Happy Easter!

Posted by: monica / 3/27/2005 07:19:00 AM (permalink)

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Blonde Joke


Homer, a handsome dude, walked into a sports bar around 9:58 PM. He sat down next to this blonde at the bar and stared up at the TV. The 10:00 news was on. The news crew was covering a story of a man on a ledge of a large building preparing to jump.

The blonde looked at Homer and said, "Do you think he'll jump?"

Homer says,"You know, I bet he'll jump."

The blonde replied, "Well, I bet he won't."
Homer placed $20 on the bar and said, "You're on!"
Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, the guy did a swan dive off of the building, falling to his death.The blonde was very upset and handed her $20 to Homer, saying, "Fair's fair.Here's your money."
Homer replied, "I can't take your money, I saw this earlier on the 5 o'clock news and knew he would jump."
The blonde replies, "I did too; but I didn't think he'd do it again ."

Homer took the money.......

Posted by: monica / 3/25/2005 02:00:00 PM (permalink)

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How old will you live??
Check it out for fun...

How Old Will You Live Test

Posted by: monica / 3/24/2005 02:04:00 PM (permalink)

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Girl's Night Out
Two women who had been friends for years, decided to go for a Girls
Night Out, and were decidedly over-enthusiastic on the martinis.
Incredibly drunk and walking home, they needed to use the bathroom.

They were very near a cemetery and one of them suggested they wiz behind
a headstone.
The first woman had nothing to dry herself with so she thought she'd
take off her panties, use them, then throw them away.

Her friend, however, was wearing rather expensive underwear and didn't
want to ruin hers, but was lucky to salvage a large ribbon from a wreath
that was on one of the graves. She dried herself with the ribbon. After
finishing, they then made off for home.

The next day the first woman's husband phoned the other husband and
said, "This girls night out thing has got to stop right now. My wife
came home last night without her panties."

"That's nothing." said the other husband, "Mine came home with a card
stuck to her ass that said, "FROM ALL OF US AT THE FIRE STATION, WE'LL
NEVER FORGET YOU."

Posted by: monica / 3/22/2005 04:26:00 PM (permalink)

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Ok guys, so I haven't posted in a very Long time. I'm going to make up for it RIGHT NOW. I am in this writing class for my major and part of the class is to do a group project to help a non-profit oganization. Recently (last 2-3 days) we had some trouble with our group. Below is how it went down.

I know its lengthy, but i swear its worth the read.

Writ340 – Group Discussions:

2/26: memo created at meeting with Shannon Stephanie Erin and Monica

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Next day or so Jennifer contacted Shannon concerned with why a memo as sent out without first being approved by her.

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3/7: group meeting Shannon, Steph, Monica. Talk about what needs to be done, write up questions, discuss presentation.

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3/8: upon mentioning our discussion to jenn following email received.
3/8 2:27pm

Hey guys,

I really don't know what is going on with the group but it seems like we are having communication errors. I know that I haven't been to the meetings on Sundays but that is because I go to church in OC on weekends. I said that when the RFP project first started. Also, I was in Orange last night buying a car till 11:00 so it was impossible for me to get to the meeting. I have been to the site twice and have read all the memos. I didn't know we were taking roll at the meetings to decide who gets first pick on certain aspects of the assignment or else I would have fought harder to get them set for nights when I could actually come. We are in a group working toward a common goal so I think we should all contribute equally and no one should have first pick on anything.

I am still recovering from open heart surgery and this limits me a bit. I usually don't come outside after seven pm just because I have to take all my pills in the evenings and I get really tired around six. If we can make meetings during the day, I have a lot of time. I just don't think its fair to call meetings in Parkside where Monica lives at times when Steph and Shannon are most available. Like, what am I supposed to do in that case?

Lastly, I am really getting frustrated that Monica and Steph have not been to the site and have not made any plans to go. The only information given outside of a direct visit is the notes I wrote and Shannon's pictures and input. There has been no site input from Monica or Steph because you guys haven't gone. How can you propose ideas for something you've never seen? I don't think it is fair to me and Shannon or to the people at APCH to propose ideas from no first hand contact. Until that is done, I don't think it should matter who goes to what meeting. We cannot make a proposal for somehting we have only heard about from other people. That is the foremost concern here, I think. Honestly, I don't understand why I am the only person who thinks so.

