what's the worst thing that could happen?

So, what *is* the worst thing that could happen right now?

The economy is already looking bruised, and the Fed is doing the same thing it did in 2001, cutting interest rates until they can cut no more. Of course, back then, two things happened - real estate prices skyrocketed, making it difficult for working class people to find shelter, and the value of the dollar plummeted, cutting real earnings of the same working class people, and putting our economy on the artificial life support system of foreign investment.

For political reasons, everything is done to prevent the big scary recession. It doesn't matter that we'll tack a couple more zeros onto the national debt - future generations will worry about that. But you know what? If nobody can afford housing, then home prices should fall (and I speak as a homeowner now). If businesses can't compete, we shouldn't prop them up. If we're consuming too much and producing too little, well, maybe it's time to tighten our belts.

No, the worst thing that could happen right now is simple. If bin Laden is captured, the country will forget all the crap that its been dragged through for the past seven years. It will forget all about Katrina, Kyoto, Rumsfeld, Guantanamo, and even Craig. In one magic moment, neocons will be validated - and we'll be looking at four more years of this sh#t, and maybe many more. Hell, if Osama goes down, we'll be so happy we'll bring prayer back into schools, overturn Roe v. Wade, and ship all immigrants to Cuba!

So the ol' bastard needs to hold on just a little while longer. 355 days, that's all we ask.

After that, it's open season!

patriot nation

In the days preceding what could be the awesomest Super Bowl ever, what do you think the Boston media is discussing: team's preparations? The threat that the Giants pose? Brady's phantom injury, perhaps?

Nope.

We're talking about planning the victory parade. Boston mayor is finalizing the last details on the usual affair, duck boat parade through the heart of the city. When I say "usual", I mean that it's been done before. By the Patriots. A couple of times. And by the Red Sox, too. Boston rules.

But that's beside the point. There's a minor wrinkle in Mayor Menino's plan - it's being scheduled for the same day as the presidential primary.

Going to the Pats parade, or choosing the next leader of the free world? Hmmm. I wouldn't even call it a dilemma, 'cause I know what 99% of New Englanders will do.

busy-busy

So busy at work that I didn't even have time to check my gmail account. On top of that, my bathroom is still in ruins (but I installed a new double sink, yay!). The idea to free up extra time by sleeping less didn't work out all that well, as I nearly nodded off during a two-hour meeting this afternoon... Uh. I need a vacation.

kitchen shower: an added bonus

So here I am, just took a shower, minding my own business while walking downstairs. Suddenly, I hear running water. Strange, I wonder, did I not shut off the kitchen faucet?

I round the corner, and my brain takes a few moments to process what I'm seeing. Water is flowing from the light fixture in the middle of the kitchen ceiling - no, not dripping, we're talking waterfall action here. If my life was a comic strip (which I sometimes suspect it is), you would see multiple "WTF?" clouds popping up over my head. I race downstairs to shut off the water and turn off the power to the light fixture, then go at the pool of water in my kitchen with a mop. With the damage contain, I start pondering over where the water could be coming from - could be the heating system, the drains, or the water supply lines. The possibilities are endless and very exciting, mostly because pipes have a bad habit of hiding behind walls and floors...

My dad came over, and we tried to figure out the source of the leak through the process of deduction, turning on and off multiple faucets with mixed results. Finally, since I was about to start renovating the bathroom, we decided to rip sh#t up, and that's exactly what we did:

After a few hours of removing underlayment, shower surround, and skin from fingers, we found that a crappy connection between two drain pipes corroded to the point of leaking. We should be able to fix it, but my bathroom is probably gonna look like prehistoric for a few days to come.

wiiiiiiiiii

My coworker from DC is visiting for a couple of days, so I broke out the Wii last nite that was officially Susan's Xmas gift (she told me I could open it, really!). Wii Tennis is fun as hell - Sean liked it so much that he stopped by today on his way to the airport. End result: both of us have thrown out our shoulders/elbows/wrists, but good times were had by all.

