My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones, and ~ma for survivors. This is beyond what my mind can get around.

I wonder if they're going to have a General Strike in Wisconsin.

Javan Rhinos take their pictures.

Zombie ants

14 rarest and weirdest mammal species

It's friday! What are people doing this weekend, other than reading/avoiding earthquake and tsunami news?

I have plans to make diabolical cookies. (Chips ahoy inside a homemade chocolate chip cookie.) and to use up all the Groupons I have, except for the dining out ones.

sumi, I'm so glad your family in Japan is okay!

Happy birthday, tommyrot!

Can I just unload here? My mom called to tell me that her foot surgery is scheduled for April 4, so I called my boss to tell her the date (I'd already given her the heads-up that I wanted to go out to NJ to spend at least the first week with her post-surgery if Mom could fit it in before mid-April). She starts to hedge because another team member told her she needed the 7th and 8th off, and then told me she'd call me back after hearing from the other team member. Well, it's not like S, the one who needs those two days, and I do the same thing, but R, the other person, will be covering for both of us. However, my morning task, which R would be doing in my absence, is very non-demanding on Thursdays and Fridays, so those two days wouldn't be overly stressful for her. And, goddamnit, my mom frickin' well needs me!!!

And now I'm crying again, just because my boss is, yet again, putting me on the bottom of the list when it comes to PTO requests. This happens time and time and time again for me. My cubicle neighbor keeps telling me to demand the time off and not ask for it, and maybe I should.

In fact, when boss calls me back after speaking with R, regardless of what she says, I'm not only going to demand the week of the 4th off, I'm also going to tell her I'm taking the following week off, too. Mom said that would be much better for her, and fuck it, I'm going to do it. I've got the PTO, and I'm going to take it.

You're right to do that, Kathy. Good luck.

And I just found out some family friends are in Tokyo! But fine, so that's good.

My plans for the weekend include the Symphony tonight and my cousin's birthday tomorrow. And laundry.

Apparently, this earthquake was only the 5th largest on record since 1900.

Good on you for insisting, Kathy.

My weekend plans apparently involve EVERYTHING. Which includes dinner out, maybe seeing another out of town friend with Colin (I think I'll definitely bail if Colin can't make it--I'm overstretched this weekend, and it would just be simpler), an ER visit, a software rollout, and THE SUPERNATURAL PALEY CONFERENCE on Sunday.

Well, the rollout's not happening until the CIO gives her thumbs up. And she's being very reticent.

Weekend plans include digging through files to find my marriage certificate so I can claim some lost money from Pepsico. Whee!