In Lego form. By M.
An Open Letter to President Obama
Dear President Obama,
Congratulations on being elected president. You're nuts. Why anyone would want to be president is beyond me. Although I do envy that by the time you're 55 you'll be a millionaire retiree, which is my dream. My dream also has pirates.
Down to business - please send me some TARP money so I can put some new shingles on my house. Also, a book of car wash coupons for my wife, and the kids would like a computer that was built in this century. The children are our future, Mr. President, and I know you would buy your girls a new computer if the one they had could only handle running Windows 98.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. Try to enjoy the next four years. Hillary got the last laugh out of all of this if you ask me.
Sincerely,
A Lifelong citizen
P.S. Do you know Al Gore? What's he really like? I bet he turns the air conditioning way up when he's staying at a hotel just like the rest of us, doesn't he? And drinks bottled water when no one's looking? You can tell me, I promise I'll keep it to myself.
Congratulations on being elected president. You're nuts. Why anyone would want to be president is beyond me. Although I do envy that by the time you're 55 you'll be a millionaire retiree, which is my dream. My dream also has pirates.
Down to business - please send me some TARP money so I can put some new shingles on my house. Also, a book of car wash coupons for my wife, and the kids would like a computer that was built in this century. The children are our future, Mr. President, and I know you would buy your girls a new computer if the one they had could only handle running Windows 98.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. Try to enjoy the next four years. Hillary got the last laugh out of all of this if you ask me.
Sincerely,
A Lifelong citizen
P.S. Do you know Al Gore? What's he really like? I bet he turns the air conditioning way up when he's staying at a hotel just like the rest of us, doesn't he? And drinks bottled water when no one's looking? You can tell me, I promise I'll keep it to myself.
Savage Chickens cartoon
I love the Savage Chickens cartoon. It’s a single-frame cartoon done on a sticky note. Here's one of my favorites:
http://www.savagechickens.com/2008/05/million-monkeys.html
Savage Chickens also has a hilarious manager character, a robot called the Prod 3000. Look at this cartoon and notice his motivational tool of choice (this cartoon is another of my favorites):
http://www.savagechickens.com/2006/02/outside-box.html
As Homer Simpson would say, “It’s funny because it’s true.”
http://www.savagechickens.com/2008/05/million-monkeys.html
Savage Chickens also has a hilarious manager character, a robot called the Prod 3000. Look at this cartoon and notice his motivational tool of choice (this cartoon is another of my favorites):
http://www.savagechickens.com/2006/02/outside-box.html
As Homer Simpson would say, “It’s funny because it’s true.”
Extra extra read all about it! Special mid-week blog posting that is no more interesting than normal!
Today’s topic: Roofing, roofers, and roofs (we’ll go into why it’s not spelled “rooves” some other time)
Talking to people about putting a new roof on the house is fun. You certainly learn a lot about roofs and salesmanship. We talked to someone yesterday who was very nice and did a good job of explaining things, but since he had a set product and a set sales pitch, it’s hard to tell what’s true and what he’s saying to try to convince you to hire them.
In college I had a communication class where I learned about a persuasive technique known as “Inoculation”. An example of inoculation is when you go to Shingles R Us and the salesperson says “Our product will last 30 years, and the other guy’s product will only last 15. The reason is our special blend of asphalt, super glue, old tires, and discarded chewing gum. If you ask The Other Guys, they’ll say the chewing gum raises the cost and isn’t any better than the recycled milk jugs and ground up chicken bones their shingle uses.” And sure enough, you talk to The Other Guys, and The Other Guys say exactly that. According to the Inoculation Theory, you won’t trust The Other Guys because they’re using that line on you, and you were ready for it. Of course, The Other Guys counter with their own comments on their competitor: “Shingles R Us buys their roofing nails from Osama Bin Laden’s cousin.”
We went through some similar salesmanship when we replaced some windows a few years ago. The guy from Renewal by Anderson came and told us how their product was so great and everything else was awful. We didn’t buy windows right away, we decided to think about it for a while. When I called the salesperson back to talk to him, he had left Renewal and was working for another Michigan-based window company that made vinyl replacement windows. He gave me a quote for those windows, which was similar to the Renewal quote, and proceeded to tell me that these windows were pretty much as good as the Renewals. But – how can that be? I was puzzled! (not really)
In the end, I have no idea who to believe, and I have to hope that the people who show up for work that day are honest about their work, care whether my roof leaks, won't fall on their heads, and won’t squash the holly bushes in the front with their ladders. I figure I’ll pick the two people I like the most, maybe they complimented me the most, or they are MSU graduates. Then I’ll have them arm wrestle. The winner gets the contract. I could flip a coin, but where’s the fun in that?