We need to email eachother earlier than the day before to set dates and times for meetings. Why don't we just send a copy of eachother's schedules so that we all know when everyone is available? That way, we can have a set time every week that works for everyone.

Please let me know,
Jennifer

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3/8 4:00 pm
I am offended by your email and don't believe you can make judgement calls like this

Monica

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3/8 4:36 pm
Hey Team!

I am thinking we can meet:

Wednesday night at 9:15pm @ Parkside (we will email Jenn what she will say in class)
Friday morning at 9:00am to visit APCH (Monica, Steph, and Shannon-driver)
During spring break (Shannon, Steph, and Jenn) will formulate basic plans

Goals:

Monica: will get the building plans from the city
Stephanie: research appliances and kitchen items
Jenn: get the health codes from the city (serve up to 500 people/day at a maximum)
Shannon and Team: look up a variety of contractors/builders in the LA area

Team: put together a list of available times to set up a common meeting time
Team: compose an email to Paris: request info and set up meeting time (all 4 members)
Team: decide who is writing the different group memos
Team: decide who is writing which part of the proposal and start writing it next week

All of these goals should be met by Thursday of spring break... email the team with any results found... if you disagree please reply all...

I am glad we are having an open form of communication... that is good. There is a ton of work left to be done on this project and we all want A's so lets keep being a team

Dr. Roth suggested maybe we try to solve our questions ourselves:

1. find floor plans without talking to architect (or measure)
2. develop different plans that cost 5K, 20K, 35K, and 50K instead of worrying about $
3. look up health codes and just meet them... find failures ourselves

This doesn't mean we don't ask APCH but we should also find our own way around so these do not become stumbling blocks.

I look forward to hearing from and seeing you all!

TTYL,
Shannon

P.S.

I think visiting the site is very important and can give you great incite. But some of the greatest engineers today don't get to actually get to see what they are working on.

For example Mark Page designs race cars and he hadn't even seen a race until after his first successful design. The engineers on the F/A-22 had not even seen the plane fly until just this past summer and they had been building it for 20yrs.

We all agree that being there and seeing it for yourself is very important and since APOH is close we should. Yet we all realize that if enough information like pictures, descriptions, and details are provided than we each can paint a clear picture of the problem without the first visit to the APCH site itself.

We are all going to have great ideas and we are going to be an awesome team but without stumbling sometimes we can never learn.

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3/8 7:23 pm
Hi again guys,

Umm, I don't know what is going on but I didn't make any judgement calls. This assignment cannot be compared to building a car from prior experience or specialization. We are not engineering anything, we are proposing to reorganize something to provide more utility, which I am actually majoring in. We should go to the site together. Why has no one sent their schedules? Is it because I asked? From the information I received talking to Shannon today, I learned there were plans made independently of me to go to the site and when I sent the email, I did not know plans had been made. I was not trying to offend anyone but it is true that we need to visit the site together.

I sent an email to Professor Roth to be moved to the other group and I will ask them if it is okay so that I don't offend anyone else.

Peace

Jennifer

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3/8 shortly after 7:23 pm:
Jenn sent an email to Shannon stating that the above email was directed towards Monica.

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3/8 9:03 pm
Hey Jenn!

I did not think that you were offending anyone. I think that there was a misunderstanding and that it needed to be resolved.

This is an engineering type of project which is also known as systems engineering but yes it still is utility orientated... it takes a lot of different types of people to make a project like this work... the examples I gave are just to prove a point... I am sorry that you missed it... so lets move on from that.

As far as the schedules go... I had not taken the time to write out my schedule yet today... this is the first time I have been at my computer since we talked... the only person you had talked with about the schedules was me... you had not sent your schedule either... this afternoon I wrote a quick note that reflected some stuff that I thought we would want to get done... my note was not a reflection of anybody else but me... so I am not sure where these comments are coming from... if you want schedules first someone has to ask and then people need time to put them together.

The plans to visit on Friday were made after walking to commons and grabbing our lunch (which we do almost every T/Th after writing)... the visit was just a quick thought... we did not plot against you... Stephanie and Monica needed a guide and I thought of Friday morning before spring break... when I called you it was the first time I had a chance to ask you if you were available... we did not plan to talk to the cook or Paris but just to visit and see the kitchen.

We do need to visit the site together and talk to Paris together but making people feel bad might not have been the best approach... that is why I asked you to start by sending out your schedule so we could coordinate but then your last email... to say I was just a little confused.

