The mouse
I stood on the platform at the Howard “L” stop facing an early March wind in early May. Below me, in the pit of trash-strewn train tracks, a small, gray blur hid under a rusty rail. A mouse. A mouse that scurried along the concrete wall, looking for any break, any crevice, any escape. Perhaps it had lived its entire life in that pit, avoiding the periodic rumble of metal and huddling against the cracked concrete wall. That’s a depressing thought.
And life settles into a rhythm. I worked four days this week, and I think I’m starting to get the hang of this thing. I like my job. It challenges me to think more than my previous gig at WebComm. The corporate environment is certainly a shift, and it’s taken some adjustment, but I think I’m learning the ways. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Succeeding in the corporate world seems to have much to do with selling your ideas properly, that is, considering your audience and tailoring your sales pitch accordingly. I’m learning the ways.
I’m also glad that I respect my boss. He has many qualities that I admire, which is a far cry from my previous situation. It would probably be inappropriate to elaborate here, but suffice it to say that I think he’s a good guy and someone whose advice I’d seek in a number of areas.
In a move very reminiscent of freshman-year-Tom, I went to an affirmative action “panel discussion” — but it was turned out to be more like three-member cheerleading squad for racial preferences. Actually, however, I enjoyed it in large part due to the panelists’ honesty. For the most part, they were blunt and didn’t pull any punches, perhaps because they knew they were speaking to a sympathetic audience. It made it easy for me to disagree with them, but at least they didn’t pansy around the issue.
After the three panelists gave their speeches (all pro-affirmative action) and the audience launched into a series of pro-preferences questions, I knew something had to be done. So I raised my hand and told ‘em that I was “strongly opposed to affirmative action” (gasp!) and that I was personally disappointed that my university’s administration would support it. Then I went on to ask the best question the night (yes, I did just pat myself on the back). Anyhow, it felt good to be feisty. It felt good to be “that conservative kid.” I should be him more often.
>> Read the Daily Northwestern article on the event (with a couple quotes from me at the bottom)
Cute links:
- Crash Internet Explorer (and related apps) with a naughty bit o’ HTML. Looks like someone forgot to take out a little debugging feature!
- Baghdad-style cafeteria looting? I thought the UN was more “civilized” than this (ha!).
- Them record companies is pissed! They gon’ fight dirty now!
Best quotes of the past week:
- “Companies hold meetings because they can’t masturbate.” –my boss
- “There’s drama in the club!” –some Latino teenager in an announcement to no one in particular while boarding the “L”
The Dante’s Inferno Test has banished you to the Fifth Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Low |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | Low |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | Moderate |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | Low |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Moderate |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | Very High |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Very Low |
| Level 7 (Violent) | Moderate |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | High |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Low |
>>Take the Dante’s Inferno Hell Test