A study by the U.S. Census report shows that people in Phoenix spend an average of 4.3 days a year driving to work.
No wonder I can't find time to clean my house...
See? I'm not crazy!
I don't know how they can say the refineries are the only ones to blame when they're raising the price five times in less than 48 hours. Are they getting 2-3 shipments a day? I doubt it...
Every year the Phoenix Suns host a Celebrity Shootout event, and this year's event is scheduled for March 7. Guess who they got to coach the teams?
None other than Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.
Coaching basketball? Really? Sorry, I'm going to have to pass.
No doubt the two Simple Minded... er, Simple LIFE stars will be seen shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Square on Saturday (that's where Britney hangs out whenever she's in town). And if you want to run into them partying the night away, my money says they'll be found at the Sanctuary on Saturday night.
Sadly, that's not my scene. But if you'd rather come out and help celebrate the eve of my birthday, we'll probably be found at Flicka's.
The cost of fuel has gone up .04 per gallon nationwide this week. So why has it gone up by .20 here in Phoenix?
Don't believe me? Get out your gas receipts. Last Wednesday, I paid $1.64. I was going to stop for gas yesterday (my normal gas station was $1.79), but I had more than a quarter tank so decided to wait. This morning, the price was $1.84.
So why, when in past years Phoenix gas prices have typically been a few cents below the national average, are we suddenly impacted by rising costs in California?
Between the September 11 scares and our burst pipeline debacle, I think the gas suppliers discovered that people in the Phoenix area will pay just about whatever they want to charge for gas without skipping a beat. Now, they will take advantage of any chance they have to rape our wallets for more cash.
As someone who commutes more than 20 miles to work each day, I'm feeling the increase. I find myself looking on the internet for sites posting the cheapest gas prices in town. If it were feasible for me to carpool, I would do so, but working slightly off-hours and having to drive to school three nights a week, it would be difficult to find a suitable carpool buddy. Public transportation in Phoenix absolutely sucks, so that's not an option.
Our legislation has investigated fuel suppliers on more than one occasion to find evidence of price gauging. Both times they ruled there was nothing to support the complaints. Personally, I'm not buying it, but short of finding a job closer to home or buying an electric car, there isn't much I can do about it.
Well, off to Sam's Club (to fill my tank).
While I hate to see people being screwed out of their hard-earned money, I have mixed feelings about technical schools like these going out of business.
Although I had other responsibilities, I handled the IT functions for the small offices I worked in since 1987. When I finally left to pursue a full-time position in IT with a large company, I decided it would be in my best interest to become certified. Fortunately, the company I went to work for was willing to pick up the tab.
Back then, one thing I noticed in all the classes I took was that a good majority of the class were people looking to make a career change. They were not currently employed in the IT field, but were obviously woo'ed by the countless radio and television commercials promising endless opportunities to make big money in the growing field of IT.
Now, I'm not saying that someone who makes a living as a mechanic can't successfully change careers and become an IT person. BUT... many of the people enrolled in these classes clearly did not have the right mindset for this type of work. To make matters worse, the early Microsoft certification exams were far too easy. The result was an enormous population (at least here in the Phoenix-metro area) of wannabe IT people with a lot of training and no experience. Some of them were even certified but clearly not qualified to be in this line of work. Since many of the people doing the hiring were non-IT management who equated certification with knowledge, a lot of these folks even found jobs in IT. For a while.
Once it became clear that they didn't know what they were doing, they lost these jobs. Toss in the real IT people who lost their jobs because of the sagging economy and you have a huge glut of unemployed IT people competing for jobs. Ultimately, you have an employer's market and salaries are driven down.
Now that things are starting to turn around, a lot of the people who clearly weren't cut out for IT work have gone back to what it was they did before. Things are looking up for IT job seekers.
This explains the logic behind my mixed feelings about tech schools.
Now that some of the "fly-by-night" institutions are gone, perhaps there will be fewer people being made to believe that ANYONE can be in IT. Maybe some of the people who successfully hooked their Netgear router up to their cable modem and said, "Hey, I can do this" will realize there is a lot more to managing a large network than they thought.
I'm already seeing changes. In the program I'm enrolled in now (after all, you can never have enough certifications in the eyes of management), everyone is employed in the IT field in some fashion. There aren't any lawn maintenance engineers looking to make a career change.
It seems people are realizing not everyone is cut out to be a geek.
I wonder if the RIIA will find a way to prosecute Pepsi for this?
While formatting a new computer and opening Internet Explorer for the first time today, this article on MSN caught my eye.
If you're a guy or a young, skinny 20-something girl, you can skip this post (and the article!).
I didn't think the article really told me what I wanted to know, but it brings up a good point I've been struggling with for a few years. What do you wear when you outgrow the styles in the juniors' department?