I personally think that it is a bit rash to go to the professor without trying to handle the situation... no one thinks you are a bad person at all we are just trying to be a team... being part of a team implies that there will be disagreements but this is very simple to work out... if you feel that it can't be than I am sorry that you feel that way... I think you make a great asset to the team but you have to do what you feel is right.

Sincerely,
Shannon

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3/8 10:27 pm

If this is harsh I am sorry but you are being very childish and your emails are very insulting for something that should be at a professional level.

1. When did you go the second time to the site and why didn't you tell the rest of us you were going so maybe we could have come with?

2. The whole idea of a group meeting is for the WHOLE GROUP to be there. If you can't make it at those times that's fine but it is your responsibility to either suggest alternate times or call one of us to get caught up on what you missed. When you do get caught up I would appreciate an email to inform the group so that everyone knows. We could also send summaries of meetings but the way I see it the missing person should do the work to get caught up.

3. If you think you are better qualified that is fine but you also have to prove it. I have also discussed ideas for what to do with other experienced people (that have gone to the site).

4. Meetings are at Parkside because they have meeting rooms that we can use and there is convenint parking. Rides have been offered to you and are open at any time. If a different location is better than ask to change it don't just complain.

5. Daytime meetings would be nice but I work for a living and between class and work I am never free sooner than 6. I will NOT skip work or class simply to make a group meeting. My schdule is below. I just now got home and have a midterm tomorrow to study for but here is my schedule. The times listed are when I have work or class.

WITHHELD

I do have small half hour breaks but those are for lunch and I usually just have time to grab food and eat in class.

6. It's not like I don't want to go to the site. It's simply a time issue. My first commitments are to my scheduled classes and my job. For both visits that I have missed I have talked to the people who were there in order to find out what I have missed. So has Monica. In addition to your notes we talked with Erin and Shannon for well over an hour to get all the necessary information that we have missed. Then we all sat there and typed the memo.
.
7. Me and Monica and Shannon also spent over an hour at Parkside Monday discussing what we would like to do and we both have plenty of input. We have both seen the place in pictures and at this stage that is more than enough information to come up with basic ideas. I am a design engineer, this is what I do. I would like first hand contact and it will be useful. That is why me and Monica and possibly Shannon are going to try and go this Friday. This was not planned without you. It was a last minute thing at lunch. It would be pointless to try and get all of us together considering our schedule problems just to set up a time to visit. We would have sent you an email or called you asking if you could also make this time but you jumped on it before we could. It's not like we are trying to visit behind your back. If we were I wouldn't be sending this email.

8. The judgement calls Monica was referring to is that you are basically saying that me and her are lazy and not pulling our weight which is incredibly not fair. It's not like here has been that much to go around.

9. This can be compared to building a car because its simply delevering a product (new layout of kitchen) that the consumer (APCH) has requested. This project has elements of research (background), systems engineering (most efficient use of space), civil engineering (new structures), electrical engineering (better lighting), and communications (talking to the consumer and each other).

10. The coment about not sending the scheduales because you asked was extremely childish. I just got home or I would have sent it sooner. It was also childish to drag the professor into this without first trying to solve your own problems and talk things out with the rest of us. He also stated at the beginnig of the project that this is partially to teach us to work in groups. You will incounter these same problems in any group you may switch too. That said I think as a group we should try to work through this by ourselves.

-Stephanie

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3/8 11:15 pm
Ok guys, So i just wrote a long response to this and then I accidentally closed the window :-(, but here goes again.

Hi Jenn,

My earlier response to your email was a rushed response during a 5 minute break between classes.
Here are the issues I wanted to address.

