more hitting which also means more defense, and who doesn't like defense? Instead of one or two good looking double plays, we'll get dozens of sprinting dives, bare-handed grabs, near-collisions, and daring stabs at liners in the hole. - School-yard Pick-em - Plunk Everyone has the run down on this. Basically, fans vote, as they do now, but the leading vote-getter from each league becomes the captain of their squad and picks from the rest of the all stars, from both leagues. There should be a special award for the all-star picked last.
- Home Run Catching Contest - This might need to be moved off-venue, but I would love to see a 600-foot outfield fence for the Home Run Derby patrolled by All Star outfielders. Any hitter that gets it past the 410 mark gets credit for a home run, but, if Ellsbury or Ichiro or Hunter can track it down and catch it, they win $500 (or something, incentivize it anyway you want, I'd just love to see these guys be awesome when they don't have to worry about running into a fence at full-tilt.
- Wiffle-Ball! - Make the AL and NL pitching staffs play each other in a wiffleball game before the HR derby. This is brilliant. They can use the short fence from the celebrity softball game. Imagine seeing major leaguers make a wiffleball dance? Alternately, if you're worried throwing a 3 oz. plastic ball will screw up their mechanics, they won't pitch, just hit and field. We'll have a couple position players pitch. Swisher, Kapler, Lowell. In fact, if a position player has been called in to pitch at any point in the first half, they get an automatic pass to the All-Star Pitchers' Wiffleball game.
Other ideas? Make them hit with old school bats that weigh forty pounds like Ruth and Mantle did? Pull a fan randomly from the seats to manage the bullpen or draw up the batting order? Play with tennis balls and plastic bats? Everyone plays the game with their glove on the wrong hand! Others?
-t
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Hard Times At Ridgemont High
Even though my company stayed well away from the short-selling mortgage-backed system-wide bankruptcy we are still feeling the pinch.
While our capital and market holdings are safe, our projected income for the next few years is going to dwindle as more and more of our clients are affected. So they have instituted a number of cutbacks in order to save some money during these lean times, like:
(a) no pay raises until further notice
(b) no bonuses for 2009
(c) all printers have been reset to default to two-sided printing, cutting our paper consumption in half (this deserves its own mini-post)
But, solid as our savings and planning may be, some folks are still getting clipped, like Roberto, a supervisor on the other side of the floor. He got the axe yesterday afternoon after chronically poor performance reviews (as told by a gossiping manager, "a habitual under-performer").
He was fired yesterday afternoon because he rolled in at eleven and missed the 9AM meeting they'd called to fire him.
Firings during a recession wouldn't surprise anyone, someone up and quitting with no notice will come as a surprise.
No. Not me. I know you were all thinking that. I may love quitting, but I'm not crazy enough to quit with zero prospects in a tanking financial climate.
There was, however, someone that crazy on the night shift!
So we were called into an emergency meeting Monday and told that an irate employee quit the night team with no notice that day and they needed a volunteer to replace him for the next five weeks.
So I volunteered, it might make a nice change of pace.
Unfortunately, they haven't told me yet if I'm going to get it. There may be other volunteers, availability may be an issue, etc. I was supposed to find out yesterday afternoon (this is an emergency fill-in, after all), but, nothing.
Until this morning a girl from the cash team shows up, out of the blue, and sits down with one of our trade guys to "train" on the trade system.
Indications point to me not getting the night shift gig.
Which is a shame, new hours (11PM-7AM), an interesting new sleep schedule (maybe 8AM-12PM, 6PM-8PM?), a new team (full of transplanted Dubliners ready for befriending), and an excuse to drink at seven-thirty in the morning ("a hell of a day at work").
It would have been only for the next five weeks, so I'd get back to regular hours before getting the insomnia-induced madness ("Every time something good happens to me you say it's some kind of madness, or I'm drunk, or I ate too much candy!"). Or, if I flourished, I could request a permanent move to nocturnal hours (like Batman).
But now, like a Superbowl victory, it looks like it's not in the cards.
-t
P.S. to those of you looking for references to Fast Times At Ridgemont High, as indicated by the headline, there aren't any, I've never seen it, and therefore have no jokes.
