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Where Jill Will Talk Like She Writes
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The White House Project
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Nov
30
Happy Thanksgiving
Filed Under Politics | 7 Comments
Does this look like a fun bunch or what?
We look way happier than the turkey.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:37 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | 7 Comments
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Nov
30
PD and Dover, PA Evolution v. ID case
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
Two days ago, The Plain Dealer reported on the end of the Dover trial (which was nearly five weeks ago) and its possible relevance to Ohio.
Here’s a list of the eleven entries I’ve had about the case starting 75 days ago (before the trial began) and through the time it went to the judge for a decision (Friday, November 4 - almost five weeks ago now). With a lot of good comments and local drama in Dover in between.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:17 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment
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Nov
30
Thanks to the announcement on Brewed Fresh Daily about The Plain Dealer Reader Representative, Ted Diadiun’s new blog, I gathered more, and more specific information about the PD editorial meetings I’d read were open to the public.
I emailed Mr. Diadiun, who told me with virtual enthusiam that my email was his first blog-initiated email (though I didn’t get any particular prize). He responded promptly and politely to my two questions:
First, how does he pronounce his name? (”DIE uh dunn”)
And second, is the opportunity to attend certain PD editorial meetings still available?
To that, Mr. Diadiun responded as follows:
You are still very much welcome to attend either of our daily news meetings. The first is at 10:45 a.m., when the section editors discuss what they are working on, suggestions and story ideas get tossed and occasionally we talk about what we could have done better in that day’s paper. The second is at 4 p.m., where we discuss more concretely what stories we have for the following day’s paper, and select the stories that will likely run on Page One, barring later developments.
The first meeting tends to be a bit longer and more freewheeling; the second is usually more serious and businesslike. You are welcome to attend either one by contacting Margie Frazer at 999-4337. I look forward to meeting you.
So come on, let’s take a field trip! (I must always think that people don’t take my suggestions seriously because of how often I feel compelled to add in parentheses “I’m dead serious.”) (But I am - dead serious. Who will sign up and go with me a few times? Isn’t anyone the least bit curious? Plus, I’ve made it clear that I don’t like complaining if I haven’t availed myself of what mechanisms exist to learn more or fix a problem. So come on.)
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:53 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | 4 Comments
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Nov
30
Trust = Efficiency = Savings
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
My dad called today to check on my youngest son (very minimal pneumonia, Zithromax, three days and out) and to ask if it’s snowing here (no, to his disappointment) and let us know that it’s 75 degrees in Florida. Whatever. With every section of dried cells that falls off my face, so go memories of my lovely vacation.
During the call, he told me about how he’d gone to have one tire changed and in the end, he had to get four tires changed. What was notable about the story was the fact that had he taken care of (read: spent money upfront) all four tires (or at least two at a time) last year, he wouldn’t have had to change all four now and cause himself a greater inconvenience than he’d expected. At the core of the problem: he believes, like so many of us want to, that he knew as much or more about the wear of his tires and what would be cost-effective than the salesmen. And even he, an incredibly successful salesman himself, just doesn’t like and refuses at most costs, to believe anyone, least of all mechanics like tire guys.
I laughed over the phone with him because I know how hard it was for him to acknowledge that if he’d just done what he should have last year and spent the money on two tires upfront instead of just one - as had been recommended, he wouldn’t have to replace all four now.
“I know exactly how you feel, Dad. I was on the phone last night for nearly an hour because of a computer thing. And the worst part? The techies had, in front of them, the protocol that the techie used from the last time I called with the exact same problem. But they don’t trust me - that the problem I say I have is actually the problem I do have. So they made me go over it in detail, ran me through the gauntlet, agreed I had the problem they said I had and then repeated the protocol used the last time.
“Except this time, it didn’t work because the Level 1 techie neglected to tell me to reboot after resetting a bunch of stuff. So he forwarded me to the Level 2 techie who made me go over in detail the problem I had and agreed I had the problem and then started to repeat the same protocol.”
What’s wrong with this picture?
Has anyone ever kept a running count of how many minutes, hours, days, months and years are wasted as a result of how much time those charged with helping make those in need of help prove that they need help?
