February 2008 Archives

It’s Friday and it’s February 29. The last time February 29 fell on a Friday was 1980. I’m sure it was just an ordinary work day for me much like today is.

Patsy and I had lunch in Bogue Falaya Park yesterday. We both work within a half- mile of it. It was the second such time we've done that since I started working in Covington and I brought my camera this time. Unfortunately, I forgot to load the battery. I used to bring my camera to work every day in New Orleans and putting the battery in the camera was part of my morning routine. It saddens me a little that I have become such a creature of routine but there it is. The new employer's workplace is a little smaller than my previous employer's and I haven't found a place I can store it where it will be out of the way and safe. We're moving to a brand new facility in a few months and I will start bringing it with me every day again when we do. I digress. Bogue Falaya is a gorgeous park still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. Pictures next time. :)

Quote of the Day

No calendars used today are perfect; they are off by seconds, minutes, hours or days every year. To make a calendar more accurate, new leap year rules have to be introduced to the Gregorian calendar, complicating the calculation of the calendar even more. It will, however, need some modifications in a few thousand years. As for the tropical year, it is approximately 365.242199 days, but varies from year to year because of the influence of other planets.

Timeanddate.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "When the base campers pitched their tents with us, our team was given a tremendous boost and now as they slowly begin to move on to pastures new, visiting teams like ourselves, it is the banter and bacon at the House that will be missed the most."

One of the products I deal with daily is made of glass, plastic, and metal. They usually weigh about 10 pounds and retail from $200 each to about $1500 each. The one I talk about today is worth a little over $500. Included in that retail price is maybe $2 worth of packaging. Also factored into that retail price is the outrageously high number of damage claims due to shipping and handling. They get tossed around. Back in the day, shippers used to mark a package “Fragile” or “Handle With Care”. Apparently, that isn’t enough any more. To the rescue comes a new kind of warning label. I received a package that sported one of these yesterday. Mine was green. As Adrian Monk might say, “Here’s the thing”: The product was in its own box. The shipping genius then fashioned another, MUCH larger box out of two boxes that he/she must have had lying around and placed the product inside of it with no other packing material whatsoever and slapped that green warning label on it. It was kind of like a shoe box with only one shoe in it. If you move or tilt the larger box, the smaller one inside was going to get jostled. The warning label did what it was supposed to do. It was RED when I saw it which meant it received rough handling. Luckily, the product inside was undamaged.

I deal with another product daily that is hazardous. You have to be certified to ship hazardous material but you don’t have to be certified to receive hazardous material. Someone else needs to figure out the logic to that because it still mystifies me. Anyway, these products retail from $600 to $800 and are labeled “Explosive: Ground Shipping Only” or something like that. They get tossed around, too. Not only do they get tossed around but I once received one of these where a shipping genius slapped an overnight air freight label over the “Explosive: Ground Shipping Only” label and put it on an air carrier. That one came to me sometime after the ValuJet crash because I remember thinking about it. The thought that something intended for me could cause an airliner to go down? It bothered me. Hopefully, that sort of thing can't happen any more but yesterday's incident doesn't give me much comfort.

NO ONE IS READING THE LABELS

Got any shipping nightmares? I probably have another couple of hundred but I'd like to hear yours.

Quote of the Day

We had a lot of luck on Venus
We always had a ball on Mars
Meeting all the groovey people
We've rocked the Milky Way so far
We danced around with Borey Alice
We're space truckin' round the the stars

Deep Purple, Space Truckin'

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The OS-engineering world is pretty small. A surprising number of Windows employees have worked at Apple in the past. And vice versa. Are these guys stealing?"

