As if they needed another dog. Yes, my parents got a new bundle of joy to add to their canine menagerie yesterday. It partially fulfills my mother's desire to have a new chihuahua a year after our 17-year-old long hair, Figaro, died. It also fulfills my family's desire to help all of the dogs on earth, even if we don't have room for them all.
So this puppy mill got busted in Tucson a few weeks ago. I didn't hear about it until my dad said they were going to go get a puppy. But when my parents went to the pound to pick one up, they came home empty-handed. My mom said there were hundreds of people there, with a line out the door, all waiting to get a puppy. My dad said when they got in, they were told it was just large breeds left, and of course everyone wanted the toy pups. My parents can't have another big dog (not with two big boxers and a German shepherd-akita mix already ruling the roost), so they went home without adopting.
Then, last Friday, my dad said something about having a 10-day old Chihuahua puppy lined up for my mom, a female, who had been born sometime around the bust and wasn't available for adoption yet. I had to swear secrecy.
Then, my mom asked me on the phone if my dad had said anything to me about a puppy. I played dumb and found out he'd told her, and she wasn't sure if he was pulling her chain, or both of our chains or what (he jokes around a lot).
And yesterday, my dad brought home a puppy. It wasn't the wee one they were signed up to get. Instead, it's a six-month-old male, short hair. He gets really stressed out because Sophie is a big brute and smacks him around (yay, a new toy), and Leo tried to bite his head off when they first met (two males can be problematic--that's why they wanted another female). He also has never been outside before.
What I have heard about the conditions is that the dogs were stuffed into cages and the cages were stacked on top of each other in RVs. The proprietors would pour dog food into the top cages, and if anything fell down to the lower cages then those dogs got to eat. There was also no newspaper or bottom to the cages, so the dogs were going to the bathroom on the ones below them. They never saw the light of day, never went outside.
And now, I guess many of the people who adopted the dogs that first day are taking them back to the pound because they don't "act like normal dogs." Well, duh. They've been abused. I think that's so terrible, and people are so stupid and impatient when it comes to pets. But another thing I've heard is that people are buying up bunches of the dogs, basically repeating the cycle of hoarding them, and trying to sell them on eBay for big prices. Isn't that just the most horrible and absurd thing you've ever heard? I can't believe anyone would treat a poor, abused animal like that (not that I can believe how anyone could abuse an animal, in the first place).
My parents' puppy is 2.5 pounds. He's a miniature chihuahua, and he's still about a half-pound underweight. They haven't neutered him yet because he's still too malnourished to go under the knife. The vet who cared for him before she gave him to my dad said she was able to put 1.5 pounds on him herself. My mom says he gets really stressed when they go outside, because it's bright and there are new sounds. They're not sure how it's going to work with an enormous puppy swatting at him and two old, cranky dogs snapping at him, but we're really hoping the puppy works out because he's already been moved from an abusive kennel to the pound to the vet to my parents, and that's a lot of stress for a tiny, bewildered creature.
My parents haven't named him yet, just in case they think it's not going to work, but my mom wants to give him a "big" name, like Thor or Brutus or something. She says my dad, on the other hand, is thinking more in terms of his Italianate roots and wants to name the puppy Giuseppe, Guido or Salvatore or something silly like that.
We'll see how it goes. When I see him, I'll post a picture. He sounds cute (blonde, with a white ring around his neck, and teensy).
19.3.08
Cafeteria = Good ??
Reasons why a (free) cafeteria in the workplace is a good idea.
My personal observations at the College of Pharmacy:
-Medication Therapy Management Center workers come in with McDonalds coffee and breakfast in the morning.
-They eat lunch at McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc.
-They do this every day, sometime going out a third time for milk shakes.
-Then they complain about getting fat.
Yesterday we had a pizza party at work. Today we're having a (homemade) pasta party.
-Everyone partakes of the free food.
-It's healthier than the crap they'd be paying for outside.
-They'll have less reason to complain.
If you opened a company funded cafeteria (anywhere), and made sure the food was super tasty (and healthy), I bet your employees would eat there most of the time. And enjoy it. And be thankful. And it would be so worth it.
Then we wouldn't have to have these companies going out and making it mandatory for insurance purposes to have all their employees visiting a gym every day. American obesity would decline. And people would stop complaining.
Yeah, it would cost money. But so does forcing a workout plan on overworked people who don't have the time or desire to go to the gym. And then having to fire them and hire new people because the workout plan isn't working.
Oh, America.
My personal observations at the College of Pharmacy:
-Medication Therapy Management Center workers come in with McDonalds coffee and breakfast in the morning.
-They eat lunch at McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc.
-They do this every day, sometime going out a third time for milk shakes.