As my 38th birthday approaches (gulp!), I find myself often going through my closet with disgust, searching for an outfit that is somewhat stylish, yet doesn't give the impression that I'm desperately clinging to my youth. I couldn't agree more with the woman in the article when she states that in the department store of life, there seems to be a floor missing in between teen fashion, career woman and grandma's "knitted things". I used to (and still do) love to shop, but now I often find myself coming home empty handed for the inability to find clothing that I feel is appropriate to wear. Or (as I did recently) I come home with five pairs of shoes and not a thing to wear them with.
While I'm not on board with everything the writer says (I happen to LIKE earthtone eye shadow), she definitely struck a nerve. Why should I sacrifice style simply because I'm too old to dress like Britney, but too young (or not "sophisticated" enough) to dress like Hillary Clinton?
The old adage of "just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD" definitely applies to women's clothing. Someday, perhaps someone will come up with a store somewhere in between "Charlotte Russe" and "Talbot's".
Until then, I guess I'm stuck in the land of khakis.
Ever wonder why they didn't make toys like these when we were kids?
(Okay, that was a rhetorical question... I realize they didn't have the technology when we were kids.)
Anyway, the Batman thing is pretty cool. How awesome is that? A toy that responds appropriately to the animation on the screen (and not just some canned video that your kids have already seen over and over again).
It would be pretty fun to be able to jump into your favorite game show, too. (I'll take Things That Go Beep for $500, Alex!) Although I think I could do without the barfing and the snot blowing toys.
Then again, I used to have a doll who would sneeze and snot would run out of her nose (Bless You, Baby Tenderlove!). And if you fed Baby Alive different kinds of food, you'd end up with a pretty realistic diaper-doody.
I guess I had some pretty gross toys when I was a kid, too.
I never thought it would happen, but a jury of eight declared Bishop O'Brien guilty.
It seemed like a clear cut case, in my opinion. I'm not sure why his defense attorney thought it was necessary to bring up the fact that the victim was drunk, that he had staggered out into the street, that he had been found in an elderly woman's apartment ten minutes earlier. He wasn't being charged with murder or even manslaughter. He was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal hit and run.
And that's exactly what the bishop did. He left the scene. Regardless of my personal theories on WHY he left the scene, nobody ever disputed the fact that he (a) struck the victim and (b) left the scene. We had to spend taxpayer dollars to figure that out?
I've got to hand it to those eight people though. All polls taken indicated about 60% thought he was guilty and 40% did not. There must have been some compelling evidence presented to the jury in order for all of them to reach a unanimous decision.
Now, it will be interesting to see what sentence is imposed on him.
To be continued...
Well, okay, it was a float. But there was a car powering that float.
Good thing no children witnessed this event. I think they'd have been haunted for life.
What a horrible way to die.
People are way too sensitive these days.
I'm not a Native American, so maybe I just don't get it. However, I fail to see how the performance by Outkast at the Grammy's could be considered offensive. It was merely a theme for their performance.
I remember a few years ago the Eagles did a rendition of "Hotel California" with a salsa flare on MTV Unplugged. They had people playing maracas and dressed in costumes in the background. To my knowledge, the Hispanic community wasn't all up in arms about it.
How is this different?
Come on, people. Let's stop seeing everything as offensive. Let's stop assuming that everything that resembles our culture is meant to poke fun at us. I don't think that was Outkast's intent whatsoever.
And even if it were, we all need to learn to laugh at ourselves sometimes. Its healthy. I enjoy a good blonde joke as much as the next person. I have friends of various ethnicities who are the first ones to make jokes about their heritage. I love them for it! Instead of walking around with a big chip on their shoulder, they are comfortable with who they are and understand that jokes aren't meant to be taken personally. That's why they're jokes!
It seems that people are looking for more reasons to be pissed at CBS after the whole SuperBowl incident. Get over it, people! Yes, I thought it was completely inappropriate, but apologies were made, a fine was levied--its time to move on.
Here is a perfect example of a bunch of guys who can laugh at themselves. I think we can all learn a lesson from them.
Go Fightin' Whities!
The Yankees are gonna be downright scary this season.
I think that players' salaries have gotten way out of whack, but if the owners are willing to pay, who can blame the players for taking it?
Is it any wonder that Major League Baseball has financial problems?
Oh my God, I can't believe what I'm reading. Barbie and Ken broke up!
This is bigger than Ben and J'Lo! The article says it was an amicable split but I have my own theory. No doubt that tramp Barbie has been running around in her Barbie Corvette with Malibu Skipper trolling for men in the O.C. Why do I think this? Well, the Associated Press report mentions there may be another man involved--Blaine, the Australian boogie-boarder. Blaine, huh? Probably one of those metro-sexual types. I guess Barbie doesn't want a manly-man anymore.
Must be a slow news day. Check out the number of Google news articles reporting on this story.
