Myers-Briggs

Lawdog posted today about the MBTI, which, like him, until I went to grad school I figured was a crock. ....then I took the test.

HOLY COW! No one has ever pigeon-holed me before, and I've posted on the topic before (here), but each time I look myself up (ENTJ-1.8% of the US population), I'm always re-amazed by just how accurate it is (to see my slot, check the prior story).

Most people tell me that I'm a dichotomy...it does too, but it does it in a nice way. So there.

Leave a comment of your type--I'd be interested to see what official personality both of you are (and truthfully, probably run some sort of statistical analysis on it since I am a knowledge-seeker that approaches life with a plan to organize...)

Nothing like a little music to raise your spirits

We in Oklatucky have been facing a funding crisis in education (to the current tune of $47 million, give or take a few pennies), but the legislature has been resistant to fix the problem. To all of you who thought that was just because they were lazy, take note. They've been working hard in our State Capitol. This was just released...GRR!

State Senate Supports Public Vote on Official State Rock Song

(For digital audio, go to www.oksenate.gov and select “News.”)

Oklahoma has an official state folk song, a country and western song, and of course an official state song. What it doesn’t have is an official rock and roll song. But a vote in the Senate has brought the state one step closer to choosing one. Sen. John Ford is Senate author of House Concurrent Resolution 1047 which was approved unanimously by the full Senate on Tuesday. The measure has already been approved by the House of Representatives.

“This resolution truly promotes and celebrates the history and influence of music in Oklahoma,” said Ford, who represents Craig, Nowata and Washington Counties. “What’s really exciting is that the public will be able to nominate their favorite tunes and choose from the finalists to select our official rock and roll song.”

Ford explained that the Oklahoma History Center will celebrate the state’s rock and roll heritage in an exhibit entitled “Another Hot Oklahoma Night,” slated to open in 2009. Under HCR 1047, the Oklahoma Historical Society will host a web site, www.oklahomarocksong.org, and have polling locations at special events and the History Center where the public can nominate an official rock and roll song.

In August of 2008, the nominations will be pared to ten songs by a panel of experts selected by the governor, legislative leaders, the Oklahoma Film and Music Commission and the Oklahoma Historical Society.

From September 1 to November 15, 2008, the public will have the final say, voting on the official Oklahoma rock and roll song, which will be presented to the Legislature in 2009.

Rep. Joe Dorman is the House author of the measure. He said people are already getting excited about naming the state’s official rock and roll song.

“The suggestions have already been rolling in, with people wanting to nominate songs by Oklahoma artists including The Flaming Lips, Hoyt Axton and Leon Russell,” said Dorman, D-Rush Springs. ‘There are a lot of great tunes from Oklahoma and about Oklahoma. This gives us a great opportunity to showcase those artists and let the public help us celebrate our rock and roll heritage.”

-END-

It's nice to know they're working on things that matter.

I’ll Take One To Go, Thanks.

or… "Fast Food"

This weekend was a ringing good time in the big "D"…I'm in pain, but when it's due to spending all day ringing, who is counting? Let us, however, go back in time to Friday afternoon…

I was slated to leave Slugdom around 3, but since all the bosses were gone, I figured I'd leave around 1:45. At 1:10, the powers that be decided to test the fire alarm system. At 1:25, when the test was still in progress, I told the other girl that I was going to lunch and wouldn't be back. I cruised over to Taco Hell to grab some "food" so I wouldn't really have to spend time stopped. I hit the road headed south and, alas, as I passed the exit to go to my apartment, I passed the Gentle Giant, a friend and ringer in my choirs who was also headed south for the weekend o' ringing. After much honking and waving, he decided to follow me to Dallas.

About 20 miles into the trip, we hit a MAJOR traffic jam…I-35 down to one lane, stopped traffic as far as the eye could see. GG called me from two cars behind (a car slipped in for 15 miles!) to lament about the state of his hunger, ruing that he neglected to stop at a Taco Hell before leaving the metro. I told him that I had half of a caramel apple empanada left over that he was welcome to, and he wondered at how to get it to him. Since traffic had never quite STOPPED in the jam, and was just rolling along about 5 miles per hour, this did present a dilemma.

Ever resourceful, however, I wrapped it up in my Taco Hell bag, opened my car door, and placed it neatly on the outside of the yellow line on the road. The woman in the car between us gaped at me in horror, which was exacerbated when she saw GG drive up to the bag, open his door, and retrieve that bag in her rearview. He then commenced munching happily, much to the shock and chagrin of both the old-timers in the car behind him and the woman watching in the rearview.

