I like the rationale that they don't want to appear to have their cigarette brand associated with "an initiative that aims to spark an interest in fiction for young people." As far as I can tell, those cigarette pack books are simply aimed at, y'know, people who like books. But clearly, the only people who'll read fiction are kids, and they need to be encouraged to do it.

Phone: *Morning. Ring.*

Me: Fuck you. Just fuck you.

Phone: *Look, Captain Cheery, I'm a phone. This is what I do. Ring.*

Me: Do it to someone else.

Phone: *Fine. Move me to another desk. They'll just replace me. Ring.*

Fuckcake O' the Day: I'm checking to make sure one of my employees is actively insured. He has to go to the doctor.

Me: Give me a moment...yep, we show his coverage is active.

FCOtD: It's just that another employee went to the doctor and his insurance said he wasn't in the system.

Me: Well, we show this guy is active.

FCOtD: Okay, well...but this first guy, he went to the doctor and he wasn't in the system.

Me: Well, we're showing this new guy is all set.

FCOtD: ...can't you call the insurance company and check?

Things I Didn't Say: Okay. Can't you come down here and slurp my bunghole clean while I do it, you shitbag?

Everyone who has weighed in this morning seems to find this craxy talk, and they are suggesting that the bride would consider herself slighted.

I can see that if the bride doesn't know ahead of time that it's planned for after, and why. I've seen that before where people decide, say, to have b-day celebrations the weekend following because yadda yadda, but meanwhile the person goes through the actual birthday feeling forgotten. Full disclosure is what I say.

Ginger, he is such a cutie! So photogenic!

If he were really photogenic, I would have picspammed y'all more. Most of the pictures of him are foreshortened pictures of his nose.

The half-Corgi part means that he doesn't reach Jack Russellian levels of mania. So far he's shown that he can jump onto something about three feet tall and he can climb.

I've seen that before where people decide, say, to have b-day celebrations the weekend following because yadda yadda, but meanwhile the person goes through the actual birthday feeling forgotten.

This is why my grandmother's rule is to always tell someone Happy Birthday the day before the actual birthday.

Question for the hivemind:

I had an interview for a job that's internal to my Uni, (even the same school within) and speaking to the HR person, I said that my salary range was $XX-XY. I'm thinking, after hearing about the position that XX is a little too low, and I'd like to say something in my thank you email, like: "after our discussion of the position and all the responsibility it entails, I have considered my salary request and think it would need be closer to the XY side of the range."

Something like that? Help?

UGH! I *always* undersell myself and then slap myself for it right afterward.

This is still early in the process- first interview of several- and $XY is still smack in the middle of the salary range for this level.

Is this appropriate to bring up? Is there a better way to phrase it?

Nora, I think at this point, I'd wait until you've been offered the position, and you're in the negotiation phase. But, others might have different advice.

Hee. Jack Russells are fun. The neighbor dog is a Jack Russell, and he's been coming over to check on the progress of the house. If the door is open, he just runs in and checks out all the rooms. Makes sure things are going okay, checks to see if he's going to be fed scraps by the workers, then takes off. When we put him out because of the wet tile, he was mightily offended. Can't imagine what Seabiscuit's going to think when he gets to the house.

Man, Liese, I can't believe you threw out the superintendent!

I got to visit with Great Danes and an Australian Shepherd on Sunday. (Oh, yeah - there were people there too.) It was fun to see how very typey they were in personality. The Danes were rather reserved but then when they warmed up to you would calmly stand next to you to be petted. The Aussie was quite bossy and would bark if you weren't doing what she wanted. The Danes are pretty much non-barky and non-licky. Although, of course, they drool.

The Aussie was quite bossy and would bark if you weren't doing what she wanted.

Ha! So. Very. Aussie. (I love the herding breeds with a mad insane passion. But, yeah, a little opinionated.)