After a great deal of anxiety and soul searching regarding Zoë and her developmental delay (which could be minor or major, we just don't know yet), I've decided that I don't care if she's ever "normal". Normalcy is highly overrated. I don't mind having an eccentric, odd, quirky child.

What does frighten me is that she'll end up in the school system and be bullied and abused because she's different. I took a great deal of abuse from my peers (and the occasional teacher) because I was an oddball. I won't allow that to happen to Zoë, and I'll do anything to see that it doesn't.

For now, I'm happy to report that she's talking more every day and she's getting much more communicative not only with us at home but with other people, as well. She may just be delayed in a couple of areas and with therapy she'll "catch up". Whether she does or not, we'll make it our job to help her however we can, but making her "normal" isn't going to work. She's not normal. I'm certainly not, nor is her father. In fact, pretty much the whole family are eccentric in one way or another. None of us were people who particularly fit in. Hardly surprising that Zoë's a bit of an oddball, too.

As I write this, she's sitting on my lap, giving me hugs and kisses and singing a little song that sounds something like, "I got a kiss, kiss, kiss, I got a kiss, kiss, kiss"...

Just added this to my quotes database:

"Eccentricity is one of the hallmarks of strong
characters and original minds."

- Andrew Garve

Regular readers will probably know I used to be a support tech for a medium large ISP in the American Midwest. I loved that job, although it could be frustrating at times, and I have to tell you, working at that job just completely confirmed all of my dislike of stupid people and confirmed all of my cynical pre-conceived notions about the nature of human beings.

And, frankly, working as a support tech will make ANYone cynical. I'm convinced of that.

Anyway, one of the places we provided support for had a reputation for being full of utter morons. There was a big maximum security prison in the city, and apparently a lot of families moved there to be near Bubba while he did his term for armed robbery or whatever. In fact, the prison was the only real ongoing industry in the city, which had once been fairly big and thriving, but economies change, etc. It had become a place with lots of cheap housing, which does tend to draw a certain sort of "lower" element of society...

I'll refer to this city as Dumbville, which was the actual nickname we used for the place.

A newish support tech was on the phone with a client. General Manger, who was NOT a Suit or a Sales Weasel but rather a techie who had a fair bit of business experience, walked into the tech lair. Newish tech is looking somewhat confused and/or stressed. Tech asks the person on the phone to hold, lowers the phone, and turns to the General Manager.

Tech asks GM question, something along the lines of, "This person is trying to do [something that should be really simple] but they can't. I've been on the phone with them for a while now, but I can't figure out what the problem is. Any ideas?"

GM mimes/says quietly, "Are they on hold?"

Tech sort of half nods in a non-comittal way.

GM then asks, "Are they from Dumbville?"

Tech nods tiredly and rolls his eyes.

GM then launches into a loud and highly derogatory rant about how Dumbville is full of complete and total morons. Tech goes pale. Tech raises phone to ear and stammers something like, "Uhhh... you there?" GM goes red. Phone had NOT been on hold. Client heard the whole rant. Client was NOT pleased.

I can't remember how they got out of that one, actually...

And no, the newish tech wasn't me. He did learn his lesson, though. He ALWAYS used the actual "hold" button from that day forward.

John Howard (Australia's Prime Minister, a man I neither like nor respect) said the other day in response to the massive peace rallies around Australia that, basically, the people who make anti-Bush (and anti-Howard) statements and protest war must basically be pro-Sadaam Hussein.

How's that for idiotic reasoning?

Look, I think Hussein is a dangerous man. I think he's probably close to what I'd call diabolical. I think he IS a threat to the people in his region, if not to the world (and hey, he may be a threat to the world, too). I remember the Gulf War quite well, had several friends there (military family, remember?). I don't support him at ALL.