You know what I’m talking about, I know you do. Remember when computers crashed and you needed a new hard drive? (assume that neither you nor anyone you live with knows how to replace a hard drive) And you’d call tech support and they’d make you go into DOS and check funky things for like two hours and then declare that your hard drive had indeed crashed?
That happened three times with my old Compaq desktop. More than two hours, each time. Forget that I was a pretty well paid lawyer/social worker at a nonprofit at the time. Forget that the techie was a domestic-based as opposed to overseas helper.
So I posit - how much money could be saved if we just trusted each other more?
If that example doesn’t work for you, how about the number of times you’ve called your spouse or significant other or father or other trusted person and said that you had something wrong with…the toilet, the fridge, the water heater, the coffeemaker, your car? Whatever.
And then they make you repeat, at least once if not more than once, exactly what you were doing before during and after its failure to perform.
And they ask you at least once more, you know they do.
And they ask, “Did you try this? Did you try that? Well, try it again.” “It’s still not working?”
And then they say, “I’ll check it out when I get home (make it over).”
And then what happens?
They do everything you did, and the thing - whatever it is - still fails to perform.
“Hmm, (fill in the blank) is broken.”
No #$&%$ s**t Sherlock.
So, last time, who can tell me: How much money would be saved, how much time would be saved, how much less stress would exist between people, how many fewer children would be the product of divorce if we trusted that when someone says something is broken, the goddamn thing might actually be broken?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:49 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments
Print This Post
Nov
30
PD and Dover, PA Evolution v. ID case
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
Two days ago, The Plain Dealer reported on the end of the Dover trial (which was nearly five weeks ago) and its possible relevance to Ohio.
Here’s a list of the eleven entries I’ve had about the case starting 75 days ago (before the trial began) and through the time it went to the judge for a decision (Friday, November 4 - almost five weeks ago now). With a lot of good comments and local drama in Dover in between.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:17 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment
Print This Post
Nov
30
Thanks to the announcement on Brewed Fresh Daily about The Plain Dealer Reader Representative, Ted Diadiun’s new blog, I gathered more, and more specific information about the PD editorial meetings I’d read were open to the public.
I emailed Mr. Diadiun, who told me with virtual enthusiam that my email was his first blog-initiated email (though I didn’t get any particular prize). He responded promptly and politely to my two questions:
First, how does he pronounce his name? (”DIE uh dunn”)
And second, is the opportunity to attend certain PD editorial meetings still available?
To that, Mr. Diadiun responded as follows:
You are still very much welcome to attend either of our daily news meetings. The first is at 10:45 a.m., when the section editors discuss what they are working on, suggestions and story ideas get tossed and occasionally we talk about what we could have done better in that day’s paper. The second is at 4 p.m., where we discuss more concretely what stories we have for the following day’s paper, and select the stories that will likely run on Page One, barring later developments.
The first meeting tends to be a bit longer and more freewheeling; the second is usually more serious and businesslike. You are welcome to attend either one by contacting Margie Frazer at 999-4337. I look forward to meeting you.
So come on, let’s take a field trip! (I must always think that people don’t take my suggestions seriously because of how often I feel compelled to add in parentheses “I’m dead serious.”) (But I am - dead serious. Who will sign up and go with me a few times? Isn’t anyone the least bit curious? Plus, I’ve made it clear that I don’t like complaining if I haven’t availed myself of what mechanisms exist to learn more or fix a problem. So come on.)
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:53 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment
Print This Post
Nov
30
Happy Thanksgiving
Filed Under Politics | 7 Comments
Does this look like a fun bunch or what?
We look way happier than the turkey.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:37 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | 7 Comments
Print This Post
Nov
30
Trust = Efficiency = Savings
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
My dad called today to check on my youngest son (very minimal pneumonia, Zithromax, three days and out) and to ask if it’s snowing here (no, to his disappointment) and let us know that it’s 75 degrees in Florida. Whatever. With every section of dried cells that falls off my face, so go memories of my lovely vacation.
