While reading the story of Joseph in Genesis today, I found myself angered when the chief butler forgot Joseph for two years (Genesis 40:23). No other element of the story is as aggravating: Jacob making public show of favoritism toward Joseph, Joseph’s adolescent error in sharing his dream with his brothers, the other sons of Jacob plotting to kill Joseph, Reuben’s frustrated plot to hide Joseph then sneak him back to Jacob, the sons of Jacob lying to their father about his favorite son’s fate, Joseph’s enslavement, and Joseph’s imprisonment for false accusations. None of them evoke the anger toward a man restored to prominence and who forgets an act of divine and personal benevolence for two years.
A few weeks ago, I was in my car and pulling out of my apartment complex when I thought I heard an airplane flying overhead. I soon realized my car was making the sound, but only when first accelerating. Once the car reached approximately 25 mph, the noise stopped.
I thought the issue might be low tire air pressure, so I checked my tires. Air pressure was normal.
I thought the issue might be a part dragging on the ground. When my car was stopped, I looked underneath and nothing seemed to be hanging low.
The sound has continued up until 25 mph for the last few weeks, but today, when pulling out of another parking lot, my car made an awful high-pitched squeal. The sounds stopped a minute later, but the experience was unsettling and the rumbling sound from before persisted while below a certain speed.
When I arrived home today, I looked under my car again and noticed my car’s muffler was rusted:
Is it likely a rusted muffler is the culprit? If so, what would be the least expensive (yet still safe) solution? I’ve been unemployed for the better part of two years and the job I work now only lasts until the project ends.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
UPDATE: I took my car to a local auto repair shop and, while my muffler indeed looks rough, it is not leaking. The problem causing the awful sounds is instead with the rear brakes. It doesn’t take a mechanic to know that’s not good.
This is very bad news as the ballpark estimate for repairing the issue is considerably more than the cost of installing a new muffler.
I recently decided to write a screenplay and need some help figuring out the formatting and other technical details. It had been a few months since I had visited my local library, so I decided to drop by and check out a few books and a DVD:
I just got the books home; I have the books for 3 weeks and the DVD for one week. I’ll try to remember to post again if any of the resources listed above were especially helpful.
If you have any books or videos you’d recommend for an aspiring screenwriter (especially resources that cover technical details like formatting), please leave a comment with your recommendation.
I recently sent an e-mail to ask for additional details on a local Human Resources Support position advertised through craigslist. Here’s my initial e-mail:
Greetings,
My name is REMOVED and I am writing to request more information about the HR Support position your company advertised on craigslist.
• What is the name of your company?
• Where is your company located?
• What schedule is a HR Support expected to work?
I’ve made it a personal policy to be cautious when applying for jobs listed on craigslist, so any answers you can provide are greatly appreciated.
Thanks, REMOVED
That’s the typical e-mail I send to any craigslist jobs listing poster that may be legit. It’s my safeguard against the multitude of scam posts that earned the posting site its derogatory alias “dregslist.” (Credit for the ingenious nickname goes to my wife.)
When I send that e-mail, I usually expect no response at all or a form letter completely ignoring my question and featuring a link to an online “application” instead. At that point, my suspicions are confirmed, I ignore the reply, and I move on.
AM CD/DVD Game Cleaner Manual Machine ($5, new). I bought this to replace a hand crank-style Maxell CD/DVD cleaner that I’ve used for about 10 years. One of the parts came off my Maxell CD/DVD cleaner years ago, but I still have it and just plug it back into place any time I needed to clean CDs or DVDs. The AM brand cleaner didn’t come with a lens cleaner disc, so I’m keeping my old Maxell disc handy.
Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand ($10, new?). When I spotted Boktai in the display case, I was somewhat surprised to see that it hadn’t sold already. For those not already familiar with the game, it’s a Gameboy Advance title that has a solar sensor built into the game cartridge. Playing where sunlight reaches the cartridge affects gameplay in interesting and creative ways.
On the drive home from Game Crazy and before I unwrapped the game, I felt a twinge of buyer’s remorse for buying a GBA game for $10 when I already have a backlog of games to get through. I was concerned that the solar sensor might just be a silly gimmick, but after playing through the game’s first mission, I found myself impressed with how the developers (Konami) incorporated the solar sensor feature without making the special hardware feel extraneous or tacked on. The game would be an impressive title even without special hardware, but the solar sensor adds to the experience.
I’ve suspected for a while now that I have hypoglycemia, a condition where the body has trouble regulating the amount of sugar in the blood. I’ve experienced most of the symptoms for as long as I can remember, but I just thought my body was just being troublesome. I won’t bore you with a lengthy explanation of how frustrating a condition like hypoglycemia can be; a quick perusal of the symptoms should give you a rough idea.
My wife and I already eat fairly healthy. We limit our intake of fatty foods, sweets, caffeine, and alcohol. We choose whole wheat breads whenever we have the option. We avoid fried foods. We try to work vegetables and fruits into our diet. We eat red meat only on rare occasions.
I just finished submitting one of my short stories to three prestigious literary journals.
I’ll probably spend an hour or so tomorrow planning out the second wave of submissions so I can be better prepared for the rejection letter if and (most likely) when they arrive. At the least, if I have a plan in place, there won’t be as much time to dwell on the sting of having a story rejected.
Have no fear; I’m not basing my personal assessment of my writing skills exclusively on whether or not three of the top literary journals in America reject my story. Of course, if the story is accepted in any of the three journals linked above, it will do wonders for my confidence in my writing skills (and serve as cause for joyous celebration).
