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The stars realign...
Plans for overseas work suddenly took a two-month shift to the right, as they say, which leaves me utterly free to go to Houston with a completely clear mind (some critics might even say: a completely empty mind, but I refuse to base myself to their scurrilous level, and I digress...)
Seriously, a couple of e-mails clarified that situation right up, and I must say I would prefer to be in Moscow (and beyond) in May than in March. However, there is quite a spell of time between now and then, and work to be done.
I got overwhelmed in the work department today. Four new files followed quickly by two small rush jobs to stick in front of the first four. I can't say that I've really felt any strain today, but I don't feel as if I've put in a full day's work, either, and what's more, I don't feel like working tonight.
(My, I can snivel with the best of 'em, no?)
* * * I put my second Wiki formally online today, by informing one of my clients of the availability of an area reserved for them at the site. The strength of WakkaWiki (and the unfortunately named Cyrillic branch that I'm running: WackoWiki) is the ability to control write and read access of specific pages to certain users. Everything is accessed via a set of PHP scripts that deal with a MySQL database, so unlike many other Wiki implementations, pages in the site don't have normal URLs. Instead, a PHP script is called with the appropriate arguments.
* * * AMC redeemed my DirecTV subscription today. Around one-ish, they broadcast one of my all-time favorite movies, My Favorite Year. Then in the late afternoon, they compounded their good deed by showing Three Days of the Condor. In neither case, of course, was I able to let the vagaries of everyday life go long enough to watch the whole of either movie. Then again, I notice a lot of that going on nowadays: televised entertainment just doesn't hold my attention much.
Commercials do, kind of. Has anyone else been mesmerized by the earnest bumpkin shilling something called CortiSlim (which, he says, isn't for "casual" dieters trying to lose a mere 10-15 pounds). He goes on to sing the praises of his colleague, who apparently developed the formula and who must be even more inept in front of the camera (or whose pride is a limiting factor), by citing his buddy's published research in such bastions of rigorous scientific thought as Ladies Home Journal, Psychology Today, and Redbook. Criminy, I figure the only way they might be able to say they publish peer-reviewed stuff is if they run it by Sarah Ferguson first.
I tell you, Crichton was right: you start with something innocuous like UFOs, and the next thing you know, they're hawking nuclear winter, global warming, and stuff like CortiSlim on every available street corner, all under the name of science.
* * * Brahms' 4th symphony is marvelous. I'm surprised it took me this long to discover it.
Cheers...
Seriously, a couple of e-mails clarified that situation right up, and I must say I would prefer to be in Moscow (and beyond) in May than in March. However, there is quite a spell of time between now and then, and work to be done.
I got overwhelmed in the work department today. Four new files followed quickly by two small rush jobs to stick in front of the first four. I can't say that I've really felt any strain today, but I don't feel as if I've put in a full day's work, either, and what's more, I don't feel like working tonight.
(My, I can snivel with the best of 'em, no?)
Commercials do, kind of. Has anyone else been mesmerized by the earnest bumpkin shilling something called CortiSlim (which, he says, isn't for "casual" dieters trying to lose a mere 10-15 pounds). He goes on to sing the praises of his colleague, who apparently developed the formula and who must be even more inept in front of the camera (or whose pride is a limiting factor), by citing his buddy's published research in such bastions of rigorous scientific thought as Ladies Home Journal, Psychology Today, and Redbook. Criminy, I figure the only way they might be able to say they publish peer-reviewed stuff is if they run it by Sarah Ferguson first.
I tell you, Crichton was right: you start with something innocuous like UFOs, and the next thing you know, they're hawking nuclear winter, global warming, and stuff like CortiSlim on every available street corner, all under the name of science.
Cheers...
no subject
When are you in Moscow in May? I'll be in Kiev in early May for work, but we're thinking about dropping in on Chris' clients in Moscow on the way there / back. This depends on timing, cost of the additional fare, whether the clients are going to foot the bill for a hotel, the extra air fare, etc.
Also, what's your route to Moscow from the US? Any chance of hooking in via Zurich or Geneva? Just an idea.
Re:
Thanks for the kind thoughts.
When in May? I have been told, "orientirovochno" and all, around the 10th for transit outbound to Baikonur... maybe earlier.
Yeah, the idea occurs to me as well. Back when I herded tourists and flew Aeroflot, I was actually able to get the sourpusses in Moscow to rewrite my return tickets to include, say, 10 days in Paris or something equally vile. Nowadays, having a flight stop in, say, Brussels means having to get off the plane while they refuel the sucker, with the minions of the Powers That Be exerting care to make sure you spend your spare moments in safe activities, such as spending dinero in the duty free.
Let's see how this develops.
Cheers...
Re:
If, however, your own ticket could run to something more than a trip to the toilets in Brussels (not a fond memory but better than Aeroflot ones...) then great. We'll be in Kiev as of 11 May, back on 15, probably, so by the time your're back from Baikonur (which sounds like the title of a travel story-to-be) we shall be in residence. Can't you 'sell' it to the Powers That Be as French practice that is well worth adding a slight detour? I hereby promise faithfully to throw you among our French-speaking friends to add truth to the matter.
I remember Aeroflot in the 70s with those horrible wooden trays upon which the food slid around merrily. And the *smell* of the planes. I know the trays have changed, but not sure about the smell...
And yes, nothing more vile than having your arm twisted to stay in Paris. My sympathies *g*. Mind, I prefer Lyon myself as it has most of the nice things but the Lyonnais are slightly more hospitable than their snooty counterparts in the City of Light.