Floodgater

Vince Micco was a Republican candidate for Congresss this past year. Somehow, my email address found its way onto his mailing list. Throughout the campaign season, I received emails asking me to volunteer in some way for his campaign. He was always considered a long-shot, so it’s not surprising he didn’t win.

What is suprising is the content of the email I received from Vince two days after the election, and continue to receive to this day. Here’s a sample:

I suppose the campaign had to end somewhere, but to turn your campaign list into a sales list is not exactly the best form for a political candidate. It gives me an idea of what type of congressman Vince would have made. A Democratic candidate from the previous election cycle kept the emails coming, but they were all of a political nature — mostly aimed at making this country a better place for all its citizens.

When Republicans lose, they crawl back into the exterminator- or used car- or whatever business they were in. When they win, they become advocates for that business, citizens (or bugs) be damned. Republicans are always for sale. I can only wonder what would have happened to Micco’s low-mortgage-rate business had he won, but I do know that he took the low road out of the campaign. Nobody opted-in to his silly mortgage mailing list. I’d continue to post his emails, but they’re all pretty much the same. Low rates in a low economy generated by his low friends should not be surprising. I’ll remember Vince and his friends when I think about the new low value of my home.

I came across this during lunchtime yesterday, or rather it was pointed out by my friends. A jewelry store had a sign that said, “Closed due to flu-like illness.” This got me wondering why they had to be so specific, and yet almost totally non-specific. Wouldn’t “Closed due to illness” suffice? If the desire was to be specific, shouldn’t there be more a little more information, such as the exact illness?

Perhaps the store owner wanted to tell people who were experiencing flu-like symptoms that they may have gotten it in the store. That opens up the whole liability can of worms, though. (Flu-like symptoms could be brought on by eating a can of worms, too, I suppose.) Maybe the owner wanted to blame the person who came into the store and passed along the illness.

Presumably the sign was posted on behalf of the owner, so it’s not an excuse one would give to his/her boss. The best explanation perhaps, is that the flu-like symptoms are SARS or the avian flu (bird-like flu?). Yes, stay away or you may yourself experience deadly flu-like symptoms! Unfortunately, I passed within several feet of the store. I hope I’m not sick.

We had a few people over today. Among them was my friend Kal. We were discussing my idea for a short film (maybe more on that later), and he pointed me to his site where he has two shorts & a music video: SeeKal.com. Until now, I thought of Kal as a web designer who also writes music.

I thought the films were pretty good (what do you think?), especially considering Kal recently attended film school as a hobby for a very short time. But then, I don’t know a lot of filmmakers, aside from our friend Daphne (who’s now a schoolteacher, and also worked as a plane dispatcher) and a very well-known writer/director I attended college with. I was so impressed with his work that I sent an email to the well-known writer/director. I’m sure everyone does that. I hope she doesn’t think I’m a jerk.

For the last few years, I’ve been obsessing about the time 12:34. This is because probably 50% of the time I check my watch or glance at any clock, the time displayed is 12:34. For various reasons having to do with when this started, I see 12:34 as a bad omen. I suppose another way to look at it would be just as a curiosity or amusement.

Typically something significant happens right before I see the 12:34. If I spend the night driving home, pull into the driveway and glance at the clock before turning the key to the off position, the time on the car’s clock is 12:34. I’ve gone to lunch numerous times when either the phone call to plan lunch ends at 12:34 (these usually do not end up being good lunches) or I get receipts from the lunch place that are stamped with 12:34. Last night I took an Ambien right before going to bed, and glanced at the microwave — 12:34.

So far nothing terrible (to me) has happened around 12:34, but that doesn’t dampen my sense of impending doom.

I suppose I should take a step back and look at this scientifically. How often does 12:34 appear in the set of times that I see on any clock during the day? That would help me determine whether I am taking special notice of this “special” time or whether it’s truly appearing with greater frequency. However, the Heisenberg uncertainly principle probably applies here. Trying to observe the results will most likely affect the outcome. How many times will I glance at my watch after telling myself “don’t glance at your watch”? How many times will I purposely try to look at the clock around 12:34?

There is something to be said about the internal clock we all have, which tends to be highly accurate. It’s possible I am purposely looking at the clock at 12:34, while not being aware of it on a conscious level.

