May 12, 2004
Wednesday What's Up?
So, the new-hire thing is moving rather slowly. I am scheduled for five in-house interviews tomorrow afternoon with people I already know and have worked with. So I'm sure it's all a formality. The guy I'm replacing is being kind of a jerk. He's been out this week more than he's been in. I understand Short-Timer's Syndrome, I totally do. But there are people here who need his help, just for a little while, before he leaves. He has committed to helping these people, and now he's not here to honor that obligation. Um, character much? No. He's burning a golden bridge here, and it's really frustrating to see someone do that. K, whatever, 'cause soon, I'll be in his place, and I'll be making him look like a total slacker. Yeah, you can do a mean template with tons of VBA code, but hey, what's a bunch of code gonna get you when the heat is on? Nothing but a whole bunch of code. Whatever. I'm trying to be clever, and it's not working. I am really looking forward to this job. I have been looking for this for three years, and I think this is a good fit. The company is solid, the people are way friendly, and they're moving farther in to Palo Alto, to the other side, really, near 280...and right next door to the first client I worked for. The bio-pharmaceutical industry is so small and incestuous. That's why this golden bridge shouldn't be burnt, especially for the schmucks he's going to work for. Hey, we all make decisions based on our needs. I can't fault him for needing to work with a bunch of schmucks. So, Dude, go forth and be satisfied with your choice. And thank you for giving up your seat to me.
I talked to my mom on Mother's Day. She told me that my father is planning a party for my grandmother's 80th birthday, which is also my 33rd birthday. Funny how that works, but the party is for her, not me. Fine, no biggie. Anyway, she told me that my father asked my sister if she thought I would be able to make it out for the party. Mother, Sister, and I all said, "why don't you ask him?" OK, look, we haven't spoken in over seven years...no, almost ten years. And I can't even remember why we aren't talking. Probably because of some juvenile decision I made thinking that I'd show him. I can't say that I'm worse for the wear, but it doesn't make the family all that comfortable. I used to even blame it on the gay thing, but since I can't, with good conscience, blame anything on the gay thing anymore, I'll write that off. Blah blah blah. I am planning to go to the event, whenever it is, and if I crash my grandmother's birthday party, I think she'll forgive me. I don't know if I'll ever hear from the old man. But I'll plan for it anyway. Iowa in July. Woo hoo. I probably can't stay very long because there is a submission to get out and everything, but I'll do my best.
I guess that's all. Godzilla, in its original Japanese format, is playing at the Castro Theatre for a while. I should go see it. That would be cool. I haven't seen Kill Bill, Vol. 2 yet either. That would be cool, too. "Star Trek: Enterprise" should not be cancelled. Trader Joe's has the best trail mixes on the planet. Sweet and Savory rocks like hard. It's 2:38 PM and it feels like 7:00 PM, what's up with that. What else? Oh, KNTV (NBC-11 in the Bay Area) should be slapped (really hard) for not allowing some of the residents of Oakland to receive their television signal without subscribing to cable. Ever since KRON went indie and KNTV came in as the regional NBC affiliate, I have never been able to get a signal. I get all the other stations just fine, but no NBC. It's all fuzz and snow. I can't even hear any sound. Every time I send an e-mail or call Andy or Mike at KNTV at 408-286-1111, all I get is voicemail. (And as a side note to Marlene at KNTV, when someone asks for the name of the person you're transfering them to, it might be polite to give it to them. Just a thought.) On their webpage, there's a comment form specifically for people who can't receive the signal. So, tell me Andy and Mike, what's going on? I don't give a rat's ass about HDTV. I don't have a TV that's capable of receiving HDTV signals, but that doesn't stop me from watching KQED and its HDTV signal. So, Andy and Mike at KNTV, if you can't give us all a really good reason why Oakland can't receive your signal, you can both go stick your thumbs up your asses and blow. Really hard. I'm tired of missing "Ellen." Dammit. And stop looking at me funny because I don't have cable. I know I'm seriously missing out on "Trading Spaces," "Good Eats," and like everything else. Dammit.
