Jantics » Potpourri Of Informational Goodness

Dysfunction of another kind

Janna — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:07:22 +0000

Y’know, after having your heart broken, EVERYTHING seems to remind you of the pain.
Radio commercials. Billboards. People in the supermarket.
Blogs.
Even prescription drugs. (Viagra, anyone?)
Or Cialis… that’s the same as Viagra.
The main ingredient in Cialis is called Tadalafil, and it just so happens that the pills are shaped like little golden teardrops.
And I’ve had more than my fair share of those lately.
Teardrops, I mean. Not the Tadalafil.
You know you’ve officially been crumpled into a pathetic emotional heap when you cry at ads for erectile dysfunction.
Sigh.
Pass the tissues, and please forgive me for being crumpled up in this heap on your screen.
.

I learned what MTTR means!

Janna — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:26:46 +0000

Today I learned what MTTR means. It stands for “Mean time to recovery.” When a computer network goes down, your MTTR is the time it generally takes you to recover everything and get back to normal.
This can take a long time if your network spans multiple locations.
The faster you fix things, the sooner you can start to breathe normally again.
Then you’ll have more time for the important things in life, like eating bacon cheeseburgers and wondering why cat food doesn’t taste like mice.
.
Hey, we all have our priorities.
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Trying to stay warm

Janna — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:02:36 +0000

We’ve had three episodes of freezing rain in the past two weeks.
And last night we got quite a snowstorm.
In fact, I was snowed in, until the guy came and plowed me out.
Things like this happen every year in Michigan, and I’m ok with that.
What I hate is when ice storms make the electricity go out.
That’s happened to me a couple times too, though thankfully it hasn’t happened YET this year.
It’s a bad thing when your heater stops working in the dead of winter.
Right now I have an electric furnace, but I know that a gas one would probably be a lot more cost-efficient.
Maybe someday when all my ducks are in a row, I can check out something better.
I need all the help I can get.
Right now, I’m staying warm by bundling up in a couple robes and blankets.
My windows are drafty, but that’s a story for another time.
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Thinking about bikes

Janna — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:46:52 +0000

When I was a kid, I had a bike of my own.
I know, I know, most kids did.
It just feels odd to remember ME having one, since I lost interest in biking after I grew up. I think of the younger “me” riding along the streets, enjoying the sense of personal mobility that a bike offered. When you’re a kid, and can’t drive a car, a bike is the next best thing.
I stopped riding my bike sometime before starting junior high school, I think.
Can’t really remember why.
Then, when I went to college, I saw lots of people who had brought their bikes with them. Especially at MSU, where the campus is so huge it’s hard to walk everywhere.
Now and then there was bike theft at the colleges, and people were understandably sick if they’d had an expensive new bike stolen away from them. It’s better to get something understated and functional, rather than splurge on something that begs to be stolen.
I never did take my bike to college with me, but I envied the convenience of students who had done so. They got where they were going sooner than the pedestrians, and didn’t have to deal with the sore backs and sore feet that I had every day. Seriously. It was hard for me to walk all around that campus. I took the bus whenever I could.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a college campus (note that I am now the ripe old age of 37). I wonder if bikes are still just as popular as they were when I was there. I wonder how many students have beach cruiser bikes! I’d go back to both my alma maters and conduct a survey, except people would wonder who the crazy old lady is.
People wonder that enough here as it is.

Counting my blessings

Janna — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:47:14 +0000

I’ve been very fortunate, as far as cars go.
My parents like to switch cars every few years, and if mine is starting to show signs of becoming old and unreliable, they’ll give me their ‘hand-me-downs’.
So far, I haven’t had to buy a car of my own.
I am very grateful about this.
I realize, however, that things probably won’t be this way forever. Sooner or later, I will have to buy a car of my own. When that day arrives I will probably have to get a loan, because I am extremely poor and don’t have anything saved up. It would be a very complicated situation.
I’d need to research auto loans that are specially made for people in my situation, with less-than-exemplary credit. Remember my sordid tales about the credit cards I used to have? They’re all paid off now, and I’m not in debt any more, but still I’m pretty sure that debacle ruined my credit.
I wish we lived in a world without money. Things would be so much simpler.

