Random for you

[urbpan]

One last political note until October or so (I almost promise): If superduper Tuesday had been a four-way general election, Obama would have won. He got more total votes than Clinton, and each of them got more votes than all of the combined votes cast for Republicans (according to what I heard on npr this afternoon). To me, that shows that the Independents came out of the woodwork to vote for him, while in Democratic strongholds (California, New York, Massachusetts) the Dems stuck to the orthodoxy.

Alexis, having read a good chunk of The Omnivore's Dilemma, is making food choices based on ethical issues. This is an interesting role change, as I'm basically eating anything I like, as long as I like it. That includes two exciting forms of cherry-flavored junk food: cherry cordial goo filled hershey's kisses and cherry jello with peach pieces in it. "Red" is my favorite flavor.

It doesn't appear that my screw-ups at work are going to get me fired, at least not any time soon. I'm slated to help teach the "Pest Control" zookeeper training class in April, and I had a meeting today about what's going to happen with pest control in the spring and summer. Good signs that I won't be out on my ass next week. On the other hand I have my 6 month review on Monday, and I'm pretty sure I'll be eating a lot of shit during that.

My "take out more than you bring in" form of self clutter-control seems to be working. It means I take out the trash and recycling more often, at least. I tried freecycle and so far I don't like it. I've gone through a lot of work to get rid of one pair of boots. If anyone in the Boston area wants size 9 docs and cons let me know. Also, candent, send me your mailing address if you want my old paperbacks!

In urban nature news, my new coworker took some pictures of a saw-whet owl outside her window in East Boston! I'll post them once she sends me copies.

I feel weirdly guilty about not posting every day. I'm blaming it on the weather, for now. I'll add it to complaints like my lips being so chapped they bleed, the skin of my face flaking off in chunks, and the dry heated buildings cooking my moisture away until I'm so dehydrated that I wake up with a Boone's Farm hangover every morning. But really, would you want to read complaints like that from me every day?

I racked up over 6 dollars in library fines, which I feel perversely good about. I can't just hand the librarians money (they are easily confuzzled) but I feel like supporting them. I gave them two giant hardcover books and a fullscreen version of king kong that I bought by accident, and that was fairly confuzzling to them. Just as well to earn a good honest library fine. Anyway, I got my excise tax bill, and I assume that must trickle down to the library eventually.

We watched "The Bridge," a documentary about the most popular place in the country for people to commit suicide: The Golden Gate Bridge. To make the film, a team of a dozen camera operators scanned the bridge for a year, looking for likely jumpers. They would call the Bridge Patrol if anyone looked like they were going over (and helped save a few people) but they would film the whole thing: rescues and successful attempts. The footage is interspersed with surviving friends and family members talking about the people who jumped, most of whom were profoundly disturbed, and announced their suicides long before traveling to the bridge. It was very well made, but I only rated it 3 stars so that I wouldn't have tons of depressing movies recommended to me by Netflix.

Comments

[shadowofadoubt.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed The Bridge.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I did too, but it's essentially a snuff film.

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

I found that the way to make Freecycle easiest is to say in the post "Item goes to whoever is able to pick it up first", and then when responding to whoever say "Item will be left at front door so you can pick up whenever. If they are not gone by X, I will contact the next freecycler."

[candent.livejournal.com]

No problem. I will e-mail it to you but I want to send you the money first so just give me a total and I'll put the check in the mail on Friday.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

It'll be like ten bucks. Thanks!

[candent.livejournal.com]

Hey Jef, do you still have the books available?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

You bet! I almost donated them to the Norfolk county jury pool room, but after I finished in there, I never want to go back.

[candent.livejournal.com]

Ok great, sorry for the delay, I just got really caught up with a few things this month. I will be putting the money in the mail to you on monday.

[hildythenerd.livejournal.com]

Oh man, Boone's Farm. First stuff I ever got drunk off of in my life!

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Not my first, but one of my pre-21 times. Quite memorable.

[mas69ter.livejournal.com]

If you have paypal, I can send money to have cons sent to me. If you're up for sending shoes out like that anyways.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

They're size 9 black hi-tops--probly cost me 6 or 8 dollars to priority mail them to you if you want 'em. My email is in my profile.

[roaming.livejournal.com]

I'm doing it backwards: I'm 3/4 through In Defense Defense of Food, and bought Omnivore's Dilemma yesterday to get to this weekend. I worry what I will find that will blow away whatever lingering denials I have that allow me to buy hamburger or chicken -- as long as it's from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, so it must be "better" than the usual market, right? Probably not. I can keep bumbling along as long as I don't have too many incontrovertible facts shoved in my face. I KNOW It's best to eat local, organic, free-range, and preferably small farmed, Rabbi-officiated slaughtered not conveyor belt madness. Some days, though, you just want to eat something quick and convenient. My grandmother would start cooking dinner at 3 pm for a 6 pm sit down. Who can do that now? In some ways, the market limits our choice: in other ways, we tell the market what we want: quick, cheap, NOW. Yeh, I know it's not "right." (sigh)

[elainetyger.livejournal.com]

If you live in an urban area, why don't you just set your unwanted stuff down on the sidewalk in front of your home?

I've disposed of hundreds of books that way. Clothes, replaced small appliances, etc. Even the rattiest sneakers will walk away long before the midnight trash collection.

We used to get all our bookcases courtesy of sidewalk specials.

[whatisbiscuits.livejournal.com]

As a librarian, I don't mind people with fines, as long as they pay them off quickly. Otherwise the amount of staff time spent on printing off letters and phoning people up kinda cancels out the income.

You're supporting the library well by using it and taking out books, as otherwise governments tend to decide it's a good idea to close them down.

I can never get rid of anything on Freecycle either. No-one wants my rubbish!

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

I heard about the movie, and I'm not sure I want to see it...it sounds disturbing...that bridge freaks me out anyway, I just hate driving or walking on it, blarg...I would hate to see a jumper and like not get them help fast enough...
but yea.
I haven't updated in a month, so you're better off than me. I just am so TIRED from work I don't feel like it...if I could talk and have the computer type I would (we have a program, but it won't insert pics and such...:P)
Oooh you rebel getting fines...I once lost a book and had to buy it! Then I found it...but I bought it so I kept it...I liked it anyway...it was "The Mosquito Coast" and it had Harrison Ford on the cover and I love him so it was worth it...;)
I mess up at work too, BUT I am in training so I don't have to worry YET...;) Like yesterday I almost let a Seagull we had just Code 55ed get away...oops....:P

[yogurtkiller.livejournal.com]

I had that problem with Freecycle too. I just went back to leaving stuff on the curb and if no one wants it before the garbage truck come, it's gone.