So, I stumble into RLM, actually a bit earlier than normal. I ordered a non-fat double latte with an extra shot, and went 5 steps away from the coffee stand to open up the office and put up my lunch. R.H. and I exchanged a few words, and I went back to the stand to get my caffeine fix -- but it's not there!
Kristin looked at the counter, looked at me -- said, "It was right there! -- Hey, did someone take a double non-fat latte with an extra shot? Hey you, over there at the condiment table!" This poor guy turned around and said, "I just had a small regular coffee."
Kristin said she'd replace the drink as soon as she finished the one she was making. A moment later she shouted out, "Double Caramel Decaf Soy Latte! Double Caramel Decaf Soy Latte!" but no one came to the counter to claim it.
Am I a bad person for having a bit of schadenfreude that someone who is perhaps lactose intolerant and an avoider of caffeine was walking around all sick and jittery that day?
Friday, October 27, 2006
Monday, October 02, 2006
We Didn't Get Arrested (On the Barricade)
(click on the title above for some information about Accenture)
The Texas State Employee's Union General Assembly started this Friday by surprising Accenture with 150 or so protesters wearing our new red General Assembly shirts. Most of us didn't know where we were going until a few moments before the buses were to be boarded, right at rush hour on Friday afternoon. We were told our destination along with directions to "get out of the bus and on to the sidewalk as fast as you can, because the buses are on private property."
I was one of the marshals which means, instead of getting a badge and a gun, I got a an armband, a bull horn, and a list of chants as well as a big poster to carry.
I'm sure I looked pretty funny trying to negotiate the march line with all of that -- the bullhorn they gave me required the use of two hands and it didn't work, I stupidly took my shoulder bag, the armband kept falling down my arm, I couldn't read the print on the list of chants, so I had to fumble with my reading glasses -- and the chain that keeps the glasses around my neck kept getting tangled up with my delegate lanyard and badge as well as the poster hanging around my neck -- all that while yelling "They say privatize -- WE SAY ORGANIZE! Finally, one of the other marshals said that he would try to fix the bullhorn (sadly he couldn't), but at least I had one less thing to deal with. (I just read this to SRI, and he said, "Obviously, you needed to get organized, Susan!")
One of our instructions before we left was that if anyone were to approach us to ask who was in charge, we were to say -- at this time I piped up, "The guy in the red shirt!" (we were all wearing red shirts) -- but the correct answer was, "I don't know."
We weren't bothered by any of the Accenture building security, although up to 30 employees from the building came out and watched us. Accenture is at one of the busiest corners in Austin -- IH 35 and Ben White. We marched back in front of the building for half an hour or so and then walked back to the buses. We had to walk past WalMart to get there, and they actually had their security there watching us.
And what is Accenture, and why would we want to protest?
Here is some information about from TSEU:
"Privatization is a boondoggle that has already wasted millions of Texas taxpayers' dollars. Bermuda-based Accenture LLP has already pocketed nearly $100 million on a $1 billion contract, and what Texas gets is the call center disaster. DeLoitte charged us millions for the TIERS system that still does not work. Convergys has collected millions of dollars to run a high-tech, on-line Human Resources system that has produced chaos in five state agencies.
Based on this history of success, privateers have targeted Child Protective Services, the Texas Workforce Commission, state universities, and many other state services."
Accenture is also the company responsible for the voter purge in Florida before the 2000 presidential elections (in which felons were to be purged from the voter rolls, but many who weren't felons were also cut from the rolls.) Accenture also put the wrong number for applicants for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to fax completed forms and documentation -- instead of going to the Accenture offices in Austin, the faxes were ending up in a warehouse in Seattle, totally confounding the workers there. More info here:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13659
One of the women on the bus to the rally said that she had tried to call (the outsourced) payroll services for her unit. (I'm not quite sure if this is Accenture or Convergys -- another outsource provider.) Someone answered the phone from another office. "Is this payroll?" "No, this is Human Resources" (or some other non-payroll unit.) "But I asked to be connected to payroll." "Yes, but there is a 30 - 40 minute wait to get through to payroll, so they are routing the calls to other offices." "Can you help me with a payroll issue?" "No." "May I please speak to your supervisor?" Interestingly, I just read an article that said that the abandonment rate for this agency had gone down -- well, yeah, duh, if you route the calls to the wrong place so that it doesn't look like people are hanging up . . .