While our capital and market holdings are safe, our projected income for the next few years is going to dwindle as more and more of our clients are affected. So they have instituted a number of cutbacks in order to save some money during these lean times, like:
(a) no pay raises until further notice
(b) no bonuses for 2009
(c) all printers have been reset to default to two-sided printing, cutting our paper consumption in half (this deserves its own mini-post)
But, solid as our savings and planning may be, some folks are still getting clipped, like Roberto, a supervisor on the other side of the floor. He got the axe yesterday afternoon after chronically poor performance reviews (as told by a gossiping manager, "a habitual under-performer").
He was fired yesterday afternoon because he rolled in at eleven and missed the 9AM meeting they'd called to fire him.
Firings during a recession wouldn't surprise anyone, someone up and quitting with no notice will come as a surprise.
No. Not me. I know you were all thinking that. I may love quitting, but I'm not crazy enough to quit with zero prospects in a tanking financial climate.
There was, however, someone that crazy on the night shift!
So we were called into an emergency meeting Monday and told that an irate employee quit the night team with no notice that day and they needed a volunteer to replace him for the next five weeks.
So I volunteered, it might make a nice change of pace.
Unfortunately, they haven't told me yet if I'm going to get it. There may be other volunteers, availability may be an issue, etc. I was supposed to find out yesterday afternoon (this is an emergency fill-in, after all), but, nothing.
Until this morning a girl from the cash team shows up, out of the blue, and sits down with one of our trade guys to "train" on the trade system.
Indications point to me not getting the night shift gig.
Which is a shame, new hours (11PM-7AM), an interesting new sleep schedule (maybe 8AM-12PM, 6PM-8PM?), a new team (full of transplanted Dubliners ready for befriending), and an excuse to drink at seven-thirty in the morning ("a hell of a day at work").
It would have been only for the next five weeks, so I'd get back to regular hours before getting the insomnia-induced madness ("Every time something good happens to me you say it's some kind of madness, or I'm drunk, or I ate too much candy!"). Or, if I flourished, I could request a permanent move to nocturnal hours (like Batman).
But now, like a Superbowl victory, it looks like it's not in the cards.
-t
P.S. to those of you looking for references to Fast Times At Ridgemont High, as indicated by the headline, there aren't any, I've never seen it, and therefore have no jokes.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Where To Find The Meaning Of Life
Wikipedia needs your help. Be honest, you use it ALL THE TIME. I do. And now they're running out of money.
Donate!
Wikipedia is never wrong.
-t
Plus, tax deductible (...probably).
Favorite wikipedia stuff:
Wikipedia is never wrong.
-t
Plus, tax deductible (...probably).
Favorite wikipedia stuff:
- Browsing aerodynamics, especially Military and Experimental Aircraft which always leads to the Flying Bathtub
- Coconut Crabs, part of the fascinating Christmas Island ecosystem (red crabs, and the Yellow Crazy Ant)
- And, obviously, the Random Article feature
Monday, December 15, 2008
All Wrapped Up
Promote holiday cheer and good gift wrapping techniques!
Those of you who, like me (and Biggie), are excellent wrappers won't need to follow this link - but for those of you who are terrible wrappers (Stephen) it will be well worth the look.
Though, for those of you who are very good wrappers, but only want to seem terrible (Van Winkle) you can go here to find gifts wrapped poorly by design.
Happy holidays!
-t
Those of you who, like me (and Biggie), are excellent wrappers won't need to follow this link - but for those of you who are terrible wrappers (Stephen) it will be well worth the look.
Though, for those of you who are very good wrappers, but only want to seem terrible (Van Winkle) you can go here to find gifts wrapped poorly by design.
Happy holidays!
-t
Friday, December 12, 2008
Form Meets Function
Perfect!
This will fit very nicely in my headquarters villainous decor. Video conferencing with world leaders as I held their countries hostage from this chair would definitely add the air of menace that's been missing so far.
I've emailed the company to inquire about adding a remote-controlled laser cannon to the canopy. I'll keep you posted.
