My back-door neighbors burned their garbage again. I wouldn't have thought twice of it if it weren't for the fact that the smoke spread all over the neighborhood, particularly my street. And from the smell you could tell they were burning plastic as well as wood.
I had enough. In an act of machiso (can be exchanged with stupidity) I climbed the roof of the back-office and saw a kid burning garbage. The blue and green flames confirmed that he was burning plastic. I climbed down, got the hose, climbed back up and tired to douse the "bonfire."
At first I couldn't see what I was doing and just made sure the water went over the wall. A few minutes later I looked over and saw that the kid covered the fire with a G.I. sheet. Really ticked me off. I tried to aim for the fire but in the end there was just too much smoke. At least the grown-ups didn't get a look at my face. Still, they won this round, for now.
Oct 29, 2001
A Tale of One Dead Rat:
Three nights ago the I heard a noise from the bodega. The rat has returned, leaving rat turd in his wake. Last chance, I thought. I got the can of flypaper glue and applied it on the floor of the bodega near the door and by the rat hole the rat chewed through.
Two nights around 1:30 AM I checked out my trap. Sure enough I caught the bastard (okay, it looked smaller but still kitten size, and with all the behavior I've observed I'm hoping it's the same rat that's been tormenting me all this time). When it saw me it SQUEALED like nothing I've ever heard before. Even Pa heard it from the 3rd floor. I got a hammer and whacked it 'til it shut up. The end.
Three nights ago the I heard a noise from the bodega. The rat has returned, leaving rat turd in his wake. Last chance, I thought. I got the can of flypaper glue and applied it on the floor of the bodega near the door and by the rat hole the rat chewed through.
Two nights around 1:30 AM I checked out my trap. Sure enough I caught the bastard (okay, it looked smaller but still kitten size, and with all the behavior I've observed I'm hoping it's the same rat that's been tormenting me all this time). When it saw me it SQUEALED like nothing I've ever heard before. Even Pa heard it from the 3rd floor. I got a hammer and whacked it 'til it shut up. The end.
Sep 27, 2001
A Tale of One Flying Rat:
Two nights ago I noticed deposits of sticky residue by the carpet in front of the stairs. It resembled melted sugar or the pulp of those red berries we used to have in our garden . At first I thought someone dropped some fly paper and tried picking it up. Turns out to be worse. Seems a bat has been flying into the house and resting up the really-hard-to-reach ceiling of the second floor. My father and I must've startled it trying to get rid of it last night because while flying away it dropped a dung bomb and almost hit Dad. Ugh. (Well, at least we know it's on a high fruit diet.)
First a giant rat eating through the screen windows, now this.
Two nights ago I noticed deposits of sticky residue by the carpet in front of the stairs. It resembled melted sugar or the pulp of those red berries we used to have in our garden . At first I thought someone dropped some fly paper and tried picking it up. Turns out to be worse. Seems a bat has been flying into the house and resting up the really-hard-to-reach ceiling of the second floor. My father and I must've startled it trying to get rid of it last night because while flying away it dropped a dung bomb and almost hit Dad. Ugh. (Well, at least we know it's on a high fruit diet.)
First a giant rat eating through the screen windows, now this.
Sep 26, 2001
In the middle of lunchtime our CEO approaches my officemate Lala and asks, "Hi. Could you find out for me when the full moon is? The moon is waxing right now and I'd like to find out when it's full."
Now I know we're the research team, but come on.... If that doesn't make you raise an eyebrow or even chuckle I don't know what will.
Now I know we're the research team, but come on.... If that doesn't make you raise an eyebrow or even chuckle I don't know what will.
Sep 20, 2001
While things are starting to calm down in the States, here in the office it's s bit of a wreck, thanks to the Nimda virus (or worm, w/c-ever's more accurate). It invaded the PCs via email (origin still unknown), worked its way into the network of both the 19th and 26th floors and *#@$ed up my WinWord. Howard and Dan started initiating "patchwork" this afternoon but I'm still weary of bringing files home.
Speaking of which, my boss said our Touch Mobile clients also want weekend news upadates and offered to up my talent fee by 3Gs if I agreed to do it. I did. Seeing as how I hardly go out on weekends anyway I could use the extra cash.
Speaking of which, my boss said our Touch Mobile clients also want weekend news upadates and offered to up my talent fee by 3Gs if I agreed to do it. I did. Seeing as how I hardly go out on weekends anyway I could use the extra cash.
Sep 12, 2001
From ABCNEWS.COM:
Sept. 11 — In the worst terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil, hijackers crashed passenger planes into the World Trade Center in New York City, toppling the 110-story twin towers, killing all aboard the jets and an unknown number on the ground.