Its not often that I'm lucky enough to take advantage of an opportunity just in the nick of time. However, it appears that this time, I was.
As an H-1B grant recipient, I was fortunate enough to obtain funding for training to update my Microsoft MCSE certification, as well as prepare for a Cisco CCNA certification. Several others in my class (including two of my co-workers) are also taking advantage of this opportunity.
IT certification training is extremely expensive. Without current certifications in a highly competitive job market (such as we have today), its difficult enough to get an interview, much less land a better job. Three years ago, our company was hiring an IT person for our group and I was given the task of reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates. We received in excess of 350 resumes for this position. How exactly do you make yourself stand out in a pile of 350 resumes? It isn't easy.
In a time where more and more high-tech companies are outsourcing their IT departments to other countries, causing even more American workers to lose their jobs, these types of programs are necessary to keep our workforce educated. I'm somewhat surprised (and obviously disappointed) that Mr. Bush would cut a program like this right smack in the middle of an election year.
I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity. Its sad to think that others who could use it will no longer be able to.
Attention Windows users: Microsoft has admitted the discovery of yet another security vulnerability. They've only known about this one for six months!
You can expect a virus to be exploiting it shortly. Better run quick to Windows Update and patch that hole!
Microsoft sure knows how to make an IT person's life a living hell. (Thank God our Corporate office is finally looking into investing in patch management software.)
George Lucas said this wouldn't happen until after the next movie was complete.
Woohoo! It's about time!
I'm not sure where the line is forming but I'll be in it.
I was a little sad to read that Tower Records has filed Chapter 11. I used to spend hours (not to mention hundreds of dollars, when you add it all up) at Tower Records sifting through CD's. They were open until midnight, and many times the urge to buy a new CD would hit late at night after all the other stores were closed. This was especially great when a long-awaited album would be released. You could go to Tower and buy it at midnight, instead of waiting until the other stores opened the next day. And nobody could beat their prices. They were always $2-$3 cheaper than the mall.
No doubt, the RIIA will claim music piracy is to blame. Personally, I think that for the most part, people who buy CD's will continue to buy CD's. Those who download for free probably weren't buying them in the first place.
However, I can understand how the internet in general has affected them greatly. It has been years since I've been into a Tower Records myself. A good portion of my shopping these days is done online. Amazon has great prices on music, and they're shipped free as long as you're not in a hurry. And if you are, services like Napster (the new LEGAL one) and MusicMatch can't be beat. I was looking for a particular Christmas CD before the holiday and had waited too long to order it online. I looked at several music stores in town, but the price was too high (I refuse to pay $17.99 for a CD that has been around for well over a year). I went home, subscribed to MusicMatch and downloaded the very same CD (legally!) for $9.00.
Hopefully, Tower will find a way to get out of their financial mess. Perhaps they'll get with the times and form their own online music service. I think the name alone would draw people to it.
A Wherehouse Music just went out of business in my neighborhood. I wonder if they'll be next.
I don't know why this seems to come as a surprise to TiVo subscribers. There's a reason the thing has to be connected to your telephone line to function. TiVo makes recommendations of shows "it" thinks you might want to watch based on your past viewing habits. Did people think that the box was doing that all by itself?
Personally, I think that the convenience of the DVR outweighs the fact that they monitor viewing habits. At the moment, there is no demographic information being monitored. However, it Nielsen has its way, all this could change. At that point, I think people would have a legitimate reason for concern. My mailbox is already stuffed to the brim with junk mail. I don't need TiVo selling my information to Nielsen, who in turn will sell it to one of their customers for marketing purposes.
If Nielsen is successful in signing a more in-depth agreement with TiVo, I'll be adding my name to their "opt-out" list for sure. But for now, it doesn't really bother me that they know that the "Janet Incident" was rewound about 15 times in our household.
Hey, it wasn't ME who was working the remote!
Where is the news media when you want them?
Yesterday afternoon, while driving to the mall with my niece, I was traveling south on the 101 freeway when I noticed the traffic in front of me coming to a sudden stop. Unusual since this was a Saturday, so it was fair to assume there was an accident ahead. I was about to change lanes to exit the freeway, expressing my usual utter disdain for those who insist on gawking at an accident and clogging up traffic when my niece exclaimed, "Holy crap!"
At this I was unable to resist sneaking a little peek myself. When I looked to my left, I could see no less than ten police cars lined up perfectly, blocking the northbound lanes of the freeway. Several of the police officers had their guns drawn and pointed directly at an individual standing about 20 feet ahead of them. He had his hands laced behind his head and was slowly getting down on his knees right there on the freeway. A little further south, two more police cars were blocking the northbound traffic, directing them to exit before approaching what was obviously a volatile situation.
