Link Hostage

Blogrolling is holding my blogroll hostage as I can't seem to access it to change it. Frustration.

Yawn

I'm not sleeping. I'm not sure if that's due to stress over not finding a job or simply because being unemployed leaves you with time to catch up on sleep. I'm all caught up.

Unemployment, Take II

It's different this time around. I've got more experience and more bullets to put on my resume.

So, in addition to sending said resume to pretty much every friend and family member I have, I've been thinking about doing some freelance writing and editing. However, I'm having a tough time deciding what to put on business cards. I want to make sure that the brand I create for myself is a good representation of my talents and of what I have to offer a potential employer. How do I want to position myself? As a writer? A marketing professional? I don't want to narrow my chances because someone only sees me as a Copywriter or a Media Planner.

UFOs over Rockland

Why would my local paper want to waste whatever local talent they have left on special reports like this one?

That's what you marched for

... is what I said to my mom and her friend as they hugged when Barack Obama was announced as this country's newly elected president.

It was an emotional night for many of the people around me, as seen in the video above.



Not long after the historic announcement, we were asked to join hands and Reverend X (I don't remember his name) was going to say a prayer. I happened to be standing next to a big deal county politico, and as we joined hands I said to him "I'm Jewish and may need some guidance in this." He looked at me and said "that makes two of us." So we kind of stood there awkwardly, yet respectfully, as the minister thanked the Holy Father for Obama's victory. Then there was a champagne toast.

NY, NY

Life back here in NY is kind of surreal. So many things about my hometown are the same (thee's stil a McDonald's and a CVS and the movie theater), but so many things are new and seem out of place to my psyche. I still can't get used to the (newish) Walmart. And all those housing developments that've sprung up from grass and trees and vacant lots.

I can't help but dwell a little about the difference between life here and life in New England. I can't lie - the bagels, Chinese food, and pizza are better here. I kind of miss the walkability that you find around Boston and I dislike having to drive everywhere here in Rockland. Sure, I could try to walk to the CVS here in town, but I'd probably get run down trying to cross Route 59. I miss the racial/ethnic diversity of JP. Here in my hometown it's pretty homogenus.

It's a good thing I'm moving soon...

...because violent crime is seems to be occurring closer and closer to my house.

J. and I drove by on Forest Hills Street around 4:45pm on Saturday and wondered why there were so many cops and a medium-sized crowd of people gathered on the corner of Rossmore and Forest Hills streets. Not to mention the two or three police cars that were parked in the immediate area. I commented that the films crews I've seen in the area (mainly at Doyle's) did not seem to require nearly as many police officers. Then we spotted the yellow tape - definitely not a film crew.

MA unemployment dept. is illogical

Because they take your call based on your social security number, not what order you are in the queue of callers.

The joys of unemployment (sort of)

Yes, my blog will again deal with the topic of unemployment. (And the little things that make me feel better about my situation.)

Anyway...

Now that I no longer have a job, I no longer have a commute. No more commuting means that I won't be as bothered by the movie being filmed on Centre Street in West Roxbury.











One of the catering trucks I passed was imported all the way from Sylmar, California. (At least that's what the side of the truck said.) Seems kind of silly to bring a basic catering truck across the country. Unless it's a prop.

Anyone know what EOD stands for?

Who dislikes the Dali Lama? (Besides the Chinese government)

Somebody who rides the Red Line.

Burglary in the 'burbs

Someone (or maybe several someones) broke into my workplace last night. Ironically, they chose to enter through the window which leads to an office with a door that is locked from the outside (well, really it's the hallway to be technical). Which basically left the master criminal(s) trapped in that particular room. (Which is probably for the better.)


A quick inventory of items that were taken:

• a framed photo of all the female employees taken at our holiday party two years ago
  
• a Rolodex
  
• a large poster of a Norwegian fjord
• a small poster of a castle
• a coffee cup full of pens
  
• a bottle of hand lotion

Items in plain sight that were not taken:

• an iMac
• a slightly older G4
• a printer
• a postage machine (it weighs mail and looks something like this)

From what I understand, the police said that they couldn't get any info from the fingerprints on the outside of the window. I'm no CSI, but even I saw a few partial prints. But I guess they're the professionals...

The smaller poster was later recovered on the other side of the parking lot. Late this afternoon someone from the company upstairs found the framed photo out back behind the building.

Canadian consulate adventure

I should preface this post with the fact that I am a big fan of Canada. I can't exactly pinpoint the origin of my warm feelings for the Great White North... maybe it has something to do with my love of hockey, or fondness for ice wine.

Anyway, I got invited to an election night party at the Canadian Consulate in Boston by a friend who hails from British Columbia. We passed time waiting for the polls (at least those in eastern Canada) to close by enjoying some fine Canadian wine (no ice wine, sadly) and of course, beer (Molson is actually popular with Canadians). Then, like good citizens of any first world country, we gathered around a big screen TV to watch the election results come in.

It was interesting to have a sort of insider's p.o.v. as to how another county's government is formed. I also learned that I can pass for a Canadian. (As long as I stayed sort of quiet and pretended to get jokes about Corner Gas, The Friendly Giant, and the NDP.) It felt kind of odd having to repeat "I'm from the U.S. and I'm a tad confused by your minority parliamentary government. Can you please explain again how your electoral system differs from mine?" But everyone was very polite about my lack of understanding. After all, they're Canadian.

Sad Truck gone wild

Sad Car, meet Sad Truck
(which, incidentally, is located next door to my second favorite dilapidated car).

Sad Truck reminds of those ships that are sunk to make artificial reefs.

Who're you calling a giant inflatable rat?

Newton Roofing, apparently.

As seen on Providence Highway in Dedham this morning.

The Hummus Wars are heating up

"Lebanese businessmen are making a legal claim that would designate hummus as traditional to Lebanon. That would make it easier for them to sue to prevent companies in Israel and other nations from marketing the popular chickpea-and-olive-oil spread as their own."

read more | digg story

Atrium Mall gets Proactiv

Proactiv vending machine at the Atrium Mall

Would you like some advertising with that gas?

In addition to (relatively) reasonable prices, Ames Street Sunoco in Dedham now brings you PumpTop TV. So much advertising, so little time.

Sunday on the square, with balloons

I caught a glimpse of balloons at Copley Square on Sunday. I think there was some sort of charity walk going on. This was about as close as I got.

Plane to see

Planes fly really low over my house sometimes. Close enough to see the underbelly. If it was daytime I imagine I'd be able to tell you what airline it was that just buzzed the place. And they seem to fly really close to each other on takeoff/landing approaches.

While I was on the porch watching the jets zoom overhead, I noticed a police officer walking through my parking lot. Then he noticed me noticing him and waved. I guess that's what community policing is all about.

Bootie Lifter livens up the workplace

Bootie Lifter car
Originally uploaded by LoveLyss

This car appeared in the parking lot at work today, lifting our spirits, if not our booties.