Category: Life
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Did you get my meme-o?
So, somehow someone at work managed to send a routine system failure notification to a mailing list that included everyone who has access to that system. Like 26,000 people. Not a smart career move. I received the notification, saw it wasn’t really meant for me, deleted it, and moved on. But there’s always people who can’t just delete an email (maybe because it took them time to read it, which counts as work, so now they need to let everyone know they are working) and who decided to reply to it. And not just reply, but Reply All. To everyone… Read more
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Antisocial Insecurity
I know people claiming social security are sometimes seen as jobless spongers who are just too lazy to get a job, but based on my recent experience, getting the Social Security Administration to actually give you money is more work than an actual job. Allow me to explain. For reasons we don’t need to get into, my three kids became eligible for social security payments (in lieu of Child Support) in January this year. Although they automatically became eligible, I still had to apply (on their behalf) for said social security payments, which necessitated filling in a shit-ton of forms… Read more
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Keeping abreast of gender issues
Last weekend I went to the Houston Pride Parade – partly because my bestie was heavily involved in organizing a contingent from my company to actually march in the parade and I wanted to provide moral support, but mostly because the current Administration seems intent on removing LGBT rights at an alarming pace, and in good conscience I can’t just sit idly by and say nothing (whereas standing idly by the parade route and clapping politely is a level of resistance I’m comfortable with…). I dragged along my GF, my daughter and a friend of hers with some skin in… Read more
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52 Reasons 2016 wasn’t a COMPLETE Bust
So, 2016. A veritable political shitfest, which I would be glad to see the back of were it not for the knowledge that the next four years will likely be even worse. But on the plus side, I did add another 52 albums to my music library, most of which will continue to bring me joy long after Captain Asshat has exited the White House. 2016 was a middling year for music. It stated out well, with my first 7 weeks’ purchases all being brand new releases (and typically bought on the day of release – which the record companies… Read more
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Dude, why is your Instagram feed just pictures of your t-shirts?
It’s a meditation on the impermanence of everything. OK, let me explain. During the Glory Years of my Youth (1985-1992) my all-consuming passion was music. I bought (and ‘illegally taped’ – and it didn’t “kill music”!) a lot of music, and went to see bands live as often as my meager finances would allow – or as often as ‘decent’ bands came through Portsmouth, with the occasional trip farther afield if they didn’t – Zappa in Bournemouth, Sonic Youth in London, Everything But The Girl in Reading (yeah, ok…that last one was for my girlfriend at the time – though… Read more