Another passenger plane was crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington, leaving a gaping gash in the nation's hub of military power, killing all on board the plane and more on the ground. Within the hour, a fourth airliner went down near Pittsburgh, killing everyone aboard.
There were no immediate details available on casualties, but thousands of people work in the affected buildings — 50,000 in the World Trade Center alone. Hundreds of people were in local hospitals. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said the casualties would be "more than we can bear."
I've never heard words like cowardly, barbaric and evil thrown around by the media as much as I did today. On the Warren Ellis Forum someone mentioned "Manhattan Barbeque" and was kicked out.
Could this be WWIII? So much for visting Chicago next month with Emark.
Sept. 11 — In the worst terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil, hijackers crashed passenger planes into the World Trade Center in New York City, toppling the 110-story twin towers, killing all aboard the jets and an unknown number on the ground.
Another passenger plane was crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington, leaving a gaping gash in the nation's hub of military power, killing all on board the plane and more on the ground. Within the hour, a fourth airliner went down near Pittsburgh, killing everyone aboard.
There were no immediate details available on casualties, but thousands of people work in the affected buildings — 50,000 in the World Trade Center alone. Hundreds of people were in local hospitals. New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said the casualties would be "more than we can bear."
I've never heard words like cowardly, barbaric and evil thrown around by the media as much as I did today. On the Warren Ellis Forum someone mentioned "Manhattan Barbeque" and was kicked out.
Could this be WWIII? So much for visting Chicago next month with Emark.
Sep 8, 2001
A Tale of One Slow Mouse:
While surfing online a mouse (usually it's a lizard) climbed up the wires sticking out of the air conditioner (you'd have to see it to understand why). While in between the wooden frame and the wall I managed to squish it, its tail and hind legs still sticking out. I assumed it was still alive with it twitching and all. Where's a pair of pliers when you need 'em? Tweezers at least.
Anyway after enough frame-to-wall presses the mouse was out. Managed to place it in a CD envelope and wrapped it in two sheets of paper and lots of scotch tape. Now I now what a mobster cleaner feels like. Sort of.
While surfing online a mouse (usually it's a lizard) climbed up the wires sticking out of the air conditioner (you'd have to see it to understand why). While in between the wooden frame and the wall I managed to squish it, its tail and hind legs still sticking out. I assumed it was still alive with it twitching and all. Where's a pair of pliers when you need 'em? Tweezers at least.
Anyway after enough frame-to-wall presses the mouse was out. Managed to place it in a CD envelope and wrapped it in two sheets of paper and lots of scotch tape. Now I now what a mobster cleaner feels like. Sort of.
Sep 5, 2001
A Tale of One Rat Bastard, Part 2:
Two days ago we caught a rat with the newly purchased Japanese brand flypaper. It wasn't the rat. Hell it was barely half its size, which was still bloody big. Now I know when to listen for scratching noises in the bodega.
This morning someone moved one of the three sheets of flypaper I set for "Big Brother" Rat. Must ask the maids later if that meant something was caught last night.
Two days ago we caught a rat with the newly purchased Japanese brand flypaper. It wasn't the rat. Hell it was barely half its size, which was still bloody big. Now I know when to listen for scratching noises in the bodega.
This morning someone moved one of the three sheets of flypaper I set for "Big Brother" Rat. Must ask the maids later if that meant something was caught last night.
Aug 30, 2001
Office Spaced
They're telling me I can't take as much naps as I used to at work anymore. They are so killing whatever "fun" time I'm having in this office.
Used to be I'd catch some zzz's in the recording booth. When it got too stuffy I opted for the Operations' workplace (when they gave me a spot). "Not a good image to project," says the boss, sleeping out in the open. Okay, maybe inside the "walled" cubicles, out of sight. Used to be okay until today when they reminded me I'm up for regular employee and other employees might take offense to my work habits.
Okay, on the surface it's not exactly a good example of a model employee. If they ever hired an efficiency expert I'd probably be booted out. But what they'd fail to take into context (at least if I don't defend myself well) is the abundance of idle time. When I think about it my morning shift is made to work to give me as much nap time as possible by recording stuff early. And in a bit of a cheap shot, why they think napping employees gives a poorer image of the workplace here (such as it is) as opposed to bosses that make fun of you everyday and other employees that smoke a lot is beyond me.
Sometimes I wonder if the general enthusiasm I had when I first started working here has dimished. Stupid question. Of course it has. The question now is what am I gonna do about it: ride it out, or get out?
