My old coworkers are horrible people...and big Ricky Gervais fans :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ5ANICFpC4

Although LiveJournal may or may not be the best way to announce this, it could be the simpliest so I'm running with it.

Yesterday I got let go of my job, so as we speak I am unemployed.  It was a bit of a surprise for me personally, but I'd known for a while that it was very possible that there were be people let go.  This company was tied at the ( Read more... )

This morning, after failing to secure Cubs tickets for the NLDS, I was walking to the store to buy something to cook up for lunch.  In front of my building, on the sidewalk, was a tatered sign saying "Will you go to HC (homecoming?) with me" and a discarded bra, both of which were covered in one or more automobile tire tracks.  Sure, this is a ( Read more... )

One of the downsides of bring a civil engineer is that I've discovered that when nature- and/or infrastructure-related tragedy strikes, I find myself looking forward to the professional journal articles and future specials on NOVA and similar shows/series.  This wasn't my first reaction on 9/11 (although I did read some facinating items on the ( Read more... )

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/shitty_neighborhood_rallies

My favorite part is the paragraph with "Carlos Jimenez" & his quote, but the whole thing is pretty solid.

Since leaving Chicago, the Chicago Cubs have yet to win a game and the White Sox have yet to lose a game.  While it's clearly a meaningless coincidence based upon a tiny sample size, the irrational superstitious part of me hopes that this trend for the Cubbies won't continue through the game I'm attending Monday at Shea.  As for the White Sox, this ( Read more... )

After a several days of long hours and rather tight deadlines, I've finally gotten through the worst of my responsibilities for the work week.  As if on cue, our secretary just walked back with a package for me from Amazon.com.

To celebrate my tax refund, I bought a box set of Buster Keaton 2- & 6-reelers.  It just arrived moments ago.  It could not ( Read more... )

I woke up on Saturday and went with my brother to the Titan II Missile Silo Museum just outside of Tucson.  Apparently, there were orifinally 54 Titan II missile sites spread between Arizona, Arkansas, and Kansas.  The other 53 were destroyed/decommissioned, but this one was turned into a privately funded museum (there were stories of someone ( Read more... )

So, I made the transition from 30-degree weather in Chicago yesterday to 85-degree weather in Tucson.  I have to say, people look at you pretty funny in Tucson when you're walking around carrying a full winter coat complete with scarf, but I'd probably die back in Chicago if I had to take public transportation home wearing anything less when I ( Read more... )

I just heard on the Academy Awards broadcast that Basil Poledouris died this past year (11/08/06 from cancer).  I knew he composed several movie scores I own, such as "The Hunt for Red October" & "Starship Troopers".  Looking at his credits, though (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006231/) he's written the scores for some of the greatest B-movies for ( Read more... )