Too bad I can't spend money today...

A big, fruity raspberry to the organizers of "Not One Damn Dime Day," whose avowed purpose is for you to "do what you can to shut the retail economy down" for a day in the U.S. to protest the war in Iraq, ostensibly because "our leaders don't have the moral courage to speak out against the war." (Gee, if you feel that way, get new leaders.)

In what seems par for the course for this species of what I suspect is a well-fed, middle-class activist, such action is viewed as principled and heroic, evoking images of striking a blow against The System™ and those big, bloated, money-heavy, nasty corporations. Presumably, small business owners -- any one of whom is worth a score of such activists when it comes to providing goods, servces, and employment in their communities, and who would be hardest hit should this cockeyed idea succeed -- need to have yet another slash inflicted in what seems to be an ongoing "death of a thousand cuts" to keep their businesses alive.

How come nobody thinks of doing something like donating a pint of blood, which might help someone and actually save a life, as a form of protest? (Such an offbeat idea would stand a better chance of garnering positive news coverage, too, you'd think.) Why must such protests always be something ill-considered and poorly thought through that really only hurts the little guy? Or maybe that's the point? to inflict damage from the cozy comfort of one's living room?

I regret I'm not home and in a position to offset the "idealism" of at least one such sanctimonious, true-believing moron.

Cheers...

Odds and ends...

There was a second, less formal get-together last night to mark the end of propellant loading. The members of the prop loading team gathered in the minibar at the Fili to have a drink - most folks had Pastis de Marseille cut with water, with perhaps a dash of grenadine - after which everyone retired to the dining hall for dinner. As one of the interpreters who supported the operation, I was invited to participate and did so. My French continues to improve, though no work was involved.

* * *In other news, the Christmas tree that was in the lobby when we arrived to kick off the campaign showed signs of continued life, and has been relegated to a place of honor in the room containing the plunge pool. The hotel administrator - a feisty, short woman who's been doing this for nearly 15 years - told me she's hoping to be able to plant the tree outside come springtime.

* * *How do you deal with a tile surface that's slippery when wet and absolutely slick when frozen? You take a thick woolen towel and lay it on the tile, that's how. The towel affords traction both above and below the freezing point, which is important when you consider that the steps at the entrance to the hotel are tiled.

* * *"Lessons learned" (I hope) by those working with interpreters:

If you're going to introduce people at a meeting, tell the interpreter beforehand, preferably giving the interpreter a list of names, with pronunciations. The acoustics in the room are bad enough, thank you.

If you're about to tell a joke and feel it's necessary to preface the telling with "This probably won't translate very well...," save your breath and go on to the next item on the agenda.

If you intend to edit a document by adding or deleting a few words here and there, use revision mode. (If the software you use doesn't support revision mode, why are you using that software?)

* * *I did another session on the treadmill today, while listening to more of The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, whose 299th birthday was just a couple of days ago (on the 17th). I covered 2.89 miles in a little over 45 minutes, burning (theoretically) 183 calories.

One interesting side effect that was quite pronounced after this session was a definite dizziness once the machine was turned off, likely the result of the sudden mismatch between what my muscles and my eyes had been telling my brain immediately before and after hitting the stop button (I expect I need to "ramp down" the speed gradually to avoid this).

* * *Robert Burns' birthday is the 25th. I wonder if it's too late to order haggis and have it delivered to Kazakhstan in time for Burns' Night supper? (One of the sillier questions I've asked in recent memory.) OTOH, maybe I can ask around and see if some sort of impromptu Burns' Night event can be organized? We'll see.

* * *Even more important, today is Vopian's birthday. I expect there'll be a celebration at the Fili tonight; unless The Word™ changes, though, I'm stuck here at 92A-50 until midnight.

Cheers...