The Texas State Employee's Union General Assembly started this Friday by surprising Accenture with 150 or so protesters wearing our new red General Assembly shirts. Most of us didn't know where we were going until a few moments before the buses were to be boarded, right at rush hour on Friday afternoon. We were told our destination along with directions to "get out of the bus and on to the sidewalk as fast as you can, because the buses are on private property."
I was one of the marshals which means, instead of getting a badge and a gun, I got a an armband, a bull horn, and a list of chants as well as a big poster to carry.
I'm sure I looked pretty funny trying to negotiate the march line with all of that -- the bullhorn they gave me required the use of two hands and it didn't work, I stupidly took my shoulder bag, the armband kept falling down my arm, I couldn't read the print on the list of chants, so I had to fumble with my reading glasses -- and the chain that keeps the glasses around my neck kept getting tangled up with my delegate lanyard and badge as well as the poster hanging around my neck -- all that while yelling "They say privatize -- WE SAY ORGANIZE! Finally, one of the other marshals said that he would try to fix the bullhorn (sadly he couldn't), but at least I had one less thing to deal with. (I just read this to SRI, and he said, "Obviously, you needed to get organized, Susan!")
One of our instructions before we left was that if anyone were to approach us to ask who was in charge, we were to say -- at this time I piped up, "The guy in the red shirt!" (we were all wearing red shirts) -- but the correct answer was, "I don't know."
We weren't bothered by any of the Accenture building security, although up to 30 employees from the building came out and watched us. Accenture is at one of the busiest corners in Austin -- IH 35 and Ben White. We marched back in front of the building for half an hour or so and then walked back to the buses. We had to walk past WalMart to get there, and they actually had their security there watching us.
And what is Accenture, and why would we want to protest?
Here is some information about from TSEU:
"Privatization is a boondoggle that has already wasted millions of Texas taxpayers' dollars. Bermuda-based Accenture LLP has already pocketed nearly $100 million on a $1 billion contract, and what Texas gets is the call center disaster. DeLoitte charged us millions for the TIERS system that still does not work. Convergys has collected millions of dollars to run a high-tech, on-line Human Resources system that has produced chaos in five state agencies.
Based on this history of success, privateers have targeted Child Protective Services, the Texas Workforce Commission, state universities, and many other state services."
Accenture is also the company responsible for the voter purge in Florida before the 2000 presidential elections (in which felons were to be purged from the voter rolls, but many who weren't felons were also cut from the rolls.) Accenture also put the wrong number for applicants for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to fax completed forms and documentation -- instead of going to the Accenture offices in Austin, the faxes were ending up in a warehouse in Seattle, totally confounding the workers there. More info here:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13659
One of the women on the bus to the rally said that she had tried to call (the outsourced) payroll services for her unit. (I'm not quite sure if this is Accenture or Convergys -- another outsource provider.) Someone answered the phone from another office. "Is this payroll?" "No, this is Human Resources" (or some other non-payroll unit.) "But I asked to be connected to payroll." "Yes, but there is a 30 - 40 minute wait to get through to payroll, so they are routing the calls to other offices." "Can you help me with a payroll issue?" "No." "May I please speak to your supervisor?" Interestingly, I just read an article that said that the abandonment rate for this agency had gone down -- well, yeah, duh, if you route the calls to the wrong place so that it doesn't look like people are hanging up . . .
Sunday, October 01, 2006
In Memoriam (Texas State Employees Union Members)
I'll have another post or two on the General Assembly of the Texas State Employees Union with in a day or so, but this is something I wanted to put up right away.
A few years ago I was walking to a far away parking garage after dark -- the security guard informed me that I am encouraged to call the campus police for an escort whenever I had to walk in the dark on campus.
