Harry's Ruminations

The Car Connection [ The Web's Automotive Authority ] : Consumer confidence dropped in February, as persistent worries about jobs undercut optimism about future prospects, according to the Conference Board, which reported its consumer confidence index dropped more than nine points to 87.3, following a rise in January to a revised reading of 96.4. "Consumers began the year on a high note, but their optimism has quickly given way to caution," said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's Consumer Research Center. "Consumers remain disheartened with current economic conditions, and at the core of their disenchantment is the labor market." The lack of confidence also appears to have helped slow car sales, which fell below expectations in January and are sluggish again in February. Gary Lapidus, Goldman Sachs analyst, said in a note the shortfall in sales is pushing up both incentives and inventories sitting unsold on dealer lots. -Joe Szczesny Umm.....

There's nothing wrong with being at work at 5 o'clock in the morning, per se. However, it does feel a bit weird: It's 4pm in India It's 5 hours before most of the othe programmers on this floor arrive It's 7 hours until lunch. Robin asked me if I could get her to the airport for her 6:15 flight, so that req'd me picking-her-up at 4:15am. I'm usually not through my first REM cycle by 4:15 am. So, on the bright side, at least I have a pleasant, other-worldy feeling. * * * Random observation: How annoying is it for people to talk on a cellphone in the supermarket? Situation: I'm shopping for meager supplies the other day in Kroger (beans, oatmeal, salt pork, etc.), and come across a mother/daughter pair. The mom looked to be about 40: Squat, overdone, over-coiffed, overtan. The jailbait looked about 15, apparently in love with whatever it took to get her hair that unnatural blonde color. Now, we've all done that thing whe...

Folks, here's an example of how not to be: I beat myself up when I don't know something at work. No matter how obscure, minute, weird, odd, or undocumented a factoid there is, I feel like I should know it. It's just frickin' impossible. Just as an architect need not know every bolt in the building, I don't need to know every line of my server. I realize that on an intellectual level. Just can't internalize it at all.... Link to my product: MarkVision Professional We lovingly call it MVP :)

Now, we all know that basketball is a religion in this state, but it would seem Centre College, that bastion of endowment and imbibing from Danville, has confirmed it via its curriculum.

In deference to someone very close to me, I'm moved to speak again on the Special Election: I was flip before. I apologize. I am not glad that Chandler won. In the grand scheme of things, Forgy-Kerr's platform suits my political leanings closely, and it would've been better had she won. THAT BEING SAID, if political candidates continue to treat their potential constituents as imbeciles, running negative campaign ad after campaign ad, the process is going to grind to a screeching halt. Given the tenor of the ads, I'm surprised that Ben Chandler's penis size wasn't called into question. (Though, generally, I'd argue Alice Forgey-Kerr has bigger balls, regardless). I'm normally immune to the mud slung betwixt the aisles, but in this instance, it got to me, mainly because I realized how much of it was coming from the Washington Political Machines of both parties. Call me old-fashioned, but House races are all about constituents and issues close...

Blog topics this morning: Disney buys Muppets As they say, resistence is futile My cameras 'n' stuff Not much to say about Mickey's hostile takeover of Kermit, really. I just hope that Miss Piggy isn't starstruck with affection for that uber-powerful mouse. Dang mice, taking all our good, decent pigs! * * * Cameras. Photography. I guess you could say I've got a fetish here more than a hobby. I love photography, but I'm one of those photogs who's pretty-much as into his photo equipment as his pictures. I've got several lenses that exist just b/c I though they were neat. I have two basic systems: One uses a lensmount from the 1960's, the other from the 1930's. Yes, I'm a luddite when it comes to equipment. My SLR (Single Lens Reflex) system is based around good, old Pentax glass, made by Ashai optics in Japan. Back in the day, Pentax was THE hobby brand to have, but the auto-focus, auto-everything revoluti...

On the special Election: Looks like Ben Chandler won the special election for the 6th Distict Congressional seat. I'm a Republican, but I'm glad Chandler won. Forgy-Kerr ran a negative, despicable campaign that reeked of Washington influence, particularly that of Rich Mitch McConnell. Didn't distinguish herself as a candidate, nor did she deem it necessary to show up for the only formal debate on the issues. BTW, I voted Libertarian, a vote in protest of both of these losers.

Quite alot to 'blog about today... First, saw an excellent debate last night on KET (Kentucky Educational Television) regarding the issue of Same-Sex marriage. Honestly, I'm not for it. Barring the religious, moral implications of redefining marriage as a union between consenting adults, sanctioned by the gov't, it seems like a willful attack on an institution that works: Union between a man and a woman that they might raise children with influence from both the male and female, the Yin and Yang, the Venus and Mars. Forgive me for being trite, but seems like there's nothing like the nuclear family (or, even the Eastern Kentucky version, the Thermonuclear 12-member-plus-35-member-extended-family family). I'm glad to have grown up with the influence of a mother and a father, and think any child would benefit from such. I'm conservative. Sue me. Random: The poor, elderly minister from the Lexington Theological Seminary who was on there DEFENDING ...

TheWB.com - Press Release : Well, looks like the Buffyverse is finally dead, that creation of Joss Whedon's mind that spawned nerd-heaven "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" will at least go into dormancy with the end of "Angel", Los Angeles-based spinoff from the earlier "Buffy" series. These shows represented consistent creative writing, acting, and characterization in an increasingly homogenized television landscape. Though not an "Angel" fan myself, I'll mark its passing with respect.

I drive a MINI Cooper. I race a MINI Cooper in Autocross. Here's a pic of me doing so: And I thought I'd hate the new Mini Cabrio with a passion, but I kinda like it. Really opens-up the car and it doesn't look as chunky & girly as I thought it would.

While blogging is a great, cleansing, theraputic thing, it can be uncomfortable for your friends to read about the machinations of your current relationship, sexual escapades, personal trials and troubles, and your co-workers. So, it's good to have more than one 'blog, I think. One you can give to your friends and comrades in arms. Something that's more like a journal and less like a diary. This one's named after 'Harvid', my personality with the most book sense. The other parts of me are fun and interesting, but not necessarily for public consumption (at least by those people who know me and/or have to work with me.) This is where I plan to write about the issues that affect my life, sans those things so personal to me that they warrant being in my private blog. The tone will vary from formal to trashy, depending upon mood and subject matter. Don't have much to say currently, but here are some of the topics I'm itching to talk about: ...