Fallout Shelter

Sysadmin appreciation day

I think it was System Administrator Appreciation Day three years ago when I lost my job.  :(  But were I working, I'd be planning on attending local geek beer at a minimum, which I may do anyway.  :)  It's the last Friday in July: this year, that's 31 July 2009, or 2 weeks from tomorrow.  Go hug your sysadmin, if they'll let you, :) and buy them a beer or a new car or something.  Or go point them at the official web site — if they don't know about it, they'll probably be appreciative. :)

My friend Bill at the NC State Fair

If you go to the N.C. State Fair this year, swing by the Village of Yesteryear near gate 8 and go by Bill Wallace's booth.  He's next to the exit on the side opposite from the bathrooms in the Holshouser building. 

I took different woodworking classes from Bill for maybe 8 years, and would probably still be doing it had Duke not shut down their craft center.  Take some money with you and buy a bowl, or something smaller or larger.  Tell them Joe said hi.  :)  Bill's stuff is all one-offs, individually made, and real wood.  It's not cheap, but it's really nice. Bill raises natural beef cattle too, and Janet (IIRC) runs a small Montessori school and works at a restaurant.  I think they've got at least 5 jobs between them.  :)

Need help getting there?

• my map
• official 2008 NC State Fair map
• fairgrounds directions

Life imitates art #4783

Warning!  Spoliers!  :)

What a beautiful world II

"... in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened. Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests, and raised their honeyed voices to heaven in a great chorus, 'Win a free iPod!' Yea, and the people opened their browsers and clicked through."

Awesome and crazy at the same time

"If I had the time and money and people, I'd do this every weekend," Couch said before getting into the chair. "Things just look different from up there."

Commitment. Drugs help.

Bleat like a sheep

Yes, I voted today. 

It's an old picture, but it still fits. 

Mandingo III, or Yet Another Saturday Night's Entertainment Shot to Hell

I'm sure a lot of us can relate to this:

After 45 minutes the seal gave up, swam into the water and then completely ignored the bird it had just assaulted, the scientists report.

so I'm wondering:

• why one community isn't up in arms, trying to prove the penguin was female
• why another community isn't up in arms, trying to prove the penguin was male
• why a couple more communities aren't trying to find the penguin and comfort it
• why yet more communities aren't trying to kill the sea lion, or at least put it in jail

I'm sure I'll have more smartass remarks to add later, after everyone I've insulted starts complaining.  OTOH, that didn't happen last time. 

After the cameras were off, I wonder if either of them had a cigarette?

[Via mothwentbad.]

Junk mail II: The Lacuna(e)

I got a really nice looking piece of junk mail today.  It was from Wake Forest -- not the town, but the university (which confusingly moved from Wake County to near Winston-Salem in the 1940s).  Couldn't think why WFU would postally spam me, but....

They were plugging their "MA in management" program.   Their slogan was "(MA)ximize Career Potential": apparently they have a master's program in management from their B-school that's not an MBA.  Still not sure why they sent me this, but....  The letter fell out.  "After graduation, a world of possibilities." Uh....

The body of the letter started:   "With the culmination of your child's college education approaching,..." 

Um.

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A professor once told me a joke about university presidents.  It went something like "A university president has three jobs: provide parking for the faculty, sports for the alumni, and sex for the undergraduates."  Perhaps one of my almae matres did too good a job on the last.  But I suspect they actually didn't do well enough. 

Reach out and tickle my electrons

If you're trying to get up with me and having a tough time, I suggest e-mail (or even some form of IM) these days.  I apologize for any inconvenience you may or might have experienced.