During the call, he told me about how he’d gone to have one tire changed and in the end, he had to get four tires changed. What was notable about the story was the fact that had he taken care of (read: spent money upfront) all four tires (or at least two at a time) last year, he wouldn’t have had to change all four now and cause himself a greater inconvenience than he’d expected. At the core of the problem: he believes, like so many of us want to, that he knew as much or more about the wear of his tires and what would be cost-effective than the salesmen. And even he, an incredibly successful salesman himself, just doesn’t like and refuses at most costs, to believe anyone, least of all mechanics like tire guys.
I laughed over the phone with him because I know how hard it was for him to acknowledge that if he’d just done what he should have last year and spent the money on two tires upfront instead of just one - as had been recommended, he wouldn’t have to replace all four now.
“I know exactly how you feel, Dad. I was on the phone last night for nearly an hour because of a computer thing. And the worst part? The techies had, in front of them, the protocol that the techie used from the last time I called with the exact same problem. But they don’t trust me - that the problem I say I have is actually the problem I do have. So they made me go over it in detail, ran me through the gauntlet, agreed I had the problem they said I had and then repeated the protocol used the last time.
“Except this time, it didn’t work because the Level 1 techie neglected to tell me to reboot after resetting a bunch of stuff. So he forwarded me to the Level 2 techie who made me go over in detail the problem I had and agreed I had the problem and then started to repeat the same protocol.”
What’s wrong with this picture?
Has anyone ever kept a running count of how many minutes, hours, days, months and years are wasted as a result of how much time those charged with helping make those in need of help prove that they need help?
You know what I’m talking about, I know you do. Remember when computers crashed and you needed a new hard drive? (assume that neither you nor anyone you live with knows how to replace a hard drive) And you’d call tech support and they’d make you go into DOS and check funky things for like two hours and then declare that your hard drive had indeed crashed?
That happened three times with my old Compaq desktop. More than two hours, each time. Forget that I was a pretty well paid lawyer/social worker at a nonprofit at the time. Forget that the techie was a domestic-based as opposed to overseas helper.
So I posit - how much money could be saved if we just trusted each other more?
If that example doesn’t work for you, how about the number of times you’ve called your spouse or significant other or father or other trusted person and said that you had something wrong with…the toilet, the fridge, the water heater, the coffeemaker, your car? Whatever.
And then they make you repeat, at least once if not more than once, exactly what you were doing before during and after its failure to perform.
And they ask you at least once more, you know they do.
And they ask, “Did you try this? Did you try that? Well, try it again.” “It’s still not working?”
And then they say, “I’ll check it out when I get home (make it over).”
And then what happens?
They do everything you did, and the thing - whatever it is - still fails to perform.
“Hmm, (fill in the blank) is broken.”
No #$&%$ s**t Sherlock.
So, last time, who can tell me: How much money would be saved, how much time would be saved, how much less stress would exist between people, how many fewer children would be the product of divorce if we trusted that when someone says something is broken, the goddamn thing might actually be broken?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:49 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments
Print This Post
Nov
30
Happy Thanksgiving
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
Does this look like a fun bunch or what?
We look way happier than the turkey.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:37 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment
Print This Post
Nov
30
Trust = Efficiency = Savings
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
My dad called today to check on my youngest son (very minimal pneumonia, Zithromax, three days and out) and to ask if it’s snowing here (no, to his disappointment) and let us know that it’s 75 degrees in Florida. Whatever. With every section of dried cells that falls off my face, so go memories of my lovely vacation.
During the call, he told me about how he’d gone to have one tire changed and in the end, he had to get four tires changed. What was notable about the story was the fact that had he taken care of (read: spent money upfront) all four tires (or at least two at a time) last year, he wouldn’t have had to change all four now and cause himself a greater inconvenience than he’d expected. At the core of the problem: he believes, like so many of us want to, that he knew as much or more about the wear of his tires and what would be cost-effective than the salesmen. And even he, an incredibly successful salesman himself, just doesn’t like and refuses at most costs, to believe anyone, least of all mechanics like tire guys.