I’d love to hear what others think. Does anyone else have a similar (near-) obsession? How do you reconcile it with what is likely (as it has been explained to us) reality? For now, I will try to attach a more positive association to 12:34. We’ll see how well that works.

Had dinner with Ron & Tamryn tonight. Wife & I chose the restaurant (one of our favorites, Polish & American cuisine). Interesting conversation, I did bring up the blog & what I wrote about them. It didn’t phase them. We told off-color jokes, talked about different places we could visit in the future (including strip, comedy & dance clubs)… She’s a chemist, and he works with alarm systems. Finally, some neighbors we can relate to!

I feel like Commander Adama in Galactica 1980 (the less-popular sequel to Battlestar Galactica). We have, at last, found Earth.

From the “My Menorah is bigger than your Christmas Tree” department…

Their Menorah is bigger than your Christmas Tree

This past weekend we had a holiday party at our home. One of the nice things about parties when you’ve just moved into the neighborhood (just over a year ago) is meeting the neighbors. One of our neighbors, Tamryn, called up the day before the party to confirm the time. Naturally, I assumed Tamryn is much older than me, like all our other neighbors.

Anyway, I was quite surprised when this young couple showed up at our party: Tamrynand Ron. They might be my age, maybe slightly younger. My wife, of course, had met Tamryn while walking our dog but failed to mention any distinguishing characteristics. Ron seems like a nice guy, and Tamryn is cute. I wouldn’t say I’m attracted to either one, per se, but it would be kinda cool to have friends around our age (who are much, much more normal than we are).

The weird part was when Tamryn and Ron were getting ready to leave. They had to go to another party, which was just fine. (I was already feeling lightheaded from entertaining & forgetting that the food was available to everyone in the house — including me.) We’d already exchanged phone numbers & made plans to see each other again. But then I said things like I don’t want to tie you up as a way of apologizing for keeping them. (I don’t mean to keep you might have been a better choice of words, but maybe not.) I also used the phrase put out as well as the obligatory I’m so glad you came. And finally, in order to identify their coats, I invited Tamryn up to the bedroom. I have no idea where all this came from, but had I purposely been trying to use NLP mind tricks to get someone into bed, this would have been the way to go (but probably not in front of Ron). It reminds me of the time my friend Sandra said she didn’t know how she would sleep with herself. Needless to say, I was as embarrassed as any character in a Woody Allen movie.

Ron and Tamryn, you seem like really nice people; I love my wife; I’m glad we’re neighbors and I hope we can all hang out despite my verbal faux pas. I think there’s a real possibility of friendship, as long as you don’t read this post. So if you’re starting to read this post from the last paragraph (as people often do), please skip the rest and move on to the next one.

One of the more unusual gifts I received this holiday season was a rechargeable cordless mouse from my mother’s fiance with the drug name Noxafil (posaconazole oral suspension) on it. In all fairness to the guy who gave it to me, he did say it was a freebie, and he did give me another gift that might have cost actual money (not that I expect or want gifts from anyone, but I suppose I don’t hate them either). Anyway, my feelings about Mom’s fiance are positive, but that’s not what this post is about.

So what is Noxafil? I haven’t the foggiest… but with the Internet at my fingertips, I can see that it’s an antifungal drug for use in those with compromised immune systems.  Oral suspension might explain why the mouse has the name suspended in a clear liquid (hopefully it’s really not the drug in there). I wonder where they came up with the name Noxafil, though. All it makes me think of is all those obnoxafil drug reps who push these medications on my doctors. No wonder why I’m always getting the latest untested medications. Free mice.

A cordless USB mouse is a pretty sweet freebie, though, and I wouldn’t mind being on a list to get more drug company-branded items.  I haven’t thought of how much stuff these companies give away since looking for a gift on EBay (a few years ago) for my friend Allegra. (She ended up with a framed set of the Allegra comic book series. I figured she was sick of hearing her name on TV in pharmaceutical ads every five seconds.)

In any case, I’m using the cordless mouse now as I’m writing this. I’ve been told not to expect it to last too long, but I’m sure it’ll be fun while it lasts. Thanks, big pharma!