But at the same time, I have to believe that the United Nations is a body worth listening to. I have to believe that when a country such as the United States goes on about how Hussein is violating United Nations regulations and then wants to violate United Nations regulations in order to retalitate, something's wrong. I just have to believe that a big, well-trained team of weapons inspectors who are apparently being given secret intelligence information to do their inspections should be allowed to do their jobs before Dubya and his "Coalition of the Willing" go romping in like a bunch of cowboys on a Saturday night.

You can tell this whole war thing has me pretty worked up. Normally, I hate political talk. Politicians come and go, and some are better than others, but overall, it's all still just politics and life goes on (yes, that's pretty much how I feel about it). But for me to make public statments about this... I guess you could say I need to vent (and I don't care who does or doesn't agree with me, because I don't want to change other people's opinions, I only want to express my own).

Wars and rumors of wars... Nothing like signs of the apocalypse to put a person at ease, hmmm?

Subject: I Need Homeworkers

My reaction: I'm sorry, the dog ate my homeworkers.

The Bush deficit of $304 billion will be the largest in history. Note: The link is to a highly biased website (it's pretty much anti-Bush in every way you can think of). However, it's got some good information on the deficit and some of Dubya's proposals for how to waste the American taxpayer's money and send the nation into what will eventually be a fianancial tailspin.

And yet again, I am thankful that I'm no longer an American taxpayer (I pay Australian taxes, since I'm a permanent resident; it's NOT true that you have to pay taxes to the IRS even if you live and earn in another country). I'd be mighty angry about this if I were. Hell, I'm angry about it anyway, because I AM an American...

Again, the topic of "talent" versus "hard work" has come into my awareness. It always kinda bugs me. It's like you have this mystical thing called "talent" which means you just wave a magic wand and you can do fabulous things, or you don't have this "talent" stuff and you have to slave and work to get anything accomplished.

Folks, it doesn't work that way.

I've been making pictures since I learned what a crayon could do. No blank space was safe. This included walls and the undersides of tables (which got me into trouble regularly). The blank pages in my books always got filled up pretty quickly, as well. I couldn't stand to see a clean, blank piece of paper go unused.

When I got older, I started entering contests and shows and winning ribbons and awards of various sorts. I'm pretty good at this making pictures stuff. I have a fair amount of natural ability as well as a keen interest. Oh, and the college coursework in Fine and Applied Art and Design did a lot for me, as well.

However, talent and/or ability and training notwithstanding, I DO still have to work at it. It's a big misnomer to think that people with natural ability/talent for something just spew forth remarkable works without effort. My husband is a brilliantly talented programmer, but he still has to work hard at it. His programs are excellent and he's very thorough, but it's not like he just sits down and the code just floats onto the screen and commits itself to disk, bug free.

The same is true of artists. There may well be a lot of natural ability and talent there, but it's unreasonable to think that there's no work involved, and that there's no effort put forth and no hair being pulled out while you try to figure out how to make something work.

This is true of all professions, of all abilities, although for some reason we only attribute this mystical "talent" thing to creative pursuits. Some people are brilliant with numbers, but we don't think of their excellent works in mathematics as some sort of rare, mystical "talent" (well, most don't; personally, I think the ability to understand numbers IS mystical). We don't say, "Oooh, you're a physicist! Do you have to work at that, or does it just flow naturally?" "An accountant, how exciting! Do you have to actually work to get the books to balance, or does it just come to you in a dream state?"

ALL people have natural talents and abilities of various sorts. Some are more conspicuous than others. Some are perceived as more mystical than others. But I believe firmly that no matter how much natural talent or ability someone has, they always have to keep working at it. A high-quality end product doesn't just magically materialize without effort.

Frankly, I wish I had a little more natural ability to organize and more natural inclination to be neat. I think I'd trade some of my more esoteric talents and/or abilities for a neater house...