Used to be I'd catch some zzz's in the recording booth. When it got too stuffy I opted for the Operations' workplace (when they gave me a spot). "Not a good image to project," says the boss, sleeping out in the open. Okay, maybe inside the "walled" cubicles, out of sight. Used to be okay until today when they reminded me I'm up for regular employee and other employees might take offense to my work habits.
Okay, on the surface it's not exactly a good example of a model employee. If they ever hired an efficiency expert I'd probably be booted out. But what they'd fail to take into context (at least if I don't defend myself well) is the abundance of idle time. When I think about it my morning shift is made to work to give me as much nap time as possible by recording stuff early. And in a bit of a cheap shot, why they think napping employees gives a poorer image of the workplace here (such as it is) as opposed to bosses that make fun of you everyday and other employees that smoke a lot is beyond me.
Sometimes I wonder if the general enthusiasm I had when I first started working here has dimished. Stupid question. Of course it has. The question now is what am I gonna do about it: ride it out, or get out?
Aug 29, 2001
A Tale of One Bad Rat (Bastard):
The enormous creature had been skittering around the house for a couple of days now. It’s hard not to notice a rat the size of a Battle Cat action figure. Now I know why the corner of the bodega door was chewed away to a nice rat hole-size.
Two nights ago my dad and I managed to trap it in the kitchen inside the old unusable gas stove. Flypaper wasn’t working, and it seemed to detest the rat poison (Who wouldn’t?). Dad decides to Raid the stove, hoping to suffocate it.
Apparently it didn’t work as last night I still heard scratching inside the stove. At least I knew it couldn’t escape easily. I proceeded to sprinkle more rat poison around the stove (thank God we don’t have inner house pets), placed fly paper in front of it, then stuffed a roll of newspaper into the hole of the bodega door.
A couple of hours later I peeked into the kitchen with my flashlight. The creature skittered back from bodega into the stove. My roll of newspaper was shredded to the point where it almost chewed all the way through. Sneaky (as well as filthy) rat bastard.
I reinforced the hole with more newspaper, but not before placing flypaper inside and out the bodega door. That way if it tried to chew through the paper it might get caught, and it the first one doesn’t stick the second sheet might.
I woke up at 2:30 in the morning to check the trap. No new shreds of paper, but the kitchen showed signs of “panic,” as plastic jars and my box of cereal were knocked over. (I half-panicked thinking it raided the Cocoa Puffs.) Must still be inside the stove when it found out it couldn’t escape, clever ‘ol me thought.
I hate being wrong.
Come breakfast time I saw a rat hole-sized hole (about the same size as the rat-hole-sized hole on the bodega door) on the newly repaired kitchen screen window. Idiot that I was I didn’t close the glasswindows, despite the fact that’s the first thing I did two nights ago.
Yes, it had escaped, leaving poison untouched, flypaper unused (save for the smattering of newsprint all over it like feather on tar), and newly repaired kitchen screen window holed. What a piss-off.
The enormous creature had been skittering around the house for a couple of days now. It’s hard not to notice a rat the size of a Battle Cat action figure. Now I know why the corner of the bodega door was chewed away to a nice rat hole-size.
Two nights ago my dad and I managed to trap it in the kitchen inside the old unusable gas stove. Flypaper wasn’t working, and it seemed to detest the rat poison (Who wouldn’t?). Dad decides to Raid the stove, hoping to suffocate it.
Apparently it didn’t work as last night I still heard scratching inside the stove. At least I knew it couldn’t escape easily. I proceeded to sprinkle more rat poison around the stove (thank God we don’t have inner house pets), placed fly paper in front of it, then stuffed a roll of newspaper into the hole of the bodega door.
A couple of hours later I peeked into the kitchen with my flashlight. The creature skittered back from bodega into the stove. My roll of newspaper was shredded to the point where it almost chewed all the way through. Sneaky (as well as filthy) rat bastard.
I reinforced the hole with more newspaper, but not before placing flypaper inside and out the bodega door. That way if it tried to chew through the paper it might get caught, and it the first one doesn’t stick the second sheet might.
I woke up at 2:30 in the morning to check the trap. No new shreds of paper, but the kitchen showed signs of “panic,” as plastic jars and my box of cereal were knocked over. (I half-panicked thinking it raided the Cocoa Puffs.) Must still be inside the stove when it found out it couldn’t escape, clever ‘ol me thought.
I hate being wrong.
Come breakfast time I saw a rat hole-sized hole (about the same size as the rat-hole-sized hole on the bodega door) on the newly repaired kitchen screen window. Idiot that I was I didn’t close the glasswindows, despite the fact that’s the first thing I did two nights ago.
Yes, it had escaped, leaving poison untouched, flypaper unused (save for the smattering of newsprint all over it like feather on tar), and newly repaired kitchen screen window holed. What a piss-off.