you are what you eat

A sushi-eye view, life on a revolving sushi bar belt –

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c35_1178938654&p=1

Plungers

I am just posting this link because after first reading this article when it was posted in November of 2006, I’ve found myself searching for it multiple times in order to just reread it, or to pass the link to somebody else.

Yes, it usually comes up again due to a bus crash.

The Rise and Fall of the “Bus Plunge” Story

I like the overview of a piece of journalism history.

Defenestration

WTF is with “service windows”? I provide customer service for people. I do admit to allowing myself some slop. Los Angeles traffic being what it is, I tell usually tell them a half hour window during which they can expect me to arrive. If I am traveling from another client’s location, which could make me even less precise (because everything always takes longer than it should), I tell them ahead of time that I might need to be flexible, and I keep them informed. If they’d rather have a more concrete appointment I offer them one later in the week.

However it is common for all manner of companies to expect me to wait around for 4 (or sometimes even more) hour windows so that they can annoy me and charge me money. It is rare for them to have any process to contact me and narrow it down further or keep me informed. I am just supposed to wait, and hope they don’t suck too much when they show up.

Today I am waiting for somebody. The window was 8 AM – Noon. It is almost 1 PM. They have not arrived. They have not called.

They have a FOUR HOUR time window, and they can’t fucking manage to hit it.

EDIT: A little after 3 PM they called to say they could not make it today, and will come tomorrow morning.

Road Rules

I am greedy. I want what is mine. Quite honestly, I want more than what is mine. I want.

One of the things I want is zero traffic on the road with me. I want the way to be clear from where I am, to where I want to be. I do not want traffic jams, or cross traffic, or any sort of light or sign that is not in my favor. I want nothing at all to slow me down between here and there. I want that. I admit it.

Not only that, but I do pay my taxes, and I pay quite a lot. I also follow traffic laws. I vote too. On occasion even have a flash of feeling entitlement where traffic things are concerned.

However, when it comes right down to it, I know that this want is not something I can reasonable expect to have fulfilled. I completely understand that I need to share these public streets with the rest of the public. As such I do not cut people off, cause gridlock, go out of turn at intersections or lay upon my horn just because I am in a pissy mood. I get that it is a requirement that I SHARE.

What I am not nearly so understanding about sharing, is the bit of space on the road that I believe is mine for the using. The part that at any given time my vehicle is momentarily and predictably occupying. On most roads they have designated lanes. These are typically marked by painted lines, usually either white or yellow and some even have little bumpy reminders in case the paint wasn’t enough.

Main Entry: 1lane
Pronunciation: ‘lAn
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English lanu; akin to Middle Dutch lane lane
1 : a narrow passageway between fences or hedges
2 : a relatively narrow way or track: as a : an ocean route used by or prescribed for ships b : a strip of roadway for a single line of vehicles

A strip of roadway for a SINGLE line of vehicles.

I consider the space that my car takes up, as well as small but important section of space in front of, and behind my car to be MINE while I am in it. MINE MINE MINE. Stay the fuck out of my space. Your inability to maintain lane control should not be my fucking problem. If you cannot drive a car as wide as you are driving, get a different car. If you are scared of the barrier wall and tend to shy away from it, plan ahead and don’t use that lane. If you cannot steer and talk on the phone at the same time, get off the damn phone. Get off the damn phone anyway. If you just can’t drive properly, stop doing it. I really do not care what it is that is causing you to drift into my lane. Stop it. Stop it, or someday it is really going to piss me off, and that is not going to go well.

Thanks.