One of Slate's deputy editors, David Plotz, is working on a project to provide a lay interpretation of the Bible and is posting it on Slate at (relatively) regular intervals. They are serious, yet funny, takes on a book that you'd think could not have a fresh take. Plotz gives it a fresh take and asks the reader to reconsider everything that he's been told about the Bible.
Thanks to Holly and her brother for this gem.
-rl
July 31, 2006
July 27, 2006
Prescience
Well, this is the post where I toot my horn and say I was right.
Now that I got that out of the way...
Now that I got that out of the way...
July 22, 2006
Things, stuff, et cetera...
As a result of being openly critical of the campaign for which I worked on this blog, my employment with the campaign has been terminated. I have temporarily removed the posts that mention the campaign, but they shall reappear after such time has passed and any obligations have lapsed. God forbid anyone try to be honest and think with some manifest clarity instead of being brow-beaten by sloganization.
That being said, I was working on a post about manners and how someone relieved herself (women's restroom) #2 style on the floor on Friday. Just so that no one gets pushy, it is meant as a humorous post, nothing serious.
Also, I'm thinking about reregistering blogginryan.com... and am thinking about using this:
as the basic color scheme. Send me thoughts, they'd be much appreciated.
Peace out homedogs.
-rl
That being said, I was working on a post about manners and how someone relieved herself (women's restroom) #2 style on the floor on Friday. Just so that no one gets pushy, it is meant as a humorous post, nothing serious.
Also, I'm thinking about reregistering blogginryan.com... and am thinking about using this:
as the basic color scheme. Send me thoughts, they'd be much appreciated.
Peace out homedogs.
-rl
July 21, 2006
On Manners:
This is going to be a tough one to type out as I eat, but rest assured, it will be worth the while.
We have a flood of employees in the morning entering the premises, doing various things from chilling outside the door to defecating on our bathroom floors.
What?
That's right. Someone pooped on the floor this morning.
Maybe it's an urban thing that good-ole suburban me doesn't understand - a ritualistic offering to the employer in the hopes of better pay - or it could be just out and out disgusting. Who knows, really.
Admittedly, it's not entirely manners-minded of me to make an attempt at disgusting, erm, discussing toilet talk and that sort, yet it does raise some questions. Or stomachs. Question number one: why would anyone relieve themselves on the floor of the bathroom? Was it of revenge? Had she just been fired? Could she just not hold it any longer? To this question the world may never know a solid answer. It happened and there was nothing that could be done. The second question, the more important one as it is what is truly germane to the post, is: why wasn't it cleaned up by the offending party or otherwise immediately reported?
I'm not someone who is easily offended. I laugh at number 2 jokes like it's my immature job. But it offended me that there was a steaming pile of two-doo on the floor of the women's restroom. No, I did not find out firsthand. An employee walked in and nearly on it. 'twas a nice gift, no? Pooing on the floor is problematic on so many levels: between it being repulsively stinky and disgustingly unhealthy, it poses problems for employee and employer. It's irresponsible of the pooper (not the poopee, and certainly not the poupée) to fecify (that's right: to make fecal) the restroom floor. There was toilet paper. And there were paper towels.
Why not pick up your own poop? I pick my dog's up all the time!
But alas, the poop was left untouched.
Left there for someone else to pick up. Left there for someone to step in. Left there for someone to possibly get sick from.
My parents always told me to clean my shit up in reference to keeping my room clean. It seems that someone should have told this employee the same.
-rl
We have a flood of employees in the morning entering the premises, doing various things from chilling outside the door to defecating on our bathroom floors.
What?
That's right. Someone pooped on the floor this morning.
Maybe it's an urban thing that good-ole suburban me doesn't understand - a ritualistic offering to the employer in the hopes of better pay - or it could be just out and out disgusting. Who knows, really.
Admittedly, it's not entirely manners-minded of me to make an attempt at disgusting, erm, discussing toilet talk and that sort, yet it does raise some questions. Or stomachs. Question number one: why would anyone relieve themselves on the floor of the bathroom? Was it of revenge? Had she just been fired? Could she just not hold it any longer? To this question the world may never know a solid answer. It happened and there was nothing that could be done. The second question, the more important one as it is what is truly germane to the post, is: why wasn't it cleaned up by the offending party or otherwise immediately reported?
I'm not someone who is easily offended. I laugh at number 2 jokes like it's my immature job. But it offended me that there was a steaming pile of two-doo on the floor of the women's restroom. No, I did not find out firsthand. An employee walked in and nearly on it. 'twas a nice gift, no? Pooing on the floor is problematic on so many levels: between it being repulsively stinky and disgustingly unhealthy, it poses problems for employee and employer. It's irresponsible of the pooper (not the poopee, and certainly not the poupée) to fecify (that's right: to make fecal) the restroom floor. There was toilet paper. And there were paper towels.
Why not pick up your own poop? I pick my dog's up all the time!
But alas, the poop was left untouched.
Left there for someone else to pick up. Left there for someone to step in. Left there for someone to possibly get sick from.
My parents always told me to clean my shit up in reference to keeping my room clean. It seems that someone should have told this employee the same.
-rl
July 20, 2006
Addendum
In re trespassing and soliciting laws in the state of Ohio:
An angry business owner just called, asking for my boss, who is not in today. The business owner was disgruntled with the return of our petitioners to the venue of his business and the "harassment" of his customers. Business owners have the upper hand over free political speech in the state of Ohio, in spite of it being ruled again and again as the most protected form of free speech. Due to the increasingly insular nature of society and the development of laws granting property rights unto businesses, it has become increasingly difficult in an already strenuous political environment for citizen-led initiatives, not unlike the one for which I (formerly) work(ed) to get ballot recognition. I believe that businesses, being a non-corporeal entity, are not entitled to the same rights as people and accordingly are not entitled to use these rights as businesses to disparage the rights of individuals.
