Two random thoughts that I figured I’d throw out here on the blog:
1. With the internet, it doesn’t take long at all for a bit of information to go from one place to another. So, what’s the deal with this: my father, who died December 17th, 2005, is still receiving correspondence from businesses in the mail. He also regularly gets phone calls from organizations he was in, asking to speak with him, or asking for his dues. How long does it take for the “word to spread” that someone has died and will not, in fact, be returning your calls? He’s even getting mail from the life insurance company that he was insured with, who paid us after his death! Talk about a case of the right arm not knowing what the left is doing… Has anyone else ever experienced this? It’s really rather odd to receive calls every little bit, asking to speak to someone who has been dead for nearly a year and a half.
2. Yesterday there was a breakage in one of the water mains in town, which led to the water coming and going sporadically. It also led to the water having a fairly gross brown tint to it. In today’s paper, there’s a notice saying that we’re under advisory to boil any tap water we use during today and tomorrow. Luckily, my wife stopped on her way home from work yesterday and bought two cases of water when she saw the breakage. On each jug of water, there’s a notice stating that the water is best sold by November of this year. When I first saw this, naturally, this thought occurred: um, what, is the water going to go bad? It’s not like it’s going to spoil. A quick Google search, however, led to an answer. Apparently, while bottled water basically has an indefinite shelf life, some states require that all foods and beverages, water included, have an expiration date printed on the packaging. Apparently Ohio is one of those states. Furthermore, while the water won’t ever go “bad”, over time, the water does pick up flavors from the packaging, which explains why bottled water which has been around for a while has that slightly unpleasant “plasticy” taste.
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March 29, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Zeitlos
about point 1: the dead aunt of my boss got a letter from the telphone company saying “We recorded in our files that you have passed away”. And my own aunt even got a letter from the retirement pension instituition saying that she had died, although she is pretty much alive.
And another random thought for you language geek
When I started learning a new language, I first understand written texts, then understand the spoken word and then slowly start forming sensible sentences myself. But with sign language it is just the other way around. Although I haven’t learned any vocabulary in the last year, I still know a whole lot of words. But when I saw two deaf people talking in sign language on the train twoday I didn’t understand a word.
March 29, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Fig
Here is a random thought back at you. How many tabs do you have open on your screen right now as you read this?
March 30, 2007 at 8:00 am
Josh
Zeitlos: Interesting note about sign language. I’ve never studied it at all.
Fig: Four.
April 4, 2007 at 8:53 am
pelf
Is that why (I’ve read somewhere) we’re encouraged to use glass containers instead of plastic water bottles?
April 6, 2007 at 10:05 am
Josh
pelf: I don’t know, but that’d make sense. I’ve never had water in a glass container taste odd, whereas lots of the water I’ve drank from plastic containers have had that odd tinge to it.