11:27 p.m. - 2004-04-29
Bits and Bytes
The thing that finally was the last straw and crashed my computer last night was the diskette I used to transfer information I needed for my report from the Elections Canada computer - that had gone belly up - to my "old piece of junk" as my sons call it, that was humming along very nicely, thank you very much. Apparently the diskette was corrupted by something on the EC computer. I figured that out this morning when I had rewritten my essay and then added in the final details from the disk again. The good things were that the rewritten report was much more succinct and I had saved it in several places, before I had loaded on the attachments from the diskette. I had also managed to reanimate the EC computer, so I could get addtional work I needed from there off by using a clean diskette. Sent off that report to all the political contacts and Elections Canada. In less than an hour I had two e-mails back from different people noting different technical problems accessing different pieces of information. One had software that couldn't open the Excel spreadsheets, the other found he could open, but not print out, another attachment. Add technical support into my duties I guess. Sent off responses suggesting some options. No word back is good news, I guess.
A problem with a new Returning Officer - one that I've spent an awful lot of hours assisting with various problems - cropped up today. He had supplied my contact information to a member of the public, even though we agreed we would not do that. Each of us has sent information about someone who might make a good worker to another Returning Officer in our own e-mails, always with the understanding that nothing is expected other than receipt of the info. That has been reiterated many times. Even Elections Canada doesn't publish or supply our contact information. In fact, when the City Census Office called them to track me down they refused to give them that information even though I would consider them peers. Anyway, I sent him a reminder that was quite blunt, but I stuck to the issue and didn't say anything that was personal. He sent back a "you're not my friend" response. We are all really stressed and frustrated by all the stuff going on with Elections Canada. Add in the press and politicos speculating about the election, getting everyone into a spin about it, with us on the receiving end of some of the angst created. It might be good for voter turn out in the end, but I don't have the time to spend answering hundreds of phone calls where I can't give any more definitive information than what's out there now. I think I'm just going to stop helping the other Returning Officers. It isn't appreciated and it seems to be interpreted as an invitation to use me as a doormat by some.
This article that I read early today came back to haunt me with another Returning Officer who I was trying to help. Because of the community outreach program we are supposed to do, she needed contacts and information about one of the cultural groups in her area. I provided that, so she called me back to let me know about her astonishment about the spiritual practices of that group. I pointed out that they were very similar to those used by her own church - such as burning incense for prayers and providing an honorarium to the spiritual leader when asking for assistance - the exact issues she expressed surprised about. When she denied the similarity, I just noted I liked using incense when I pray and I appreciated the choice that multiculturalism offered in that I can use traditional Euro-centered, Asian or traditional American sacred scents that fit the frame of mind I'm in when I pray. She got a bit huffy and said I was different alright. Anyway this article explored that attitude a little more thoroughly. Prayer. I just commented that I believed the prayers all went to the same place regardless of the person praying and left it at that. Does it really matter what one calls their image of the divine as long as they do pray.
In other e-zines today this article about an experiment in Norway appears to be a different octave af a alternate power experiment we use in Calgary to power our commuter trains Norway. Given that our climate and social systems are very similar, maybe there are some trades in techniques that will help both countries. This write up about celestial events in May was really interesting, since it gave a timetable that listed visible manifestations that could be seen without a telescope Comets_Eclipse_Stars. The information about the "terror" attack in Damascus in Syria was really troubling. Something doesn't fit. Sleight_of_Hand. Also troubling was this story about the World Bank and its comments about the diversion of funds for military use, that could help so many people live a decent life - including here in our own countries Social_policy. This was an interesting commentary about high tech offshoring work Return.
I think it's time to stop thinking and start exercising; at least the cats are of that opinion. A demain, dear diary.
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