-Then they complain about getting fat.
Yesterday we had a pizza party at work. Today we're having a (homemade) pasta party.
-Everyone partakes of the free food.
-It's healthier than the crap they'd be paying for outside.
-They'll have less reason to complain.
If you opened a company funded cafeteria (anywhere), and made sure the food was super tasty (and healthy), I bet your employees would eat there most of the time. And enjoy it. And be thankful. And it would be so worth it.
Then we wouldn't have to have these companies going out and making it mandatory for insurance purposes to have all their employees visiting a gym every day. American obesity would decline. And people would stop complaining.
Yeah, it would cost money. But so does forcing a workout plan on overworked people who don't have the time or desire to go to the gym. And then having to fire them and hire new people because the workout plan isn't working.
Oh, America.
18.3.08
Employers are missing something
My boss left an interest press release on my desk today as an FYI.
The release came from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and was titled, "Multiple Choice Tests and Institutional Assessments Judged Ineffective by Employers Looking for Improvements in College Learning."
A lot of the release is pretty basic, and says things we all (should) have known for years: not everyone does well on multiple choices. Employers have decided test scores and college transcripts aren't that important as they decide whether or not to hire a candidate. The methods colleges use to measure "institutional knowledge," or how well all students at a college have learned the same curriculum, don't actually tell that much about the level of education an individual student receives.
It's good colleges are acknowledging this.
But I have a beef with employers.
OK, a 3.6 GPA isn't going to tell you exactly everything you need to know about a potential employee. But I think there is a lot of value to the letters and numbers on a transcript.
If you get an applicant who seems really motivated and has lots of great ideas and recommendations, that's good. But what if he has a 1.9 GPA? What does that tell you about how motivated he was to go to his classes and excel in coursework that attempted to prepare him to work for you? Was he perhaps just as motivated when he got to college, but decided it was too much work? I think a transcript can open up a lot of potential questions like these, and they're important questions.
If I were hiring college grads, I'd want to know why there are deficiencies in their schoolwork. Why would you do anything you can't excel at? (That's my personal philosophy: don't do anything you can't do well.) And if you're bad at something that's preparing you for a future job, why would I believe you'd be any better at the job than you were at preparatory coursework?
There is a good amount of importance to the transcript. You just need to think critically when you look at it.
Other interesting points from the release:
The data the release was written about came from the Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) initiative, and can be found online in a report, "College Learning for the New Global Century", if you have any desire to read it.
The release came from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, and was titled, "Multiple Choice Tests and Institutional Assessments Judged Ineffective by Employers Looking for Improvements in College Learning."
A lot of the release is pretty basic, and says things we all (should) have known for years: not everyone does well on multiple choices. Employers have decided test scores and college transcripts aren't that important as they decide whether or not to hire a candidate. The methods colleges use to measure "institutional knowledge," or how well all students at a college have learned the same curriculum, don't actually tell that much about the level of education an individual student receives.
It's good colleges are acknowledging this.
But I have a beef with employers.
Employers find college transcripts of limited use in evaluating college graduates' potential to succeed in the workplace. Only 13% of employers find transcripts very useful. Sixty-seven percent find transcripts just somewhat or not useful.
OK, a 3.6 GPA isn't going to tell you exactly everything you need to know about a potential employee. But I think there is a lot of value to the letters and numbers on a transcript.
If you get an applicant who seems really motivated and has lots of great ideas and recommendations, that's good. But what if he has a 1.9 GPA? What does that tell you about how motivated he was to go to his classes and excel in coursework that attempted to prepare him to work for you? Was he perhaps just as motivated when he got to college, but decided it was too much work? I think a transcript can open up a lot of potential questions like these, and they're important questions.
If I were hiring college grads, I'd want to know why there are deficiencies in their schoolwork. Why would you do anything you can't excel at? (That's my personal philosophy: don't do anything you can't do well.) And if you're bad at something that's preparing you for a future job, why would I believe you'd be any better at the job than you were at preparatory coursework?
There is a good amount of importance to the transcript. You just need to think critically when you look at it.
Other interesting points from the release:
A majority of employers (57 percent) think that half or fewer college graduates have the full set of skills and knowledge needed for advancement in today's workplace.
Employers prefer assessments that require students to demonstrate depth of knowledge and advanced capacities in problem-solving, writing, and analytic reasoning. They believe that multiple choice tests and assessments that evaluate institutions rather than individual students are the wrong choices for assessment and accountability in higher education.
The data the release was written about came from the Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) initiative, and can be found online in a report, "College Learning for the New Global Century", if you have any desire to read it.
17.3.08
Just suck it up
So the other night I did something that went against the grain.
I sang while we were playing RockBand.