Two weeks ago, a student in extreme distress came to my office late in the day. He said that after he'd left my office the day before, someone named Marcus, and a couple of other people named Marcus started following him. I asked him how he knew that they were Marcus -- "Because they called me." The conversation disintegrated from there. When another student came to the office to add a class, I was able to contact my supervisor who notified the police. The police got there very quickly, but the distressed student was already gone. They found him a little later, and were able to get him to where he could get the assistance he needed.
On August 9, 2006, two of my fellow union members were kidnapped from the on-campus parking lot of the Lubbock State School. A week or so later, the decapitated body of one of the women, Kay Harrelson) was found (although it is unclear as to the cause of the dismemberment -- it may have been due to animals.) The other woman, Kay Merimon, has not been found.
TSEU has called for restoration of discontinued security services on the campus and for additional steps to protect the security of staff and residents.
I'll never take our security staff and UTPD for granted again; however, the Texas legislature seems intent on slashing government services.
BTW, Ann Richards was a TSEU member, so she was on the list of deceased members.
A POSTSCRIPT:
Since I posted this, I discovered that the two women actually disappeared at lunch and they have a suspect under investigation -- it's some guy who works at that school. He didn't return to work after lunch, and he called in sick the next day. He lied about when he left -- he was caught on his apartment complex's security camera at lunchtime when he said he didn't get home until much later, and he said he was alone, but the camera showed someone else in his car.
A few years ago I was walking to a far away parking garage after dark -- the security guard informed me that I am encouraged to call the campus police for an escort whenever I had to walk in the dark on campus.
Two weeks ago, a student in extreme distress came to my office late in the day. He said that after he'd left my office the day before, someone named Marcus, and a couple of other people named Marcus started following him. I asked him how he knew that they were Marcus -- "Because they called me." The conversation disintegrated from there. When another student came to the office to add a class, I was able to contact my supervisor who notified the police. The police got there very quickly, but the distressed student was already gone. They found him a little later, and were able to get him to where he could get the assistance he needed.
On August 9, 2006, two of my fellow union members were kidnapped from the on-campus parking lot of the Lubbock State School. A week or so later, the decapitated body of one of the women, Kay Harrelson) was found (although it is unclear as to the cause of the dismemberment -- it may have been due to animals.) The other woman, Kay Merimon, has not been found.
TSEU has called for restoration of discontinued security services on the campus and for additional steps to protect the security of staff and residents.
I'll never take our security staff and UTPD for granted again; however, the Texas legislature seems intent on slashing government services.
BTW, Ann Richards was a TSEU member, so she was on the list of deceased members.
A POSTSCRIPT:
Since I posted this, I discovered that the two women actually disappeared at lunch and they have a suspect under investigation -- it's some guy who works at that school. He didn't return to work after lunch, and he called in sick the next day. He lied about when he left -- he was caught on his apartment complex's security camera at lunchtime when he said he didn't get home until much later, and he said he was alone, but the camera showed someone else in his car.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
More UT Crime Line/Campus Watch News
I can see it now -- sentenced to hard labor, the poor little squirrel struggles to move while attached to a little ball and chain made out of paperclips and a golf ball:
KINSOLVING DORMITORY
Criminal Mischief: As reported by a Campus Watch subscriber:
My husband and I were visiting our daughter, a UT student. As we, our daughter and 2 of her friends exited Kinsolving dorm Sat. Sept. 23 just after sunset, we saw a squirrel jump up on a bike seat and attack it. The seat was a soft one, foam covered with cloth. The squirrel ripped open the cloth in several places and used its paws to pull out the stuffing. We tried to scare it off, even throwing water on it, but it kept coming back. We couldn’t think of anything else to do to help the poor person who will have a destroyed bike seat. If you want, I could send you a picture of this perpetrator in the act of vandalism.
