aggienaut | Entries tagged with working

   There was a major lull in the bee business for a few weeks up until about two weeks ago. A dry spell in Spring caused the local colonies not to reproduce at the usual rate and so we only got a few calls a day for awhile. As we sat around the office we consoled ourselves saying that as bad as it was for us, it had to be worse for our competitors (since we have more contracts than anyone else and are generally more established).
   Now the season's picked up again, but it looks like our competitors all laid off their bee people (a lot of them are pest control companies that do other things), or critically reduced their staff. We've gotten a number of calls lately where people mentioned that none of the other companies said they could work them in.
   Yesterday Ryan the Elder & I went for lunch at the Lamppost Pizza by my house. It turns out the general manager there is the (former) bee guy from OC Pest Control!
   OC Pest Control, for that matter, keeps driving past the front of our garage even thtough they have no reason to go that way (we're in the back corner of a building). I think they're trying to see how busy we are to decide if they need a new bee guy.

   In other news, despite earlier statements that "the best way to celebrate labour day is to labour!" Boss Dave has given me Monday off, so I have a rare two day weekend!!
   Kristy moved in down in San Diego today, so I'm a gonna head down there.

Current Music: Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died

   I arrive at Court on Friday to find a table there is absolutely heaping with St Patricks Day themed desserts & snacks -- including TWO complete cakes, a set of cupcakes, as well as chips & dip et cetera. Someone remarks "If you want healthy food, its all in criminal division, they have celery & carrots and things." I wonder if the different faire is caused by subtle psychological nuances related to working in criminal versus civil division, or merely a groupthink effect forged by the personalities of people who happen to work in the respective divisions.

   On Saturday Kristy & I made an expedition to Roseville and retrieved my Mercedes.
   On Sunday I put the car through a trial run .. by driving it the 400+ miles from Davis down to Orange County.
   On Monday I hung out with my good friend Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Aviv, who's back on leave from the USCGC¹ WPC-13² Shamal. We (Him & I plus two of his friends) were nerdcore and went to this place that has like 200 networked computers and played Battlefield 2.
   Today is Tuesday, I don't know what I'm doing this evening yet, but hopefully I'm doing something.
   Tomorrow, Wednesday, I return to Davis.
   On Thursday, Kristy & I are seeing Franz Ferdinand in Sacramento.
   On Friday a large group of us, approximately consisting of the group of people who usually go on the annual New Years Tahoe trip (which didn't occur this year), will go on a roadtrip down to Vegas. We will return on Monday.

¹United States Coast Guard Cutter
²W? Patrol Coastal

   My internet is acting extremely wonky at the moment. Pages on livejournal & wikipedia are opening fine, but most other pages are not opening at all. Previous to these problems there had been no changes to the set up here since last night when everything was working fine -- except Myspace;
   Myspace is also not loading at all now, but yesterday my login would bring me to the "register new user" page. If I typed in an obviously bogus login, it would tell me I had the wrong username/password, and I further confirmed that it was recognizing my login by telling it I forgot my password and verifying that the information it sent back to me was what I was typing in -- so for some reason its recognizing my login as not a nonaccount or incorrect login, but sending me to the register new account screen.
   And of course AIM is down. This is all extremely alarming because AIM is the principal way I communicate with people and during my very short stay here its extremely important to me to try to make the most out of my visit and see as many of my friends as I can. Myspace is also important to this goal.. I was able to briefly get through and post a bulletin announcing I'm in town, but otherwise I'm cut off from myspace as well for some reason. )=
   Update 9:24pm - things seem to be working better now.

