so don't ask if you don't want to know
Archive for November, 2009
SustainaBIL
Nov 9th
So I went to this little unconference yesterday called SustainaBIL. Basically, it’s local peeps getting together to talk about sustainability and green stuff.
<tangent>You know, the only difference I see between a conference and an unconference is scheduling… and price. You go to a free conference and sign up for a time-slot to speak rather than doing that in advance. Seems lazy to me, but these kids today think ad hoc is the coolest thing ever! It’s all about the trendy. Whatever. </tangent>
A couple of different people got up and talked about their backyard chickens and little gardens, but the interesting part was the city-provided compost bins. This is the first I’d heard that you could just go pick one up (free or small fee) and have at it with your yard wastes. Cool. If I had a yard.
Thomas talked about his obsession with conserving water. He buckets the water that runs before the shower is hot enough. He also turns the water off mid-shower to soap up and then on again to rinse. That’s a little too much for me. Though I’d often thought shower makers should attach a “hold” button for people who wanted to do that. Some button/switch you could find when you’re blind and soapy rather than fiddling with the faucet.
One guy rattled off his resume as a consultant. Another guy showed us his home-made solar powered generator for when he’s camping. That was cool!
Then there was the ENGINEER. Bless his little pea-picking heart. The idea of embedding ceramic capacitors in asphalt roadbeds to soak up the thermal energy during the day seemed really interesting. Until he spent another 20 minutes explaining how capacitors work… in engineering terms… with slides and demonstrations. We really didn’t need to do that.
My tweets:
- OK, there should be a rule against engineers giving presenzzzZzzzzz
- Engineers can suck the interesting out of anything.
- http://twitpic.com/ot0tf – Slide 342 – Yes I’m being mean.
Oh well.
All in all it was a fine day. Hopefully next time there will be more lead time, the original organizer will follow through so poor Brian won’t have to scramble, and there will be more ideas for me, the average renter.
PodcampAZ 2009
Nov 5th
what: Podcamp AZ 2009
where: University of Advancing Technology
when: November 14-15, 2009
who: New media innovators, enthusiasts, participants, and newbies who are interested the role of the internet in interactive communication.
why: It’s two crazy cool days of learning, sharing, and people meeting. And Phoenix metro is gorgeous in November.
how much: FREE
If you’ve followed me for more than a minute, you’ve seen this information. Just another reminder because it’s coming up. Some specific highlights:
- PodCast AZ – Every year we have live podcasting throughout the entire session. Contact Dani Cutler and Dan and CJ Feierabend at onair@podcampaz.com to get on the airwaves.
- Speakers – We have an awesome speaker lineup already, and are still taking submissions, but only through Saturday. The schedule gets published Monday!
- Volunteers – We need a small army of people to help on event days. We might even have some cool swag for you, like a t-shirt and other unidentified stuff. If you want to march in our army, contact Crystal O’Hara at volunteer@podcampaz.com.
- Tees – We have 600 t-shirts to give to registered attendees, and over 500 people are already registered. If you want in on the goodness, get registered.
The t-shirts are a completely new design this year. Can’t wait for you to see them! If you are an established or aspiring blogger, podcaster, video blogger, or social media advocate and want to meet hundreds of people with the same interests, head over to podcampaz.org to get more information about this exciting event. And above all else, register to attend PodCamp AZ!
The Wrong Bear
Nov 2nd
You know I have a Grammi Gummy Bear tattoo, right. That our family has an affinity for that particular program. Other than the cooking up stuff stuff, I relate to Grammi Bear.
I don’t usually relate to the Mother Bear until I come home and someone’s been sleeping in my bed and it’s all stinky. Someone’s been scarfing all the food and water in my fridge and not replacing it. Someone’s been using up all the fucking toilet paper in my bathroom and not getting more.
WHAT THE FUCK FAMILY!
It seems no matter how much I bitch, how many times I bring this shit up for discussion, how many time I go off on screaming tangents… nobody seems to give a shit about my feelings.
FUCK OFF!
I realize these are tiny little annoyances, but really they are each symptoms of the big giant disrespect I get. I put my foot down a couple of weeks ago and said basically, “get your goddam shit together and let me off the hook by December 1st.” Get real jobs, pay your bills on time, stop making me responsible for whether or not you eat. Get out of my life except for the normal amount of parent-adult child time most people subscribe to.
I’MFUCKINGDONE! IT’SNOTMYJOBANYMORE!
And yet… nothing. No change. Well, Casey’s managed to get other people to babysit most of last week – which I feel is just a gesture and pretty soon they’ll both be up my ass daily again. Ginnie STILL hasn’t tried to get a job. I get bullshit from her. Supposedly she’s applying online – doubtful. Then she’s waiting until she’s 19 on the 15th so she can get a better server job. Right. Fucking Excuses.
I FEEL LIKE I’M SPITTING AGAINST THE WIND.
How? How do I get my children to, as my new friend Donna would say, HARDEN THE FUCK UP. I feel so… powerless again. I’m not mealy mouthing and letting myself be a doormat. I’m telling them exactly what they need to do but they’re just ignoring me. I don’t want to be the screaming shrew but that’s the only idea I have left. I’ve stopped buying groceries other than what I want. I’ve made plans for myself regardless of what they want me to do. Why do I want to run away from MY HOME?
I’m going to die on December 1st and you all need to get on without me.
