November 30, 2005
HD TV
Holiday Delight Television. Thanks to CBS (and of course Steve) I'm watching Rudolph in high definition. You can see every little detail - the stitches on Santa's clothes and the little bits of felt used to make the characters' bodies. So neat.
Posted by criminal at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2005
Big Bad Boss
The one thing I don't like about being a supervisor is having to be the bad guy. I much prefer to be friendly boss, bringing candy and cupcakes, taking the students out to lunch, and offering advice. I make them do enough terrible things at work, like format HTML tables and create bazillion question surveys. I even make them answer the phone. I shouldn't have to be firm with them too, right?
I had to send a strongly worded e-mail to one of them today and it made me feel so old. No matter how hard I tried to make it sound understanding, it felt cold and demanding. But even I have to admit that the situation is past the point where sending gentle reminders would help. I only wish I had never let it go so far. I can't keep covering for my students when there's not quite enough to cover my own ass as it is.
Dammit, I'm too young to be The Man.
Posted by criminal at 03:59 PM | Comments (2)
November 28, 2005
E-mail to the Community
Re: Web Development Office
Tuesday, November 28, 2005 9:45 a.m.
We are pleased to announce that the staff of the Web Development Office will officially become part of the Division of Marketing and Communications, effective today. Amy Marr and Sarah Jay will be relocating their offices to Boynton Hall, third floor before the end of the year. They will continue to update and maintain the WPI website.
As we evolve WPI's web presence, Amy and Sarah will begin to build an intranet site for the university's internal community under the direction of Amy Dean. This will enable our external website can focus more directly on our important external audiences as it relates to enrollment, advancement and recruitment. Tara Myers will be leading this effort to enhance the external website.
Amy and Sarah, along with Troy Thompson and Alex Brelsfoard, have made significant contributions to WPI during their time in the Division of Information Technology. We recognize and applaud their technical and marketing expertise as well as their creative energy and look forward to Amy's and Sarah's assistance in helping us build on that foundation of success.
Tom Lynch
Chris Hardwick
It's official now. The Web Development Office is no longer. We've been absorbed by Marketing and Communications. Oddly, they used my maiden and married names in the more informal version of this that went to our divisions but only my married name in this version. Turns out more than a few people think I've left and a new Sarah is taking my place. And perhaps most interesting is the administration's choice to reveal their early plans for splitting the site into an Intranet and Extranet. I would've thought they'd keep that on the DL until we had a plan in place and could answer questions.
Posted by criminal at 09:47 AM | Comments (3)
November 27, 2005
Five on Friday for Noember 25, 2005
Checking it Twice- 1. Did you make a wish list for Santa when you were a kid? Do you still make a list?
- For a while, yes. Usually we just marked the pages in the Sears and JCPenny catalogs. I still have a wish list on my site.
- 2. What would you most like to find under the tree this year?
- A digital camera. Or cash. Cash is always good.
- 3. What is the best present you've ever received? Why?
- That's hard. I think it's a toss-up between the tires my mom got for me and the antique mixing bowl Jon found for me two years ago. They're both great for very different reasons. The tires were (are!) infinitely useful and something I might've had trouble purchasing myself. The bowl was practical and thoughtful -- Jon went back to antique store we had browsed together and picked it out.
- 4. What is the worst present you've ever received? Why?
- Probably all of the "one size fits all" sleepshirts I got as a kid when I was clearly too big for them.
- 5. Describe your own holiday gift-giving strategy. Do you use a wish lists?
- Even though I like to come up with my own gift ideas, I really prefer to compare them to wish lists. It lets me know whether my own ideas are on track and gives me ideas in those instances when I don't have a clue.
Posted by criminal at 11:43 PM | Comments (0)
Post-Holiday Stress Disorder
- A White Thanksgiving
It snowed here on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Unfortunately it also snowed a lot between here and Michigan during those days too, so Mom and Barb had to cancel their trip out. There was no sense in them spending more than a day driving out in miserable road conditions (and holiday traffic) only to spend a day or two recovering before repeating it to head back. The cats miss them, but I'm sure we'll be able to work something else out. - Vacation
I can't believe I have to go back to work tomorrow. The long weekend was so what I needed right now. Unfortunately, I feel like I'll be counting down the days until my next vacation. Maybe I can find a day or two to take off between now and Christmas to just stay home and relax (or shop!). - Decking the Halls
Speaking of Christmas,I've started decorating. It started a couple weeks ago with the new santa ornament Jon got for me. Last week I got out a few small trinkets and put them around the living room. I put some lights up on the porch yesterday. And today I rearranged some of the shelves to fit in evergreens and Christmas figurines. I'm still looking for a place to hang the wreath I got for Christmas last year. - Give A Little
I don't have any clue what to get everyone this year. Usually I'm overflowing with ideas for everyone, but this year I'm drawing a blank on most of my family and friends. I need to figure it out soon though. Shopping season is getting shorter everyday. - Mr. Postman
I'm more than half-way through the Christmas cards. I plan to finish them tomorrow night during Monday Night Football. It will feel nice to have them done and in the mail.