1. Though a site visit is vital to the project, the project does need to move on until Steph and I can go see the site. In the meanwhile we have made great efforts to catch up on what everyone learned at the site visit. We have had lengthy conversations, looked at pictures, and analyzed the floor plan. You cannot imply that our input is worthless until we have seen the site. This implication by you is rude and uncalled for. What if we hadn't signed the release forms and could not go to the site? would you have us removed from the project because we could not provide input? I would hope not. Also we have given input on the project but all input has been made during group meetings which you have not attended, so it is unfair of you to say that we have not and cannot give input.
2. Not going to the site has not been a matter of choice on my part (or Steph's). I have made prior commitments in my schedule to classes and work. I cannot and will not skip out of work or class for anything besides emergencies. You want us to respect your commitments and priorities (church, recovery) but apparently are unwilling to respect my commitments and priorities.
3. Group meetings are just as important to this project if not more important than the site visit. Group meetings are where things are discussed and decisions are made. Though we made great efforts to catch up on the site visit I have not seen such an effort on your part to catch up no group meetings. Since many decisions are made during group meetings we cannot provide your input for these decisions, we don't know what your input is. It is not a matter of roll taking at meetings, but if you're not there your decision will be heard last, you are right. Unfortunately because of my work and class schedule I mostly only have nights open for meetings.
4. I did not send out my schedule NOT because you asked for it, but because I did not get off work until 9:45. I am not always at my computer to answer emails on demand.
5. Meetings are not at Parkside because I live here but because there are many meeting facilities and lounges, and since I work here I have access to many of them. Also there is convenient parking and a place to eat in case one of us is taking "meal time" during meeting times.
6. I would appreciate if you stayed on board with us for the project. Just because there is a conflict does not mean you should try to switch groups. I believe we can work this out especially if you can show some patience and understanding toward the rest of us.
7. There is no reason for you to get angry about what will be happening with the presentation on Thursday. This presentation is a small small part of this project. There is plenty of work to go around for all of us to work on and we are not always going to get the parts we want to work on. Everyone can't always win.

Aside from all this On Shannon's email she mentioned you would be working on health codes, I was wondering if i could work on that. Since I am working on getting the building plans I am already calling most of the departments you would need to call for the health codes so it would be more efficient if only one person was working on this.

Monica

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3/8 11:23 pm
Hey homies, I mean team members...

heres my schedule, also there are 8 hours a week that my boss basically picks at random, so always check in with me before deciding to schedule something.

WITHHELD
Also i spend most weekends with my family and cannot come back to campus. I am here sunday nights though.

We may want to consider phone conferencing for some of the times.
Also I am unavailable during spring break.

Monica

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3/8 11:54 pm
Omg, just for the record I am not angry. I respect everyone and from the last two emails I received I really don't have anything to say except I didn't mean to imply anything. Since the begininning of the project I said that I will be out of town on weekends. Honestly, I don't really want to deal with this anymore because it seems like everyone is pissed except me and Shannon. I will try and get into the other group because I cannot deal with people calling me childish and accusing me of things that I haven't done. I cant go to a meeting that is scheduled at a time when I flat out am not even in LA County. It is one day of the week. Why couldnt it be moved to another day? I have soooo much free time on other days.

Visiting the site is different. There are six days of the week to go. I am not going to believe that you guys cannot commit to this assignment in the form of one hour out of the week or something like that. I respect working, I have been independent since I was 15 and I know what it means to have to work all day. I just find it hard to believe that in three weeks there was not even an open Saturday to visit the site. And, in life, we have to multi task. This is an important project that requires attention and time. The professor told us that at the beginning of the semester.

This project is about the people at APCH. Not us. If you guys don't think it is as important to visit the site as it is to plan at meetings, then I am definitely working with the wrong group.

If you guys feel like I implied something, you should have just asked me. We all have eachothers phone numbers and this is really going tooo far. I don't think anyone is worthless or anything but I do feel that more effort should be put into this assignment. Thats all I am saying. That was it. Period. Thats all I meant. I haven't done name calling but I do feel that there has been a lack of contribution from the beginning. I don't think it is fair to keep telling me that I don't come to group meetings when I never miss class, always send emails and respond to them, and have been proactive in trying to get the meetings moved to a day when I can go. I am willing to sacrifice things in order for us to reach a common goal. But there are some things that cant be compromised. I am sorry that I am healing from open heart surgery, if that doesn't work for anyone, then I just don't know what to tell you.

Forget it. I am not going to stress over this anymore. You guys obviously have something deeper going on than just the simple comment I made today. Groups communicate together, not in cliques. So, if I have to stay in this group, just tell me whatever it is you need tme to do and it will be done. It always is. No one ever brought the meetings up to me till today and if I remember correctly, none of us have had complete attendance on this project so to point the finger at me because I want us all to go to the site together is odd.

I hope you guys understand that I don't think badly of anyone or else I wouldn't have been working so hard on this project nor would I have suggested for all of us to be in a group together.

