The Next Dark Age
We're in it Now
At the Office – Quit Griping
This is an older article on MSN Careers that I loved when I first read it. “Get Rid of These Work Bad Habits” came back to the main page today and I wonder if it doesn’t mean that between the economy and the election and whatever else, that we might be getting on each other’s nerves. Here is my favorite point:
Bad Habit: Being negative.
What you think: “Everybody complains.”
What it really says: You’re the person to avoid.
What to do: It’s natural to grumble about work once in awhile. If you gripe and moan when you’re asked to do anything, however, people will not only get annoyed, they’ll wonder why you don’t just quit. Keep in mind that work isn’t always fun; keep the complaints to a minimum.
This is not just about co-workers, either. How often do we find ourselves complaining about work when we get home? Meeting friends on the weekend? I complain about my job, and I love my job.
Resolved: Let us all be quiet and give thanks for the fact that we are employed. Otherwise, let us be quiet and go find another job. Right now.
I am a Hater
At the Refuge – Finding Room
I mentioned that we had a pretty bad flood at the Refuge a couple of weeks ago. Space has been crazy tight and last night I brought in two more birds: a little lovebird and a – what’s it called? A blue crowned conure?
Because we are off summer hours at work, I arrived at the Refuge early and went back to my old habit of pulling out all of the water dishes to run a load in the dishwasher. This gives be the opportunity to look in on all of the birds at the beginning of the evening. I brought out a new cockatoo, another Fred (that we think is a girl), who happily sat on the kitchen perch eating her nutriberries.
By then, the rest of the Wednesday crew is arriving and I work in the front room. Cleaning cages, giving fresh food and water and attention. When I was finished, I looked at the medicine chart. Most medicines are given in the morning and Rich, our director, takes care of those, but there are a few in the evening. On the chart were two names I didn’t recognize. So I called Rich.
There were two new birds in quarantine, but their tests just came back fine so I could bring them in and find them some space.
Right.
The new conure was great. Took her medicine straight from the syringe with no fuss at all. Wasn’t intimidated by the big cockatoo that came out to play. With big cockatoo noise. I found a place for the conure, and the lovebird came in something that would work for the time being.
And by then? I was totally exhausted. We don’t have pictures of the new birds yet. But I am working on it.
Uncivilized Anonymity
I’m sure this is news to no one, but I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss it again:
MSNBC had an article about how the anonymity of the Internet (and telephone and car) facilitate anti-social behavior is otherwise perfectly nice people. Here is a piece:
“The environment affects how you behave,” she says. “Any time you go to places where you’re not known — even if it’s a hotel in another city — you might be more aggressive. So when you construct an environment like the Internet or long-distance call centers with a help desk worker in Bangalore, you’re creating an environment that facilitates uncharacteristic behavior. You’re not getting those nonverbal cues that calibrate your behavior and give you feedback if you’re going off track. Those people who do customer service for Comcast probably need double doses of Zoloft.”
Have you ever read the discussion boards on newspaper websites? The ones in the Tribune can make me ashamed of my own city. Ignoring the abuse of the English language for a minute, people are just mean.
I was reading a thing last night, it might have been USA Today, about a study on how people feel about their doctors. The results are that we generally think they don’t show enough empathy. Personally, that is not my feeling about my doctor, so I clicked in to get a feeling of how many people agreed.
Bad idea.
A couple of very brave doctors posted about how many patients they have to see in a day just to meet their overhead. And how angry patients are to be kept waiting when the doctor spends an extra couple of minutes with someone. One dared to add the cost of malpractice insurance and the monthly cost of his student loans ($2000!). The two doctors I read seemed apologetic, and I believe they were trying to say they wished they could spend more time with us but the system is broken. One even mentioned the relatively new phenomenon of concierge doctors.
They were reamed.
I realize this is a hottish topic, (I could do a post of my own on the health care system) but it was just uncivilized.
I’m not saying that we should all go out and hug a stranger today, but please. Might we respectfully agree to disagree?
I Didn’t Need to See This
In doing some online research, I found this website, Book Sale Finder.
I really did not need to know that there are six big book sales going on within an hour of my house this weekend. I already buy way. More. Books. Than I actually read.
Now I have to figure out how to post there for the Library.
Week Four
I am in Week 4 of my third course at BU. Project Management. I was going to post the textbook in the “What I am Reading” piece in my sidebar, but I can’t seem to get through Miller.
The professor is really good in that he participates a lot, instead of recording the lectures and letting the teaching facilitators do the rest. I also like that he argues with the textbook and finds different examples to make his point.
The way BU structures the online program, there is the assigned reading, online lectures, posted classroom discussions and written assignments each week. The lectures are part text and part recorded. In the past, I have seen the professors record computer program lectures, perhaps with voiceover. And use outside videos for case studies.
For most of his lectures, my current professor actually records himself in front of a white board. I love it. Except that I can’t interrupt him to ask a question. I am that girl in class.
The facilitator, assigned to the group at the last minute, is trying very hard to keep up with grading and feedback requests.
Mostly, I am enjoying this course. Except for one irony: I am finding it very hard to estimate the amount of time I will spend on my homework.
Now I Have Seen Everything
I went to pick up the roast for Sunday Dinner. I am walking down the back aisle and in a refridgerated case, I see this a bunch of oversized cans of whipped cream. Except they aren’t whipped cream. They are pancake batter. Batter Blaster, it was called. I went to the web site to steal a picture and found a demo video:
Now. Ask me where I was when I found this.
Whole Foods.
What is Food in a Can doing at Whole Foods? It is organic. They were selling it for $5.69 a can – I passed.
Puppy Mill Awareness Day
How can I be sure my next puppy isn’t from a puppy mill?
