Suffering from Mother Nature's meteorological schizophrenia

8888 100th Post!! 7777

This weather is just effed up, to the Nth degree. It's warm, then it's cold for a day, then it warms up...no wonder everyone is sick.

So, according to some people I still talk to at my old job they got some new management. That new management group then decided a departmental restructure was in order. The result: corporate downsizing. A large number of people I used to work with are unemployed, as of March. Now I'm glad I didn't stay (on top of all of the other reasons I'm glad I didn't stay - no more overnights; no more working weekends and every holiday...et cetera, et cetera, et cetera). It makes my current job seem downright cushy, and secure by comparison. I often say it would take an act of Congress to terminate me. Or a cyborg from the future sent by Skynet after it becomes self aware. But, hey. That could be fun, too, in a way. In a running, screaming, being chased by cyborgs kind of way.

I'm currently engrossed in reading Michael Chrichton's new novel, Next. I had sworn off Crichton many years ago after reading the debacle that was Congo (I'm sorry, but I was a teenager when I read that book, and even then I thought it was junk - the movie adaptation even more so), and more recently because of what has been written of his opinion on the scientific validity of the Global Warming phenomenon. But this book is interesting. To say the least. It is current and topical and full of insight into the growing "business" of biogenetics. He takes creative license and stretches the reality of gene theraphy and transgenics just a wee bit, but it is a work of fiction so I expected to snort at a couple of the scenarios outlined in the book. But, in all, it's engaging and paced pretty well. I want to find out what happens to Gerard the parrot - obviously based in no little part on Alex. *Update*: The ending was flat, and a little of a disappointment after all of the buildup of the plot lines. I am now all revved up to read the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child sequel to Relic, titled Reliquary.