JBot Mania

Last night I started my first class in the Automotive Technician program at NVCC. I was expecting a high level of skeaze, but surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad. We shall see what happens as the semester progresses and people become more relaxed.

I think the most entertaining thing I found when I got there was the Ladies’ room. It does, in fact, have a “Ladies” sign, but upon enterring and seeing the seat up, it was clear that what they meant to say was “Men’s Room #2″. But again, at least they have one.

I am, most likely, the oldest person in the class. This should be somewhat trying once people start actually speaking and I get to hear about which high school they graduated from after say, 10 years, and what speed they went in their mom’s minivan the weekend before. Really, truly, I don’t like people and this will certainly be an issue as we start working in groups. I can guarantee that whichever person I hate on sight, without real justification, will be in my group. That’s pretty much how my life works. Who knows? Maybe we’ll bond and share life stories, or some kind of automotive trading cards over Mountain Dew. It could happen.

The class should be good, though. It will teach me all of things that I should already know when working in a shop. Soon, I won’t have to ask my shop buddy how to set a car on a lift for the millionth time, or how to use the whatchamacallit. It will be good.

In total, I think I will only be required to take 11 classes to get a certificate since my previous college experience should be more than enough for anything non-automotive. Here is a link to a handy little PDF of the course catalogue.

The Automotive Technician Program

On a related note:

I have always thought that it was a bit of false advertising to always have pretty people on the pages of college web sites. I’m not exactly sure what they are “advertising” per se, but, well, it’s false. I don’t really expect to become beautiful by going to an institution, but it is fairly common to view more attractive people as more successful. Keeping this in mind, I suppose I might think that I will be surrounded by successful people at a college where everyone looks so SUPER symmetrical, i.e. ‘attractive’.

Well, I thought NVCC was playing the same game, until the little beaute below popped up in their rotating homepage images.

I think we are all pretty resigned that I am a horrible person, so let’s not even discuss that. But, damn! I’m not sure what the first words were that came to mind when I saw this, but… it wasn’t good. Something like, “A fetus with hair?”

The graphic is also named “hot_box_welcome”… Frankly, neither the words “hot”, “box”, nor “welcome” come to mind when I look at this person.

Eeugh… anyway, I guess we can give NVCC some credit for being so, umm, open-minded?

So, as the saga of my foray into another pussy…cat continues, I have decided to focus my attention on ‘Knuckles’ and post some of the updates I have been given as he continues to get treatment at the vet.

So far:

8/14/2006
“I just got back from visiting him at the vet. He looks sick, from what I can see he has a bad upper respiratory infection. Also his eyes looked red and sore. This is often associated with URI. I asked them to prescribe some eye ointment for him and I put it in. I asked the vet tech to make sure the vet looks at him in the morning and to check him for ear mites and other things. I will call them tomorrow too to try to make sure he is attended to. I petted him which he liked and noticed he is covered with scabs - probably fight wounds. On the positive side he is eating very well and I gave him a can of Fancy Feast and he was busy gobbling it when I left.”

8/16/2006
“I honestly don’t know what to say. Yesterday another of our cat volunteers went to see Buckie and she wrote me to say that Buckie was going on IV antibiotics because of breathing problems. Given that I thought Buckie should stay at the vet clinic until he was better. Well, today I called about 5:00 pm and found out that he was not getting IV antibiotics. _)()(&(*^&$%$%$%^ I don’t know what to think. The vet was not in and is on vacation until Monday )(*(*&&%^%%^ . I asked if he could get injectible antibiotics because the vet techs can’t start an IV. I will push for this (injectibles) tomorrow. Injectibles work faster than pills… I will go see Buckie tomorrow morning and make sure something is being done. ”

8/21/2006
“Ruth saw Buckie twice today - each time he ate a whole can of Fancy Feast. She brought 18 cans plus some other food (Sheba). She said he looked a lot better, but thought his ears still needed work and I will check on them tomorrow and make sure they are getting what they need.”

YESTERDAY
“I visited Buckie today at about 3:00. He got up and meowed when he saw me. I’d like to think he finds me special, but I think he knows a food delivery service when he sees it. I cleaned his cage, his litter box, and his bedding and gave him fresh water, dry food and another can of Fancy Feast. The director of the shelter also stopped by this am to give him Fancy Feast. Alyssa said she has seen him eat an entire LARGE can of cat food. I know the vet techs clean his cage at least daily, but he’s pretty active in there and makes a mess as fast as he can. He seemed like he was doing very well. He still is getting meds, and his fur is a mess from all the scratching at his head and elsewhere trying to make the earmites and fleas stop biting him. I think he is a cat who has lived most of his life in total misery … starving and being eaten alive by fleas and ear mites. Besides that he had to fight off other cats and sadly picked up FIV. He has a lot of personality, he’s just a doll.”