 

The woman driving car between us changed lanes.

My momma said there’d be days like this, but I didn’t believe her.

Some people have the "luck of the Irish" and some people have notoriously bad luck. I usually fall somewhere in between, but yesterday turned from a dreary, crappy day to a seriously dreary comedy of errors.

On my way to lunch yesterday, a girl decided to change lanes, and got an object lesson in Newton's laws of motion, as well as the fundamental law of matter: two pieces of matter cannot occupy the same space at the same time. (Only minor damage occurred, and none to me…) After getting the pertinent information from her, I took the afternoon off to take my car to get the driver's side mirror replaced. She decided to pay the cost out of pocket, so I had to fill out a TON of paperwork and hassle to make sure that the bill would, indeed, be paid. After a couple hours of this, I ended up calling Enterprise to rent a car since mine wouldn't be finished until this afternoon.

They came and picked me up and stuffed me, the 4^th and 5^th octave of Schulmerich chimes, and all of my assorted flotsam that I was taking from my car into the back seat of a PT Cruiser. The guy in the front seat was totally not amused (especially when I ended up with his stuff on my lap to make way for the chimes). By the time we leave the body shop, it is pouring rain, and we get soaked on our way into the car rental shop.

Come to find out, Enterprise has two cars available: a Kia Spectra or … the PT Cruiser we just went for a ride in. The other passenger and I look incredulously at each other and at the same time say, "Are you kidding?!?" He (thankfully) decided to take an upgrade, leaving me with the Kia Soupcan. The lady starts putting my information in the computer, and just as she finishes, there is a HUGE flash of lightning and the power goes off.

It was only off for about 5 minutes, but when it came back on, one of the agents said (and, no, I'm NOT kidding), "Wow. The computer is off. Is it safe to turn on?" After we did get her to turn her computer back on, she said, "I can't believe it came on! I KNOW I saw a huge flash right before it went off." To which I replied under my breath: "Of course. It was lightning."

The other customer started cracking up. That got her attention, so he did some fast talking to cover my ass (thank you Unknown Gentleman!).

Since it was raining, they were nice and pulled the Soupcan into the "maintenance garage" (read: a small space the size of my apartment's kitchen) to load the chimes. After much schlepping, we got the chimes into the teeny-weeny trunk and I was ready to sign the paperwork. Then we noticed the totally flat driver's side tire.

Unschlepped the chimes and loaded them into the (free upgrade) Ford Explorer. I'm on my way. Excellent. Went to lunch at 3:30 to celebrate.

I decided to go to the bank to get cash for the weekend, and my card slid out of the ATM right under the Explorer. I tried to get out to pick it up, but between my boots and my boobs, I was wedged in. The bank employees were enjoying my distress and finally, I just drove the Explorer out and walked through the ATM. It was still raining.

I went home on my way to make a recording for the band director, and as soon as I got out, God turned on the Heavenly Faucet. I got instantly drenched, and was not protected from the brutal north wind by my north-facing apartment. I opened the door, and slid on the tile into splits that would do an Olympic gymnast proud. In the process, I bent my house key, rendering my apartment open to the masses while I was out recording. Joyful.

This morning, I get a call from the girl who hit me. She thinks that we have some things in common. We're having dinner together tonight. (No, it's NOT a date. She's married.)

Does this stuff happen to anyone else? All in the same day?!? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

By the way...

I won.

The program covers are black and gold and gorgeous.

:-)

Way to go Slug-ger. (Part 3)

Where Captain Compensation attempts a world-shattering decision: blue or black.

From where I sit now, this is the most recent of the Cap’n Chronicles, but I’m sure it’s not the last.

Remember the notorious certificate with one-inch margins? I was enlisted to create a program cover for the same event:

Time: 6 weeks ago. Scene: Cap’n enters my office holding an old program from this event.

CC: I would like this to be updated. The new event date is April X, 2008.
Me: No problem. What color do you want? (It’s a one or two color document)
CC: It’s always been blue.
Me: Well, actually, last year was the first year it was blue. Every other year it had been red, but there were printing issues last year. Even so, I need to know what color you want it to be this year.
CC: Don’t care.
Me: OK. I’ll get it done and send you a proof.

Time: 5 weeks and 3 days ago.
This is (seriously) a cut and paste job…the email I sent him:

Cap’n, here is the cover. The files are fairly small, so you should be able to open them on your computer. They’re all black printing with the gold seal and a black binding. (Was I NUTS?!? It’s just a PDF. What should make me think that he could open it?!?)

Time: Last week.