Posted by criminal at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2005
Turkey Time
After a half-day of work, I'm off to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jon's family. We're hoping to have a quiet dinner together tonight (complete with raclette cheese and grill) before heading over to Uncle Dick and Aunt Elizabeth's tomorrow. And if the weather cooperates, my mother and sister will meet us in Lowell tomorrow night. Jon has even started putting together a mini Thanksgiving feast since they'll likely miss out on all the goodies while on the road.
Enjoy your holiday and thanks for reading.
Posted by criminal at 12:47 PM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2005
Tuesday's Tribulations
I was hoping to get a lot of work done today since I'm only in for a half-day tomorrow. The webwork queue is starting to get backed up because of a few bloated tickets and my own queue is starting to look menacing. In light of the new graphics projects I will be undertaking in Troy's absence I thought it wise to try to get caught up. But the gods seem to be working against me. The phone has rung at least half a dozen times in the last hour or so, most wanting to know where Amy is and the rest requesting a "quick fix." Those quick fixes add up and although I marked a few things off the list, I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever see the end of it.
Posted by criminal at 10:38 AM | Comments (1)
November 21, 2005
Five on Friday for November 18, 2005
- 1. Are you a cat person or a dog person?
- I'm a dog person. While I enjoy cats, I much prefer the companionship of a dog.
- 2. Do you have any pets in your house?
- I have two cats, Tia and Silly.
- 3. Have you had cats or dogs before? Tell us about them.
- Cats:
- Lady, a mothering seal point
- Lady's son, Bucky, a fuzzy blue point
- Baby, a large orange stripped tabby
- E.T., a 99% black stray kitten who eventually went to live with my Aunt Bev
- Misty, another seal point my sister adopted
- Roadkill, a grey striped tabby (read: monster) we hand-raised after my sister found him in the middle of the road, only a few weeks old.
- Boo Boo, my first dog, an extremely loyal and gentle black Lab and Shepherd mix
- Sunny, a spunky little daschund we had for just a few months
- Chuck, my mom's silly Wire Fox Terrier
- Ginger Bear, my baby and bed mate, a ginger-colored Lab and Springer Spaniel mix
- 4. If you could take your pick of any kind of cat or dog, what breed would you chose?
- If I had to chose another cat I think I would look for something that resembled a Russian Blue. I would consider another Maine Coon if I could find one with a more traditional coat. As for dogs, I would love a St. Bernard, Irish Wolfhound, Great Dane, or English Mastiff. I'm also interested in learning more about Leonbergers, as I've never met one in person but have heard good things about them.
- 5. What is your favorite movie (or TV show) staring a cat or dog?
- Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
- Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Friday's dinner started with a trip to the grocery store and my demand that we have something "spinachy." Enter the excellent recipe for spinach and artichoke dip I found in this month's Real Simple:- frozen spinach, chopped and thawed
- 12 oz artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated Cheddar
- salt and pepper to taste
- Kibbeh
I think I finally found a reliable recipe for kibbeh. Thank you Emeril! I layered the mixture into a casserole instead of frying the kibbeh balls and it turned out quite moist and delicious. I also subsistuted traditional lamb for the beef, although a blend would be fine. My only complaint was that it could've been spicier. Either I add more spice next time or get newer, fresher stuff. - Quack! Quack!
Jon made duck last night. He just couldn't pass up the little package of duck breasts on our aforementioned shopping trip. And I can't say I blame him, because it turned out really well. He served it with his excellent cranberry sauce and cous-cous. I added a rather bland acorn squash. - Pumpkin Bread
No culinary campaign is complete without dessert, so I made this recipe for pumpkin bread. It's moist and very pumpkiny, just the way I like it. The streusel on top adds a nice sweet crunch. - Cookie Party
The book club ladies are talking about doing a cookie party, which sounds like oodles of fun. Now we just have to figure out how to do it. Do we make it a cookie/recipe swap and bring dozens of cookies? Should we just bring dough and bake everything there while watching chick flicks? Or do we do some combination of the two? And if we cook, where the heck do we have it? I'm not sure anyone's kitchen is big enough to hold all of us and a mess of cookies. I'm scouring for recipes already. - 1. What do you typically have for breakfast? And what about on those mornings when you're being bad?
- Some sort of whole grain cereal, like Kashi's GoLean Crunch or Kellog's Frosted Mini Wheats. I occasionally have leftovers, like sweet potatoes, pizza, or pasta for breakfast. And cake. If there's cake in the house, I have to have some for breakfast.
