what has occured

I apologize with little sorrow that I have not been blogging. I've been busy. Since I last blogged:
My mother visited, my friend visited, my grandmother died, my house has been painted, my car was totaled, i bought a new car, i rearranged my house, i met some interesting gentlemen, and i have actually (i think) gone on a date.

It has not been relaxing in any form.

Report from the field 2

I'm typing this in the front lobby at the Crowne Plaza in Center City Philadelphia. After spending another week in the backcountry dealing with bears and generators and stinky boys (not to be sexist, but those six dudes were RANCID on some days), my coworker and I are living the high life. Valet parking, luggage delivery - all that fancy stuff. Today, we plan to visit INDE (Independence National Historic Site) and the King Tut exhibit at the Franklin. We'll take the decidedly tourist transit system, it's only $4 for the day and runs a fixed route around all the tourist stuff, so we can get from one place to the next without much difficulty. Then we get to hunker down and do the professional stuff for this conference.

After this weekend, I head back to visit the parents because its my little brother's graduation this weekend.

I hope to get some pictures from this trip too.

Check out the other two posts below this one.

Job Advice: 2

• As an intern, your first day should be spent getting to know your position. Do listen to your super, as although s/he might explain some things you do know, it's easy to miss something you did not know - especially if you don't have any experience in the field at all.
• By accepting an internship position, you have told the place of your employment that you want to be there. Keep up that idea. Do not tell your supers that you only took the position because then you would be closer to an annual music fest.
• Do not tell your super that her job is unimportant.
  

Cats Part 3

The cats have grown up. But that's ok. Here's some pictures of them as little cute things.



No - not a cat. But he was in my backyard











and one more not cat

Report from the field

I'm heading back out to the field for a week, but thought that I would give a quick update on the general status.

The first week that we spent out in the field was fun. It was a touch chilly in the early part of the days, but a sweater was all that was needed. This coming week should be plenty warm. I have plenty of pictures of rusty metal, so you'll get some posted eventually. I even found my new most favorite artifact. It might make its way to the blog.

The week went fine, and I have one of my two interns in. He seems like he'll work for the summer.

Now I'm just trying to get all my stuff together and put together for next week. I'll be gone, but will make it back on Saturday - maybe.

Cats Part 2

I poked around a bit more yesterday, there are six... Chloe, Cleo, Cy, X,Y,Z (I'm working on those!

They all ran away from me, but then I put down a can of tuna and it was gone 2 hours later (still no sign of the cats). The mama cat is feral. We have a bunch in the neighborhood, descended from cats of the crazy lady who used to live in my house, moved away, and kicked her cats, so the original (old) ones are somewhat tame and hang around the area and will sometimes let themselves be pet. I spent the spring trying to feed the others and get them close so I could get a cage/carrier and get them fixed at the least.

The bird gore wasn't too bad, I swept up the wings and the poo in the corner they were using (reminder: get litter box) and tossed all that away. This winter, I'll set up a real box with blankets and keep an eye on (and feed) the momma unless I manage to snag her and fix her beforehand.

I knew the cats could get in and out because one cold day I found them laying around my water heater. I guess I should have expected this.

OH HAI - I IS IN YUR BAYSEMENT, FIXIN YUR BOXXORZ

if you don't get the title, read the post, then click *here*

Pictures may come.

This is CrossPosted at my House's blog... eventually.

I've been trying to mow the lawn for the last few weeks, but as I haven't been home while the sun was up as of recent, it's been a little hard. So I finally get out there the other day. I'm chugging along quite well, when suddenly CLUNK chugchugchugwhhhffth th ht. The mower stops because I hit a cinderblock. Oh joy. So I let it set, thinking that time will heal the mower. It doesn't. The mower goes back into the basement, with me verbalizing my dissapointment the whole time. While in the basement, I look up at one of the windows and notice one of the neighborhood's cats walking by. I really don't mind or care. Then, I go to get my weedwhacker - the front yard will be decent looking by the end of the day, even if its not mowed. Moving to the weedwhacker, I step over my shelves.
Wait - that's not right. The shelves are supposed to be against the far wall, not fallen over with the fishbowl shattered all over the floor and the other contents scattered. I'll take care of them all later. First - the yard!
So as I go to grab the weedwhacker, I hear some puttering about going on in another section of my basement. It sounds like someone's walking around, so I go into that section and am greeted by a floor littered in bird wings and spattered in blood. I knew the cats had gotten in and out occasionally, but I didn't think they took up residence. The boxes rumble again so I look over at them and see three little kitten fluffballs. They disappear into the pile, so I wait for them to calm down and then gently disinter their home. They're in the bottom box - of course, which is filled with assorted styrofoam pieces. The three little kittens move from one side of the box to the other, obviously scared of me.

