This morning at the gym, the treadmills were all taken so I had to mount my back-up aerobics appliance, the Versa-Climber - it's kind of like a stair-master, with added handholds that also go up and down. As I become such a sweaty mess on the treadmill I remove my glasses before running, but since they stay on the Versa-Climber I gaze at the TV set, today tuned to the morning show - whichever one it is, I despise them all - in fact, back in the early 80's when the formats became standardized I'd tell anyone who listened that I think watching television in the morning is really bad for you <1>. Today's show, a local, was mildly interesting for its live-cam views of traffic on the Bay Area bridges, but was dumb in its production - common on all televised news - why do they show a segment of film, then a few minutes later show the exact same clip? It's so lazy - do something, anything the next time to make it seem even a little different!

So... Did you take your daughter to work today? I hope so - generally I approve of this concept. It can be tainted somewhat - I hope you didn't take your sons, too; even though that's allowed - letting in the little boys spoils everything, IMO. Yesterday's dreadful meeting experience occurred while I was working on-site at TRW - like everything that company touches (they told me the abbreviation meant "Turkeys Running Wild"), a good idea is eventually rendered hincky there - daughters brought to work were deposited with the day care people (so interference would be limited with the Very Important [and sometimes Top Secret] Work TRW does) where they were entertained all day - perhaps by even showing them some people working, briefly. Part of their day's activity was putting together a little rap-vocalized dance routine, which was performed in the cafeteria to the "delight" of the lunch-room crowd. This was the same cafeteria where TRW occaisionally provided live musical entertainment - a mariachi band for Cinquo de Mayo and an oom-pah band for Oktoberfest (but no beer's available in that messhall, sorry.)

I began reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy - many posters to rec.arts.books say this is the good stuff, and after a few pages I think I agree!

Tomorrow marks my one-year futon anniversary - I'm going to celebrate by buying a mattress set this weekend, i.e. getting a real bed. Not that the futon's uncomfortable - I find it quite adequate for sleeping, but I need a guest bed, and I don't mind delegating the futon to that rôle.

"More Schools and Less Jails
 More Leisure and Less Greed"