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2003-01-13 - 9:08 a.m. Semicolon; Well semicolon. Last week was eaten by three days in 'Contracting Officer Technical Representative' training, blah. The material was dull, the presentation package disorganized, but the instructor - she was one twisted individual who knew her stuff. War stories and practical advice - See, y'all thought I was black, but I'm really white. I've just been burned so often I turned toasty - you go girl. Advice like being careful not writing Stupidhead manager in your engineering log because it could be used in court. Then, one of my teammates pipes up Well, sure, you just write it in code. My log 'reads' professionally, but I have markers and tags and stuff that indicate all kinds of things. Like semicolon meaning 'fuck that' The funnier part was the guy sitting next to her, thinking aloud about all the semicolons in the email she sent him. I thought the ;) was a winking smile. She just grinned, leaving him twisting in the wind, and wordlessly went back to playing solitaire on her Palm Pilot. That is *my* project scientist. Key lime juice is not, by the way, green. Good key lime pie is close to the color of cheesecake, just a touch on the yellow-green side. Wonder why the food industry feels obligated to artificially color my yogurt? Now I know I made an impression on Comcast. Service had been solid for 48 hours, so I called back the tech again just to let him know it was going well. Oh, I know, ma'am. I check your service first thing every morning. [Long explanation about transmit power being just a bit too high and blowing the signal, the instability in one of their amplifier parts that made the set point vulnerable to severe swings in weather, and how the other electronics in our homes up the noise in the cable line enough that anything set on the set at the edge of the operating range - like my transmit power *used* to be - is vulnerable to loosing it in the evening when everyone comes home and starts using garage door openers, microwaves and wireless phones.] There are few things an engineer loves more than a competent tech. My project is staffing up for our design phase. And, hey, Harry has joined the team. You know, Harry, the other driver in the Monkey story? I walked into my lead engineer's office, did a double take to see Harry sitting there and yelled Kon-nichi-wa! [which is Japanese for 'Good afternoon' and about the only word Harry could ever remember besides 'biru' (beer)]. You recruited Harry. I love working with Harry! The last time we worked together, he almost got me in a bar fight! Our lead engineer blinks. I just never know what you are going to say. What's Harry going to do? I ask. Well, he says, with doubt and trepidation, we hired Harry to be diplomatic and make these two teams, who traditionally ignore each other, work together Harry and I start laughing at the image of a politically correct Harry. My poor lead engineer. Guess I better teach him about the semicolon. I have lost my copy of Geoffrie Charnie's writings (14th century instruction matter for the French 'Order of the Star), and it is irritating the piss out of me. I have lost a book. Grrrr. (Roland: Noooo. I did not steal, hide or even see your chivalry treatises. And it's not like anyone else you know would borrow it.) So, with what limited references I could locate, here's your random piece of education on the meaning of a ritual cleansing in the knighting ceremony. From L'Ordene de Chevalerie, an anonymous poem dating from 1220-1225. It explains the symbolism behind the knight ritual, using a fictionalized episode from the life of Saladin, who had a reputation for chivalrous behavior, but, as a heathen, could not be expected to know the ceremonies of the knighthood. Hue de Tabarie, a Christian knight, has been captured by Saladin, who offers him his freedom if he will explains the mysteries of knighthood to him and make him a knight. Hue is reluctant to do so, but (see the prisoner angle) has not much choice. "Therewith he feel the King to learn, In all wise what beloved to do With face and hair and beard thereto, And did clothe himself right well As to a new-made Knight befel, And in that bath wash lithe and limb. Then 'gan the Soudan to ask of him What these same things signify, And answered Hugh de Tabarie: 'This bath wherein thy body is Foorsooth is signifieth this. For e'en as infants born in sin Stainless from out the font do win, When they to baptism are brought, E'en so Sir Soudan, now ye ought To come forth free from felony, And be fulfilled of courtesy; In honesty and in good will And kindness shoudst thou bathe thee still And grow beloved of all the Earth.' 'Beginning this fight well of worth, By the God the great,' spake forth the King. "Then from that fair bath outgoing He laid him in a full fair bed That dearly was apparalled...." � � Scribble to Theo previous - next �