So I just let them be. and weedwhacked my yard.

I'll go down later, pick up the shelving and sweep up the glass, clean up the bird wings, and leave them some food.

Don't you steal it!

Ok - riding on the coattails of the copy protection 09 F9 128 bit number "criminally" released to the internet last week, I have taken my own number.

Don't steal it by publishing it elsewhere.

D2 92 F9 F2 A2 A5 1D E8 96 51 F9 14 16 46 C9 26

I'm not joking, you take this number and I get to tell you to remove it.

Get your own number *here*.

Golden Compass

I remember reading the whole series when I was in Jr. High!

Blogswarm: Take Back the Blog

Take Back the Blog: "in support of the rights of women to participate fully in all aspects of our society, including specifically online in the world of blogging but indeed everywhere and at all times, day and night, without fear of harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment, online stalking and slander, predation or violence of any sort."

Oh goodness. I hope that I can fully explain my point, although it does deviate some from the general point of this Blogswarm. I suppose, though, that I should start with a preamble for those who are just joining me and do not know me personally. Then, perhaps, my position may make more sense.

Abstract: A portion of the internet is populated by the lowest common denominator. The effort to stop them is a waste. The responsibility instead lies with the reader to recognize these posts and comments. An intelligent reader or a professional will use discretion. But...

The blog, livejournal, or online authorship program of an individual's choice is a new medium of communication, expression, and dialogue. News articles tell the public this. News companies have even attempted to ride the want of publication by incorporating the public as lay journalists blogging and posting footage on the news website.

The online community allows for social networking with sites like MySpace and Facebook. Professional communities have even started to adopt this format for networking within disciplines beyond ListServes.

Blogs are a place for an individual to post musings and observations. It has become a place for political commentary and, dependent on the reader, threatening political dissension. Remember that: dependent on the reader.

The blog is not static, not discrete. It involves its readers in various levels, based on the anonymity of the author, the ability to leave comments, and the anonymity of those.

So - why do I bring this up? I live in the US (dropping a slight vestige of anonymity, I guess), I have no need to worry any politically charged blog postings being held against me. Do I?

No - I do not, thankfully. At least, to a point. This point is where we get to have our discussion. Anything that I post myself, or that is posted about me, is unregulated. That is the beauty of the internet. Anything can be written, and it should be that way. These "trolls," however, can cause damage. Therefore, a responsibility is placed on the reader.

Although it is not appreciated, any of you readers do have the ability to threaten and demean me in my comments. Until I moderate my comments and remove these posts, subsequent readers have the ability and the right to read said comments regarding my (lack of) sexual proficiency involving a candelabra and a goat. The responsibility lies in the reader, however, on whether or not to trust these commenters on an appropriate judgment of my possession or quality of goat-alabring skills.

So - where does this seemingly off-the-wall example lead? One more point and then we will tie it together.

I would expect my professional community to not post such goat-alabring comments on my professional profile. Why? Because it's not professional. Simple, right?

Not so much. The main example which leads to the TBtB post of today is documented here by WaPo, as well as here and here by an individual impacted.

What is to be done when a professional community turns on its own members, in this instance objectifying based on gender (here, also synonymous with BioSex)? When an employer Googles a potential hire, what is to be expected when comments on breasts and supposed STDs are returned? Is the potential employer expected to have this discretion? Either way, this is a liability to the individual commented upon.

So, dear reader, spread the word on intelligent comment processing and THINK. Those who we would truly wish to remove from the general population are destined to stay. Its our Catch-22. So learn to live with them, and spread the word.

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