a precautionary tale

So I sent off an email this morning to my coworkers that may be worth repeating here:
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Executive summary:
- Hondas: great in the summer, not so great in the snow
- Despite popular belief, extra weight in the car does not make it easier to drive up the hill
- It does, however, make it easier to slide down one
- Stan is working from home

I thought I'd share my experience this morning for you, in case you decide to brave the elements. After talking to Sarah [my coworker] the other day, I became convinced that part of the reason my car was having so much trouble on a snowy hill during the last storm was because it was too light... so I loaded a couple of cinder blocks where the front seat once was (what a convenient place to put them!) and set on my way. My street is on a bit of a slope: I'm in the middle, the dead-end is about 50 yards downhill, and the main street is about 200 yards uphill.

When I tried pulling out onto the street, things did not go all that well. Instead of taking a right turn and going up, my car decided to slide sideways to the left. I struggled with it for a few minutes, then decided to try it without the cinderblocks - so I put the parking brake on, and went to the passenger side door.

Maybe my heft was holding it in place, or maybe my car wanted to go sledding, but it started moving downhill on its own. In a move I've picked up from bad comedy movies, I had to chase it down, open the door, and jump in - just in time for it to hit the snow bank at the bottom of the street.

Yay.

Luckily, a snow plow came in a few minutes, and stopped right next to my driveway after seeing a Honda imprinted in the snow bank below. The driver didn't want to risk hitting my car, 'cause she was sliding all over the road herself. She tried backing up, then turning around, but ended up being stuck in the middle of the road, after sliding a few yards in the direction of my car.

Yay x2.

A huuge sand truck came shortly and rescued the plow truck, but I was left to my own devices. It took me a good ten minutes to make it back to my driveway... so I guess the moral of the story is, stay warm and drive safe, but only if you have to!
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What I did not mention was that the plow truck driver was either really frustrated or had a really foul mouth - even though the truck was a good distance away, I distinctly heard some words that should not be repeated in print. Good times!

rodent update

So the squirrels are back. I heard the rascals doing their thing in the wall - thankfully, not in the area that I patched up, but in the place that I treated with moth balls. Where are the moth balls, you might ask? Well, the snow melted, and I found all of them on the driveway under the hole in the siding, some thrown about ten yards away. Sneaky bastards.

And the snow? Oh it's coming back: a foot is forecast for tomorrow. *Can't wait!*

new hampshire experience

Today I conducted my first experiment in direct involvement in the democratic process by volunteering for Obama's campaign in New Hampshire. Now, I'm under direct guidance not to blog about it, so I shan't - suffice to say, I now have new appreciation for the tireless volunteers who are working so hard to make this country a tad better.

I will, however, mention two things that became painfully obvious to me when I was in Manchester. One, the current election process is broken in a major way, and not just the electoral college piece of it. During the primaries, these forsaken little towns get saturated with campaign ads, phone calls, and well-meaning chaps like me knocking on doors - all because, by some twisted design, these town are responsible for selecting who America will vote for.

Which brings me to the next point. Boy am I glad to live where I live. I mean, hey, I'm no snob, but using trash bags for window drapes and not having a door on your apartment... wow.

And just to circle back to my original point - these people will decide on Tuesday who will have a chance to lead the United States.

go UX

US News and World Report mentioned usability/user experience design as one of the best careers. All right all right.

happy new year!

Ah what a great holiday! The only time when it's perfectly acceptable to get blindingly drunk and assault perfect strangers... Well, at least that's what it is in my book.

The New York trip was hectic as usual. I got to catch up with Miyuki (congratulations on your engagement!!), Lisa, and Jon. Sunny got a totally sweet, brand-new Mercedes, which we were able to take for a spin a couple of times. There was even some touristy stuff in store, with me taking a million pictures of a pool of 100 million pennies at the Rockefeller Center.

For the new year night, Matt bought out a private bar in Midtown. Now that was great-great-great, even if yours truly took a little bit of an advantage of the free drink situation. OK, maybe more than a "little bit", as you can judge by my level of eye droopiness in the pictures. Good times.

Happy 2008, everybody!