Just as I was about despair, I got a new client. Fairly lucrative. Still trying for the job, but, it is odd this timing. Hopefully, I'll have choices to make very soon. Like take the job or no, or get office space or no. Fun things like that. Thanks to all of you who through a little luck and well wishes my way.

I've made a decision. Cube life wasn't quite so bad after all, at least not in comparison with only having the dogs for conversation all day long. So...I'm going to start putting myself on the job market again, in an office environment. I got my hackles up when one of my dear readers (my problem, not hers, probably because I saw truth in the comment) had commented on me being over-qualified for the part-time gig, but the truth is, it isn't what I want to be doing and though it is currently a band-aid on my financial wound (and oh, crap, how the market is screwing me right now, but, hey, at least gas is cheap) I don't want to do this indefinitely.

I've submitted my resume to a competitor of my former employer, it isn't exactly what I was doing in SF, or even Austin, but it does have the best parts of those positions. If this one doesn't work out, that's okay, I've got a kick ass resume and work experience, something will turn up. Granted, it is not the best time to be in the job market, but, I got my last job post 9/11 and Enron/Arthur Andersen so I know how to work it in a down time. In the mean time, I've got to crank out a Web site for my current client. Especially, if I expect to get paid.

I've been a fan of Crichton for years. His novels, film and television projects were imaginative and entertaining. May he rest in peace.

My dad's gf is in Germany, I have her dog, Cody, an English lab. She's way different than may Shelties who wouldn't fetch if you paid them. In fact, I have never had a dog that fetched. So, I've been playing ball with her (apparently in German all dogs are male and all cats are female, even when they aren't, hence the boy's name on a girl dog. Only of note, because even though I don't fluently speak anything but English and broken Latin, I dig languages.).

Oh, yeah, point.

I threw the ball and it went over the fence into the neighbors yard, dad's 'hood doesn't have alleys so no need for gates between fences. So, I climbed the chain link fence, in a dress, I did take off the flip flops and put on my Keen hiking shoes. However, I caught the dress and ripped the underlining (it is just a light cotton casual dress, nothing fancy and fortunately, repairable) and ripped the skin on my arm, also, a wicked bruise is forming.

I used to leap fences. I want to be a kid again.

Of course this reminds me of the time about 10 years ago (damn, I'm getting old) when I did a ropes course, got pushed on the rope by the next person (cause for some people safety doesn't matter) and slipped, the balancing rope snapped and hit my face on my way down giving me a great shiner. When I got back to work on Monday, one they pulled me into HR at work and told me they had a program to help abused women, which was really a great thing all-in-all, but they refused to believe me when I said it was an accident. Frustrating.

I remember from pre-K through about 2nd grade all of my school photos have some sort of visible injury, split lip, shiners, bumps or bruises. Nowadays my folks would be dealing CPS, and I'm not against protecting kids, but from my own experience none of my bumps and bruises were my parents fault. I was rough and tumble as a kid. I really want to be a kid again.

The IMF (International Monetary Fund) has said that making energy from food (biofuels) is a very bad idea. Essentially saying it takes food away from the poorest people in the world and uses up a tremendous amount of our water supply.

This more than I was able to articulate in an earlier post is exactly why I am against such knee-jerk reactions to addressing climate change. The lack of examining all possible consequences to a fuel source solution has the potential to do more damage to the people in the world who can least afford it. 

With biofuel from corn it takes a gallon of fuel to make a gallon of fuel. Which means a net-zero gain in fuel, and an actual loss when you take into account it is making it harder for the truly poor in the world to afford food. Wind energy I like, but even it has the drawback of requiring 100% redundancy because if the wind stops blowing for a time, you have no energy.  It also is not self-sustaining, in that you can not create those giant turbines using only wind energy to power the process (or so I've read, must find source on that, I believe it was one of Kunstler's books). A combination of wind, solar, and ocean wave seems to be a good trifecta to help offset fossil fuel sources while we develop other sources. I also favor, for the time being, clean coal technology. Though I think a nuclear system like France uses (roughly 70% of their energy is nuclear) is the best option for now.

That said, I think we all should still be actively trying to limit our consumption of energy as we reasonably can, be mindful of how we are polluting the environment (and that includes litter), and recycle. I also think that there should be incentives provide by the government to organizations (for-profit or otherwise) who are working on alternative fuel sources.

My question to you is do you think the solution to our energy/climate change needs/problems will come from the private sector or from the governement? Why?

Note and disclaimer: I am not a scientist, nor do I claim to be an expert in any way whatsoever on energy or climate change. I have and continue to read about it and other subjects as much as I can. More importantly, I hope this post hasn't pissed anyone off like some of my past ones have, I'm just trying to have an open dialouge.

My faith in humanity, such that it was, has been shaken to its tiny core. I used to think people were basically good at heart. My ex used to say people were basically assholes at heart (towards the end, I started telling him, "Takes one to know one."). I'm starting to think he was right. I hate him being right.

My sister called.

"Is my husband there?* I'm looking for my balls."†

Maybe it is just me, but I thought it was funny. She however, was not amused when I laughed.

Oh, and if you are wanting Monday Movie Quotes, go see Flibbertygibit (she's working on some for some time today).

*He's been fixing the hot water.
†Soccer balls, she coaches the boys.

So, the whole working from home thing, not that great. At least, not for me, I spend way too much time in my head for this to be a good thing. I need other people to bring me out of deep introversion. I'm trying to pick up a part-time gig for the holidays, which will help, for the short term. But, if I am going to do this self-employed thing long term, I've to figure something out.

I have an idea, I just lack the capital. Rent a warehouse type space and convert it to open creative and geek space for rent to other people who are self-employed. I'd have to get some furniture (desks and chairs, of course, but also a conference table, and maybe cushy chairs and a coffee table) and fixtures, phone lines and preferably a T1 connection and a wireless network. Probably would need a copy machine/printer, fax, and other office service type accouterments. 

If I could find space like this, I'd rent a workspace. Especially if it had good coffee.

Aledo High seniors pick classmate with Down syndrome as homecoming queen

What a beautiful thing.

I think what gets me most about this story is the reasoning behind the votes for Kristin.

If only we could all start that way when we meet people. I think this world would be a better place. I think Dr. King said it best, "I have a dream that my four little children will one
day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of
their skin, but by the content of their character."

...a good haircut (edited to say: a good hairdresser) can make in a gal's demeanor.
I don't know about you, but I am ready to conquer the world.

Plus, I got my 2009 ACL ticket today. Yep, one year in advance. I waited too late to get 2008 and ended up missing the whole thing. Won't happen in 2009.