Asymptomatic

There must be intelligent life down here

Gmail
June 22, 2004

I got a Gmail account today. Everybody else has one, so why shouldn’t I? Of course, picking a name that hasn’t already been taken was a challenge. The “ringmaster” account was taken, and I really don’t care to use my real name as an email address. I spent some time putting in some names that I’ve used for email in the past, along with some new ones.

In the end, I chose something clever for my epithet. I’m sure that with a little thought you can guess what it is, since it’s probably the most clever word in this post that I could have used.

Gross Receipts Tax
June 22, 2004

This is a pretty neat idea that is making its rounds in the Pennsylvania government these days. Basically, instead of paying 6% sales tax on things you buy at the store (except for unprepared food and clothing), you would pay nothing. The price you see on the item is the price you pay for that item.

Instead of you paying tax, the business that you bought the stuff from would pay a 4.5% tax on everything they sell during that year. Of course, the result is that the business is going to end up raising prices on everything to cover the tax, but probably not as much as what the 6% tax currently costs because the new gross receipts tax would be spread out over all of their goods.

Coca-Cola C2- Half the carbs, four times the sweeteners!
June 21, 2004

I was at blockbuster a couple of times over the weekend renting some video games, and noticed a sign for this new thing from Coke, Coca-Cola C2. Unfortunately, the only Coke C2 they had for sale at Blockbuster was a single can in a 6-pack. Weird.

But after I left Blockbuster, I went over to Croppers to pick up some stuff to use for dinner, and they had a whole rack of 20oz C2 bottles. I bought a couple.

Rocket Launching
June 20, 2004

Today we followed up on last week’s model rocket purchase. The kit we got was a zero-assembly-required kit. The only thing we had to do was construct the launch site, plug in the engine, and push the button.

We threw all of our equipment into the kid trailer for the bike and headed out to the fields behind Bishop Shanahan. I remember setting off a rocket or two in that field before it became occupied with a school building, and now that I think about it, the rocket that Derek fired his egg with in 6th grade ended up in this field.

It is done
June 19, 2004

I have at long labor finished the ceaseless epic of the irrepressable Comtesse Phedre no Delaunay de Montreve. All 901 pages. Characteristics of fantasy novels that I have gleaned toiling over this bountiful manuscript:

Anyway, I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the book. As with most novels, I felt this one could have told its tale in many fewer pages, perhaps not as vividly in some places. There was a point about halfway through the book when I became thoroughly invested in the story, but I’m sad to say that it didn’t come until I was halfway through. Had I not perservered, I would not have discovered the rest of the book became much more interesting.