Friday, September 22, 2006
The Continuing Saga of Acne Girl and Sushi Boy
A follow up to yesterday's post -- one of my co-workers said that I should NOT try to hook these two up. After yesterday's escapade, she has come to the conclusion that Sushi Boy is too good for Acne Girl:
ROBERT L. MOORE HALL, 2515 Speedway
Failure to Identify / Attempted Theft: UT police officers responded to RLM on a reported suspicious person who had stolen a Dr. Pepper on 9-20-06. At the time of the theft the suspect was described as an Asian female, wearing a pink shirt and tan pants. When officers arrived, the owner of the vending cart pointed to an Asian female wearing a pink shirt and tan pants. The owner stated that the female had attempted to take a package of "Goldfish" crackers, and got her hand caught in the cookie jar. During the investigation, the subject stated that she was a current UT student, but provided a false name and date of birth. The officers realized that the subject was not forthcoming with her correct information; she was asked to repeat her telephone number and could not remember the number that she had just given. The subject admitted that she had lied about all of her personal information. The subject was taken into custody for Failure to Identify and transported to Central Booking. Occurred on: 9-21-06, at 10:10 AM.
(In yesterday's Campus Watch, the female perp was described as having acne.)
ROBERT L. MOORE HALL, 2515 Speedway
Failure to Identify / Attempted Theft: UT police officers responded to RLM on a reported suspicious person who had stolen a Dr. Pepper on 9-20-06. At the time of the theft the suspect was described as an Asian female, wearing a pink shirt and tan pants. When officers arrived, the owner of the vending cart pointed to an Asian female wearing a pink shirt and tan pants. The owner stated that the female had attempted to take a package of "Goldfish" crackers, and got her hand caught in the cookie jar. During the investigation, the subject stated that she was a current UT student, but provided a false name and date of birth. The officers realized that the subject was not forthcoming with her correct information; she was asked to repeat her telephone number and could not remember the number that she had just given. The subject admitted that she had lied about all of her personal information. The subject was taken into custody for Failure to Identify and transported to Central Booking. Occurred on: 9-21-06, at 10:10 AM.
(In yesterday's Campus Watch, the female perp was described as having acne.)
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Crime Watch in RLM
This happened in RLM yesterday (From the Campus Watch):
ROBERT L. MOORE HALL, 2515 Speedway
Theft: An unknown female was observed removing a can of Dr. Pepper from an unsecured storage cabinet and walked away without paying for the item. The coffee shop owner yelled at the female to stop and followed her out of the building. The unknown female is described as: Asian female, 28-30 years of age, shoulder length hair, with acne. She was last seen wearing a pink T-shirt and tan pants. Loss value: $.75. Occurred on: 9-20-06, at 12:31 PM.
The perp returned to the scene of the crime yesterday -- she went into the library, so their security video picked her up -- the library staff gave the video to the coffee shop people who were going to show it to the police.
Then this came in on the campus watch right after the above theft:
UNION BUILDING, #4 West Mall
Theft: A UT staff member observed an unknown subject take a handful of sushi from a private vender located on the second floor. The subject left the area prior to the arrival of the officer. The subject was described as: white male wearing an orange shirt. Loss value: $4.00. Occurred on: 9-19-06, at 7:00 PM.
My "matchmaking urges" (ala Ski Boy and Bikini Girl from a couple of years back, and there were also my efforts with trying to get the two cute redhead government major twins hooked up with the cute business twins, but one of the business major twins said that he and his brother didn't like to date twins) kicked in -- I have got to get these two matched up -- what a dream date -- she can take care of the drinks, and he'll get the food!
Well, there is a postscript to this story -- the female perp returned to RLM today and tried to rip off another can of Dr. Pepper -- this time the staff chased her off before she could take the product. But a little later, K., the manager of the stand, was upstairs, and she saw her sitting on a bench, reading. The perp didn't know who K. was (it was another employee who chased her yesterday) so K. nonchalantly used her cell phone to call the police. They arrived and K. said, "That's her!"
She didn't press charges though -- she just wanted to get her attention, and I think she gets handed over to Student Judicial Services.
(and Note to Self: "don't steal from a building that you spend a lot of time in!")
It's always a lot of fun in the RLM,
ROBERT L. MOORE HALL, 2515 Speedway
Theft: An unknown female was observed removing a can of Dr. Pepper from an unsecured storage cabinet and walked away without paying for the item. The coffee shop owner yelled at the female to stop and followed her out of the building. The unknown female is described as: Asian female, 28-30 years of age, shoulder length hair, with acne. She was last seen wearing a pink T-shirt and tan pants. Loss value: $.75. Occurred on: 9-20-06, at 12:31 PM.
