Some times you just have to cry

About a month ago, I noticed that one of my cats had something weird about her paw.  It was pink and somewhat granular, and didn't look right.

I ignored it then.  A couple weeks ago, she got into an altercation with one of the other cats (the new Tom) in my house; and suddenly she had a open sore on her forehead.  It wasn't healing fast, so I put antibiotic on it (ever try to spread ointment on a cat?), and she would wash it off; which would re-open the sore and make it bleed again.

So I stopped, and waited a couple weeks.  It's still there, but I noticed that it looks like the couple toes on her right-rear foot have this pink mass which looks like a "burn" for lack of a better description.

So, thinking back... I'm worried because it presents similar to a cancer condition that I have seen before (Mr Taffy), and I'm now worried.

I did some google-searching; and I'm now fearful that it *is* a cancer, and whether benign or malignant remains to be seen.  I contacted my veterinarian (who is out of the country this week) and will have to figure out what to do next.

But, I'm pretty broke (economically challenged) and not currently funded for this sort of thing.  Last time, Mr Taffy cost me about $18,000 and I bought him about 2 years.  I'm not setup to do that again, and I'm just about in tears.

I wanted to outlive my cats, but I didn't want them to go early.  And Leiah  (and her brother Luke) are two of the sweetest Russian Blues I have had the privileged to know.

Dammit.

Some days you are the nail, other days...

I'm sitting here paying bills; or at least setting up to pay what I can with what I have.

It's always a trial, to see what I can cover and what I have to defer (but avoiding late fees) and to track to make sure I don't miss anything.

I just had a lovely conversation with two of my friends, one I've known for 30+ years and just recently become reaquainted, and one that I've known for 5 or so years and is occasionally difficult to talk to... because she's very strong minded, opinionated and doesn't always allow for another point of view.  (I'm eschewing abbreviations for the moment).

I still find myself listening to Simon and Garfunkel live...  and remembering where I came from.

https://youtu.be/B9z87viDmOo  (Sounds of Silence)


it's still not that far a stretch.

taken aback

So, I went to a Thanksgiving dinner given by a friend.  And, she kissed me.
I was surprised, and somewhat excited.  We've know each other for about 30 years.
I was interested a long... time ago, but was too scared to try.
It's like that.

Tonight, she told me she's interested in getting closer, but not as in a *relationship*.  Just, the other stuff.  So, I said... that's ok.  Because I've been alone long enough that even crumbs are good.
But, I'm disappointed.

That's ok... but not great.

so why am I sad?

Technical -- for consultants -- use google location to track your billing

Here's a hack that works.

If you use google location services, then the locations and times you are onsite are listed in the logs, and you can accurately (and demonstrably) document when and where.

A caveat, you can have only ONE location enabled device (phone, laptop, tablet) that is logged into the used account, has location services turned on, and is referenced.

If you carry a phone and a tablet or laptop with you, the data will not diverge.

If you leave a tablet on and at home, take a phone... you will get alternating pings from each device, and it will look like you are in two seperate places at the same time (and screws up all the accounting).

Election blues

Well, that happened.  (November 8, 2016).

We now have a *new* President-Elect, and he's distasteful to more than half the country.

I'm not going to talk about how he won, or the ratio of voter turnout, the electoral college, or any of a number of other things covered by other wiser and more informed writers than I.

I'm going to talk about the hostility that this election season generated, and the resultant change to the meme of gentlemanly (sorry  ladies) opposition.  I'm not going to try to find a better word for it, I think it suits just fine.  The stereotype is that men compete, women cooperate.  

In this case, I think we let men be apes and women be men... as far as the noble gesture of taking the high road during this campaign.

I have never seen such rancor or hate; and the subsequent news showing even more extremism makes me ashamed to be an over-50 white American male.  In fact, it makes me ashamed of our country specifically.  

We made fun of Brexit.  Well, that is old news and now we have definitely surpassed it.

