So the clock's ticking, and i only have another day or so of work, then preparation for the big Disneyland trip.
Can't wait, it IS one of my favorite places on Earth (a co-worker overheard me making reservations, asked me where i was going, i said "Mecca" ... she knew what i was saying!).
I have found a great site for Disneyland fans, Visions Fantastic. It has great photography, and they play sounds and music from the rides and all over the park through Live 365. Here is the link for Live 365, then search for Visions Fantastic. For some reason, I can't post a direct link to the station.
Wish me well!
-Zube.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Friday, June 17, 2005
Old friends
My pal Stephanie visited today, down from Oregon. Nice to see her, one of my favorite people. We were going to go get coffee (like we always did), but time ran out, dagnabbit!!
It was a nice visit, but we didn't get to talk much. It's always tough to talk at work. Too many ears opened wide! So if you're reading this, steph, you need to email me so we CAN talk!
-Zube.
It was a nice visit, but we didn't get to talk much. It's always tough to talk at work. Too many ears opened wide! So if you're reading this, steph, you need to email me so we CAN talk!
-Zube.
Monday, June 06, 2005
A New Hope
My wife resigned today. We're excited! No, honest!
She was a teacher's aide at a charter school (a GOOD one, not a last-chance one), for about 10 years, but she'd finally had enough. The politics were driving her nuts, as was her teacher's emotional baggage. She's going to concentrate on home for now.
We were thinking she'd quit by the end of the next school year anyway, when my son moves on into junior high, so it wasn't THAT big a move. She just was feeling conflicted about doing it.
She met with her employers today and they were surprised. They told her to keep them in mind for maybe part-time or substitute work, and she was happy to hear that they don't consider her bridges burned.
When we explained to the kids last week what we had decided, we were out having dinner. I told them that we probably wouldn't be able to go out to eat as much because we won't be able to afford it, but that Mom would be able to have more energy to cook more, the lack of which is one reason why we go out so much! My daughter locked onto it right away, understanding the dominoes that fall with decisions we make. We get two incomes because we live like we have two incomes, which necessitates two incomes ... etc. At the expense of family and home.
When I moved from management back down into the rank and file, I got back decent hours and weekends off. Which meant I got my family back. I don't want to ever change that.
We're both glad we're going to leave that cycle.
-Zube.
She was a teacher's aide at a charter school (a GOOD one, not a last-chance one), for about 10 years, but she'd finally had enough. The politics were driving her nuts, as was her teacher's emotional baggage. She's going to concentrate on home for now.
We were thinking she'd quit by the end of the next school year anyway, when my son moves on into junior high, so it wasn't THAT big a move. She just was feeling conflicted about doing it.
She met with her employers today and they were surprised. They told her to keep them in mind for maybe part-time or substitute work, and she was happy to hear that they don't consider her bridges burned.
When we explained to the kids last week what we had decided, we were out having dinner. I told them that we probably wouldn't be able to go out to eat as much because we won't be able to afford it, but that Mom would be able to have more energy to cook more, the lack of which is one reason why we go out so much! My daughter locked onto it right away, understanding the dominoes that fall with decisions we make. We get two incomes because we live like we have two incomes, which necessitates two incomes ... etc. At the expense of family and home.
When I moved from management back down into the rank and file, I got back decent hours and weekends off. Which meant I got my family back. I don't want to ever change that.
We're both glad we're going to leave that cycle.
-Zube.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Ends and means
OK, so I'm a journalist, so I think I should blog on this whole Throat thing (I'm not fond of the nickname the guy had, so I'm not using the full thing).
Nixon was corrupt. Agreed.
He should have been ousted. Sure.
The No. 2 guy at the FBI held information, so he should have shared it. Right.
He violated FBI rules and possibly the law. Yeah.
But the ends justify the means, don't they? ... uh. No.
This was the big glory moment for journalism, especially "investigative" journalism. Turns out Woodward and Bernstein were just taking dictation from a guy at the FBI. Who now is a hero, right?
"The ends justify the means" masks some of the particulars of this case. W. Mark Felt was apparently in line to become the big guy at the FBI when J. Edgar Hoover died. But Nixon didn't install him, he installed a White House crony, L. Patrick Gray (what's with all these guys with initials for first names?!?!). So Felt was angry and he gave info that undermined Nixon.
Thirty-some years later, Felt's daughter needs money to retire debt, so she persuades an addled Felt to go public. She has dollar signs in her eyes ... take a look at the video and tell me otherwise.
So there you have it: Revenge and greed are the two top motivating factors for the information leak and the reveal. Wasn't that what Nixon was being accused of, too?
The FBI has had information on presidents for years and years. Should they have unveiled it? What would've been gained had FDR's mistress had been presented? Or Truman's? Kennedy not only had a mistress (he had many, actually), but one of the most notorious was the girlfriend of a mobster. Wonder how that compromised him. And of course, our previous president had quite a problem with fidelity.
It wasn't all about sex. Johnson shuffled cash around (like Nixon) to keep people quiet.
So why didn't somebody at the FBI tell about any of that information? And if they did, to what end?
Would the ends have justified the means?
-Zube.
Nixon was corrupt. Agreed.
He should have been ousted. Sure.
The No. 2 guy at the FBI held information, so he should have shared it. Right.
He violated FBI rules and possibly the law. Yeah.
But the ends justify the means, don't they? ... uh. No.
This was the big glory moment for journalism, especially "investigative" journalism. Turns out Woodward and Bernstein were just taking dictation from a guy at the FBI. Who now is a hero, right?
"The ends justify the means" masks some of the particulars of this case. W. Mark Felt was apparently in line to become the big guy at the FBI when J. Edgar Hoover died. But Nixon didn't install him, he installed a White House crony, L. Patrick Gray (what's with all these guys with initials for first names?!?!). So Felt was angry and he gave info that undermined Nixon.
Thirty-some years later, Felt's daughter needs money to retire debt, so she persuades an addled Felt to go public. She has dollar signs in her eyes ... take a look at the video and tell me otherwise.
So there you have it: Revenge and greed are the two top motivating factors for the information leak and the reveal. Wasn't that what Nixon was being accused of, too?
The FBI has had information on presidents for years and years. Should they have unveiled it? What would've been gained had FDR's mistress had been presented? Or Truman's? Kennedy not only had a mistress (he had many, actually), but one of the most notorious was the girlfriend of a mobster. Wonder how that compromised him. And of course, our previous president had quite a problem with fidelity.
It wasn't all about sex. Johnson shuffled cash around (like Nixon) to keep people quiet.
So why didn't somebody at the FBI tell about any of that information? And if they did, to what end?
Would the ends have justified the means?
-Zube.
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