I laughed over the phone with him because I know how hard it was for him to acknowledge that if he’d just done what he should have last year and spent the money on two tires upfront instead of just one - as had been recommended, he wouldn’t have to replace all four now.
“I know exactly how you feel, Dad. I was on the phone last night for nearly an hour because of a computer thing. And the worst part? The techies had, in front of them, the protocol that the techie used from the last time I called with the exact same problem. But they don’t trust me - that the problem I say I have is actually the problem I do have. So they made me go over it in detail, ran me through the gauntlet, agreed I had the problem they said I had and then repeated the protocol used the last time.
“Except this time, it didn’t work because the Level 1 techie neglected to tell me to reboot after resetting a bunch of stuff. So he forwarded me to the Level 2 techie who made me go over in detail the problem I had and agreed I had the problem and then started to repeat the same protocol.”
What’s wrong with this picture?
Has anyone ever kept a running count of how many minutes, hours, days, months and years are wasted as a result of how much time those charged with helping make those in need of help prove that they need help?
You know what I’m talking about, I know you do. Remember when computers crashed and you needed a new hard drive? (assume that neither you nor anyone you live with knows how to replace a hard drive) And you’d call tech support and they’d make you go into DOS and check funky things for like two hours and then declare that your hard drive had indeed crashed?
That happened three times with my old Compaq desktop. More than two hours, each time. Forget that I was a pretty well paid lawyer/social worker at a nonprofit at the time. Forget that the techie was a domestic-based as opposed to overseas helper.
So I posit - how much money could be saved if we just trusted each other more?
If that example doesn’t work for you, how about the number of times you’ve called your spouse or significant other or father or other trusted person and said that you had something wrong with…the toilet, the fridge, the water heater, the coffeemaker, your car? Whatever.
And then they make you repeat, at least once if not more than once, exactly what you were doing before during and after its failure to perform.
And they ask you at least once more, you know they do.
And they ask, “Did you try this? Did you try that? Well, try it again.” “It’s still not working?”
And then they say, “I’ll check it out when I get home (make it over).”
And then what happens?
They do everything you did, and the thing - whatever it is - still fails to perform.
“Hmm, (fill in the blank) is broken.”
No #$&%$ s**t Sherlock.
So, last time, who can tell me: How much money would be saved, how much time would be saved, how much less stress would exist between people, how many fewer children would be the product of divorce if we trusted that when someone says something is broken, the goddamn thing might actually be broken?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:49 pm November 30th, 2005 in Politics | Please comment
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Nov
30
The Five Es
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
I could drone about several incidents (like my flaky, itchy sunburn, the piles of unpacking that I’m leaving until tomorrow and the hour I just wasted on the phone with two SBC techies) and retelling those incidents might induce laughter through commiseration or actual humor. But in essence, all I’d be doing is complaining about circumstances everyone’s experienced either firsthand or close enough to get the idea.
And I don’t want to complain. (S**t - does this qualify as a complaint about complaining?)
I’d rather mention that I’ve read more material in the last nine days than I usually do in a month, thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday. The biggest boon: books. I read two whole books this week. Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking and Terry Ryan’s The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (no, I haven’t seen the movie). (I linked to Amazon because of the editorial reviews.)
I haven’t pined for news very much but a few headlines caught my eye. The 15 year old who died from a peanut-laced kiss. Ramsey Clark and Saddam Hussein. And, I confess, the case of the teacher who had sex with a 14 year old (or was he 15?) in Tampa, FL (I think) seemed too trashy to not follow for just a few surfing sessions. Andrea Yates’ second trial also caused me to pause over the news.
As much as I loved this vacation, I’m eager to follow up and through on a number of projects, not least of which is the NEO Nimble Minds Carnival. If you’ve been thinking about joining the carnival (by choosing one of your blog entries and sending me the link), Just Do It. (I don’t have to pay to use that phrase, do I? No one else seems to.) I’ve got a few entries, but several folks who’ve expressed interest have become silent.