-t
This will fit very nicely in my headquarters villainous decor. Video conferencing with world leaders as I held their countries hostage from this chair would definitely add the air of menace that's been missing so far.
I've emailed the company to inquire about adding a remote-controlled laser cannon to the canopy. I'll keep you posted.
-t
Friday, October 17, 2008
I, For One, Welcome Our New Google Overlords
Two points to make regarding Google
(1) YouTube is now the second largest search engine in the world, surpassing Yahoo (finally, man, the only thing Yahoo seems to have left is sports (which is still top notch!)).
and
(2) Google just updated their iGoogle hompeage, including the gmail widget so that now I HAVE FULL ACCESS TO GMAIL FROM WITHIN THE GOOGLE HOMEPAGE!
Which is totally wicked.
Previously, google (helpfully) displayed the number of unread messages in the inbox and displayed the senders and subject line of the most recent 10 emails received.
NOW I HAVE FULL ACCESS!
Which is great, since gmail.com itself is still blocked at work.
I am going to enjoy this until the IT department figures out a way to block it.
Way to go Google.
-t
(1) YouTube is now the second largest search engine in the world, surpassing Yahoo (finally, man, the only thing Yahoo seems to have left is sports (which is still top notch!)).
and
(2) Google just updated their iGoogle hompeage, including the gmail widget so that now I HAVE FULL ACCESS TO GMAIL FROM WITHIN THE GOOGLE HOMEPAGE!
Which is totally wicked.
Previously, google (helpfully) displayed the number of unread messages in the inbox and displayed the senders and subject line of the most recent 10 emails received.
NOW I HAVE FULL ACCESS!
Which is great, since gmail.com itself is still blocked at work.
I am going to enjoy this until the IT department figures out a way to block it.
Way to go Google.
-t
Monday, October 13, 2008
Axel F.
Suck it, Verizon software!
I've been trying for a while to set custom ringtones on my cell phone. This weekend, I finally got it.
The construction of the custom tone is a piece of cake. Take any mp3 file, upload to an audio editing program, chop it down to the bits you like, add echo, fade in, fade out, whatever you like, save it, transfer it via bluetooth to the phone and then...
Then it gets sticky. Verizon phones ship with crippled software. I can save the bluetooth transfer to my phone under "My Sounds" and play it whenever I want. I cannot, however, set it as a ringtone from the "My Sounds" section of the phone, no, the only way to get a new ringtone is to purchase and download over the air.
Until I figured out the workaround, that is.
Which is, actually, very simple. So simple, in fact, that Verizon really should just let me add the ringtone from My Sounds. All I need to do is select my sound, then send it to myself as an attachment to a text message.
When the txt arrives, it gives me the option to set the sound as a ringtone.
It's this whole other, entirely redundant step, built into the software. I have to send the file to my phone via bluetooth from the computer, then, send it to my phone via txt from my own phone.
Seems a bit ridiculous.
But now I've finally got the Beverly Hills Cop Theme playing for all incoming calls, and I couldn't be happier about it.
-t
PS - Did you know Beverly Hills Cop was the second highest grossing movie in 1984? The first was Ghostbusters. Two SNL alum movies in first and second place at the box office! SNL, how far you've fallen.
I've been trying for a while to set custom ringtones on my cell phone. This weekend, I finally got it.
The construction of the custom tone is a piece of cake. Take any mp3 file, upload to an audio editing program, chop it down to the bits you like, add echo, fade in, fade out, whatever you like, save it, transfer it via bluetooth to the phone and then...
Then it gets sticky. Verizon phones ship with crippled software. I can save the bluetooth transfer to my phone under "My Sounds" and play it whenever I want. I cannot, however, set it as a ringtone from the "My Sounds" section of the phone, no, the only way to get a new ringtone is to purchase and download over the air.
Until I figured out the workaround, that is.
Which is, actually, very simple. So simple, in fact, that Verizon really should just let me add the ringtone from My Sounds. All I need to do is select my sound, then send it to myself as an attachment to a text message.
When the txt arrives, it gives me the option to set the sound as a ringtone.
It's this whole other, entirely redundant step, built into the software. I have to send the file to my phone via bluetooth from the computer, then, send it to my phone via txt from my own phone.