The perp returned to the scene of the crime yesterday -- she went into the library, so their security video picked her up -- the library staff gave the video to the coffee shop people who were going to show it to the police.
Then this came in on the campus watch right after the above theft:
UNION BUILDING, #4 West Mall
Theft: A UT staff member observed an unknown subject take a handful of sushi from a private vender located on the second floor. The subject left the area prior to the arrival of the officer. The subject was described as: white male wearing an orange shirt. Loss value: $4.00. Occurred on: 9-19-06, at 7:00 PM.
My "matchmaking urges" (ala Ski Boy and Bikini Girl from a couple of years back, and there were also my efforts with trying to get the two cute redhead government major twins hooked up with the cute business twins, but one of the business major twins said that he and his brother didn't like to date twins) kicked in -- I have got to get these two matched up -- what a dream date -- she can take care of the drinks, and he'll get the food!
Well, there is a postscript to this story -- the female perp returned to RLM today and tried to rip off another can of Dr. Pepper -- this time the staff chased her off before she could take the product. But a little later, K., the manager of the stand, was upstairs, and she saw her sitting on a bench, reading. The perp didn't know who K. was (it was another employee who chased her yesterday) so K. nonchalantly used her cell phone to call the police. They arrived and K. said, "That's her!"
She didn't press charges though -- she just wanted to get her attention, and I think she gets handed over to Student Judicial Services.
(and Note to Self: "don't steal from a building that you spend a lot of time in!")
It's always a lot of fun in the RLM,
Monday, September 18, 2006
Arrrrrr!
My office always celebrates "Talk Like a Pirate Day." This year we put up a sign which read, "Only X more days until Talk Like a Pirate Day!" (we changed the days remaining every few days or so, so it was never correct.) There was some fine print on our poster -- "Please sign our petition to get TLPD an official UT holiday! We don't yet have a petition, but if you ask, we will make one."
So a month went by and no one asked . . . until last week when a student walked through the door and said, "Do you really have a petition?" "No, but we'll make one. May we help you?" "Not really, I'd just like to use the stapler." Jesse said, "You may use the stapler, but only if you ask like a pirate." So he did -- but then he said, "If I were really a pirate, I'd just TAKE the stapler!"
Yes -- our office is getting into the TLPD spirit early!
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Aunt Pearl's Small Blouse (Spongebob in Reverse)
Almost as catchy as the original tune, although somewhat disturbing:
http://spongebobreverse.ytmnd.com/
http://spongebobreverse.ytmnd.com/
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Take the Search Engine to My Blog
Recent searches (mostly google) that directed people to this blog:
throwing cats from buildings
sandra bullock austin neighborhood
duct disinfectant
oodle doodle korean egg council
fruity oaty bars
leonidas mandlebrot (I was talking about chocolate and a few days later the mandelbrot fractal.)
Being Burgled
which dr. who character are you
susan brown austin
come into my tummy oh so very yummy
and if I had a face like you I'd join the british army
people dating online blogspot
binocular flasks in south austin
czech artist postcards prague cats
anything
being burgled
subject was combative
no pants party
kitchen peninsula
mossman guitar serial numbers
Amazon Mistress and friend, austin
wiggle jiggle yellow middle that's the best of what we are
ut austin
pictures underpants
ut austin jester center address (in Chinese?)
I was particularly interested with the search for "anything" -- nothing in particular, just "anything." And do you reallly want to know about --no pants party--, --pictures underpants-- and --Amazon Mistress and friend, austin-- ?? And I don't date online -- what's with that?
And now if they goggle these terms again, will they be more likely to end up on this blog again?
throwing cats from buildings
sandra bullock austin neighborhood
duct disinfectant
oodle doodle korean egg council
fruity oaty bars
leonidas mandlebrot (I was talking about chocolate and a few days later the mandelbrot fractal.)
