Thursday, June 30, 2005
Barking Dog, Hidden Anger
Dear neighbor in 336 –For the past two days we’ve noticed something peculiar. There seems to be a noise much like a dog’s lonesome barking coming from your unit. This in and of itself is hardly a problem were it not for the inconvenient circumstance of the occasion. You see, the barking sound begins some time around sunrise and doesn’t cease, so far as we know, until after we’ve already left for the day. Therefore, from roughly 5:45 AM to 8 AM the courtyard we share is rendered helpless to either help the supposed animal and thus stop the noise.
Given these facts, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to call the community attendant on both occasions. This, however, has resulted in inaction as well, since it appears you are not home at the time of the noise itself. Furthermore, it would be illegal for either party to open your door and forcibly remove the offending animal, its owners and, thus, its barking noise from the building. This leaves us only one choice. If we hear the barking noise one more time when you are not home, we will call Animal Control and/or the Police.
We apologize for the nastiness of tone in this letter. We know Amy. Indeed, we like Amy. And we can’t imagine she would condone this misuse of her condo. As such, we think she may not be aware of the issue, and any reports from the HOA reporting the complaints we and other home owners have submitted may not be arriving to her attention. That’s precisely the reason for this letter. It’s a warning to whomever occupies this space: the dog noise must be stopped.
Finally, we’re neighbors. So if you want to apologize in person, we’d be happy to meet you and your dog and help you figure out a way to help us all sleep better in the morning.
Sincerely at 6:15 AM,
Your neighbors in 337
Stephanie and Kelly
Thursday, June 23, 2005
24/7, Teens Get the Message
Second Place New Mexico Recipes
New Mexico Style SalsaIngredients:
Tomatoes
Onion
Real Hatch, NM roasted, peeled, and chopped green poblano chiles.
Spices
Method:
All chopped up together in one fit of food processing goodness.
New Mexico Style Sour Cream Enchiladas (Red and Green)
Ingredients:
Corn tortillas.
Sour cream.
Red enchilada sauce.
Green enchilada sauce.
Cheddar cheese.
Real Hatch, NM roasted, peeled, and chopped green poblano chiles.
Method:
Corn tortillas lovingly laid on a bed of enchilada sauces. Top each layer with sour cream, grated sharp cheddar cheese and Real Hatch, NM roasted, peeled, and chopped green poblano chiles. This dish reheats exceedingly well in the microwave, which you are about to witness firsthand. Please top with New Mexico Style Salsa for an added kick. Warning: consumption of this meal may induce feelings of lust for the chef.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Words of Advice to Young People
Your life is a marketplace.If you want to stay ahead, you have to beat the market. To beat the market, you’re going to have to take risks.
Those companies that consistently stay ahead of the market are not those that seek to protect their property at the risk of innovation. Excessive protectionism of your current assets is fine in the short term. But that cow will age and she’ll eventually milk no more. So in order to outlast the short term gains and the inevitable competition that will be faster, cheaper, and better (and there will always come competition that learns how to be cheaper, fast and better), you have to be willing to accept some risk in your life and make a bet on where the market is going. It’s not just a matter of avoiding stagnation and dogmatic protectionism. It’s a matter of thriving in a changing world. The world that gave you meaning and value today is not the world of tomorrow. The quickening pace of that world is something you cannot hope to match. So what do you do?
Go on, lad. Take a leap. Roll those dice. You stand a pretty good chance of landing on your own two feet. Sevens are your friend.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Africa's Suffering Is Bush's Shame
Millions are dying because of American policy
By Jeffrey D. Sachs, Jeffrey D. Sachs is a Columbia University economist and special advisor to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
"President Bush last week brazenly brushed aside British Prime Minister Tony Blair's call for a doubling of aid to Africa. Blair and other European leaders have taken on the task of fighting extreme poverty — and Bush watches from the sidelines. To justify its dereliction, the Bush administration perpetuates a mythology that contributes to the premature deaths of millions of people each year.
The U.S. is a generous provider of aid to Africa, the mythology says, but Africa is corrupt and mismanaged and thus cannot absorb more aid. In addition, there is no room in the budget to do any more than what we are currently doing. This multipart fantasy is widely shared in the U.S. and recalls Napoleon's dictum that "history is a fable often told."