The CrabAppleLane Saturday afternoon matinée yesterday was Michael Clayton. It was on DirecTV Pay-Per-View and included a Maltin Minute. I like everything Maltin says about George Clooney. The movies he makes between Batman and the Ocean movies are superb. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Out of Sight, and Syriana are excellent. Add Michael Clayton to that list. Excellent performances all around, particularly Tom Wilkinson, who plays a suddenly conscientious attorney. Wilkinson has one scene with Clooney where he goes from just outside of reality's grip right back into the moment with sharp lawyerly focus (See today's QOTD). It was an amazing delivery and he is absolutely convincing. Wilkinson and Clooney both play attorneys who consider themselves "janitors", because they essentially clean up their client's messes. There's another janitor of sorts in the film called Mr Verne. He "deals in absolutes". He is a truly frightening character that I hope doesn't exist in the real world. The only criticism I can level at Michael Clayton is that the ending tailed off from the rest of the film and was a little too "Hollywood" for my tastes. Still, I highly recommend it. The BOTD has a different take.

I offer two from the CrabAppleLane yard on this overcast, somewhat dreary Sunday:

CrabAppleLane Rest Stop - February 24, 2008

Sign of spring - February 24, 2008

Quote of the Day

Michael, I have great affection for you and you live a very rich and interesting life, but you're a bag man not an attorney. If your intention was to have me committed you should have kept me in Wisconsin where the arrest report, the videotape, eyewitness reports of my inappropriate behavior would have had jurisdictional relevance. I have no criminal record in the state of New York, and the single determining criteria for involuntary commitment is danger. Is the defendant a danger to himself or to others. You think you got the horses for that? Well good luck and God bless, but I'll tell you this: the last place you want to see me is in court.

Arthur Edens, Michael Clayton

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Boring and contrived does not a good thriller make and the ordeal is certainly not helped by a George Clooney who seems to have mistaken weary for depth."

Still adjusting to the new job closer to home. As I was driving home last night, I heard on the radio about how heavy the traffic was on my former route and that it was �just going to be slow going�. I felt some guilt, I suppose, because my friends were stuck in it. I felt some relief, I suppose, because I wasn�t. There was also a little joy that I was getting home at least two hours earlier last night.

I�m glad the war is over and I�m even more glad that Blu Ray won. They�re still a little too pricey (Both the players and the discs) for CrabAppleLane but maybe we can indulge ourselves sometime this year or next.

Still fighting through issues here at the CrabAppleLane Blog. Movable Type Support is trying to help me through it. A comment here returned an �internal server error� message Tuesday morning. I am sick of that message. It was happening on the other server with the older version of Movable Type and it�s happening sometimes with this new, fresh, clean installation and version on a new, more powerful server. The other blogs here are working fine. It�s just this one causing trouble. It must be something I said.

Quote of the Day

We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop.

Atsutoshi Nishida, Toshiba President and Chief Executive

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "One of the staff wrote this lovely little ditty for me...sung to the tune of ABBA's Dancing Queen."

It’s a birthday weekend at CrabAppleLane. My sister’s today, mine yesterday, brother-in-law’s tomorrow. It’s also tax day. I prepared our returns without TurboTax this year just like I used to before last year. My returns are not all that complicated and I don’t have much trouble with the IRS. I’m one of their best customers. It went fine and I'm getting a refund. On the state side, the Louisiana e-filing website once again bowled me over. If you're a typical Louisiana resident filing a typical return for your household, you can go to Louisiana's website, file within a minute or two, and print out your return. You need not ever take pencil/pen to paper except maybe to verify. Very, very user-friendly. Aces to the person or persons responsible for it.

I offer one from the backyard on this rather warm CrabAppleLane Sunday.

Birthday present from Patsy - February 17, 2008

Quote of the Day

The powers that be at NASCAR have informed Ashley Judd, the movie star wife of Sprint Cup rookie Dario Franchitti, that she should not wear a dress at Sunday's Daytona 500.

Or any other races.

David Newton, ESPN.com

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "After trolling the garage area, it seems after about 10 laps in todays’ 50th running of the Daytona 500, that track conditions are going to deteriorate extremely quickly."

Happy Valentine's Day

Got plans?

This is a repost from an entry I offered on another blog last year. Hopefully, the links and quotes are still accurate but I didn't check.