I am very disappointed people.

ooo

I asked myself "what is the point of anger?"

Then I asked myself "how do we get past this event?"

Then I saw news items of hate and bigotry

And I ask those of you, my friends (who are ok with what just happened, and say "this is right"), I ask you "what do you expect when you allow hate-fear-prejudice-bigotry rule popular opinion?"

Be careful, those of you... remember these things:

1. some of us... ARE smarter than the previously noted marching morons.

2. some of us... didn't buy into guns and violence because we held to a higher path.

3. some of us... fear what we become if we descend.

4. and almost all of us...

are royally pissed.

If you do not reign in the marching morons. we will. And it won't be pretty. Tolerance and love only go so far, and the shit I've seen in the news.... is not ok.

ooo

SO. I have multiple personality (opinion) disorder on this subject. If it doesn't kill us... Either I will be uplifted by this agenda... or more completely F*d. only time will tell. But -- my friends and others who voted this induhvidual (IMHO) -- remember that you will be held accountable for each and every incident of hate, fear and incompetence.

And for my left-wing(er) friends... for every molotov cocktail thrown.... (remember to not drop the damm thing prematurely when lit).

ooo

Bear witness.

Farewell, America

America died on Nov. 8, 2016, not with a bang or a whimper, but at its own hand via electoral suicide. We the people chose a man who has shredded our values, our morals, our compassion, our tolerance, our decency, our sense of common purpose,…

BILLMOYERS.COM

Lazy programmers, and organizations that just *don't get it*.

As a professional who takes pride in my work, and as a job-seeker (because a consultant is only as good as your last gig) I find myself often frustrated by the incredibly stupid workflow errors that get published when people craft websites.

Specifically, the kind of errors that crop up because they are lazy, didn't think it through, or just plain stupidity...

The Health Net job board a current favorite example.

Apply Now 

• Start apply with LinkedIn

• Start apply with Facebook

• Apply Now

•  

IT Support Specialist #30121

Apply Now 

Date: Sep 28, 2016

Location: Woodland Hills, CA, US, 91367

Company: Health Net, Inc.

[[id]]

Job Summary

Serve as the primary contact in providing desktop, laptop and peripheral computer support to internal partners and vendors.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

·        Perform imaging, moves, adds and changes (IMAC) of desktop and laptop computers.

·        Provide level 2 support for computer-related problems.

·        Respond to requests for new services

·        Investigate, research and troubleshoot more complex IT related issues

·        Perform new user IT training and communication of IT policies and standards

And when you select "Apply Now" --- because I have been here before so my info is already in the system; it starts you off by asking the SAME questions (background)  that it asked last time... except that the "older" optional history is already there.  So, the current tedious job-history-employment isn't saved... but prior entries are.

Why?

nevermind...

About rejection...

(This is from my recollections of my youth, alas long gone...  If I get any of the details incorrect, my apologies to all maligned persons out there).

When I was a lad attending UCSD-Revelle, I had a roommate named Norman.  Stormin-Norman as I recall; mostly because he was a surfer and a bit more bold than the rest of us (as I remember, anyway).

Norman used to come home with a different girl almost every night, and some repeats (I think he had favorites).  We, being underclassmen, would sit around and theorize as to how he did it.

We finally worked up enough courage to ask.

Norman said "I go to a bar, walk up to the first girl, and ask her if she wants to fuck.  If she says 'No', I go to the next one, and it usually works out". (*approximate from memory*)

If necessary (I'm theorizing), he would move on to the next bar...

So I asked, because I'm a little slower than some on this stuff:  "Don't you get slapped a lot?"

He replied:  "Yes, but I get laid a lot also".

---

I remember stepping out of the stall in the bathroom to wash, or brush my teeth or something, and a girl (I'm allowed to be chauvenistic --- it's my blog)  of the stunningly attractive variety naked in the shower... sticks her head out and says "Hello".  I never did manage much of a comeback except "Hi"...