Wednesday, September 28, 2005
The Smart Car is just one of many well designed cars zipping fuel-efficiently along the roads of Europe. Even Ford has some great looking little models not available in America (I don't get it...). The Smart Car, manufactured by DaimlerChrysler, gets 60 mpg and is small enough that should it want to, it could park in a parallel parking spot perpendicularly and not protrude further out than the cars on either side of it! It scored high in crash safety tests and performs well in snow. DaimlerChrysler is testing the waters as to American marketability. While it knows it probably has no chance selling its two-door model, it is instead considering a Smart SUV. Heh it's a start....
Monday, September 26, 2005
Speaking of Work... We've given notice to the Massachusetts State House of None-of-the-Below mentioned (sadly) working conditions. We'll almost. We're opting for a position with a different Rep which will allow Anna Bloviations to work 2 1/2 days from home with only occasional visits to Boston (the better to have lunch dates). As my best friend since grammar school commented over a Thai lunch and a bottle of wine in London, "I don't even know why we are having this conversation as to which job you want. This is a no brainer. At forty-six you've obviously demonstrated a penchant for priorities that don't include laboring forty-plus hours trying to finish deadlines." Thank you Heather. You're absolutely right. No sooner were we done with lunch and I managed to spill a glass of water down the front of Heather's dress, I rushed back to the hotel and emailed that I would be coming on board with the new Rep. That said, we will in our free time, give it a shot to build up a free-lance, marketing/writing-for-hire home business. We figure that if Pamela Anderson can write a second book, it is certainly in the realm of possibility that I might lend my pen to the world of the written. And if it's spice they want e.g. the Pamela kind, I have a most glorious imagination in that direction...
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Equalitarian Views. Hubby's London Office overlooks a gorgeous square in central London. Qualified, ALL of the offices overlook the square -- executives and peons respectively have breathtaking views. They also have ergonomically sound chairs, adequate lighting, good air quality, and a refreshing convergence of intelligent, interesting, and motivated workers. No, you don't get to ask what this gorgeous office costs the company each year... You just get to sigh and wish we all could work in such environments.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
From Heathrow to Who Knows. A full moon and train expansion project at London's Heathrow Airport were no doubt the cause of the 2 1/2-hour circuitous route I took to the apartment/hotel. Anna didn't pay attention and ended up on the local Piccadilly line -- a line that offers up twenty-plus stops and an eclectic mix-up of Londoners . Anna didn't pay attention again and got off at the wrong station. Anna wondered what the handicapped do at these tube stations because there sure as hell aren't any escalators or elevators and one of my suitcases was an un-ergonomic relic from the 80's that had me cursing like a sailor when I finally ascended to the sidewalk from the bowels of the city. On a Saturday night, taxis were scarce and so I ended up sharing a taxi with a guy who insisted his destination 'was just a few blocks' from where I wanted to go. In the confines of the taxi, I realized the 'bloke' was completely drunk. A friend of his had just called to tell him that he had spotted his motorcycle which the bloke had misplaced during the course of the evening. Now he was on a race with time to get to his unlocked bike before it got stolen. He was very excited when we pulled up to his bike. So excited that he paid his and my cab fare. Which was a good thing given his destination was not just a few blocks from where I wanted to go... I love adventures like these. I really do.
St. Paul's Cathedral doesn't believe in sleeping in on Sunday. The bells go on and on forever. Hubby asked if I wanted to check out the new office in London. Wow is all I can say. Wait till you see the pictures I'll download later. It turned out to be a trick of course. He and a few of the marketing team or putting some final touches on the user's group meeting presentation. So I have pirated someone's computer here. Couldn't tell you who it is. No pictures of kids, animals, or significant others. No stuffed toys. Just a Bic pen and some Panasonic earphones. Thanks whoever you are.
St. Paul's Cathedral doesn't believe in sleeping in on Sunday. The bells go on and on forever. Hubby asked if I wanted to check out the new office in London. Wow is all I can say. Wait till you see the pictures I'll download later. It turned out to be a trick of course. He and a few of the marketing team or putting some final touches on the user's group meeting presentation. So I have pirated someone's computer here. Couldn't tell you who it is. No pictures of kids, animals, or significant others. No stuffed toys. Just a Bic pen and some Panasonic earphones. Thanks whoever you are.
Friday, September 16, 2005
From Anna's Inbox -- Fwd: White House Position on Roe v. Wade
Q. What is Bush's position on Roe vs. Wade?
A. He has reviewed the question and says he really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans...
Q. What is Bush's position on Roe vs. Wade?
A. He has reviewed the question and says he really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans...
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Wee to Wow to Soon Withered. In early spring this front porch plant barely reached the first rung of the railing. I will blow it a kiss when I leave for London tomorrow. Perhaps it will still be hanging in there October 2nd when I return. But this is also New England. So perhaps not....