Printer: Cap’n was just down here bitching that these were supposed to be blue.
Me: Sigh. (Told her the whole story…)
Printer: Well, I’ve already run them and think they look HOT like they are, but it’s up to you.
Me: I’ll call Cap’n and see what’s on his squirrely little mind.

*Ring, ring*

Me: I was just going to confirm the program covers. Printer said you had some problems with them?
CC: They were supposed to be blue.
Me: I wasn’t aware of that.
CC: I brought you the old cover and told you to update it exactly as it was.
Me: After which I specifically asked you what color you wanted, and you said you didn’t care.
CC: I told you that it had always been blue.
Me: And I told you that it had ALWAYS been red, but was changed last year due to printing issues.
CC: (trying to cut me off with his sputtering)
Me: Listen. Blue, black, red, purple, or green, I don’t give a flip. I just want straight answers. The printer has printed them in black after you said they were fine that way. Would you rather have them blue?
CC: Well, you and she already decided.
Me: No, I’m asking you, BLUE or BLACK?
CC: (more sputtering)
Me: Look. I don’t care if it’s your fault, my fault, the printer’s fault, or happened because Mercury was in retrograde. I’m just telling you that this conversation will NOT happen again. When you bring me a job, and I ask what color you want and how you want the design to look, and you respond that you don’t care, I WILL do the job, and it WILL be to everyone’s approval. If you aren’t counted in EVERYONE, it will not be my problem. If you want something to be purple and fuchsia, just let me know. I’ll be happy to oblige. However, if you don’t tell me that, do NOT go crying to everyone above you that I refused to do what you wanted done. I have the logs of our conversations. You won’t win.

*Click.*

Clarinazi: 3
Captain Compensation: 0

…to be continued. I’m sure of it.

I may have posted this before, but it still gives me goosebumps

This is amazing...if you don't get chills on the Picardy third, you're a sick, sick person!

Way to go, Slug-ger. (Part 2)

Where Captain Compensation is incredulous at the fact that I am *mostly* educated

We have a ceremony approaching for all the officially smart high school seniors, and as part of being officially smart, each participant receives several nifty items that will sit in a box for the rest of time. One of these items is a certificate that I created. Envision your standard, go-to type certificate…now add a Caesar-type wreath logo, and that’s pretty much it.

Ring, ring…Enter Cap’n.

CC: “You’re going to have to print out the certificate and bring it upstairs to me.”
Me: “Why? I just emailed a PDF to you in color.”
CC: “Well, you know that my computer doesn’t open PDF files, and I don’t have a color printer.” (Aside: Are you effing KIDDING me?!? His computer is so adept at opening Solitaire that he doesn't even have to click the icon. It automatically starts at 8 a.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m.)
Me: “If you drag the attachment to the desktop, you should be able to open the file. That is the point behind the PDF document.”
CC: “Well, my computer just won’t open it. I’ll come down and get a copy.”
Me: “Whatever you want to do is fine.”

Enter Cap’n…literally.

CC: “Do you have the certificate printed for me?”
Me: “No. I’ve been busy in the last 20 minutes.”
Print out certificate…
CC: “I’m a little worried about the margins of the certificate. I don’t think people would be able to frame it with their diploma.” (Right. Because they’re going to.)
Me: “It’s exactly as we discussed last week, and looks identical to all my degrees and certificates, so I’m certain that framing will not be a problem.”
CC: “All your degrees?”
Me: “Yes.”
CC: “All your degrees?”
Me: “Yes, all my degrees and certificates.”
CC: “All your degrees?”
Me: “Are you deaf? Yes. All my degrees and certificates. Just as I said.”
CC: “Just how many degrees and certificates could you possibly have?”
Me: “Well, let’s see…there’s the high school diploma, which doesn’t really count for these purposes, along with the certificate that matches it from where I was Valedictorian…then there is the undergraduate degree and certificate that says I graduated from the University of Oklahoma…Magna cum laude…then there’s the Master of Business Administration and accompanying certificate that says I was top in my class in graduate school…so, not counting the various other awards I’ve received over the years, that comes to roughly, um, six. I think that’s a fairly accurate number for the purpose of one-inch margins, wouldn’t you say?”

There was no response; he just got up and stomped out of my office, slammed the door, and called my boss to complain when he got to his office. She laughed in his ear and hung up on him. WOOT!

(And if you’re wondering: yes, that conversation was VERBATIM. He asked me that three times as if I were lying to the likes of him…Why would I bother?!?)

Clarinazi: 2
Captain Compensation: 0

...to be continued