I’m not into strongarming or begging…unless I have to strongarm or beg. And then there’s the old teacher’s tactic: when no one raises their hand, you just have to pick someone. But again, I won’t do that either. If there’s no interest, or I haven’t successfully raised interest so that folks will come aboard and have a booth at the carnival (a booth being their blog entry submitted to the carnival), then I’ll either have to try again, or not.
If it helps you visualize it better, blog carnivals have been described as a magazine of various blog entries. And I think that’s true. So think Utne Reader for this edition of the carnival.
Eclectic, enjoyable, entertaining, educative. Entered!
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:03 am November 30th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments
Print This Post
Nov
29
The Five Es
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
I could drone about several incidents (like my flaky, itchy sunburn, the piles of unpacking that I’m leaving until tomorrow and the hour I just wasted on the phone with two SBC techies) and retelling those incidents might induce laughter through commiseration or actual humor. But in essence, all I’d be doing is complaining about circumstances everyone’s experienced either firsthand or close enough to get the idea.
And I don’t want to complain. (S**t - does this qualify as a complaint about complaining?)
I’d rather mention that I’ve read more material in the last nine days than I usually do in a month, thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday. The biggest boon: books. I read two whole books this week. Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking and Terry Ryan’s The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (no, I haven’t seen the movie). (I linked to Amazon because of the editorial reviews.)
I haven’t pined for news very much but a few headlines caught my eye. The 15 year old who died from a peanut-laced kiss. Ramsey Clark and Saddam Hussein. And, I confess, the case of the teacher who had sex with a 14 year old (or was he 15?) in Tampa, FL (I think) seemed too trashy to not follow for just a few surfing sessions. Andrea Yates’ second trial also caused me to pause over the news.
As much as I loved this vacation, I’m eager to follow up and through on a number of projects, not least of which is the NEO Nimble Minds Carnival. If you’ve been thinking about joining the carnival (by choosing one of your blog entries and sending me the link), Just Do It. (I don’t have to pay to use that phrase, do I? No one else seems to.) I’ve got a few entries, but several folks who’ve expressed interest have become silent.
I’m not into strongarming or begging…unless I have to strongarm or beg. And then there’s the old teacher’s tactic: when no one raises their hand, you just have to pick someone. But again, I won’t do that either. If there’s no interest, or I haven’t successfully raised interest so that folks will come aboard and have a booth at the carnival (a booth being their blog entry submitted to the carnival), then I’ll either have to try again, or not.
If it helps you visualize it better, blog carnivals have been described as a magazine of various blog entries. And I think that’s true. So think Utne Reader for this edition of the carnival.
Eclectic, enjoyable, entertaining, educative. Entered!
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:03 pm November 29th, 2005 in Politics | 2 Comments
Print This Post
Nov
29
The Five Es
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
I could drone about several incidents (like my flaky, itchy sunburn, the piles of unpacking that I’m leaving until tomorrow and the hour I just wasted on the phone with two SBC techies) and retelling those incidents might induce laughter through commiseration or actual humor. But in essence, all I’d be doing is complaining about circumstances everyone’s experienced either firsthand or close enough to get the idea.
And I don’t want to complain. (S**t - does this qualify as a complaint about complaining?)
I’d rather mention that I’ve read more material in the last nine days than I usually do in a month, thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday. The biggest boon: books. I read two whole books this week. Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking and Terry Ryan’s The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (no, I haven’t seen the movie). (I linked to Amazon because of the editorial reviews.)
I haven’t pined for news very much but a few headlines caught my eye. The 15 year old who died from a peanut-laced kiss. Ramsey Clark and Saddam Hussein. And, I confess, the case of the teacher who had sex with a 14 year old (or was he 15?) in Tampa, FL (I think) seemed too trashy to not follow for just a few surfing sessions. Andrea Yates’ second trial also caused me to pause over the news.
As much as I loved this vacation, I’m eager to follow up and through on a number of projects, not least of which is the NEO Nimble Minds Carnival. If you’ve been thinking about joining the carnival (by choosing one of your blog entries and sending me the link), Just Do It. (I don’t have to pay to use that phrase, do I? No one else seems to.) I’ve got a few entries, but several folks who’ve expressed interest have become silent.
I’m not into strongarming or be