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Flopping Fish. Today's flip flopping at the State House resembled a fresh catch of cod just dumped from the nets onto the deck of a ship -- frantic thrashing in all directions as the catch try to stay alive. The amendment to define marriage as an institution between a man and a woman plus an added amendment to allow for civil unions went down. Ironically, both sides of the issue are happy. Gays are happy because they don't want to relinquish their current right to marry in Massachusetts and would consider civil unions a second class status. The anti-gays are happy because now that the amendment is dead, their slated 2008 specially-worded referendum (once they have collected 65,000 signatures) will make gay marriage an all or nothing deal i.e. marriage is between a man and a woman and no benefits or rights for civil unions.
The sweat-drenched boss flopped to a no vote (thus helping to kill the amendment). He figures it is a win-win situation. The gays will be happy with him and frequent his restaurant in the district. Others, while perhaps surprised by his flop, will be told the yarn about holding out for the referendum. No backbone I tell you....
The sweat-drenched boss flopped to a no vote (thus helping to kill the amendment). He figures it is a win-win situation. The gays will be happy with him and frequent his restaurant in the district. Others, while perhaps surprised by his flop, will be told the yarn about holding out for the referendum. No backbone I tell you....
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
ANNA'S STRESS. An involuntary bloody nose ensued at 4 p.m. EST at the office today. It could be one or any combination of the following: a diet coke soda (the first soda drunk in over four years), two Advil at or around the same time of the soda intake, two intense interviews within three days and subsequent quick decisions that must be made by a LIBRA, a spineless boss who will be taking a vote tomorrow at the Constitutional Convention to decide the fate of gay marriage (not based on conviction but on how his vote will be perceived to others [likely he'll vote against gay marriage]), an imminent resignation letter to afore mentioned boss, an imminent visit to London to play corporate wife amidst finicky, ego-centric investors, an imminent visit to Austria to play 'in-law family member' to yet-another dysfunctional family, a blown-out bathroom a la contractor who showed up out of the blue and whose work will be done while we are away for two weeks (I do hope contractor and I are on the same page...) Otherwise I look forward to a just-bought oil painting from my San Francisco bohemian-step-father-artist entitled 'Blind Leading the Blind' (photo to follow -- delivery soon).
Monday, September 12, 2005
Scorch Policy. The fall season reigns supreme for major changes in Anna Bloviation's life and this one portends no exception. Deeply dissatisfied with a spineless boss who has no convictions, the royal we is on the prowl for new opportunities. Just today the hot-headed Irish boss blew up finding out that I am again off to Europe for two weeks having just returned from San Francisco. Now I know how this must sound to most readers but you must understand the amount of useless idle time one spends at the State House. Sorry guys, but if there is no work to be done, let me be off and doing something productive with my time until such time as there is again work at which time I will do it. The alternative is going postal. There was a lot of sputtering on his end of the phone and so I told him simply that I thought it best I go. Said I, "This present job in its current manifestation is ruining and corrupting my being. I AM TURNING INTO A LISTLESS, LETHARGIC, UNMOTIVATED STATE EMPLOYEE." He might not have caught all the vocabulary but I think my emotional frankness helped the conversation steer towards a mutual understanding. He is at least Mensch enough to know what goes down at the State House. In fact he openly admitted that every aide he has had has left after about a year; they had all started out gung-ho but slowly their Mojo was sucked out of them by nothing more than close proximity to the building. Needless to say he is now being very nice to me...
Lo-and-behold two opportunities have fallen into our lap. A voicemail message from the company with whom I recently interviewed is requesting a second interview. This would be the job where I would actually have to work for a living. Pros: slightly better pay, no commute to speak of, mind stimulation, and career advancement opportunities. Cons: having to actually work for a living, deadlines, a lot less flexibility. But at this point almost anything would be better than State government. But what-do-you-know, along flitters opportunity number 2... Another Rep has offered me a job that would put me into my own district. We had a tete-a-tete today whereby I laid out EXACTLY my intentions and aspirations were I to make this lateral move. "So if I understand you," he said after my fifteen minute rant, "you want to be paid a full-time salary for a half-time job and work exclusively from home except for an occasional Friday to cover for my other aide." "Yes, exactly," I replied. Should I receive an offer from the other company following round 2 of interviews, I can only say that this will be an extremely interesting choice to have to make...
Lo-and-behold two opportunities have fallen into our lap. A voicemail message from the company with whom I recently interviewed is requesting a second interview. This would be the job where I would actually have to work for a living. Pros: slightly better pay, no commute to speak of, mind stimulation, and career advancement opportunities. Cons: having to actually work for a living, deadlines, a lot less flexibility. But at this point almost anything would be better than State government. But what-do-you-know, along flitters opportunity number 2... Another Rep has offered me a job that would put me into my own district. We had a tete-a-tete today whereby I laid out EXACTLY my intentions and aspirations were I to make this lateral move. "So if I understand you," he said after my fifteen minute rant, "you want to be paid a full-time salary for a half-time job and work exclusively from home except for an occasional Friday to cover for my other aide." "Yes, exactly," I replied. Should I receive an offer from the other company following round 2 of interviews, I can only say that this will be an extremely interesting choice to have to make...
