Oh the intransigence!

(or: How you get to be vice-president of a large corporation)

So I'm working on this project for my supervisor; I send him a little note, which ends up getting forwarded to not one, but two vice-presidents. I know what your thinking: "Michael, if that email was half as eloquent as this blog, you have nothing to worry about". And you're probably right...though one of the VPs uses very big words in his email (like the aforementioned intransigence--yes, I did have to look that one up).

At first I thought I would also learn so big words that others would have to look up...but then I decided it would be easier to create some of my own. And it looks like Snakes on a Bike (previously Snakewoman) gets my first entry with: "Rainbow". Hopefully, the context will make people realize I'm not talking about the splitting of white sunlight into it component colors by raindrops.

Entry for today:

paluka
1. (n) The act of aggravating somebody (usually unintentionally) through a careless act.
2. (v) To aggravate somebody (usually unintentionally) through a careless act.

Please post any suggestions for new words in the appropriate comment field. Thank you.

You know there is not much going on in the world when I start off a post with my brand new pair of shoes!!!!

How was I able to afford such a fancy pair of shoes, you ask. Turns out I am not going to be layed off. Instead, we're looking to hire 25 more pharmacists. Pharmacists in (or interested in being) in the Orange County, California area: Would you too like to be able to afford a new pair of shoes of your own? Are you interested in the easiest job in pharmacy? Well send me a resume, and maybe I'll buy you a pair of shoes with the referal bonus. Disclaimer: your coworkers may be moderately irritating.

2 Days in the Valley.

I guess I was downtown for part of the 2 days, but that does not sound as good. In fact, nobody would name a movie: "Part of 2 days in Downtown".

So I was in this wedding yesterday. Nothing better than getting to wear a tuxedo...it's like a bunch of tailors sat around and thought up the most uncomfortable set of garments they could possibly invent. I wish I were a waiter, so that I could wear tuxedos every day. I would have them made out of tweed, so that they would be extra itchy. Anyway, congratulations to my very good friends Dalia and Dan...it's about time.

So living here in the Bubble, we're about an hour away from Los Angeles (unless there's traffic..I hate LA). But I cannot tell you the last time I actually made that drive. Since we had this wedding to go to, we decided to do some touristy stuff: Here's Nico at the La Brea Tar Pits (if you're not a Spanish speaker, that translates to "the Tar Tar Pits").



They've been digging in pit 91 for 40 years, but have only made it 12 feet. They were uncovering a sabertooth skeleton while we watched.



Here's a sign that hung over the pit. Good stuff (Like: "We do not find dinosaurs at Rancho La Brea").



More touristy stuff: The historical Farmers' Market. We had freshly made ice cream, which was just mediocre...and of all things, here's a pharmacy (does anybody else think this looks like a Mexican pharmacy?)



That's about it on our trip to LA...oh, except we stayed at the Bonaventure. Those elevators freak me out.

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In work related news:

Things you can say to a co-worker on her birthday: "You don't look a day over 50."

Things you cannot say to a co-worker on her birthday: "I'd like to wish you at least 8 more happy birthdays."

Well I guess you can say it...but nobody else will think it's funny.

Usual complaints in the mail: Today's post lacked humor.

I guess I'll take that as compliment; I really didn't realize that the rest of the posts were funny...

Anyway: New Balance Mileage for the week so far: 16

For a photo essay on yesterday's run (9 miles), please click here and here.

I had an article I wanted to link to, but it's from the Pink Sheet Daily, and I doubt any of you have subscriptions. I would mirror it, or cut and paste the article, but the Pink Sheet's security is so advanced, that I cannot hack it. So, I'll type out a few excerpts for this post, which I have titled:

"Uptight America"

...The agency [FDA] sought to determine how Barr would ensure sales would be restricted to "only those pharmacies agreeing to...keep the OTC version of the drug behind the pharmacy counter and...dispense the drug only upon the production of a valid photo identification card establishing the age of the consumer," Acting Commissioner Andrew von Eschenback noted in the July 31 letter requesting the meeting.

Barr's proposed Convenient Access, Responsible Education (CARE) enforcement and education plan that would accompany OTC sale of the drug also would not allow stores without pharmacies, such as convenience stores or gas stations, to carry the OTC version of Plan B, FDA's letter indicates...

...The acting commissioner's letter requested information about Barr's "plan to routinely monitor these pharmacies to make sure they comply with the restricted distribution plan," and how the firm plans on enforcing the restrictions in any non-compliant pharmacies...

...Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) expressed concerns that FDA would be holding Barr "to an unusual standard...to police and enforce age restrictions on the sale of Plan B" during an Aug. 1 Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions committee hearing on von Eschenbach's nomination...

Please don't misunderstand me, I am all for this mythical "third class of drugs" that would be available without a prescription from your friendly neighborhood pharmacist (only). (Actually, I suppose this third class of drugs already exists...it's just kind of empty right now). But seriously, how many meetings are the FDA and congress going to be having about how to prevent minors from buying this drug? Why don't we let 7-11 sell the stuff? They already know how to card for cigarettes.