Seems a bit ridiculous.
But now I've finally got the Beverly Hills Cop Theme playing for all incoming calls, and I couldn't be happier about it.
-t
PS - Did you know Beverly Hills Cop was the second highest grossing movie in 1984? The first was Ghostbusters. Two SNL alum movies in first and second place at the box office! SNL, how far you've fallen.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Braid: Best Official Walkthrough Ever
The artwork and story have been praised for the whimsical visual style, haunting
score, and perception-bending effect on the player.
I tried the demo. I'd say I'm familiar with the side-scrolling platformer mileu.
But then I visited the developer's page, and I am going to buy this game based solely on the official walkthrough. (It's a relatively quick read, don't worry, you can take a look:Braid walkthrough)
Best walkthrough ever man.
-t
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
You Can't Spell Courtesy Without Curt
I was quietly asked to step into the conference room this morning to meet with my supervisor.
One glance at the troubled look on his face and I guessed immediately that the discussion might center around a sarcastic reply I'd sent in response to an email from one of the girls on the tax team.
The original email went something like "The client wants us to check on this, please check on this and get back to me," and the email was, as per the custom here, cc-ed to basically everyone, including her supervisor, my supervisor, and the head of the division.
In a joking and sarcastic manner, which I truly believed was in character with the working relationship I have with this particular member of the tax team, and not in any way mean-spirited, but one-hundred percent in jest, I replied to her email with "Actually, as this is a tax request, and tax is your job, please do your job."
Which, as I said, I believed to be well within the established framework of office joking and good-natured ribbing that I had established with the tax team.
I did, please note, NOT reply-to-all and cc the whole freaking company, which is a crucial point that this member of the tax team overlooked.
Because she assumed that I had copied everyone on the email in my response, basically critcizing her professionalism, work-ethic, and ability, she responded to my response, cc-ing everyone with a curt response which included a cut-and-pasted excerpt of my job description as it pertains to client tax requests.
So, as I was called into the conference room I had an inkling of where this conversation was headed.
"Tom," my supervisor began, "I wanted to talk to you because, well, someone...higher up...pulled me aside and mentioned that someone on the tax team had become a little, upset, about something... Do you know what I'm talking about?"
You mean the email I sent to the tax team. I was actually planning on walking down there later today and talking to her about that. I don't think she realized my response was direct to her, not to the whole company.
"Right, yeah, well. I think, it, well, it would probably be good to realize that, if you think you sound a certain way in an email, that maybe some people might not take it the way you mean it, and that can be... less than constructive to building bridges between teams...and for your own business relationships. Do you know what I mean?"
You want me to be nicer. Got it. Is it just the email, or has this come up before?
"It's just that your manner... Look, I know it can be frustrating - believe me I know - there are sometimes, like with the international team in Vienna, they can be a little demanding, they call all the time, there are sometimes where I just want to fire off an email and really let 'em have it, you know? But - but, you have to take a deep breath, and be a little more... Maybe don't think about correcting them, even when it's clearly their fault, but instead, trying to accomodate and respond with something that will be better for building a connection with them.
"I understand your manner can be a little...curt, at times. The way you work, technically you're very strong. You know the software, you've gotten to know the funds and the glitches that can come up, and how to deal with them, or prevent them, which is great. But, your, building relationships...maybe can use a little work. Sometimes, like, maybe with the people you train, your manner might seem a little....rude. And I know you just want to get the job done, but like I said, the way you behave might not be taken the same way by the other person. Ok? That was all I wanted to mention."
So.
Be nicer. I have decided to embrace this idea of niceness, and in that vein, I have updated my email auto-signature from "Thanks-comma" to read instead, "Thanks-exclamation-point" and that should make the difference.
Thanks!
Tom
One glance at the troubled look on his face and I guessed immediately that the discussion might center around a sarcastic reply I'd sent in response to an email from one of the girls on the tax team.
The original email went something like "The client wants us to check on this, please check on this and get back to me," and the email was, as per the custom here, cc-ed to basically everyone, including her supervisor, my supervisor, and the head of the division.
