Had to go to work sick yesterday. Just had a little bit of a sore throat and a headache but I'm the only librarian working in the Cyber Center these days and I'm the boss so I don't really have a choice. It got worse over the course of the day so I'm damn glad that it's Thanksgiving Day today and the library's closed. God bless Americans and their weird Thanksgiving!

I guess I just have a cold. I was (and still am) under the impression that it's best not to treat a cold. Although it's a myth that experiencing the symptoms of a cold helps you get over a cold, if given a choice I'd rather not take anything. It just seems to me that since the cold's not gonna kill you or have any lasting effects, "suffering" through the cold can make it easier to deal with the symptoms the next time or at least make you appreciate the times when you're not sick more. Also, since I have no knowledge of what's in those little pills, so unless I really must have instant relief and I can't afford to be sick at the time, why take any risk just for a little bit of comfort?

What do you think? What do you do when you've got a cold?

I honestly saw a couple as I was walking to catch the train to work this morning (around 11:30 am) WINDOW SHOPPING for ALCOHOL!!! I don't know if that says something about the neighbourhood, the people, the country or what but I think that that's not a good sign. Now I'm not a drinker. But, to put it in abortion-sides lingo, I'm pro-choice rather than pro-sobriety. But I still ask : What is it with alcohol? What is it that draws people so (almost) universally? Is it the taste? I personally don't like the taste, but many people say they've always liked it. Is it that people like to get drunk? I don't think this applies to you after high school and college. Is it that it takes away a little bit of consciousness, a little bit of responsibility? Makes it a little easier to deal with or at least forget your problems? Maybe, although sometimes this backfires, of course. I think that it's more along the lines of it being so socially expected. To drink is to belong. It's almost mandatory when participating in any activity related to entertainment that alcohol be involved somehow. There's the standard, "Want to go out for a drink?" that's synonymous with 'taking it easy' or having a good time. People like to drink because other people expect them to like to drink. What do you think? Do you drink? (Man, that started to sound really Dr. Seussy at the end there.)

I've been a dad twice now but now I'm an uncle. My brother's new wife just about six hours ago gave birth to my new little niece, Trianna. Apparently she's cute. Just like my 2 month old son, Max. Well, maybe not that cute. I haven't seen a picture yet but really... there can be only so much cuteness in the universe. *laugh*

On this day in 1971, a little less than three years before I was born, Led Zeppelin released their 4th album... the one with the man with the bundle of sticks on his back... untitled... just to piss us all off. Actually it was (and is) one of the best albums ever made : Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll, When the Levee Breaks (my personal favourite), Black Dog...

I don't remember when I first got a copy of "Led Zeppelin IV", but I do have a specific memory connected with the album. You ever listen to an album or a song so much that whatever you were doing while listening to it becomes hardwired into any thoughts of it. Everytime I hear any song from Zeppelin's fourth album I remember riding in the car going to Bon Echo Provincial Park to go camping. Of course the same thing happens for Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears" and anything by Gordon Lightfoot. We went often and they were long trips.

Finally got a new pair of shoes. Docs, of course. I got them on Saturday (along with a haircut) at a cool little store in the East Village called 99x. This is the first day I'm really wearing them and of course they hurt hUrT HUrT HURT!!!!! But that is the price you pay. They will eventually become the most comfortable shoes in the world, but I've got to "train" them first. I really have to buy these shoes anyway because, and I don't know why but, I go through shoes like a hot knife in butter. My last Docs lasted a little over a year and they were totally destroyed. Of course, any other brand would have been done in a matter of months. I had a pair practically disintegrate after only 30 days!

Moral of the story : Ow. I'm happy now.

Raining today. I like the rain. I like the rain when I don't have to be anywhere that is. It's so refreshing, so cleansing, so quiet. Even the constant noise of the city, sirens and yelling, horns and traffic, are muffled. And there are less people out and that's always a plus.

Most people think it looks depressing, boring, glum. But I think it looks shiny and clean and... I don't know... rainy?

Ok. Here I am again. I've got to keep at this. I've tried keeping a journal many times and I tend to reach a point where I give up and never go back. But this one I have to keep at. Why? Cuz I say so, dammit.

I have a good reason. Same as last time : just being really busy. Let's see, what have I done lately. It's been difficult with my newborn son, and I haven't gotten much sleep. I have to thank my wife greatly for giving up some of her rest for my sake but I still feel exhausted. I can't wait until the wiggly little kid starts sleeping a little longer.

Also, the new job and the lack of other librarians in my department (due to vacation and position-filling delay) are giving me plenty of things to do at work, filling my day and wearing me out.

The family went out today to take some pictures. We got a new cheap digital camera... 30 bucks at Target!!! It takes crappy pictures, blurry and pulls down and to the left, but it's digital and that's all that matters. We'll spend a bunch more when we can. I need to make a gallery of pictures we've scanned, taken and organized. Anyway, we went for a play in the playground which also has a track and some exercise equipment. I can't do chin-up one!!! I need to lift some weights or something, jeez...

Well, I guess that's done. I never meant to talk much politics in this blog and I've tried to keep it at less-than-obsessive level. I've tried to keep as objective as possible (You be the judge - a commenting judge). But now it's over. I just hope that the attacking of other countries is kept to a minimum.

Here's a defense or explanation of the electoral college that I don't often hear : "to avoid the dominance of urban electorates and those of very populous states such as New York and California at the expense of smaller communities". But I thought that that was the whole point of a democracy, that the result is "dominated" by large groups of people, namely the majority. So instead, the 'majority' of voters are ignored for the benefit of the small communities (read minority). Can someone please explain to me why this is a good thing? Please?

Check out the results of Globalvote2004. This is really interesting but not entirely unexpected. I'd like to know what the majority of Americans would think of this kind of result, particularly the one's voting for Bush - what their explanation would be, how they would justify sticking to their guns. I mean really, you can't seriously claim that the rest of the world are just idiots or Democrats or something. Perhaps there is a bias for liberals in the internet surfing community or something about this specific site that would attract "Kerry"-voters or something. But probably not. Bush and his friends went against world opinion and now the world has an opinion about him. Even the Middle East (albeit by a closer margin) voted against Bush. Actually that's the most interesting part of this little exercise. I wonder why it was so much closer there. It really depends on who's voting and who's claiming to be from the Middle East.

Well, I'm experiencing prejudice first hand. Since I've become supervisor, I've experienced a kind of "rankism". That doesn't sound too bad (except is sounds kinda smelly! *laugh*), and it really isn't. More interesting that bad. Nothing compared to your standard racism, sexism, ageism, etc. But considering the fact that I am a white middle-classed male, aged 18-35, it's pretty much the only thing I'm gonna get any time soon. Although that's not really true. I have experienced a kind of reversed prejudice, feeling hated or at least disliked and assumption-faced while I've lived and worked the most ethnically diverse region in North America : the NYC area.

Anyway, back to my point : as supervisor, I'm the boss of people and the colleague of my previous jobplace superiors. The people I'm now boss of, although mostly pretty good, do seem to view what I do in a different light - a more critical light. To be expected, sure, and perhaps not totally unwarranted (maybe I have changed my attitude slightly, although unintentional), but unfortunate nonetheless. I am busier, but I don't think I'm, say, like most other managers. I've also experienced the positive side of the prejudice, having my ideas listened to with a little bit more interest, my jokes laughed at a little harder, and people willing to do more for me. Both reactions dismay me and I hope, since I only got the promotion a few days ago, that the negative experience will fade with illustrations of my "nice" management style, and that the positive experience will be less "rank" oriented for me and others, and more "desert" oriented as it should me.