As we continued our travel to the mall, trying to imagine what could have happened, we exited on to the US60. Traveling westbound on the 60, we came upon another spot of heavy traffic. This time, a serious accident on the eastbound lanes of the freeway had traffic backed up for several miles. I decided that there must have been a high-speed chase, and that the culprit had caused the accident on the eastbound 60 before traveling on to the northbound 101 where he was finally apprehended. "Of course, that must have been it," I concluded.
I called my husband to see if he had heard anything on the local news. Nothing. We went about our shopping, continuing to guess what could have caused all the excitement.
We returned home, grateful to find all the traffic had returned to normal while we shopped. I again asked my husband if he had heard anything. Still, no news. We checked the local newspaper's website--nothing. Later that evening, I watched the local news. They did a 10 second blurb on the serious accident on the eastbound US60. Not a word about the police action on the 101.
This morning, I checked the internet again. Still, nothing. And nothing in the newspaper.
So I gotta ask--where the hell was the local news yesterday? Any time you have THAT many police cars blocking lanes on the freeway with guns drawn as they apprehend their suspect, you'd think it would make the news. Local media sure doesn't miss a beat when Britney Spears is found shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Square, but they are nowhere to be found when something of this nature goes on.
I guess if it was Justin Timberlake kneeling on that freeway, they'd have been all over it.
Joe Arpaio, our Sheriff here in Maricopa County, gets a lot of bad press for being too tough or using extreme measures to enforce his policies.
Here is an example of why I support him.
Joe doesn't put up with crap. He takes items of pleasure away from inmates and makes them work on the chain gang. Jail isn't supposed to be an enjoyable experience. It seems pretty simple to me--if you can't live without cigarettes and porno mags, don't rob that Circle K.
Now Joe is getting tough on those who abuse animals. As someone who adopted two beautiful dogs who were abandoned and left for dead (found sick, skinny and covered with ticks), I'm a firm believer that anyone who would do something like this needs to be punished. HARSHLY.
As mentioned in the article, it has been well documented that serial killers and other violent criminals started out abusing animals. Jeffrey Dahmer is just one example. While I don't suspect spending time in jail for killing a dog is going to prevent this teen from turning into a mass murderer, perhaps a judge will recognize the potential for violent behavior and order him into a counseling program.
You go, Joe! Get the bad guys off the street.
How good a judge of character are YOU? Find out here.
I got 7 out of 10.
Its the 3 I missed that scare me.
If democrats really want to get George Bush out of office, they're going to have to do better than this. Oddly, the article indicates that the 20-30% voter turnout was higher than expected, citing inclement weather. Weather? In Arizona? What a lame excuse.
Regardless of my post yesterday about our "stormy weather", it seems pathetic that a little rain would keep people from getting out to stand up for something they believe in. Sub-freezing temperatures didn't keep them away in New Hampshire, but we Arizonans can't grab a jacket and umbrella and go out when its 50 degrees? This doesn't say much for the strength of our convictions.
This isn't meant to be an attack on the democratic party. Arizona has been consistently the second worst state in the nation when it comes to voter turnout, although even by our dismal standards the 20-30% turnout for yesterday's primary was pathetic.
Everyone I know who is registered as a democrat said they were voting for Dean, yet he came in third here. I can't help but wonder how differently the results may have been had even 50% of registered voters taken the time to vote. Not to mention, what percentage of those who didn't vote will complain about the outcome?
My guess is more than 20-30%.
Okay, okay... that's the last time I blog about how nice our weather is.
Bad news for those of you in less temperate regions of the country--Punxsutawney Phil (say that three times fast) saw his shadow today.
What does that mean? Well, if you trust the furry little creature from Gobbler's Knob, don't put away those winter coats just yet.
For me, that means six more weeks until I can drag my jet ski out of the garage and back into the water. (Yes, I am a wimp and don't even consider venturing out into the water unless its 78 degrees or better. And that's with a full wetsuit.)
Of course, while you all are snowboarding your tails off, I'm hoping for a little more snow at the only decent resort in Arizona so I can dust off my skis just once this year. So there are trade-offs.
I suppose I'll forget all about the snow once I fire up the ol' WaveBlaster for the first time this season. But now, it appears that's six weeks away.
Stupid groundhog...
I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely not buying MTV's claim that "the incident" at the Superbowl halftime show was unintentional.
Although there seems to be a huge controversy right now, I'm pretty sure she was wearing a pasty (many on Usenet groups insist it was nipple jewelry).
Regardless, it was pretty clear that Justin Timberlake was looking directly at the portion of her costume he was aiming for, reached across her, grabbed and pulled. What part of that was "unintentional"?
A wardrobe malfunction. Huh... I've never seen a bustier with a velcro cup! There's only one reason that I can think of to make it that way.
I could care less if MTV showed something like this on their network, but I think it was pretty inappropriate to pull a stunt like that during the Superbowl. I'd be pretty pissed if I had kids and that had seen it.
Of course, the men in the household were singing the praises of TiVO.