I don't normally sing unless I'm alone and in my car. I abstain at all costs because of a traumatic experience my freshman year when I was trying out to sing in one of the UA choirs (the director's response: "Ugh, we'll put you in the uh, Community Choir" + big frown = not good). I never thought I was a fantastic singer, although I was proud to make it into my high school's show choir one year--which I didn't end up joining because it conflicted with my Honors English course (yeah, nerd).
So for months of RockBand play I stuck to only the guitar (which I'm OK at) and the drums (which I'm better at) and nothing more. I'm actually not sure why I never tried bass, to think about it.
So I decided to sing on Saturday night. And I did pretty well on the easy songs (99 percent on first try, Weezer). But then it got worse as the evening went on and they threw me to the hard songs (Orange Crush from R.E.M. is fricking awful/impossible).
Why did I do it? Why did I bend the rules of my being?
To prepare for my harp recital, which is coming up on March 29.
I don't know why, but there's something about stepping out of your comfort zone that makes other parts of life seem less scary. So try it sometime. I bet you won't regret it.
I sang while we were playing RockBand.
I don't normally sing unless I'm alone and in my car. I abstain at all costs because of a traumatic experience my freshman year when I was trying out to sing in one of the UA choirs (the director's response: "Ugh, we'll put you in the uh, Community Choir" + big frown = not good). I never thought I was a fantastic singer, although I was proud to make it into my high school's show choir one year--which I didn't end up joining because it conflicted with my Honors English course (yeah, nerd).
So for months of RockBand play I stuck to only the guitar (which I'm OK at) and the drums (which I'm better at) and nothing more. I'm actually not sure why I never tried bass, to think about it.
So I decided to sing on Saturday night. And I did pretty well on the easy songs (99 percent on first try, Weezer). But then it got worse as the evening went on and they threw me to the hard songs (Orange Crush from R.E.M. is fricking awful/impossible).
Why did I do it? Why did I bend the rules of my being?
To prepare for my harp recital, which is coming up on March 29.
I don't know why, but there's something about stepping out of your comfort zone that makes other parts of life seem less scary. So try it sometime. I bet you won't regret it.
16.3.08
Eating Out
This rarely happens. I swear. And when it does (which it hasn't in at least four years), I normally end up feeling very sick.
That's right. I ate out four days in a row. And then one more time.
How is this possible for someone who tries not to go out for food in general (it's expensive and I have no control over the kitchen...and fast food nauseates me)? But it's easy: you get started, and then your friends can't stop. And you're stuck on the band wagon with them.
Here follows the epic saga with a brief synopsis of the week in food--and how I survived.
Monday: Hungry Howie's
The only reason I ate here was because Ian wanted wings and the Wing Stop is next door. Not that I dislike Hungry Howie's--their pizza is actually pretty good. But the thing that really drew me in was the Howie Bread. It's delicious, comes in small pieces so you feel less guilty about eating them until you realize you've eaten half the box, and it's...tasty. The pizza itself is pretty basic, cheese of course, with garlic herb crust. Not recommended for leftovers--the cheese and sauce get nasty after they've been in the fridge. Howie Bread on the other hand, excellent for a week afterwards. Especially with ranch dressing.
Tuesday: Sushi Ten
Cheaper than Takamatsu but with a similar selection. I used to love going here (all of twice, albeit) because for $9 you could get edamame, a salad (requested vegetarian of course), California rolls, soup, tea and a huge entree. Since new owners took over, the great deals have gone away and I decided to stick with sushi this time around. I got the avocado roll and veggie roll. Both came with eight pieces, but they were teeny-weenie little pieces. Yes, cheaper than Takamatsu, but also much less food for the price. I guess that means the sushi is easier to eat with chopsticks for those who are new at it (as I'll admit I was about a year ago).
Wednesday: Rocco's Little Chicago
As I've said in a previous post, the food is good. We went for Wednesday night wings, which I can't eat. So I got a deep dish 9-inch cheese pizza. It was good. I ate two-thirds of it, and it was huge. And soooo good.
Thursday: Zona 78
The first time I ate here, three long years ago, I had a salad. I'm not sure what I was thinking--the pizza crust is delicious. I met an old pal for pizza and wine. We both had margherita pizzas. It wasn't quite what I was expecting--instead of chopped tomato covering the cheese, there were whole slices of tomato. Still tasty, though. Natalie ordered a pinot noir and I ordered a shiraz. Everyone seemed happy with their choice. We also finished off the meal with an apple tart with vanilla gelato. Split two ways it was just enough, and quite invigorating to the tastebuds--crispy, soft, cold, hot, sweet, spicy. Yum.
