Friends here have chickens. I want to have chickens.
More specifically I want something like this so I can have chickens:
http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php?view=Chickens
Or even cooler:
http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/11/18/chicken-heaven/
Yup, I want chickens.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Crazy stuff
A week ago there was a School Board Meeting where next year's scheduled tuition increase was overturned.
Yes. Apparently, complain enough and the continuing facilities expansion no longer needs to get funded. Complain enough and new teachers don't need to be hired to keep the class sizes small (12-16 kids). Complain enough and the massive ESL program (40% of the student population, 26 teachers... I think that's a full quarter of the teachers - just for ESL) doesn't need to continue to improve.
So what happens next year? The huge and still growing ESL population is pushing the need for the building expansion and new teacher requirements, yet the huge ESL parent population is what spear-headed the campaign to pull back the tuition increase that would help pay for it all.
And I'm amazed that there wasn't a compromise made (4% instead of 5.85% maybe?) but a complete backpedal.
I shouldn't care because we won't be here, but I do.
In other news, a blast from our past... we got a notice about non-payment for my medevac. You know, the one from February 2006. The one we paid in July 2006. The one we got a notice for again in September 2006 and had an involved back and forth in e-mail to clear up the fact that we had done our part, our insurance had done its part, and the only part that had messed up was Embassy Togo in the allocation of those $10,000 worth of funds. The mess was between MED and EmbTogo. MED agreed and said we were clear.
Guess what... it's baaaaaaack. I pulled out the signed copy receipt of the funds transfer to EmbTogo, but seeing as I'd never received an "Accounts Paid" message from MED, nothing was cleared. I planned to fax the receipt with an explanation. But then I had a thought: I didn't have the e-mail thread, but did Ian? He keeps everything. I called him up and figured it wouldn't hurt to look.
And he rocks. He pulled up the November 2006 e-mails and forwarded them on to MED again, cced to all sorts of people, and MED agreed (again) that it's in Lome's hands.
After a moment of panic wondering where I'd find $10,000 I now feel like we've got, oh, another 3 or so years of peace before this comes back to annoy us again. I really need to get something in writing from MED this time.
Yes. Apparently, complain enough and the continuing facilities expansion no longer needs to get funded. Complain enough and new teachers don't need to be hired to keep the class sizes small (12-16 kids). Complain enough and the massive ESL program (40% of the student population, 26 teachers... I think that's a full quarter of the teachers - just for ESL) doesn't need to continue to improve.
So what happens next year? The huge and still growing ESL population is pushing the need for the building expansion and new teacher requirements, yet the huge ESL parent population is what spear-headed the campaign to pull back the tuition increase that would help pay for it all.
And I'm amazed that there wasn't a compromise made (4% instead of 5.85% maybe?) but a complete backpedal.
I shouldn't care because we won't be here, but I do.
In other news, a blast from our past... we got a notice about non-payment for my medevac. You know, the one from February 2006. The one we paid in July 2006. The one we got a notice for again in September 2006 and had an involved back and forth in e-mail to clear up the fact that we had done our part, our insurance had done its part, and the only part that had messed up was Embassy Togo in the allocation of those $10,000 worth of funds. The mess was between MED and EmbTogo. MED agreed and said we were clear.
Guess what... it's baaaaaaack. I pulled out the signed copy receipt of the funds transfer to EmbTogo, but seeing as I'd never received an "Accounts Paid" message from MED, nothing was cleared. I planned to fax the receipt with an explanation. But then I had a thought: I didn't have the e-mail thread, but did Ian? He keeps everything. I called him up and figured it wouldn't hurt to look.
And he rocks. He pulled up the November 2006 e-mails and forwarded them on to MED again, cced to all sorts of people, and MED agreed (again) that it's in Lome's hands.
After a moment of panic wondering where I'd find $10,000 I now feel like we've got, oh, another 3 or so years of peace before this comes back to annoy us again. I really need to get something in writing from MED this time.
Friday, March 20, 2009
News only for BSG fans
A U.N. Resolution: 'Galactica' Really Rocks
"Other, far more popular television series have gone out with a bang after far-longer runs -- think "M*A*S*H," "Seinfeld" or "The Sopranos." But none has managed "Battlestar's" coup, a packed chamber Tuesday night at the U.N. headquarters in Manhattan. There, top diplomats sat next to the actors and producers from the Sci Fi network's "Battlestar," debating everything from the use of child soldiers in wartime to whether water-boarding could ever be permissible, on humans or on the robotic creatures the show calls Cylons."
Yeah. It's that awesome.
"Other, far more popular television series have gone out with a bang after far-longer runs -- think "M*A*S*H," "Seinfeld" or "The Sopranos." But none has managed "Battlestar's" coup, a packed chamber Tuesday night at the U.N. headquarters in Manhattan. There, top diplomats sat next to the actors and producers from the Sci Fi network's "Battlestar," debating everything from the use of child soldiers in wartime to whether water-boarding could ever be permissible, on humans or on the robotic creatures the show calls Cylons."
Yeah. It's that awesome.
Welcome to Spring
Obamas to Plant White House Vegetable Garden
"While the organic garden will provide food for the first family's meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern."
"While the organic garden will provide food for the first family's meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern."
Madras Kids photos are up.
I received a batch of photos which can be viewed at....
Madras Kids Spring 2009 photo set
Here's a sampling:
Madras Kids Spring 2009 photo set
Here's a sampling:
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Take care of her, please.
A little prayer went up today for our kitten, Raita. She went to the vet to get spayed and didn't survive the surgery. Somehow she aspirated. I did everything I was supposed to - keeping her away from food since 9 last night, keeping her calm in her carrier since 7 this morning without food or water, keeping her warm. The vet said after they put her under and started prepping her she began to froth and when they suctioned some food particles started to come up and she choked. Perhaps she was a slow digester, her tummy was always chubby. Remember when we brought her for an ultrasound because she was so little with a fat tummy we thought she might be pregnant? Just a fat tummy. It seems that even though she was without food for more than 12 hours, she was still full. I didn't know.
Raita was purely Rebecca's cat, Rebecca was Raita's mommy. She would call for Rebecca at bedtime and sleep curled under her chin. She waited by the front door for Becca to return home. She sounded like a Tribble as she chirped and trilled her way around the house, and never could meow properly.
She is missed.
Raita was purely Rebecca's cat, Rebecca was Raita's mommy. She would call for Rebecca at bedtime and sleep curled under her chin. She waited by the front door for Becca to return home. She sounded like a Tribble as she chirped and trilled her way around the house, and never could meow properly.
She is missed.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Drive-by at-post
There's a new photo blog up, found at http://at-post.blogspot.com
Photos in a new theme each week, from all around the Foreign Service world. Kudos to Amy in KL for setting it up!
Photos in a new theme each week, from all around the Foreign Service world. Kudos to Amy in KL for setting it up!
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