I was just thinking the other day that it had been a long time since I got any Moron Mail™. I guess I spoke too soon, because today in my inbox was a not terribly polite message from someone who could tell that I wasn't a Christian but then decided that maybe I was and if so, I had to explain a particular passage of the Bible to him for some reason or other. He offered to convert me, and he apparently took exception to the triquetra symbol on The Trinity Pages (which state VERY CLEARLY that they are non-religious and have nothing to do with the orthodox concept of a triune deity, but he probably didn't bother to read that). He awaits my reply.

He's going to be awaiting for a long time.

The thing that annoys me is this whole concept that you can or even should convert random people whose websites you encounter on the net. What's that all about? The man obviously knows nothing about me except that I use an ancient symbol as a graphical device on a website about recovery from trauma, and that I don't believe that the King James version of the Bible is the One and True Official Word of God™ and the final word in English translations of the Bible (I've got more than a dozen English translations of the Bible, thank you very much).

Based on this, he's offering to either argue with me about some passage of the Bible which is of no interest to me at all (I don't argue about the whole triune deity thing because I have found that it's an utterly fruitless argument that gets absolutely nowhere), and if I can't "provide proof" to him of something or other regarding that passage, he's happy to convert me to his way of thinking/believing.

I wish I could think of something pithy and amusing to say here, but I'm afraid I can't. I haven't been sleeping well and I'm having a very disorganized day so far. About the last thing on my mind is justifying my choice of design motif to some total stranger who wants to challenge me to some sort of prooftext duel or convert me.

I just wonder why people think this sort of random quasi-evangelism is going to do any good whatsoever. I can tell you all it does is tick me off.

Fascinating article on how people are emotionally affected by sounds they can't hear (i.e., infrasound).

Cannot find Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Nice Tits!

Take the quiz and see. (I did pretty well, getting ten out of fourteen correct.)

I've always subscribed to the theory that handedness (i.e., your preference for using your right or left hand) is related to the position you took in the womb. It's certainly not genetic (although once believed to be, that theory has been disproved). Now some scientists think that the way you prefer to turn your head while kissing may be related to pre-birth experience, as well.

Justice Dept. Drafts Sweeping Expansion of Anti-Terrorism Act. I'm all for fighting terrorist activities, but does creating what is effectively a police state seem like a good plan here, folks? (And not for the first time, I am grateful that I no longer live in the United States and I worry about loved ones who are still there.)

Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences. It speaks for itself.

HOW UNIX USERS REPRODUCE

BABY(1) USER COMMANDS BABY(1)

NAME
BABY - create new process from two parent processes

SYNOPSIS
BABY sex [ name ]

SYSTEM V SYNOPSIS
/usr/5bin/BABY [ -sex ] [ -name ]

AVAILABILITY
The System V version of this command is available with the Sys-
tem V software installation option. Refer to Installing
SunOS 4.1 for information on how to install and invoke BABY.

DESCRIPTION
BABY is initiated when one parent process polls another server
process through a socket connection (BSD) or through pipes in the
system V implementation. BABY runs at a low priority for approximately
40 weeks then terminates with heavy system load. Most systems require
constant monitering when BABY reaches it's final stages of execution.

Older implentations of BABY required that the initiating
process not be present at the time of completion, In these versions
the initiating process is awakened and notified of the results upon
completion. Modern versions allow both parent processes to be active
during the final stages of BABY.

example% BABY -sex m -name fred

OPTIONS

-sex
option indicating type of process created.

-name
process identification to be attaced to the new process.

RESULT
Successful execution of the BABY(1) results in new process
being created and named. Parent processes then typically
broadcast messages to all other processes informing them of their
new status in the system.

BUGS
The SLEEP command may not work on either parent processes for some
time afterward, as new BABY processes constantly send interrupts
which must be handled by one or more parent.

BABY processes upon being created may frequently dump
in /tmp requireing /tmp to be cleaned out frequently by one
of the parent processes.

The original AT&T version was provided without instuctions
regarding the created process, this remains in current implementations.

SEE ALSO
cigars(6) dump(5) cry(3)

OTHER IMPLEMENTATIONS

gnoops(1)
FSF version of BABY where none of the authors will accept
responsibility for anything.