My name is Janna, and I am a Depp-O-Phile

Janna — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 06:38:28 +0000

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know I love Johnny Depp.
It’s an unavoidable fact of Jannadom.
I loved him most of all as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of The Caribbean. (The FIRST one, not the sequel.) Somehow the sequel seemed a little silly to me, especially when the crew was rolling around in that ridiculous ball. That part seemed more geared toward children.
But as far as Johnny Depp went, it was all good stuff.
My favorite line from the first one:
Commodore: “You are, without a doubt, the WORST pirate I’ve ever heard of.”
Sparrow: “But you HAVE heard of me!”

Recently I had the chance to watch Edward Scissorhands, but didn’t really like the way it ended. Depp was wonderful, though; he did an excellent job with the role he was given. In fact, his role was the ONLY thing I liked about that movie. It broke my heart when he saw his “maker” die right in front of him, just as he was about to get his real hands. And it frustrated me that the movie ended with no real sense of justice.

Same goes for The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. Loved Depp but didn’t care so much for the storyline. That could be because I’m NOT a Christina Ricci fan. Loved the clothing from back in that century, though!

A few years ago Lee and Morgen and I went to see “Secret Garden, Hidden Window,” which was a movie written by Stephen King, starring Johnny Depp. I loved this!! He did an excellent job providing just the right amount of creepiness, especially at the end when he was eating the corn. And I liked the different look he had in that movie. His hair was much shorter than usual, and was almost blond! It was a far cry from Jack Sparrow’s dreadlocks (which, by the way, I also love).

As much as I loved him in that movie, I’d have to say that Captain Jack Sparrow is still my favorite Depp character. He’s irresistible.

So it should come as no surprise to all of you that I’m excited about seeing Johnny Depp in his next starring role in the movie Sweeney Todd, which comes out on December 21st.

Mark your calendars!

Preparing for the inevitable

Janna — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:21:33 +0000

If only I had just a wee bit more technical savvy, I could be a techno geek.
Ok, ok, I’d need more than just a wee bit.
But still the idea excites me.
I’m well aware that one of these days my ancient computer is going to bite the dust, and I will be kicking and screaming and begging strangers on the street to help me find a suitable replacement I can actually afford.
There will be a huge gap in my soul that only a good techno-geek can fix.

What time IS it, anyway?

Janna — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:57:46 +0000

You may recall from one of my earlier posts that I don’t have a wall clock hanging anywhere in my house.
It’s still true, but I’m on the verge of changing that.
I now own a clock which, if I ever develop the motivation and willpower, will eventually be placed on the wall in my living room.
The only thing is, it’s a really cheap clock.
It’s kind of cute until you touch it and realize the whole thing is made of plastic. From a distance, if you squint, especially if you’ve had a few vodka tonics, it looks like it’s made from a nice wood grain. Possibly walnut.
My plastic clock, which is currently on the floor, waiting for a battery to jumpstart its little heart.
It’s sad, I know.
.

Let’s go see some art!

Janna — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:28:34 +0000

As you know from reading my posts on my other blog, The Jannaverse, my friend Steve visited from New York last week.
He and I are a lot alike, I think. We both love to be funny/silly/strange, just to make people laugh…. and we also know the importance of being an artsy fartsy nerd with a touch of class.
I mean that in a good way. Trust me.
We love good classical music, we love good food, and we both love enjoying the artistic side of life.
Art comes in all forms, and it’s important to consider as many as you can.
If my life ends up going exactly the way I want it to (HA!), I will end up being an artist one of these days myself.
You can say you knew me way back when I was merely a humble blogger with a strange sense of humor.
People may even believe you.

I may still buy the holster anyway

Janna — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:47:52 +0000

Decades ago, I realized I did NOT want to be a teacher, because I didn’t like being the person in charge. I didn’t want to be the authority figure, the ‘bad guy’ who had to say “Don’t do that!!”
Because, of course, in addition to teaching, a teacher has to maintain effective discipline.
And I am really bad at that.
This means I would also make a really bad policeman.
I’d be there with my cool-looking uniform and my gun in its holster… I’d see someone robbing a bank, and all I could do is nervously tap my foot, scowling and saying “Now… now stop that, um…. that’s not nice!”
I might be able to catch a few criminals, just by virtue of them falling down and convulsively laughing at me.
Hey, whatever works.