In Other News: So I have a radio in my room here, unlike in Davis, so I'm catching up with whats on the radio now ... and its SHIT. Man what crap, I'm not missing anything. I'm suprised by how often Green Day - When September Ends is still on, man I loathe that song. I can't believe such an obnoxious affliction to the ears was spawned by Green Day. --update 6:44 GOD ITS ON AGAIN!!!! IT MAKES ME WANT TO DIE

Picture of the Day

Bailey celebrates St Patricks Day
He had a moment of celebrity as the St Patricks Day image on the front page of Daviswiki for most of the day.
See also: stuffonmycat.com

Previously on Emosnail
   Two Years and a Week Ago Yesterday: Brown Act Ethics - Though the Brown Act does not presume to apply to every little non-governmental organization, the ethical sentiments expressed in it are transferable. The subject of this entry is the explusion of non-officers from executive meetings of Davis MUN. I don't know whether they still do, but I know other organizations also regularly exclude non officers from the officer meetings, and I think you should know that that is probably not ethically defensible.
         ALSO: "The idea that career employees may act with impunity to the Court is to accept that they do not work among us at the employ of the ASUCD government but rather supervise an incompetent student play-government. I need hardly point out that the latter precept which is necessary for the argument in favor of their impunity is insulting to anyone that participates in the ASUCD government." After some convincing testimony by Mark Champagne, we concluded that "it is clear that at the time of the original writing of the Judicial Codes, the possibility that this situation could arise was not anticipated. By accident of writing therefore, the Codes could have indicated either way. Despite extreme ambiguity, it appears that the Codes expected Defendants always to be undergraduate students of UC Davis" (Case # 24). HOWEVER, in a terribly constructed sentence, we clarify: "We find not that the ASUCD Supreme Court does not have jurisdiction over university employee union members, but specifically that the codes imply that they cannot act as Defendants in our court system. There is no reason to believe they are exempt from Court Orders that do not impose direct disciplinary action upon them."
   Two Years and a Week Ago Today: ASUCD Purchases Firetruck - Jenn de la Vega reports. Two years later the Aggie Pack Firetruck bears no ASUCD logos or other signs of gratitude for ASUCD's gift of the firetruck to Aggie Pack (a non ASUCD unit), nor has it paid ASUCD back any of the promised funds. ALSO, "Would you say this air conditioning is adequate.... or would you say its pretty fuckin weak?" -My Russian Lecturer, Avrom Brown.
   Two Years Ago Last Wednesday: SCANDAL SCANDAL - Reportedly, you do not --I repeat NOT-- need a "Number 2" pencil to fill out teacher evaluation forms as official sources would have you believe, but a faculty informant reveals "as long as it is dark enough, a pen would probably suffice"!! Also I deliver SGAO a minor smackdown regarding the nonposting of documents. Two years later Court documents are still not put online by SGAO -- but the Court's determined that the Senate is responsible for overtasking SGAO without giving them enough resources to accomplish everything (Case # 32).
   Two Years Ago Last Thursday: Disappearing Aggie Article - RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED: An Aggie article about two ASUCD Supreme Court cases filed against Creative Media mysteriously disappears from the website. Incidently, Creative Media at the time controlled the Aggie website. A reason for the disappearance was never revealed, but now the Aggie doesn't cover ASUCD Court cases at all.
   Two Years Ago Last Saturday: Corned Beef & Ice Cream Sandwiches - I get this extreme craving for corned beef and cabbage and only realize hours later that its St Patricks Day.. weird coincidence. This St Patricks Day, other than the food at work, I forgot about it until my little brother drunkenly called me and asked why I wasn't drinking -- it took me a few minutes to realize why I ought to be drinking at all. I seem to have a history of ambivalence about this day.
   Two Years Ago Today: Last Summer in Review - A weird time to finally get around to it. Also, I don't know how I'm going to get to OC for break.

   Last night a reference was added to the ASUCD Senate History page about a case filed by ASUCD vs the Regents. I poked around on Lexis-Nexis, but couldn't find such a case.
   This morning while at work at the Yolo Superior Court, I was thinking about this case. It suddenly occured to me that if such a case existed, it would have been filed with this very Court! I searched Jalan our computer database, but it didn't have anything previous to the early nineties, so I went back to working on the case index I was assembling. Where would I be able to find a case filed previous to computers?
   ...On a paper index I suppose -- and then I realized that was what I was working on. I found the case two pages from where I was already in the 880 page binder.