NOTES

baby -sex f -name Cathryn Leigh Beck

completed sucessfully at the Grey Nuns Hospital on March 30 at
9:59 P.M. after 5 hours of labour. New Mom Chenelle is doing
fine, as is the baby, Dad is tickled pink. Both will probably
come home sometime on Teusday. More information can be gotten
from Dad by e-mail or when he brings his new little girl by to
show her off (should be soon) Celebrations can probably begin
in earnest after Dad catches up on all the work he couldn't do
this weekend.

Sun Release 4.1 Last change: Just before I left the hospital last.

Woohoo, my favorite columnist at The Onion is back. Only Smoove B would promise that "If French toast is not what you desire, I will find another nationality of toast that suits you." What a guy.

These are pretty useful, I find.

I've just added this to the random quote file:

"War is the admisson that politics have failed, and violence is the tool of incompetence." - G.Schroeder

I think that just about sums it up. Pity certain politicians aren't willing to give politics the opportunity to work, and are incompetent enough to fall back on brute force and violence.

I've been keeping my mouth shut in public about the whole political situation with Bush's war and England using twelve-year-old information they got off the net to support their claims and so forth. I don't like political debate. I don't enjoy it.

But now, apparently, the United States has decided that France is "no longer an ally".

You know what this sounds like to me? A bully/brat child in the playground saying to another kid who won't do what they say, "You're not my friend any more! Nyah, nyah!"

And just for the record, I'm not necessarily "anti-war". I think war is horrific and deeply regrettable, but in this imperfect world sometimes it's a necessary evil. But I AM against vendettas and the destruction of centuries old alliances for the sake of some sort of vengeance for something that may or may not even be a valid concern. France has said, "Let the inspectors do their jobs before you go to war." Bush has apparently taken this as some sort of snub, attack, or sign of disloyalty.

I'm really fighting my urge to break out into personal insults against Dubya and his attitudes here. Let's just say that I'm sure he would have made a fine sherriff in the wild, wild west, gathering up his posse to go out and hang the bastards he believes burned Widow Johnson's farm. As a statesman in the 21st century, well, my opinion of him is pretty low.

It's also rather disquieting to realize that I'm actually in agreement with France, of all places...

Oh, and I'm just as disgusted with John Howard, Australia's Prime Minister. Maybe moreso. The majority of Australians think we shouldn't get involved unless there's a U.N. mandate, but John Howard seems to think that Australia should just do anything Dubya says to do, and that the U.N. is something that can be and SHOULD be ignored if they don't rule the way Dubya (and Howard) think they should.

I think the whole business is shameful. No wonder the Arab world hates Americans and, thanks to John Howard playing lap dog to George Bush (and some other policies Howard has in place), is starting to hate Australians, as well.

This student needs to be slapped around a little bit until he gets over himself.

This news story is just odd. Why wombats? Maybe only because they're too slow to get out of the way... ?

I went to send a little text message to Lori to let her know I'd gotten a mobile phone. Now, I've sent SMS before. I find it awkward, but it's not that difficult. Except that it was. The stupid phone kept trying to second guess me and rewrite all my words. It hated my name (apparently, as far as Nokia is concerned, I'm "cannon"). I got pretty frustrated and handed the thing to Andrew to figure out and it turns out it's got a dictionary and it anticipates what it thinks you're trying to write and won't believe you when you use a word it doesn't know.

How's that for annoying? Why the hell would you need a spell checker for TEXT messages?! I mean, you're not writing a thesis, here, folks. It's a little note of 120 characters or less, who cares if it's spelled correctly?! And how annoying is it that it wouldn't let me type my own name? (To be fair, there is a way to get around that, but it's a pain in the neck).

Once we figured out what was going on, I took the phone back and looked for and found the option to turn the stupid dictionary OFF. I think I can manage to spell my text messages without Nokia's intervention. I also think I can spell my own name...