Political speech is being stifled in our country and I would argue that it comes as a direct result of the greater corporatization of the society. Businesses are allowed to strong-arm individuals in the name of the free market, the free (but not necessarily fair) exchange of good amongst the modes of production and consumption. Discourse is being discouraged in the name of profit and the result is two-fold: as mentioned earlier, there is a greater insularity of individuals in today's society (to wit, it is ironic for someone who posts on an internet weblog to say that) and with greater drive to satisfy the material desires, there is less emphasis placed on intelligent discussion and general apathy grows from that.
Just my thoughts.
-rl
An angry business owner just called, asking for my boss, who is not in today. The business owner was disgruntled with the return of our petitioners to the venue of his business and the "harassment" of his customers. Business owners have the upper hand over free political speech in the state of Ohio, in spite of it being ruled again and again as the most protected form of free speech. Due to the increasingly insular nature of society and the development of laws granting property rights unto businesses, it has become increasingly difficult in an already strenuous political environment for citizen-led initiatives, not unlike the one for which I (formerly) work(ed) to get ballot recognition. I believe that businesses, being a non-corporeal entity, are not entitled to the same rights as people and accordingly are not entitled to use these rights as businesses to disparage the rights of individuals.
Political speech is being stifled in our country and I would argue that it comes as a direct result of the greater corporatization of the society. Businesses are allowed to strong-arm individuals in the name of the free market, the free (but not necessarily fair) exchange of good amongst the modes of production and consumption. Discourse is being discouraged in the name of profit and the result is two-fold: as mentioned earlier, there is a greater insularity of individuals in today's society (to wit, it is ironic for someone who posts on an internet weblog to say that) and with greater drive to satisfy the material desires, there is less emphasis placed on intelligent discussion and general apathy grows from that.
Just my thoughts.
-rl
Fate.
I've sealed my fate, so let fall the axe swiftly; make this death a merciful and painless one. Should the fates so cruelly turn? Truly they must, for biting the hands which feed your mouth can only reveal some flickering inner doubt.
July 8, 2006
I just do the paperwork
Pho's got a pretty harsh entry on Ohio Learn and Earn.
I understand the concerns that he raises and they are valid concerns.
We'll leave it at that as I try to sort through how I would address those concerns.
I don't think that this should be viewed as a panacea to the issue of rising tuition costs and do not believe that the campaign has passed itself off as such. However, mildly deceptive advertising does tend to throw the main issue (first two words of the title) out the window.
My general feeling towards the whole matter is that a) gambling should be legalized because b) other states around Ohio are taking in Ohioans and their money. Sure, gambling does convey that you can get something for effectively nothing. So does the lottery. TINSTAAFL, right?
The ODP and party machinery need to step away from Ohio Learn and Earn... it's political poison. Let Ohio Learn and Earn run its course and die. Just stay away. Although, there is a significant question as to whether or not it will get on the ballot in the 1st place. But that's my secret.
That's that for now.
-rl
I understand the concerns that he raises and they are valid concerns.
We'll leave it at that as I try to sort through how I would address those concerns.
I don't think that this should be viewed as a panacea to the issue of rising tuition costs and do not believe that the campaign has passed itself off as such. However, mildly deceptive advertising does tend to throw the main issue (first two words of the title) out the window.
My general feeling towards the whole matter is that a) gambling should be legalized because b) other states around Ohio are taking in Ohioans and their money. Sure, gambling does convey that you can get something for effectively nothing. So does the lottery. TINSTAAFL, right?
The ODP and party machinery need to step away from Ohio Learn and Earn... it's political poison. Let Ohio Learn and Earn run its course and die. Just stay away. Although, there is a significant question as to whether or not it will get on the ballot in the 1st place. But that's my secret.
That's that for now.
-rl
July 2, 2006
On South Carolina
Warning: Non-politics content
For those of you who didn't know, I went down to South Carolina to visit Holly this past week. I drove through Appalachia and along the western fringes of North Carolina and South Carolina. It was an amazing time... and it feels to be good to be as happy as I am for the first time in many moons.
I met some very interesting and very intelligent people: Surge, Shelly, Amber, Jon, Heather, Dave, Phil, and Becca... Dr. Dunn I "re-"met... didn't really remember me. To be honest, I'm pretty intimidated by him just because I know Holly holds him in such high esteem. He's a nice guy, though. Just scary when he's your girlfriend's "dad".
She's coming up in two weeks or so, hopefully I'll be working less. I've been so busy with work lately, thus updating the blog has fallen on the list of priorities. Worry you not, Fountie lives on.
Week before, dad and I visited New York for Lisa's graduation. That was fun.
Drive back from SC was hell in Virginia on I-77 northbound.
Visited a mining town in WVa... not many pictures because I never actually got out of the car, I just drove around the main street. It was depressing because the town seemed to be on the tipping point of destitution or just getting by. Oddly enough, I kinda wanted to live there just so that I could possibly work to get a flow of capital inward and create new places of employment apart from coal, chemicals, and church. (In this small town there were at least 6 churches - one The Church of Christ, one [apparently regular] Church of Christ, two competing Baptist churches across the street from each other, a non-denominational hall of worship, and a Methodist church, plus a plethora of small steeples that I could see dotting the "skyline".) The town lies between a river and I-77 just 20 miles or so outside of Charleston.
Depressing a bit.
Oh well.
Holly in two weeks!
-rl
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