   Now that I had the case number I could go look up the actual case. Cases previous to 98 are kept across the street in "the Bunker," so I grabbed some cases that needed to be conveyed there anyway and headed out. This involves having security let me out the secret employee entrance, going across the street the sheriff's department annex, using my key to get from the entryway into the courtyard, unlocking gate leading down some stairs, unlocking door into lower levels, proceeding through the entirely manila hall and unlocking the door marked "evidence / property storage," to reveal shelves and shelves of forgotten cases. But alas they only went down to 1987 and it was an 83 case. So I have to retrace my steps.
   Later I find out that older cases have been taken offsite to McClellin Air Force Base (wtf?).
   Reportedly a summary of this case was discovered in the ASUCD Vice President's office (wtf?), so I guess I'll just have to be content with that for now.

In Other News: My car is reportedly repaired. Now I need to find a way to get it back from Roseville.. preferably tomorrow (Thursday) )=

   Like I said, my camera is working again. This is the Yolo County Superior Courthouse, where I spend much of my time these days.

   Note the POW/MIA flag that flies in front of the Courthouse. It always seems to me that this flag must seem slightly ironic to the many who come and go from the Courthouse in chains.
   Incidently, Wikipedia doesn't have an entry on the POW/MIA flag. I've always wondered what the deal is with it.

   All in all the Courthouse is kept pretty spotless. This is the only graffiti in the restroom. Given that its in a pretty visable location and it appears that graffiti around it has been erased, I think the maintanance people have found it amusing.

   On my first day working there my supervisor Gail looked over the filing I was doing and remarked "good, it looks like you're doing it all right ... but of course if you weren't it would be my fault for improperly instructing you." This struck me as a particularly enlightened philosophy others should take note of -- that if one has subordinates and they are operating sub-par, rather than blame it all on them, the ranking individual should consider it entirely their own responsibility to ensure quality operations.

In Other News:
   (1)Contention continued throughout the day on the Rob Roy / Talk page regarding whether the wiki would include any references to his allegedly racist public statements. Thomas Lloyd repeatedly declared himself to have won the argument and deleted all references he found offending, but I wouldn't let him get away with it. Then Lloyd dropped the Libel word, which is becoming somewhat like Godwin's Law on the wiki¹ I think (the Abebnego Woods troll alleged libel the other day as well), and illustrated his point with a link that clearly damaged his own point.
   Lest you get the wrong idea, it should be noted that I have not added any of the disputed content myself, and am not saying I think he's a racist; I am standing against the suppression of unfavored viewpoints & a double-standard in reporting.

   (2)Jurists across the world were saddened the other day by the death of Slobodon Milosevic while in custody in The Hague. Slobo's death denies thousands of the justice his conviction would have brought them.

¹"As a wiki discussion grows longer, the probability of someone incorrectly alleging libel approaches 1." - Call that Kris's Second Law (The first is that if the potential for drama is enough, anyone can and will find your livejournal)

Previously on Emosnail
   Year and a Week Ago Yesterday: The Politics of Character Assassination - More on the drama in MUN: I post links to the opposing arguments. Also, the BBC calls me for an opinion on US Supreme Court Cases (true story).
   Year and a Week Ago Today: UCBMUNC 2005 - In the middle of all our MUN drama we decide to all pack into a small hotel room or two for a weekend. We survived with fairly little intrigue considering. I think I was the only one to win an award (Shemek might have as well?)
   Year Ago Last Wednesday: Classified - Classified. Sorry for the broken picture links.
   Year Ago Last Thursday: Elections & Disenfranchisement - The new ASUCD Senate is seated "ushering in an era of unprecedented diversity of affiliation on the Senate." In contrast, with the seating of this year's new Senate, the Leadite party controls 2/3rds of the Senate, the Executive Office, and has appointed all but one of the Supreme Court Justices (I was a Focus appointee).
   Year Ago Last Friday: The Emo-Agricola International - In an international development I've found reason to cite with suprising frequency in the year since, Bolivian President Carlos Mesa attempts to resign only to have his resignation rejected by the Bolivian Senate. Also, the former president of rebel Chechnya, Aslan Maskadov, meets a humble end at the hands of his own bodyguards in a basement. Also, a hawt picture of Kristy.
   Year Ago Yesterday: Senate Finds Chief Justice to Have Jedi Powers - Sen. Darth Lloyd was instrumental in convincing them that I used mind tricks to cause 9 Internal Affairs Commissioners & 12 Senators to think that a 5 line Bill meant the opposite of what it actually meant. And I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for ~~those pesky kids~~ "your mind tricks don't work on me" Kalen the Hutt! Also the Lebanese Prime Minister tries for the second time to resign, but once again his resignation is rejected by the parliament.

