Andrushka

Tanya in her pretty dress.

First, and most importantly, the biggest news in my life recently is that I'm off the market. Which is not to say I was ever advertising. Her name is Tanya Cochran, she's an assistant professor of English at Union, energetic, smart, sweet, funny and other fine adjectives. And when I say smart and funny, I don't just mean that she understands my jokes and finds them amusing, though she does and that's incredibly attractive.

Secondly, the blogspot domain has been blocked by the company that Union contracts with to keep the icky bits of the Internet from being accessed on campus. Though I realize there are icky bits using the blogspot domain, blocking all of it is rather heavy handed. This was not a decision made by our Information Systems on campus, but they can unblock it if they wish. I've written to the proper authorities and they said they'd look into it. If you are also an employee or student at Union and would like to be able to read blogs on campus, I suggest you also write or call Information Systems so they realize it's not just me being a squeaky wheel ... yet again. Update: I was able to access blogs from Union today, oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

Overheard:
Very young boy: Mommy, some daddies have hair.
Mommy: Yes, but not your daddy.

Labels: dating, Union, Web

Posted by Scott at 12/22/2006 11:56:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

Today I feel like I accomplished more than I did all last week combined. And yet I get paid no more or less ... but I do get to keep the job. Anyway, I have a work-related inquiry for you all.

Let's say that in the enchanted gum-drop kingdom of Make-Believe-aska, there was an institution of higher learning with a Web site that looked a bit like this (hypothetically speaking, of course). It wanted to have a Web site that was cool, dynamic, useful and attracted students, especially since its traditional method of getting students (liberating them from dungeons) was no longer viable because all the dungeons were empty. You have been chosen as this institution's Web champion. What would you do in such a fantasy scenario to improve the Web site for our forlorn institution of higher learning to make it more attractive, better organized, more interesting and more useful?

I'm asking because before I can get my shiny new content management system, I need to "evaluate needs"--in other words, make a list and check it twice to find out to what extent our current system is naughty and/or nice.

If you'd like to leave a comment, go ahead, or you can e-mail me. I use my ucollege.edu account mostly and I'm guessing all of my limited readership know what that is.

In other work-y news, Jacque is out of the office for the rest of the week and she has a good excuse so I can't begrudge her the time. However, this evening I saw international rescue and relief majors in climbing gear on top of the clock tower. It reminded me that if someone dies while she's gone, I'm going to have to write the press release and that is not cool. So for any Unionites out there, please check to make sure Jacque is back in the office before you go act like fools in ways that attract the attention of the media.

P.S. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I surprise myself.

P.P.S. I can't get enough Frisky Dingo on Adult Swim. If you don't mind rotting your brains with cartoons, you can watch all the episodes on youtube.com

Labels: pop culture, Union, Web

Posted by Scott at 12/06/2006 07:46:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

In Nebraska, one quickly learns certain laws of nature are just ignored by our dear state. For instance, the rule that says wind only comes from one direction at a time. It doesn't matter which direction I'm going on 56th, to work, from work, when I turn east or west--the wind always blows from whichever direction I'm facing.

That's on a normal day. Yesterday's high temperature was in the sixties; today was in the low twenties. As we all know, wind is generated by a temperature differential between the ground and the air. Warm ground, cold air. Today there were times I was pedaling with all my might just to keep from rolling backwards.

I knew it would be cold, so I wore my Tiffany-made hat that wraps around my neck and is the warmest thing ever. I also wore my new wool Royal Mail sweater vest under my big winter coat. The legs were burning, so thin dress pants weren't a problem. The loose chink in my warmth armor were my hands. Because Fortuna is a crotchety old hag, I haven't been able to find my gloves since it started getting cold.

I will be buying new gloves tomorrow.

This morning I rode to work at the same time other people were arriving, a rare event indeed. A few people recognized me under all my winter gear and no doubt lost all respect for my decision making abilities.

At lunch, I sat at the faculty/staff table, Kyle sat next to me and we made small talk about bicycles. Dr. Russell overheard and said he'd felt guilty today since he'd forsaken his bicycle for a warm ride in his wife's car. "When I got to campus I felt even more guilty because I saw someone riding past the (Everett) Dick Building ... without gloves on!" Dr. Russell said. "That's dedication."

"Uh, that was probably me. I couldn't find my gloves."

It just goes to prove that one person's dedication is another's stupidity.

Tomorrow I need to be at President's Council at 9:00 a.m., so I have to show up to work at the high-profile time again. And since I'm buying gloves tomorrow and not tonight, I'll be on parade with freezing, chapped hands.

###

Overheard in the hall of my apartment building:
Woman: Wait, I've got to go back for my purse
Man: Oh come on, why do women always got to have a purse?
Woman: Because you never pay the damn bill.

Labels: biking, Scott's an idiot, Union, weather

Posted by Scott at 11/29/2006 07:26:00 PM | Permalink | Comments