Well, the time has come to call off the search for my darling Muffin Face. I have failed as keeper of a Kitsky. It was short but sweet and now, she is free to run with the Clover Street Pathers, where I am sure she will be Queen within the year.

I am trying to redeem myself by taking in a Kitsky from the street. My JBot math says that if I lose a spayed cat and take in a cat who is then neutered–in the grand scheme of things, I have balanced out the universe of stray cats. It works for me.

I have now moved on to providing updates on ‘Knuckles’–the most likely next Kitsky. As far as the naming process goes, I am partial to ‘Knuckles’, but I’d also like to keep the Muffin Face tradition going. Moreover, I watched Seabiscuit last night, during which I mentioned the strong parallel between Knuckles and the horse. It’s a tough call.

Feel free to comment with suggestions.

I’m a big fan of the Pop-In™. If you’re a guy and you’re debating, rest assured, it’s always a good decision. Sora did the Pop-In™ just a moment ago and I am VERY happy. It’s like getting a cookie.

The question did come up as to whether the reverse Pop-In™ is acceptable. Can women pop-in? I think that’s a tough call. After all, the roles are reversed and boys, well, boys aren’t always the same at work as they are at home.

I’d say, if you’re a woman and you’re feeling out the pop-in situation, go there, but with some kind of reasonable excuse. Like, you were looking for some place in the area and couldn’t find it, or… hmm… something. But you get the idea.

If you get the cold shoulder, you can leave at any time because well, you were, in fact, on your way to something else. Then go to your local purveyor of coffee and plan his demise over a nice latte.

**WARNING: Completely biased, cheap shot to follow. And no, I don’t want to hear about it.**

So, I was listening to the radio this morning and I heard an ad for a local Catholic college.  It advertised a ‘catholic intellectual tradition’. Oxymoron anyone?

I love it.

Framed A4 papercut

This quote makes me giggle…

“Fans should get to vote on entrance music for their closers. If Detroit fans want to saddle Todd Jones with Tom Petty’s “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” or Nirvana’s “Rape Me,” that’s their choice.”

–an IM profile. I have no idea of the actual source.

crew or motley fools, or both.

(Left to right- Dave, Barb, Sean Connery, Judy, Gordon, Ron, and Minnie)

Meet Washboard Eco Laundry of Portland, Maine.

“We have attempted to create a new model for the coin-laundry industry by designing our business around the goal of minimizing the environmental impact of cleaning clothes. We accomplish this goal in several ways: we use a solar system to generate the majority of our hot water; we have the most energy-efficient washers on the commercial market (all front-loaders); we have a comprehensive recycling program; we only sell detergents from bulk containers to reduce packaging waste; and we sell several natural, non-petroleum-based detergents and fabric softener and only offer a non-chlorine bleach alternative, called sodium percarbonate. In partnership with another local cleaner, we offer wet cleaning, which is a water-based alternative to chemical dry cleaning. Our building was remodeled using many local and low-impact materials and includes lots of windows for natural lighting, a radiant floor-heating system, four times the typical insulation found in commercial buildings, and a high-efficiency lighting system.”

The full interview from Grist can be found here:

Here are some excerpts from a pretty good article from Grist Magazine (slowly becoming my 2nd most used resource next to CNN) on some of the positive outcomes of Castro’s regime.

“Cuba is the only country in the world to have converted to organic agriculture in less than 10 years.”

“Castro knows how to make lemonade. After the collapse, when the Soviets were unable to supply fuel and the giant autopista (think: autobahn) running the length of the country lay empty because no one had access to gas, he bought 1.2 million bicycles from China and manufactured 500,000 more, distributing them to the people. Most didn’t know how to ride, and accidents were common. But the government gave classes, and people got the hang of it…”

“The government also passed a law dictating that government vehicles must pick up as many hitchhikers as they can fit.”

And, of course, one of my favorites…

“Cuba’s system has obvious flaws, but many charges against Castro — suppression of dissent, torture of enemies, backroom dealings with nefarious world players — can be made against certain other leaders as well… With some members of the Bush administration champing at the bit to widen their democracy experiment to Cuba, let’s remember how audacious it is to assume that there is only one true way.”

The full story can be read here.