Saturday: Ted's Country Store and Brooklyn Pizza
For a late lunch/early dinner Ian took me to this new place on Glenn we discovered. A bit pricey, but convenient by bicycle. I had the vegeterian club--it was basically a mass of sprouts and chopped carrots sandwiched into three pieces of a very light rye. There was a slice of cheese somewhere on the bottom, next to the cucumbers and mayonnaise. There could have been more cheese. It was refreshing, though.
And then, at the RockBand party of the evening, I had pizza for the fourth time in one week. Eeee. But it was surprisingly good for a fourth time in one week. Just nothing extraordinary to note. It was cheese, it was hot. Rocco's was definitely better.
I am now set on cooking for myself, as is my usual habit, for the next five months to make up for all the past week's eating out. After we eat at the Melting Pot tomorrow, anyway.
That's right. I ate out four days in a row. And then one more time.
How is this possible for someone who tries not to go out for food in general (it's expensive and I have no control over the kitchen...and fast food nauseates me)? But it's easy: you get started, and then your friends can't stop. And you're stuck on the band wagon with them.
Here follows the epic saga with a brief synopsis of the week in food--and how I survived.
Monday: Hungry Howie's
The only reason I ate here was because Ian wanted wings and the Wing Stop is next door. Not that I dislike Hungry Howie's--their pizza is actually pretty good. But the thing that really drew me in was the Howie Bread. It's delicious, comes in small pieces so you feel less guilty about eating them until you realize you've eaten half the box, and it's...tasty. The pizza itself is pretty basic, cheese of course, with garlic herb crust. Not recommended for leftovers--the cheese and sauce get nasty after they've been in the fridge. Howie Bread on the other hand, excellent for a week afterwards. Especially with ranch dressing.
Tuesday: Sushi Ten
Cheaper than Takamatsu but with a similar selection. I used to love going here (all of twice, albeit) because for $9 you could get edamame, a salad (requested vegetarian of course), California rolls, soup, tea and a huge entree. Since new owners took over, the great deals have gone away and I decided to stick with sushi this time around. I got the avocado roll and veggie roll. Both came with eight pieces, but they were teeny-weenie little pieces. Yes, cheaper than Takamatsu, but also much less food for the price. I guess that means the sushi is easier to eat with chopsticks for those who are new at it (as I'll admit I was about a year ago).
Wednesday: Rocco's Little Chicago
As I've said in a previous post, the food is good. We went for Wednesday night wings, which I can't eat. So I got a deep dish 9-inch cheese pizza. It was good. I ate two-thirds of it, and it was huge. And soooo good.
Thursday: Zona 78
The first time I ate here, three long years ago, I had a salad. I'm not sure what I was thinking--the pizza crust is delicious. I met an old pal for pizza and wine. We both had margherita pizzas. It wasn't quite what I was expecting--instead of chopped tomato covering the cheese, there were whole slices of tomato. Still tasty, though. Natalie ordered a pinot noir and I ordered a shiraz. Everyone seemed happy with their choice. We also finished off the meal with an apple tart with vanilla gelato. Split two ways it was just enough, and quite invigorating to the tastebuds--crispy, soft, cold, hot, sweet, spicy. Yum.
Saturday: Ted's Country Store and Brooklyn Pizza
For a late lunch/early dinner Ian took me to this new place on Glenn we discovered. A bit pricey, but convenient by bicycle. I had the vegeterian club--it was basically a mass of sprouts and chopped carrots sandwiched into three pieces of a very light rye. There was a slice of cheese somewhere on the bottom, next to the cucumbers and mayonnaise. There could have been more cheese. It was refreshing, though.
And then, at the RockBand party of the evening, I had pizza for the fourth time in one week. Eeee. But it was surprisingly good for a fourth time in one week. Just nothing extraordinary to note. It was cheese, it was hot. Rocco's was definitely better.
I am now set on cooking for myself, as is my usual habit, for the next five months to make up for all the past week's eating out. After we eat at the Melting Pot tomorrow, anyway.
14.3.08
Quote-A-Day
My boss left a page from her quote-a-day calendar on my desk the other day--it's one of those calendars that counts down 'till Bush is out of office.
I found this quite amusing, and definitely proof people need to educate themselves before they start talking.
It's always nice to work for someone with a sense of humor.
I found this quite amusing, and definitely proof people need to educate themselves before they start talking.
Oh, Man, Is He Gonna Get Teased At School
"Earlier today, the Libyan government released Fathi Jahmi. She's a local government official who was imprisoned in 2002 for advocating free speech and democracy."
-George W. Bush, citing Jahmi, who is a man, in a speech paying tribute to women reformers during International Women's Week, Washington, D.C., March 12, 2004
It's always nice to work for someone with a sense of humor.
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