There are so many interesting tidbits about Valentine’s Day that I thought I might share a few. My favorite tidbit comes courtesy of Wikipedia:

In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots," so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow. Valentine's Day has been celebrated as the day when the first works in the vineyards and on the fields commence. It is also said that birds propose to each other or marry on that day.

I think that last sentence a bit fanciful but who cares? It's harmless fancy and I like it. Another tidbit comes from The History Channel:

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today.

Also a bit fanciful. When I was a kid, people used to route their Valentine cards by mail through Valentine, Nebraska so they’d have a Valentine postmark. I don’t remember how to do that and I’m not sure that it can even still be done.

They celebrate it a bit differently in Saudi Arabia. Had to include that because it contains a committee with my all-time favorite title: The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

Watch out for these guys and have a Happy Valentine’s Day. Have a red Rose on me

The QOTD is from an article from the other side of Valentine's Day.

Quote of the Day

What song would you dedicate to an ex?

Kitty Bean Yancey, USA Today

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "A Day for love and lovers. A Day for flowers, romance, and candy hearts. A day for Cupid, kisses and snuggling galore!"

Upgraded the CrabAppleLane blogs to Movable Type 4.1 yesterday. I have one lingering issue to resolve on this blog only. The others seem to be working fine.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard today. It is a glorious day here. Sunshine, blue skies, and temps in the 60s. Looks like we have a tenant. If you're wondering, we're renting it for a song. :)

CrabAppleLane Bluebird - February 10, 2008

Quote of the Day

I thought I saw her at the late night restaurant
She would have sent blue shivers down the wall
But she didn't grace our table
In fact, she wasn't there at all

Jethro Tull, Budapest

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The next post will be my 300th on this blog, and I will have been going for absolutely yonks."

So I'm minding my own business in my home office when I suddenly hear a thud in the back yard. A tree has fallen. As I'm looking at the fallen tree, a visitor appears on the ground nearby. It's a very shy, rarely seen fox squirrel. I've only seen them two or three times and they're never around long enough for me to get the camera. He was heading home as I took this shot. Best I could do through the glass.

CrabAppleLane Fox Squirrel - February 5, 2008

Happy Mardi Gras

For those going, be safe.

I’ve been delaying writing about Chuck since it premiered mainly because I didn't think it would last. My friend, Cullen, did it a few months ago but he doesn't have the power I have when it comes to the networks canceling shows that I like. Ask Firefly, Sports Night, and The Black Donnellys. 60-minute sitcoms are rare these days. High-quality 60-minute sitcoms are almost non-existent. Moonlighting was the last show to try. Zachary Levi, who plays the title character, comes to Chuck mostly unknown much like Bruce Willis came to Moonlighting. The show revolves around his character and the writers have done a marvelous job of informing the audience about who he is and why he does what he does. If this show survives, it will be because of him. I hope it does. Chuck is the best show on network television right now. It is funny and warm and worth your time. It's on NBC and you can watch back episodes online if you like but I suspect reruns are forthcoming soon if the writer's strike doesn't end.

I’ll not be in the Mardi Gras crowds in New Orleans today. Haven’t done that in many years. Mardi Gras has become just a day off for me. Some garden work was planned but a backache is putting that on hold until the weekend.

Quote of the Day

This show is victory.

Cullen, Half a Pica Distance

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "When we came up with the name for the character, there were no other "Chucks" out there; it felt like an everyman name and Chuck is an everyman and that kind of character is ubiquitious in the culture now so that's reflective of that and probably why you're seeing a lot of "Chucks.""

Congratulations to the New York Giants on their great win yesterday in Super Bowl XVII. Their defense, mainly that spectacular pass rush, was the difference. They kept the Pats at bay until the offense came alive in the 4th quarter. It was a fun game. They flat outplayed the Patriots.