In a joking and sarcastic manner, which I truly believed was in character with the working relationship I have with this particular member of the tax team, and not in any way mean-spirited, but one-hundred percent in jest, I replied to her email with "Actually, as this is a tax request, and tax is your job, please do your job."
Which, as I said, I believed to be well within the established framework of office joking and good-natured ribbing that I had established with the tax team.
I did, please note, NOT reply-to-all and cc the whole freaking company, which is a crucial point that this member of the tax team overlooked.
Because she assumed that I had copied everyone on the email in my response, basically critcizing her professionalism, work-ethic, and ability, she responded to my response, cc-ing everyone with a curt response which included a cut-and-pasted excerpt of my job description as it pertains to client tax requests.
So, as I was called into the conference room I had an inkling of where this conversation was headed.
"Tom," my supervisor began, "I wanted to talk to you because, well, someone...higher up...pulled me aside and mentioned that someone on the tax team had become a little, upset, about something... Do you know what I'm talking about?"
You mean the email I sent to the tax team. I was actually planning on walking down there later today and talking to her about that. I don't think she realized my response was direct to her, not to the whole company.
"Right, yeah, well. I think, it, well, it would probably be good to realize that, if you think you sound a certain way in an email, that maybe some people might not take it the way you mean it, and that can be... less than constructive to building bridges between teams...and for your own business relationships. Do you know what I mean?"
You want me to be nicer. Got it. Is it just the email, or has this come up before?
"It's just that your manner... Look, I know it can be frustrating - believe me I know - there are sometimes, like with the international team in Vienna, they can be a little demanding, they call all the time, there are sometimes where I just want to fire off an email and really let 'em have it, you know? But - but, you have to take a deep breath, and be a little more... Maybe don't think about correcting them, even when it's clearly their fault, but instead, trying to accomodate and respond with something that will be better for building a connection with them.
"I understand your manner can be a little...curt, at times. The way you work, technically you're very strong. You know the software, you've gotten to know the funds and the glitches that can come up, and how to deal with them, or prevent them, which is great. But, your, building relationships...maybe can use a little work. Sometimes, like, maybe with the people you train, your manner might seem a little....rude. And I know you just want to get the job done, but like I said, the way you behave might not be taken the same way by the other person. Ok? That was all I wanted to mention."
So.
Be nicer. I have decided to embrace this idea of niceness, and in that vein, I have updated my email auto-signature from "Thanks-comma" to read instead, "Thanks-exclamation-point" and that should make the difference.
Thanks!
Tom
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Impulse Control
If you have a problem controlling impulse spending, especially for $0.99 purchases, like songs from iTunes and Amazon's mp3 store, do not, I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT visit pandora.com and enter an artist you like.
Because Pandora will start playing other songs that you will like. And you will like them. And then you will buy them. All of them.
They even let you bookmark songs so you can easily keep track of what you haven't purchased yet.
Gah.
Because Pandora will start playing other songs that you will like. And you will like them. And then you will buy them. All of them.
They even let you bookmark songs so you can easily keep track of what you haven't purchased yet.
Gah.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
PLEASE RESUME POSTING
Bwahaha. I can see my reeder at work! Victory!
I can, once again, read new posts without clicking through outmoded and outdated html hyperlinks!
Thanks for holding off posting your news/feelings/life developments these past two-and-a-half months while I sorted out these RSS difficulties. So you can all start updating your blogs again.
-t
19
Monday, April 14, 2008
Big Papi/Yankees: Clubhouse Curse
Punk construction worker buries a David Ortiz jersey in the floor of the visitor's clubhouse in the new Yankee Stadium.
David Ortiz is in the slump of his career, hitting 0.070, just one hit in his last 29 at bats.
Superstitious Yankees dig up the Ortiz jersey.
I posit, that the jersey did not, in fact, jinx the Yankees, but rather, jinxed our favorite home town slugger, Mr. David Ortiz, and THEREFORE when he re-enters the lineup he WILL TEAR IT UP.
So, please, a message to Sox fans who happen to be working construction, STOP TRYING TO JINX THE YANKEES. It's going to backfire. That's karma. Educate yourselves.