Puppy mills sell millions of dogs each year; don’t be their next customer! Millions of people buy dogs from puppy mills each year, and most believe they are getting a dog from a “responsible” breeder. Puppy mill owners count on people falling in love with their puppies, either in the pet store or through adorable photos on the Internet. Here is how you can be sure you don’t support
this cruel industry:Puppy mills sell millions of dogs each year; don’t be their next customer! Millions of people buy dogs from puppy mills each year, and most believe they are getting a dog from a “responsible” breeder. Puppy mill owners count on people falling in love with their puppies, either in the pet store or through adorable photos on the Internet. Here is how you can be sure you don’t support
this cruel industry:
Websites:
Puppy mill breeders have great-looking websites to help them sell puppies direct to the public. Beware of any site that sells dogs, especially if they offer to ship puppies to you. No matter how convincing the site is, the reality could be tens or hundreds of dogs warehoused for breeding. They will even say they are not puppy mills right on the site. Remember: anyone can host a website, post photos, etc. There is no guarantee that the information is factual. Unless you see where your puppy is coming from first-hand, trusting a website is far too risky, since it’s the perfect place for consumer fraud to occur. Never, ever buy a puppy online.
Pet Stores:
Stores sell puppies as though they are merchandise, or products. The system is the same as any other product in a store: puppies are raised with low-cost production methods where corners are cut to maximize profits, sold to a broker or “middle man,” and delivered to retail stores to be bought by the end customer. Oftentimes, a puppy’s breeder will sell a puppy to a broker for as little as $75 per puppy, while the end customer often pays well over $1,000 in a retail pet store.
Classified Ads:
For decades, the newspaper classifieds have been the first places that puppy buyers look for a new pet. Commercial breeders tap into this market easily by placing ads. Beware of any ad that lists several breeds for sale, as well as if the breeder offers to meet you anywhere other than where the place where the dogs and puppies are raised.For decades, the newspaper classifieds have been the first places that puppy buyers look for a new pet. Commercial breeders tap into this market easily by placing ads. Beware of any ad that lists several breeds for sale, as well as if the breeder offers to meet you anywhere other than where the place where the dogs and puppies are raised.
Alternatives:
With millions of animals entering shelters and rescues every year, anyone can find their perfect rescued puppy or dog if they simply take the time to look. It’s a sure way not to support puppy mills. Start by visiting your local shelter, where 25-30% of surrendered animals are purebred. If you don’t find the right pet there, go online to search for pets at other shelters, as well as rescue groups.
http://www.petfinder.com/
http://www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/
http://www.pets911.com/
You can also contact local breed rescue organizations by searching http://www.google.com/ , entering a city or state, the breed you are looking for, and the word “rescue.”
**A note of caution: Breeders have caught on that more people are choosing to adopt instead of buy. If a person is “adopting out” several litters of purebred puppies, has “more on the way,” and doesn’t seem to have adult animals in need as well, then proceed with caution. This may be a breeder rather than a rescue. Every pet adopted is a life saved!
What I Did on My Last Summer Day Off
Trip to the allergist. Getting my weekly shot today means I can avoid the children tomorrow.
Went to the grand opening of the new Half Price Books in Highland Park. Apparently they were giving away free gift cards to the first 100 customers. I arrived at 9:30 and was not close to the first 100. I would find this promising except for the ladies standing around gossiping in front of the Clearance bookcases.
Headed south to stop in at William Sonoma and found the Yankee Pot Roast Braising Sauce. I was looking for something involving minimal effort to do for dinner on Sunday, when my grandfather may or may not be coming out to Glenview for the Heifer International event at Wagner Farm. You throw the sauce with some beef and vegetables into the slow cooker. Two people in the store said it was the best thing ever.
Came home and my box from Drs. Foster and Smith was here. This is what we call Time to Make the Bird Food. Two different types of pellets. Two different kinds of cereal. Tri-color pasta. And nutriberries.
Unloaded the dishwasher.
I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Don’t get excited, it was just the refridgerated dough. Then, because the oven was already on, I found a box of mix for pumpkin bread. It was time.
In between, I did five loads of laundry.
Then my mother got home and it was time to drop off my car for an oil change. When we came back, she told me that the roof is leaking into her bedroom closet. So I went to Angie’s List and found a highly rated company for her to call next week.
Then I sat down to finish the week’s reading for school and spent a bit of time tooling around MS Project. As that is the tool I am to use for my final Project. In Project Management.
I had some dinner and tried the pumpkin bread out on the birds. Manu the Foster Amazon loved it. Kiwi the Grey tossed the plate to the dog. The dog was most appreciative.
While I was doing these things, my mother was working on his Christmas cards. The dog’s. I am not joking:
That’s ok because I left her a sinkful of dishes. And now I am going to watch some more of Season One of House, which it turns out I didn’t even need to buy because it is on USA all the damn time now that I have cable in my room!
I have 11 days of vacation to kill before the end of the year. I would very much like if one of them involved lying in bed, reading books and eating bon bons. Or Laffy Taffy. Whatever.
At the Library – Don’s Books
I was sorting through books at the Library tonight and found several books of history. The dust covers were covered in the protective plastic like the libraries use. But they weren’t ex-library books. Someone loved these books. Someone took the trouble to buy the covers-for-dust-covers and used them in his own library.
I use that stuff. I thought I might want to marry this person.
Then I opened the third book. It seems his name is Don and his wife bought him a book for Father’s Day in 1992.
Then I started to worry about him. Why did Don donate these perfectly lovely books? I am hoping that he just ran out of room in his library. But perhaps he died and his family donated his books.
I was reminded that every book is a story and every book has a story.
Sometimes I find a plane ticket inside. Or a store receipt. Or a weird bookmark.
And sometimes I find books that were loved. So thanks, Don. You made my night.
The Next Dark Age 