A testament to when things are going right: Eli Manning and David Tyree combined to make one of the most unlikely plays in Super Bowl history. After making a miraculous escape from several Patriot defenders (Good play on his part), he set and threw the ball up for grabs (Bad play on his part). Usually, that’s an interception. Tyree somehow came down with it clutched against his helmet (Great, great play on his part). That he made that play in front of Rodney Harrison, one of the dirtiest players in the NFL, was icing for me.

The Giants are a prime example of how much of the NFL game is between the ears. This team was 8-8 last season and about as ordinary as a team could be. They made no major moves in the offseason and their best player, Tiki Barber, retired. Tiki was a source of dissension last year by questioning the head coach in the media and this year by questioning the leadership skills of Eli Manning in the media. I suspect many/most Giants fans and players are saying “good riddance” about Tiki this morning. In November, this team was waxed by the Vikings at home. No one saw them as any kind of contender then. As that famous philosopher once said, “It aint over til it’s over.”.

For the first time this season, the Patriots are answering the “What went wrong?” questions. They’ll be answering those questions and some other Spygate questions the entire offseason. It’s Coach Bill Belichick’s worst nightmare and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Enjoy, Bill.

And, finally, it’s a testament to the NFL’s priorities that the Giants home page shouts “Click here to purchase Super Bowl Gear NOW”.

Quote of the Day

By the time this season is over I’m confident Eli will be ranked right up there among the biggest busts of all-time, so I can’t very well put a wrap on this until I get him. It will be very disappointing if I don’t. But then I’m quite often disappointed by Eli Manning.

SportsPickle.com parody of Tiki Barber & Eli Manning

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "THE NEW YORK GIANTS ARE NOW WORLD CHAMPIONS!"

If I were forced to place a bet on today's Super Bowl, I'd probably have to take the Pats. I am rooting for the Giants for reasons previously mentioned and think they have a chance if they can keep it close early, The Pats want to get ahead early and coast. They don't want 60 minutes of football. The Giants have a chance because they have a better running game and a better defense. Here's my game plan for the Giants: On defense, keep Moss and Stallworth in front of you and rough them up. Put your best cover guy on Wes Welker. Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. Get to Brady and put some hits on him. You have to be smart about that, though. The referees are not going to tolerate any cheap shots on the golden boy. If it's close, it will be called. On offense, just move the chains and keep Brady and co on the sidelines. Their defense is not dominant. They have to take chances to get off of the field. There will be opportunities for plays downfield when they do. If they sit back, pound them with Brandon Jacobs. If the Giants can get the Pats into a 60 minute war, they'll win.

It's a CrabAppleLane Upset Special. It says here: Giants 28 - Pats 24

On this Super Sunday, I'll be pulling for my numbers and various contests first, Giants second. I have 4-4 on one pool, Pats 5 - Giants 4 and Pats 2 - Giants 7 on another. Erasers and Ragpickers don't have much chance today in the CrabAppleLane Playoff League. I expect my Erasers will pass my Ragpickers today but both are too far behind to make up ground on the leaders.

One from the backyard on this lovely Super Sunday. Have to work on sharper focus. Still having a lot of trouble with that in some conditions. The poor lighting this morning surely had something to do with the result. Still, it didn't turn out all that bad. Good enough for this place. :)

American Goldfinch and Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Red-Breasted Nuthatches come around CrabAppleLane fairly often but don't go to the feeders much. This was a rare treat. Wish I could have gotten a better shot but this will have to do. That a Goldfinch was there at the same time is lagniappe. I love our backyard. The diversity of wildlife never ceases to amaze me.

About today's QOTD. I don't know where Sabol grew up or what circles he runs in but a lot of people I know say Marciano was the greatest. Larry Holmes got so disgusted hearing it and being compared to him when he was undefeated that when he finally lost and was asked once again about the comparison, he delivered his famous quote: "Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jockstrap."

Quote of the Day

Rocky Marciano never lost a fight, but I never hear anyone say he's the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.

Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "They cannot lose, because if they do this magical tale they have weaved like a suit of gold grows tattered and frayed."