And lastly, I was actually really excited about this project from the beginning. I am a nice person and I do what is asked of me. To be accused of calling people worthless or insignificant or whatever is completely offbase. I am not just doing this for a grade. And, I never ever have group problems. Every job I have ever had required working in groups. To attack me personally, I think, is taking things too far.

For future reference, it is never positive to take a stance or form a view based on an implication. Nor is it professional. Today, I was told basically that my opinion doesn't count and I don't get "first picks" because I didn't come to meeting that I said I couldn't come to. If that is how you guys feel, then great. I wasn't trying to get first picks. I was just making a suggestion and I had o idea that my right to so had been stripped away. We are obviously doing this assignment for different reasons. Monica, you can do whatever you want. I haven't been to a meeting so I no longer have a say. But it is important to note, the first transgression, in my view, was not going to the site. That was step one. If you all want to ignore it, then great. Do what you want. I just don't understand how that is okay.

When you want to send me a personal message, don't click reply all. If anyone else has anything else to say, you can call me.

Peace,

Jennifer

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3/9 0:00 am
WITHHELD

usually, if I am told about something with a week prior notice or more (sometimes less) I can put it in my schedule. I am a really busy person too so it is important for me to know things earlier than usual.

Thank you,

Jennifer

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3/9 0:02 am
Good Evening Team!

Jenn can you meet on Thursday at 5:15pm at Parkside until 6pm. We (Stephanie, Monica, Shannon) would like to meet there so we can eat dinner during the our breaks. During this time we could get Writ340 hw done for APCH. Can you meet then? Do you need a ride? Are you willing to pay for and eat dinner at Parkside on Thursdays?

People's schedules are attached at the bottom of this email.

Sincerely,
Shannon


Shannon's Schedule:

WITHHELD

* Much of the other free time used for my karate and marketing businesses (and hw)

Stephanie's Schedule:

WITHHELD

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3/9 0:07 am
Umm, I dont think steph can meet at that time. How can you meet on thursday at 5:15 if the schedule says youre busy till 9:30 pm? I sent my schedule. I have a class at five till 6:30 TTh.

Goodnight

Jennifer

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3/9 0:12 am
Because that is my only break of the day where I usually eat dinner while running home to get my computer. I'm also skipping out of my lab early since this seems to be so difficult. That way I can make it for at least half an hour.

-Stephanie

PS: Why did you tell Shannon you didn't have time to talk to me?

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3/9 0:19 am
Jenn when I sent this I did not have you schedule. Could you please clarify when you have classes? I did not understand what your schedule meant...

I though APCH was closed all weekend? That is what Paris said... there is no menu for weekends...

Talk to you soon,
Shannon

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3/9 10:04 am
I dont know what you are talking about and if you want to send me a message you can send it directly to me. Dont reply all if you are only talking to me.

Thank you,

Jennifer

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3/9 2:56 pm
To all-

I have suggested more than once that we simply talk/meet after class instead of trying to make meetings for days when people are obviously busy. If we talk for ten to twenty minutes after class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, thats a 20-40 minute meeting per week. I have had alot of suggestions that seem to go unheard though but I guess that ties in to the fact that my voice is lowest on the totem pole. By the way, what is the hierarchy of this group? Like, who's opinion comes first? I would just like to know for future reference. And, how does a group work if members' voices and opinions are unequal? I have never heard of a group that operates successfully in that way. Is there some kind of intake process or a way to earn back one's voice? I mean cmon, that is the most absurd thing I have gotten from all this.

So anyway, the professor emailed me back and the other group did too. I will talk to him Thursday after class if you guys plan on sticking around or going to get lunch together or whatever, regardless, I am sure this is a time when everyone will feel the need to meet all together and miraculously we will probably all have free time to meet (what an odd thought).

I am sorry if this comes off as sarcastic or anything but it still confuses me that I got messages today directed at me but replied to the entire group when our whole problem, which I thought we all agreed on, was poor communication.

And, the idea I suggested, which Shannon so beautifully re-suggested in her elected leader of the group kind of way, about sending the schedules was to send times when you are available( at least that is what I meant by it). Like times between classes or during breaks. The whole point was see when we were all available.

Jennifer

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3/9 3:22 pm
I was responding to your email where you said you didn't think I could make that time. I included the rest of the group in case they had similar concerns because I usually don't have that time free.

-Stephanie

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PHEW!! after this there were some phone convos and a meeting with the prof....but thats it!

Posted by: monica / 3/10/2005 07:42:00 PM (permalink)

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