- 2. What is your favorite cereal?
- I'm a big fan of Mother's Peanut Butter Bumpers and Honey Graham Life.
- 3. Do you wait patiently for the cereal prize to tumble out of the box or do you start digging the moment the box is opened?
- I wait until the box is mostly empty, then allow myself to dig a little bit. Granted, I don't often buy cereal that has prizes in it.
- 4. What time is your alarm clock set for? When do you actually get out of bed?
- It's set for 7 a.m. and lately, I've been getting out of bed at that time too. I used to lay around waiting for the second alarm (7:30 a.m.) but decided I'd rather spend that extra time eating breakfast and watching NECN's morning newscast.
- 5. Do you have any tips or tricks for saving time or preventing stress in the mornings?
- Put all of the things you need to remember to bring to work in the morning near the door as soon as you think of them. As I'm getting ready I tend to add more things to the pile, like my purse and coat.
Posted by criminal at 02:37 PM | Comments (2)
Modern Mecca
Jon and I made our first trip to the new IKEA in Stoughton on Saturday. I'm not sure there are words to describe it. We went because I spotted a TV/media storage system with potential and couldn't just order it sight unseen.It's a good thing we went with something in mind though, because the place is a maze. Just a giant maze filled with wonderful home furnishings and hordes of people.
Once we found the pieces we wanted (the MARKÖR storage system pictured on the right) and scribbled their bin information onto a scrap of paper we headed toward the warehouse to pick them up. We did take a couple small detours to check out arm chairs and to the kids section to pick up a PS FÄNGST and check on a toddler bed for Amy. We had a little trouble in the warehouse because the bin number we had for the TV bench was for the dark stain and the kiosk didn't list any information for the antique stain. Jon found it just as I got to the front of the line at the information desk. With the TV bench in hand we quickly realized that the bookshelves and bridge shelf we wanted would in no way fit in Jon's car. So we comprimised and promised to come back later with better transport to pick up the rest. I rode in the back seat while our new TV bench luxuriated in the reclined passenger seat.
Now that the TV bench is assembled (easy peasy) and I have my coffee table back, I'm excited to return. I just can't wait to go back and explore more of the store. Because I had Jon with me I tried not to browse too much, but it was hard. There was so much stuff to touch and try. I would really like to go back when I have a little more time to explore. And maybe when the crowds have died down a bit.
Posted by criminal at 11:13 AM | Comments (4)
November 18, 2005
Speedy Feed
LiveJournal's feeds seem unreliable lately. For instance, I wrote a post yesterday after lunch and it wasn't picked up until late last night. Today's Five on Friday should have been picked up after midnight, but 16 hours later it's still MIA because the bots haven't come along. There's no mention of it on the site though, so I'm not sure what's going on.
Posted by criminal at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2005
Fight or Flight
Starin' down the stars
Jealous of the moon
You wish you could fly
But you're stayin' where you are
There's nothin' you can do
If you're too scared to try
[Nickel Creek, Jealous of the Moon]
Posted by criminal at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)
Just an Afterthought
After hearing very little for weeks, Amy and I were asked to meet with the VP and AVP at 3 p.m. to talk about "synchronization on timing for transition." Amy had to reschedule another meeting she made months ago because this was apparently the only time we could all get together this week. Then, just a few moments ago, less than three hours after the meeting request and just an hour before the actual meeting, we got word that the VP would not be attending.
For a while, I got the feeling that the meeting was just an afterthought. I mean, this has been brewing for ages, the announcement is supposed to go out within a few days, but this is the first time we're going to sit down and talk about how it's going to happen? Can you really overlook something like this intentionally? Maybe. But this latest bit feels more like abandonment. Honestly, I don't know what to think. I don't want to ready anything into it, but I know I'm going to. I feel like I should be mad, or maybe even digusted. Instead, it's coming out much more like sadness.
Posted by criminal at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)
Tomorrow Is a Long Time
If today was not an endless highway
If tonight was not a crooked trail
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time
Then lonesome would mean nothing to me at all
Yes, and only if my own true love was waiting
If I could hear his heart softly pounding
Yes, and only if he was lying by me
Would I lie in my bed once again
[Nickel Creek, Tomorrow Is a Long Time]
Posted by criminal at 12:31 AM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2005
Triple Word Score
Posted by criminal at 02:58 PM | Comments (1)
Horse's Ass
This is my sister, Barbra.
Yes, that is a horse's ass.
And yes, she has her hand up the horse's ass. Luckily for the horse, her hands are much smaller than my own or our parents'. Luckily for Barb, she really likes horses. Enough to get excited about the opportunity to palpate their insides through the lower end of their digestive tract. Ahh, vet students. They're nuts in a good way. Luckily for Barb, my pride in her accomplishments and new endeavors outweighs my squeamishness.