-t
David Ortiz is in the slump of his career, hitting 0.070, just one hit in his last 29 at bats.
Superstitious Yankees dig up the Ortiz jersey.
I posit, that the jersey did not, in fact, jinx the Yankees, but rather, jinxed our favorite home town slugger, Mr. David Ortiz, and THEREFORE when he re-enters the lineup he WILL TEAR IT UP.
So, please, a message to Sox fans who happen to be working construction, STOP TRYING TO JINX THE YANKEES. It's going to backfire. That's karma. Educate yourselves.
-t
22
Friday, February 29, 2008
Time Served
Folks, this is just a friendly reminder to disregard all of those newspaper articles and blog posts claiming today is an "extra" day in the calendar year. Those reports are totally bogus.
Leap Day isn't a bonus, it's backpay.
The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 "days" (a roughly 24hr period) and since man decided to start counting, he has tried to cram everything into nice ordered little boxes.
Doesn't work. Nature's more complicated. That extra time gets taken away from you in non-leap years! Taken away.
So, don't celebrate leap year and do something crazy because this is a day you wouldn't otherwise have, instead, get indignant! This is a day owed you by the calendar-mongers, and time-keepers.
Every year! A quarter of a day taken away from you! Just think what you could do with that time when it was fresh! Not stored away for years until there's enough of it to see clearly. A quarter day means 6 more hours of sleep January 1st after your New Year's Hangover! 6 hours!
You could use that time to study for your final exams the night before! No more cramming!
You could spread it out and never be late for work!
What would I do? Well, I'd probably save up until I had a whole days worth. And then treat it like a bonus day.
Besides, if I had to carry it around all year with me I might lose it.
-t
Leap Day isn't a bonus, it's backpay.
The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 "days" (a roughly 24hr period) and since man decided to start counting, he has tried to cram everything into nice ordered little boxes.
Doesn't work. Nature's more complicated. That extra time gets taken away from you in non-leap years! Taken away.
So, don't celebrate leap year and do something crazy because this is a day you wouldn't otherwise have, instead, get indignant! This is a day owed you by the calendar-mongers, and time-keepers.
Every year! A quarter of a day taken away from you! Just think what you could do with that time when it was fresh! Not stored away for years until there's enough of it to see clearly. A quarter day means 6 more hours of sleep January 1st after your New Year's Hangover! 6 hours!
You could use that time to study for your final exams the night before! No more cramming!
You could spread it out and never be late for work!
What would I do? Well, I'd probably save up until I had a whole days worth. And then treat it like a bonus day.
Besides, if I had to carry it around all year with me I might lose it.
-t
Monday, December 24, 2007
Last Minute Xmas Shopping For Blog Readers
From Matthew Baldwin's
Holiday Last-Minute Survival Guide for Slackers:
I concur.
-t
Holiday Last-Minute Survival Guide for Slackers:
Hey, here’s a thought. Why not buy pretty much anything sold at dealextreme.com? JFC, I don’t even know where to begin. The Braised Pork Cell Phone Charm? The Professional Laser Guided Precision Scissors? The Stainless Lighter With 4GB USB Disk? The LED Light Illuminated Ear Pick? The Hamburger 12 CD Flannel Storage Bag? The Shock-Your-Friend Electrified Dummy Digital Camera? The Digital Buddhist Jukebox in Tibetan (5 Songs)? The TDR USA 16-inch Crossbow? The Whatever-the-Hell That Promotes Bowel Movement for Pets?
I’m pretty sure this web site is based in some alternate dimension where Lincoln used kung fu to disarm his assassin and now everything is AWESOME.
I concur.
-t
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
gAIMing
Hey! Gmail users! Google is finally going to start talking to AIM! No more only chatting with the four other people you know on googlechat, you can sign into AIM from gmail and get your whole buddy list!
I feel like I'm in an AT&T commercial from the eighties. Reach out and touch someone.
Well, I would if I could access gmail at work.
-t
I feel like I'm in an AT&T commercial from the eighties. Reach out and touch someone.
Well, I would if I could access gmail at work.
-t
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