Saturday, September 10, 2005
No Marijuana, but a Replenished Hippie Soul i.e. Eucalyptus trees, a must-do hike from Muir Woods via the Ben Johnson Trail to the Dipsea Trail to Stinson Beach (round trip 12 miles with lunch at the Sand Dollar Restaurant at Stinson Beach), Mexican lunch at an authentic Mexican Restaurant in Bernal Heights, bottles of California wine, daily walks up to Twin Peaks, a visit to a certain venerable SF-established bohemian artist's studio, visits with an array of folks of questionable mental-health stability (including myself I suppose) and a knob store to die for on 18th St that makes you realize WE NEED GAYS because without them we wouldn't have nearly the selection of fine fashion, furniture, food, etc. otherwise. Needless to say I finally found a contemporary door knocker that will go just grand on my contemporary door here in New England.
25,000 Body Bags... Not. It should come as no surprise from a PR messaging standpoint that recent reports that the 25,000-body-bags-ready-on-the-scene in New Orleans may not be needed after all as there may be far fewer corpses than 'some' had predicted. By purposely over-estimating the actual anticipated body count, the spinners are prepping the American public into a physiological state of mind of: gee-it-wasn't-so-bad-after-all....
A few news stations have had the courage to highlight the state-of-the-art, well-built levies of the Netherlands and posed the question as to why New Orleans never did the same.... The Netherlanders interviewed matter-of-factly said that while their levies cost billions up-front, the pay-off in the long run was immeasurable in terms of preserving assets -- be they human or man-made. Well I personally don't trust Halliburton to build a reliable levy here in the US given their shoddy workmanship in Iraq. So the alternative is to just fill New Orleans in with gravel and quarry rock. Fill it in and create a 'Theme Park French Quarter New Orleans...' So say they in San Francisco. I think they may be right....
25,000 Body Bags... Not. It should come as no surprise from a PR messaging standpoint that recent reports that the 25,000-body-bags-ready-on-the-scene in New Orleans may not be needed after all as there may be far fewer corpses than 'some' had predicted. By purposely over-estimating the actual anticipated body count, the spinners are prepping the American public into a physiological state of mind of: gee-it-wasn't-so-bad-after-all....
A few news stations have had the courage to highlight the state-of-the-art, well-built levies of the Netherlands and posed the question as to why New Orleans never did the same.... The Netherlanders interviewed matter-of-factly said that while their levies cost billions up-front, the pay-off in the long run was immeasurable in terms of preserving assets -- be they human or man-made. Well I personally don't trust Halliburton to build a reliable levy here in the US given their shoddy workmanship in Iraq. So the alternative is to just fill New Orleans in with gravel and quarry rock. Fill it in and create a 'Theme Park French Quarter New Orleans...' So say they in San Francisco. I think they may be right....
Monday, September 05, 2005
In San Francisco to Replenish the Hippie Soul. Arrived Saturday. I haven't come across too many hippies since we've been here. But the smell of Eucalyptus leaves is very, very good for the spirits -- in fact when the time comes, I'd like my ashes strewn underneath such a tree (maybe by then there will be a way to de-toxify all the garbage in our bodies and I won't kill the tree)....
Friday, September 02, 2005
Reference Check. Anna Bloviations is trying to reel in a fish called a new job. This prospect would put me within five minutes of my home, pay significantly more money, and make me actually have to work for a living. We think we have made in-roads -- two good interviews and the submission of a writing sample we think nailed it. We also decided it would be a good time to update the reference list and so I recently emailed an ex-colleague/friend to see if he would oblige. "Sure," he said. "How does this sound: 'Anna is a lively free spirit, undaunted by her lack of experience, confident in her abilities, a real breath (perhaps monsoon) of fresh air, able to live happily among the cognitive dissonances in the modern world, born with the soul of a hippie and tastes of a princess." You got it baby. Yes that should get us the job...
Tyrone doesn't swim. I'm sure the number of corpses resulting from drowning in the toxic New Orleans flood waters will be horrific once someone finally gets around to counting. You see poor, unemployed folks don't generally have money to send their kids to the YMCA for swimming lessons... Speaking of swimming, you shan't be wanting to holiday anywhere near the Gulf of Mexico for the next ten years. Once they start pumping water out of the city, it will amass itself in the Gulf. Louisiana has never been known for its environmental diligence anyway so you can imagine what goodies will be swirling in that body of water for years to come.
Tyrone doesn't swim. I'm sure the number of corpses resulting from drowning in the toxic New Orleans flood waters will be horrific once someone finally gets around to counting. You see poor, unemployed folks don't generally have money to send their kids to the YMCA for swimming lessons... Speaking of swimming, you shan't be wanting to holiday anywhere near the Gulf of Mexico for the next ten years. Once they start pumping water out of the city, it will amass itself in the Gulf. Louisiana has never been known for its environmental diligence anyway so you can imagine what goodies will be swirling in that body of water for years to come.