   Somewhere, someone is about to get an eviction order signed by "Kris Fricke, Deputy Clerk, Yolo County Superior Court." I feel so proud.
   The Conaway Ranch case is back... a "petition for writ of mandate to the California Court of Appeals Third District" was lying on top in a cute little red binder ... looks like its getting appealinated. I read most of the petition on my break, it was only 11 pages, and quite saucy.

   On Friday night Kristy & I went to the "Thank God the Elections Are Over" party. Even though it was at Lead candidate Genevieve Carnes' place, I think there were more independants than Lead party members there.
   I think independant candidate Jeremy Ross tried to hit on Kristy. Later, when I introduced myself, his friend was like "you're the guy from Emosnail!!"

   On Sunday night Kristy and I went to "Rock It," the indie rock night at The Grad.

In Other News: Me mum & father recently visited my great-aunt (my dad's aunt) in New Orleans. Mum wrote a nice little entry about it (with a couple pictures of damage).

Fact of the Day: Our solar system is located in an intersteller formation known as "the Local Fluff"

Picture of the Day

Rob Roy, Jeremy Ross, & Kareem Salem do the electic slide at the party on Friday
(C) Kristy Heidenberger

Previously on Emosnail
   Two Years and one Week Ago Last Friday: Stirling Suxors - Fire alarms and parking problems are just some of the bad behaviour at the Stirling apartment complex. Since that year they've changed their name in an effort to reinvent themselves.
   Two Years and one Week Ago Last Saturday: Fun With the The Aggie's Broken Links - And the ASUCD Candidates' Forum, and Heystek for City Council.
   Two Years and one Week Ago Tomorrow: Myths, Legends & Outright Lies about the Founding of the ASUCD Court - Also I first stumble upon the brilliant revelation: The Cheat = R2D2!
   Two Years Ago Last Wednesday: Psycho Roommate III
   Two Years Ago Last Friday: ASUCD Elections - Who I Voted For - Sitemeter says 81 people looked under the cut on the entry, and that number won't include just showing up on a friends page.
   Two Years Ago Today: The Case Against Slates - Lead is not a slate. A slate is a brittle metamorphic rock, whereas Lead is a malleable metallic element...

After some delays, I finally began working at the Superior Courthouse in Woodland yesterday. I lurk amid bookshelves of records that move back and forth on tracks. When these aren't sufficient, one must get records from either "the bunker," or "the vault." I think there's a third location as well. The courthouse is primarily peopled by two types of people -- bureaucrats who also spend their day wrangling records, and sheriffs deputies. The sheriffs deputies wear all black uniforms, and seem to without exception be about as friendly as an imperial stormtrooper. Occasionally, one will also see prisoners being escorted about in striped pajamas like in cartoons (seriously!).

During lunch I went across the street to the Fat Cat Cafe. There I encountered none other than the prosecutor from my jury-duty experience last Spring, one Tim Wallace. When I mentioned that I thought he dismissed me because he thought I was an anarchist, he responded with "hah, ME?" and made this face as if to say I should be well aware that he himself is practically an anarchist. He also mentioned having written a letter-to-the-editor the other day strongly criticizing the Chancellor vis-a-vis the Celestial Rose Scandal (I'm guessing in the Davis Enterprise?). After he left someone else approached the defense attorney he'd been chatting with and tried to convince him to have a particular witness testify. I felt like I was in a movie or something.

In Other News: Interned Japanese-Americans are no longer banned from Davis.