Talking to people about putting a new roof on the house is fun. You certainly learn a lot about roofs and salesmanship. We talked to someone yesterday who was very nice and did a good job of explaining things, but since he had a set product and a set sales pitch, it’s hard to tell what’s true and what he’s saying to try to convince you to hire them.
In college I had a communication class where I learned about a persuasive technique known as “Inoculation”. An example of inoculation is when you go to Shingles R Us and the salesperson says “Our product will last 30 years, and the other guy’s product will only last 15. The reason is our special blend of asphalt, super glue, old tires, and discarded chewing gum. If you ask The Other Guys, they’ll say the chewing gum raises the cost and isn’t any better than the recycled milk jugs and ground up chicken bones their shingle uses.” And sure enough, you talk to The Other Guys, and The Other Guys say exactly that. According to the Inoculation Theory, you won’t trust The Other Guys because they’re using that line on you, and you were ready for it. Of course, The Other Guys counter with their own comments on their competitor: “Shingles R Us buys their roofing nails from Osama Bin Laden’s cousin.”
We went through some similar salesmanship when we replaced some windows a few years ago. The guy from Renewal by Anderson came and told us how their product was so great and everything else was awful. We didn’t buy windows right away, we decided to think about it for a while. When I called the salesperson back to talk to him, he had left Renewal and was working for another Michigan-based window company that made vinyl replacement windows. He gave me a quote for those windows, which was similar to the Renewal quote, and proceeded to tell me that these windows were pretty much as good as the Renewals. But – how can that be? I was puzzled! (not really)
In the end, I have no idea who to believe, and I have to hope that the people who show up for work that day are honest about their work, care whether my roof leaks, won't fall on their heads, and won’t squash the holly bushes in the front with their ladders. I figure I’ll pick the two people I like the most, maybe they complimented me the most, or they are MSU graduates. Then I’ll have them arm wrestle. The winner gets the contract. I could flip a coin, but where’s the fun in that?
Today's Topic: No news is good news
We were watching channel 4 out of Detroit to get the weather. This week's storm of the century has been downgraded to "Just Enough Snow to Clog Things Up". Then Brian Williams, he of hushed and serious tone, half-whispered his way through today's awful news: left-handedness causes cancer, Sarah Palin can see the North Pole from her house because it's floating south, banks are making it easier on themselves by simply foreclosing all properties with odd-numbered addresses. You know, the usual.
I have to ask - does anyone have any good news to report? Maybe no one on your street died this week. Or maybe the interest on your savings account rose from 1.75% to 1.80%. Or that thing that was in your eye fell out, the thing that no one else could see, but you would swear there was something. Anything? It doesn't have to be important - maybe the squirrel in the backyard successfully dug up the walnut he put there in September. I'm willing to dig deep here, people.
Please post a comment with your good news.
Meanwhile everything is going fine here. The kids have a week off school for their Mid-Winter Break. (That's capitalized.) The reason YOU don't remember having Mid-Winter Break is because You Didn't Have One. (That's also capitalized.) If their teachers came over during this break and, say, cleaned my garage, I'd be a little more in favor of it. But they're all at the airport right now huddled around the Air Mexico check-in desk on their way to pitcher night at Senor Frog's. Bon voyage! (I don't know Spanish for "see you in a week." but it's probably "usted" something.)
J's parents are in India for all we know - we got an email from them. They were probably touring one of the facilities where outsourcing is known as insourcing. Those people have fast internet connections. And phone connections too - I talked for hours with the the Tracfone support tech, and it was just like she (?) was in the room with me. Telecom progress is a tide that lifts all boats.
Speaking of things they don't do in India, I had a great burger and even better conversation with my old buddy Craig. It's been around 20 years since we've seen each other, and it's funny to compare notes - he remembered things that stuck with him for years that I don't remember, and vice versa. He's working for the Michigan National Guard and has been for a long time. He wears his uniform to work (he's not a civilian.) Reminds me of some of the people I knew who worked at Domino's in Ann Arbor. When you work there, you can either wear business clothes or the pizza delivery outfit (really.) I'm not saying a Guard uniform is like a pizza delivery uniform, although you can get a lot of pies in one of those personnel carriers you see on I-94 on Guard weekends. (I salute Craig - I'd hire him if I needed someone who does whatever it is he does. For the fun of having him around, if for no other reason. Which is why it's a good thing I don't own a company, I'd just hire people I like and we'd all sit around and talk and then I'd go out of business and go back to working for the man.)