I guess I should have a Plan B link somewhere, in case anybody wants to read about Plan B. Interesting bit of (pre) Plan B trivia: the FDA was requesting that drug companies market a morning after pill (the technology has been around for 50 years, the morning after pill is just a high dose oral contraceptive) in the mid to late 90s (those crazy, freewheeling Clinton years), but nobody in the pharmaceutical industry wanted to touch the product for fear of alienating Middle America. A new company (Gynetics) was created, and quickly received FDA approval to sell Preven (4 high dose birth control pills and a pregnancy test, if memory serves). Gynetics and Preven are both gone...we'll see how this Plan B thing works out.

Just when I thought I had nothing to write about, somebody asks me what Nicole is doing today. The usual response goes something like: "It's Wednesday...She's either having an affair, or it's Rainbow night." I suppose the two are not mutually exclusive...but I digress. My response, of course, encourages the next question, "What's rainbow."

Unfortunately, I am not entirely sure. Whenever I ask, I am told something about "service"...like: "We're a service organization", or "We do service". Checking out the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls webiste, I see that service is indeed important to them; at least the font is bigger than public speaking, poise, leadership, or fun.

Here's a picture stolen from Tricia's website. I'm pretty sure Nicole has that exact dress, so maybe she's in there somewhere.



Here's a copy of my (email) conversation with the Snakewoman...this is usually about how the Rainbow conversation goes.

Me: So they wear these dresses, and walk around in circles…nicole plays the piano. When somebody gets some memorized speech wrong, Nicole pounds on a couple of keys loudly…it’s what’s the word, I’m looking for? Not quite surreal…unreal?

Snakewoman: Tea up the nose. Too funny! How long has she been a Rainbow Girl? What caused her to join this…club? This is just very strange to me. Fascinating really.

Me: I think her grandmother was a rainbow girl…Nicole was the grand musician for the state of California when she was in high school. I believe most rainbow girls grow out of it after high school (when they become too old to be rainbow girls). Now she’s a past grand musician for the state of California…for some reason, that’s “grandy” for short. As in, “I got my grandy to play at my reception”. Instead, I call her the grand wizard…or sometimes, the grand poobah. But usually, the grand wizard.

Snakewoman: Isn’t the Grand Wizard the big guy in the KKK? I’m sure she appreciates that. Does she have any retirement plans?

So this very morning I was debating with a co-worker about the importance of correctly pronouncing words in the English language. (I believe the argument started yesterday after she mispronounced cache). Actually, I should clarify, since I'm on the phone most of the day, conversations with coworkers tend to be entirely in email. So, here is a direct email quote (I only added the quotation marks/italics): "Doesn’t the populace make the words? I mean, the dictionary can say one thing, but if 74% of people say it the other way, I would say the dictionary is wrong. Words are tools, not rules." This statement angered me a little, probably because I am one of the few people in this country that knows how to correctly pronounce the words forte and mauve...now I can't say that I have ever had the occasion to use "mauve" in a sentence, but I usually mispronounce "forte" just so people won't wonder what the hell I'm talking about.

However, after a quick trip over to stokefire this afternoon, I realized I was on completely the wrong side of this issue. I don't know what craigslist is like over there, but here it's mostly a place to find casual encounters and cheap cleaning ladies...

Random thoughts on a Monday morning:

1) Snakes on a Plane. Anybody know what this movie is about?

2) Watched Eraserhead for the first time over the weekend. Weird even for a David Lynch movie? Definitely weird...

3) Dinner at the only Swiss restaurant in the OC on Friday. How Swiss was it? Our waiter had a French accent..but they did have Dole on the wine list. We did not risk it.

4) Total New Balance miles for last week: 14

Happy Tin Anniversary, Ms. Lasko. Your six pack of beer will be waiting for you at home.

In other news: Members of Parliament are reading my blog (or so says the gostats counter):
in.parliament.uk
194.60.38.10

Marathon training begins. The plans are currently calling for Long Beach and/or the Outer Banks. Thought maybe I would raise some money for a charitable organization this time around. Anybody have any good suggestions?

Some of you may remember my previous marathoning exploits: Marathon #1 and Marathon #2. (Quick aside, Nicole with sock puppets is right above the Marathon #2 entry).

I swore not to run another marathon until I could qualify for Boston. 3 hours, 10 minutes is never, never going to happen. So maybe I'll shoot for 3 and a half hours. That's a nice, lofty goal.

Anyway, I have not been running for over a month (what with the bicycling, and the vacationing, and the bicycle vacationing). So last night I thought I would start it up again by running to the post office (7 miles, round trip) and back with the Big Boss Man. Not only am I out of running shape...actually I guess that's it, I'm out of running shape. On the way back from the post office, with mail in one hand, and a Power Gel in the other, I tripped over my shoe laces. Normally, I suppose I would have put my hands down to break the fall; however, as my hands were full, I did this neat tuck and roll (and roll, and roll) move . I was hoping to have some disgusting photos of my knees or elbows, but I seem to have escaped unscathed.

Is there a moral to this story?
How about:
1) Practice running before you go running.
2) Make sure your shoelaces are tied.
3) Run on the sand, it's softer.

And id Nico can do it:
Odometer (8/9/06): 7 miles