Being Burgled
which dr. who character are you
susan brown austin
come into my tummy oh so very yummy
and if I had a face like you I'd join the british army
people dating online blogspot
binocular flasks in south austin
czech artist postcards prague cats
anything
being burgled
subject was combative
no pants party
kitchen peninsula
mossman guitar serial numbers
Amazon Mistress and friend, austin
wiggle jiggle yellow middle that's the best of what we are
ut austin
pictures underpants
ut austin jester center address (in Chinese?)
I was particularly interested with the search for "anything" -- nothing in particular, just "anything." And do you reallly want to know about --no pants party--, --pictures underpants-- and --Amazon Mistress and friend, austin-- ?? And I don't date online -- what's with that?
And now if they goggle these terms again, will they be more likely to end up on this blog again?
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Rear Ended on Ben White Blvd., and There is a Dead Rodent in the Room of Music and Contemplation
A few days ago I was stopped at a rather long stoplight in my neighborhood, just minding my own business and listening to a podcast of a couple that had deconverted from LDS (and xtianity) (and one of the influencing factors was a cosmology class taught by Gregory Benford that one of them took) (and note, in subsequent podcasts, they turned off the fan in the room, so that the sound quality is better)
Well, so anyway, there I am stopped at the light when "THUNK!" my car is hit from behind. I didn't hear anything break, but I did want to check, but as we were in the middle lanes (one that could go straight or turn left), and the light was about ready to change, I looked in the rear view mirror, pointed left, and the woman who hit me nodded. So, I'm just hoping that she will turn, because since she is behind me she could easily just keep driving, and there would be nothing I could do about it.
She does follow me, and we turn into the parking lot of a 7-11. As soon as we get out, I say to her, "I don't think you did any damage, but I just wanted to check."
It was a very hot day -- 103, and she was flushed and sweating, and she said, "I'm so sorry, I was stopped, and my nose started to bleed and I reached down to get a tissue and "bam!" There is no damage to either car. Her license plate was from Alaska -- she said she'd just gotten to Austin. I asked her if she was o.k. and if she had some water to drink. I was ready to march her into the 7-11 and buy her some juice or water, but she said she was o.k. and she did have water, so I thanked her for stopping and we went on our merry ways.
We just started letting the cats out again this week (Yuki had dental surgery a few weeks ago, and I wanted to protect our investment), and when I woke up this morning, the first thing I noticed was a dead rodent in the Room of Music and Contemplation. (too large for a house mouse) I am waiting for Scott to wake up to take care of this, but if he sleeps much longer, I think I can handle it. Yuck, I think we might go back to being inside cats. My preference is to keep them in, but it's hard to fight against one Scott and 3 felines.
Well, so anyway, there I am stopped at the light when "THUNK!" my car is hit from behind. I didn't hear anything break, but I did want to check, but as we were in the middle lanes (one that could go straight or turn left), and the light was about ready to change, I looked in the rear view mirror, pointed left, and the woman who hit me nodded. So, I'm just hoping that she will turn, because since she is behind me she could easily just keep driving, and there would be nothing I could do about it.
She does follow me, and we turn into the parking lot of a 7-11. As soon as we get out, I say to her, "I don't think you did any damage, but I just wanted to check."
It was a very hot day -- 103, and she was flushed and sweating, and she said, "I'm so sorry, I was stopped, and my nose started to bleed and I reached down to get a tissue and "bam!" There is no damage to either car. Her license plate was from Alaska -- she said she'd just gotten to Austin. I asked her if she was o.k. and if she had some water to drink. I was ready to march her into the 7-11 and buy her some juice or water, but she said she was o.k. and she did have water, so I thanked her for stopping and we went on our merry ways.
We just started letting the cats out again this week (Yuki had dental surgery a few weeks ago, and I wanted to protect our investment), and when I woke up this morning, the first thing I noticed was a dead rodent in the Room of Music and Contemplation. (too large for a house mouse) I am waiting for Scott to wake up to take care of this, but if he sleeps much longer, I think I can handle it. Yuck, I think we might go back to being inside cats. My preference is to keep them in, but it's hard to fight against one Scott and 3 felines.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