We'll be in Jackson this weekend celebrating my mom's birthday. That'll be fun, and a good excuse to get everyone back to where it all began. Except for my sister. And also my brother. Or my mom or dad. And they tore down the hospital where I was born, so I'm on shaky ground. Anyway, back to Jackson for the reunion, which is a good thing.
I hope everyone enjoys their Mid-Winter Break (hah!) and is enjoying themselves.
I have to ask - does anyone have any good news to report? Maybe no one on your street died this week. Or maybe the interest on your savings account rose from 1.75% to 1.80%. Or that thing that was in your eye fell out, the thing that no one else could see, but you would swear there was something. Anything? It doesn't have to be important - maybe the squirrel in the backyard successfully dug up the walnut he put there in September. I'm willing to dig deep here, people.
Please post a comment with your good news.
Meanwhile everything is going fine here. The kids have a week off school for their Mid-Winter Break. (That's capitalized.) The reason YOU don't remember having Mid-Winter Break is because You Didn't Have One. (That's also capitalized.) If their teachers came over during this break and, say, cleaned my garage, I'd be a little more in favor of it. But they're all at the airport right now huddled around the Air Mexico check-in desk on their way to pitcher night at Senor Frog's. Bon voyage! (I don't know Spanish for "see you in a week." but it's probably "usted" something.)
J's parents are in India for all we know - we got an email from them. They were probably touring one of the facilities where outsourcing is known as insourcing. Those people have fast internet connections. And phone connections too - I talked for hours with the the Tracfone support tech, and it was just like she (?) was in the room with me. Telecom progress is a tide that lifts all boats.
Speaking of things they don't do in India, I had a great burger and even better conversation with my old buddy Craig. It's been around 20 years since we've seen each other, and it's funny to compare notes - he remembered things that stuck with him for years that I don't remember, and vice versa. He's working for the Michigan National Guard and has been for a long time. He wears his uniform to work (he's not a civilian.) Reminds me of some of the people I knew who worked at Domino's in Ann Arbor. When you work there, you can either wear business clothes or the pizza delivery outfit (really.) I'm not saying a Guard uniform is like a pizza delivery uniform, although you can get a lot of pies in one of those personnel carriers you see on I-94 on Guard weekends. (I salute Craig - I'd hire him if I needed someone who does whatever it is he does. For the fun of having him around, if for no other reason. Which is why it's a good thing I don't own a company, I'd just hire people I like and we'd all sit around and talk and then I'd go out of business and go back to working for the man.)
We'll be in Jackson this weekend celebrating my mom's birthday. That'll be fun, and a good excuse to get everyone back to where it all began. Except for my sister. And also my brother. Or my mom or dad. And they tore down the hospital where I was born, so I'm on shaky ground. Anyway, back to Jackson for the reunion, which is a good thing.
I hope everyone enjoys their Mid-Winter Break (hah!) and is enjoying themselves.
Who fixes things anymore? (Part Deux)
The drive belt on the treadmill finally croaked - it was the odd ticking noise that J heard when she started her exercising this morning.
I opened it up again and replaced the belt with one I ordered a few weeks ago (I knew the belt was on the way out.)
I came upstairs and held out my hand to J and told her that she owed me the $90 a repairman would have charged us. For some reason, she didn't give it to me.
2.1V and 20mA later...
You're looking at a red LED being lit by an ice cube tray battery (it's at the top). We finally got it working. Turns out we were using too much salt in the saltwater solution. The voltage drop is 2.1V where the LED is inserted.
Click on the picture to see a bigger version of it.
If you put enough of these in series, you could light a slightly larger LED or possibly a Toyota Prius.
Happy Valentines Day!
Today will be the typical weekend day for me - M to flag football, reading with K (he has to read every day for school), and unfortunately it snowed so I'll have to move some of that. I wasn't expecting the snow, but I don't pay much attention to the weather, either.
I'm continuing my reading about networks and IP addresses and that kind of thing, trying to fill in a few knowledge gaps. I got a big, serious book about networking from the library through their online reservation system, and when I got it I found it was from 1998. If I ever want to set up a network with Windows 95 or configure an autoexec.bat file to map my network drives, I'll know which book to check out next time.
On Tuesday morning I'll be at the kids' school to meet the person who's doing the science assembly for all the kids. This is a part of the Science Fair events. We hired a company that gives assemblies for kids to come and do a physics "force and motion" presentation. I hope the kids like it - it's a budget-buster. But it gives the teachers a chance to get out of their classrooms and daydream for a while, so I expect a lot of thank-you cards.