Picture of the Day

I think this has got to be the coolest picture ever taken

Previously on Emosnail
   Year and a Week Ago Last Tuesday: No Entry
   Year and a Week Ago Last Thursday: The Weight of a Tomato - I write a letter-to-the-editor regarding the silly "eat at taco bell = kill a farm worker" campaign.
   Year and a Week Ago Last Friday: ASUCD Scandal Apocalypse - RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED: Someone unloads a massive amount of dirt on ASUCD politicians onto Daviswiki. Some of it is known to be true, none of it is known to be false. All records of this legendary drama-bomb have been purged from Daviswiki, but it lives on on the EncyclopediaDramatica as the "Daviswiki Deepthroat / Fingercuffs Incident.
   Year Ago Last Wednesday: Fish, Racism, & Tomatoes - Three entries, one photo essay (Monterey Aquarium), one poll, and one "Lily Johnson" who thinks persons of European ancestry are genetically incapable of understanding some issues.
   Year Ago Last Thursday: Correcting All Wrongs - (Two entries) The "War on Wrong" heats up, with the breaking of the UCDMUN dinnergate incident, an attempt to both pillage CFC for unnecessary funds and use them in a manner which excludes the less affluent 80% of the club -- but then again Lily Johnson things I'm genetically predisposed to be over-priviledged so maybe I should just go ahead and take the CFC funds.
   Year Ago Tomorrow: "Lily Johnson is real" - Anonymous - Ooh scary! Polls indicate that one third of respondants are shocked to learn anyone doesn't like me, one third want to slap one or both recent anonymous commenters, and another sixth believe posting anonymous "exhibits a lack of insecurities and a positive self image we should all seek to attain." Also I introduce the first ASUCD shadiness poll, a popular feature that would run weekly for some time. In this first poll ASUCD got rated 7.79 / 10 in terms of shadiness.

Miscellaneous Things

While in my car for a total of 15 minutes today I heard the new Green Day - Idiot Nation three times. That is twice CONSECUTIVELY on the way to work and once on the way back. Don't get me wrong its an excellent song, I even stayed in my car after arriving at work to hear the rest of the second consecutive playing of it, but at this rate they are very very well on their way to overplaying it.

I learned at work today that the boss, Gabi, had sent the pictures I took on to two major yarn suppliers, Trendsetter and Prism, both of whom responded very approvingly. I don't know if this was just a "look what we did with your yarn" thing or if it might get on their website (neither of which I've been able to find).

The latest Homestarrunner.com creation, Peasant's Quest (preview, game) is totally awesome. Who else here used to play Space Quest and King's Quest? That was back in the day. I wouldn't mind getting the complete series of Kings Quest and Space Quest actually; I only ever played SQ3 & 4, and KQ5. Oh yea and Gold Rush (if you have no idea what I'm talkin about, you're really missin out let me tell you). I think most specifically Peasant's Quest looks like it has a lot of allusions to the Black Cauldron game. Man.. those things taught me how to write; which might explain some things

This is the first html bulleted list I've ever made.

Pictures

( Petey & Shillelagh )

Also I now have a picture of Jesska Ornstein, and this guy I don't know and I.

Current Mood: Def Con 3
Current Music: Neutral Milk Hotel - Two Headed Boy

   Caroline and I snuck off during work today. We went around the side of the store to the fountain. It was my first time doing such things, and it only lasted a few minutes, but we tried several positions. Two hours later we tried again and I think it was better.

   That is.. we took pictures. We didn't sneak out though, that was a bold-faced lie -- the boss told us to. Caroline modelled a pink poncho and we took pictures. When we first went out the lighting was extremely spotty because it was shining through a tree so there were only a few places we could stand where my shadow wasn't in the picture and the light wasn't spotty on her. Later on around 7:30 the lighting was a lot better.
   Shutter delay with the digital camera was particularly aggrevating. Apparently technology thus far has been completely unable to make an electronic camera without shutter delay (this from discussion with dad). One several things I miss about my SLR camera (which I didn't even bring down here), but the ease of proliferating pictures from digital cameras here makes all the difference.
   But yea, today was my first photo shoot of someone intentionally modelling for me, usually I take exclusively pictures of people caught off-guard (or pictures of say.. yarn).