She is embarking on her second real surgery this afternoon, where she'll spay a female dog from a local animal shelter. Much less gross than a palpation lab and probably leaps and bounds more exciting. Luckily, she'll have all of us wishing her good luck.
Posted by criminal at 11:32 AM | Comments (3)
November 14, 2005
The Night Shift
Jon is working nights this week. From 10:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. in brewing operations as part of his "professional development." I know he has wanted to work more with brewing and maybe even become a brewmaster someday, but I think switching shifts is going to be rough on on. I can only hope he's at home sleeping right now instead of reading this post. I replaced the sheers in our bedroom with an extra set of curtains to block more light, made the bed, fed the cats, and bought him oodles of food for lunches. I'm not sure what more I can do to help.
Posted by criminal at 11:49 AM | Comments (2)
Just Walk Right In
It boggles my mind when I see people walk right into our office like they own the place, without announcing who they are or what they're doing. I know the place needs to be inspected from time to time, but seriously. We're still an operating office here. Our culture welcomes disruptions, but I think complete strangers breezing through may be the limit.
Posted by criminal at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2005
Save the Princess!
Our library is currently showcasing an exhibit called Save the Princess -- The History of Storytelling in Video Games. It has been featured on our homepage for nearly two weeks now, complete with a graphic of the pixelated princess. Today we got the following feedback:
That homepage picture of the Princess has been up there for quite some time. Can you find something else? It makes WPI look like a ZELDA camp.
Aside from the fact that the he clearly has his early 90s video games confused, I think he makes a good point. Does the princess make us look too geeky? I would bet my cat that Stanford (a collaborator) wouldn't feature a pink blob on their homepage to promote the exhibit. One of my former workstudies pointed out that it could be attracting students interested in video games and our new game development major. Maybe it does. But then again, I thought we were trying to shed our geeky image.
Posted by criminal at 04:22 PM | Comments (1)
November 09, 2005
I Know Just Enough to Know Better
To further my professional development, I attended a project management workshop today at Holy Cross. And now that I'm back at work, I almost wish I hadn't gone.
The very first e-mail I read invited me to a kick-off meeting for a new project. It's a big one. One that we've just started to seriously consider in our office because it's so daunting. It has far-reaching implications and would change every aspect of my job, at least as it stands currently. Since my job is changing soon (to what, I don't know, except that it will involve the Web and WPI and probably our campus community) it really shouldn't be a big deal. Except that most of the e-mail rubs me and my new project management knowlege the wrong way. I don't yet have the full picture, but most of what I'm seeing does not jive with what I learned today.
Damn. I could have been blissfully ignorant of these pitfalls if I had just skipped that workshop. I just can't wait to see how the project turns out.
Posted by criminal at 03:44 PM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2005
Epicurious
What a great weekend for food...
Posted by criminal at 01:55 PM | Comments (3)
November 04, 2005
Dragging Along
This day is dragging on in the worst way. We usually take a leisurely lunch outside the office but today I opted to stay in and make some funky (nearly) instant pad thai while working. Between my lack of a break and daylight savings, I keep thinking it should be time to go home. But every time I look at the clock, it tells me that it's still afternoon and nowhere near time to go home. I have plenty to do but I just want to relax for a while. I think it's time for a Dunkin' Donuts break.
Posted by criminal at 04:00 PM | Comments (1)
Five on Friday for November 4, 2005
Posted by criminal at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2005
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Madonna is releasing a new single tomorrow called "Hung Up." If you go to her Web site you can hear it now. And you may notice that it heavily samples a familiar tune. I was immediately able to place it as ABBA, but it took me a few minutes (and a couple tracks into Mamma Mia) to figure out that the techno track in the background is "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"
Half past twelve
And I'm watching the late show in my flat all alone
How I hate to spend the evening on my own
Autumn winds
Blowing outside the window as I look around the room
And it makes me so depressed to see the phone
There's not a soul out there
No one to hear my prayer
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Won't somebody help me chase these shadows away
Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight
Take me through the darkness to the break of the day
Even more impressive is the common theme running through the two. Like the woman in Gimme, Madonna is waiting by the phone for a man to come take her out:
Every little thing that you say or do
I'm hung up
I'm hung up on you
Waiting for your call
Baby night and day
I'm fed up
I'm tired of waiting on you
Time goes by so slowly for those who wait
No time to hesitate
Those who run seem to have all the fun
I think I like itso far. I need to hear it a few more times, but it's a fun little song that gives me hope for her new album.
Posted by criminal at 10:32 AM | Comments (1)
November 01, 2005
What Kind of Yarn Are You?
You are Mohair. You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with others, doing your share without being too weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely refuse to change your position once it is set, but that's okay since you are good at covering up your mistakes.
What kind of yarn are you?
Posted by criminal at 02:53 PM | Comments (2)