Science Fair planning is going well. We have a good number of volunteers lined up, and we're trying to get some middle school and high school kids to help too. As long as the tables are delivered on time the day before, we should be in good shape.
Have a good weekend, especially if you have Monday off work like I do.
I'm continuing my reading about networks and IP addresses and that kind of thing, trying to fill in a few knowledge gaps. I got a big, serious book about networking from the library through their online reservation system, and when I got it I found it was from 1998. If I ever want to set up a network with Windows 95 or configure an autoexec.bat file to map my network drives, I'll know which book to check out next time.
On Tuesday morning I'll be at the kids' school to meet the person who's doing the science assembly for all the kids. This is a part of the Science Fair events. We hired a company that gives assemblies for kids to come and do a physics "force and motion" presentation. I hope the kids like it - it's a budget-buster. But it gives the teachers a chance to get out of their classrooms and daydream for a while, so I expect a lot of thank-you cards.
Science Fair planning is going well. We have a good number of volunteers lined up, and we're trying to get some middle school and high school kids to help too. As long as the tables are delivered on time the day before, we should be in good shape.
Have a good weekend, especially if you have Monday off work like I do.
The Year of the New Roof
What started as the Year of the New Car will quickly turn into the Year of the New Roof. A few chunks of shingle were dislodged today with all the wind. We put off having any work done on it last summer even though we could see a few parts of it start to crumble. (Mostly, I was in denial. I'm man enough to admit it.)
Recently we had a neighbor who hurt himself falling from a ladder, now I get to imagine people up 30 feet above sea level stapling felt to the roof. Great! I'm going to close my eyes until they're finished. Or maybe I'll arrange to be out of town. Roofers don't need to get into the house for anything, right? They can use the bathroom at McDonald's.
I've been working with M on his Science Fair project - a battery made from pennies, dimes, paper clips, and an ice cube tray. Really. It was in one of the Make magazines dad gave me when we were there at Christmas. You put salt water in it and if you've done it right, you can get an LED to light up. We clearly haven't done it right because the LED isn't lighting, but that's OK - we're going to try again. I told M that his Science Fair project is more fun if you fail at your first two attempts. He disagrees. Too bad for him, because I'm going to keep working on it until the light works, and he's going to have to help me. Tough love in the name of science.
K is taking a drawing class where they focus on cartoons and comics. It's a neat class, a typical over-crowded room of elementary school kids, but a lot of positive energy and laughter. He and his friend across the street go to it together and we try to carpool when we can. He's almost able to keep up with the math work M does, I think he'll be a force to reckon with in 2nd grade next year.
I'll be going to a recruiting event at MSU next Thursday, representing my company. It's fun to go back and see what's changed. Then an old friend Craig and I (hi, Craig!) are going to meet at Crunchy's to trade stories about what body parts ache now that we're old. And maybe talk about other things.
I hope everyone's having a great time doing what you're doing. In closing, I'll put in a link to a t-shirt J got me for my birthday: http://store.xkcd.com/#StandBackScience ("Stand back - I"m going to try science")
Toodles!
Recently we had a neighbor who hurt himself falling from a ladder, now I get to imagine people up 30 feet above sea level stapling felt to the roof. Great! I'm going to close my eyes until they're finished. Or maybe I'll arrange to be out of town. Roofers don't need to get into the house for anything, right? They can use the bathroom at McDonald's.
I've been working with M on his Science Fair project - a battery made from pennies, dimes, paper clips, and an ice cube tray. Really. It was in one of the Make magazines dad gave me when we were there at Christmas. You put salt water in it and if you've done it right, you can get an LED to light up. We clearly haven't done it right because the LED isn't lighting, but that's OK - we're going to try again. I told M that his Science Fair project is more fun if you fail at your first two attempts. He disagrees. Too bad for him, because I'm going to keep working on it until the light works, and he's going to have to help me. Tough love in the name of science.
K is taking a drawing class where they focus on cartoons and comics. It's a neat class, a typical over-crowded room of elementary school kids, but a lot of positive energy and laughter. He and his friend across the street go to it together and we try to carpool when we can. He's almost able to keep up with the math work M does, I think he'll be a force to reckon with in 2nd grade next year.
I'll be going to a recruiting event at MSU next Thursday, representing my company. It's fun to go back and see what's changed. Then an old friend Craig and I (hi, Craig!) are going to meet at Crunchy's to trade stories about what body parts ache now that we're old. And maybe talk about other things.
I hope everyone's having a great time doing what you're doing. In closing, I'll put in a link to a t-shirt J got me for my birthday: http://store.xkcd.com/#StandBackScience ("Stand back - I"m going to try science")
Toodles!
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