Useless things are useless

Uslessness #1? My super, or maybe the plumbing in my building. Or conflate them. Why not.

We have a super in my building. But he doesn't do anything. And I had not one but THREE leaking radiators in my flat that required a plumber to come over this morning and fix. One leaked so badly that the bowl I placed underneath it filled up in a matter of minutes. I also put a towel on the floor when I went to bed and this morning it was so soaked all I could do was throw it in the tub and leave it for later. I had a training to go to this morning, so I couldn't stick around for them to be fixed. So thank goodness for new friends with free time because I am now indebted to tennis_bear for house sitting while the plumbers came over to plumb. Ah well, I hear he was held captive by Calliope and BBC-A, so I don't feel too guilty.

Uselessness #2? The training itself. And my uterus, for good measure.

We had to do this exercise that's meant to replicate the experiences DV victims go through and this included carrying around a doll to simulate having a baby. I seriously objected to the fact that all the character victims in the exercise were heterosexual women and nearly all of them mothers. But I found myself amused when one of the training participants walked up to me and asked "Why are you choking your baby?" It was only then that I realized I was carrying it around gripped at the most convenient spot for my hand - the neck - while all the other people in the training were cradling their baby dolls as though they were real. I have absolutely NO interest in babies, and as I once told cmcmck, I would donate my uterus in a heartbeat if I knew someone who could use it. The email sent out by the city stated that shelter directors needed to attend, but the room was packed with entry level staff, and the training was directed at them. So I grabbed the materials and left after the exercise, having definitely seen enough.

Uselessness #3? My rain boots.

It was PISSING RAIN this morning and the sewers were backed up. I have had two pairs of rubber boots and both of them died on me today. One pair had a rip in the seam that I noticed before putting them on (thankfully). The other pair seemed fine until I got to my destination and realized my socks were soaked. :-( Good thing I'd brought a pair of Chucks as a back-up.

Now I'm back at my office and thankful as all get out to a) have a toasty place to warm up and dry out; and b) have a boss who gets me and laughed with me over my story rather than get annoyed that I left the training.

That 5 questions meme

. . . and snowflake cookiegate must be coming to a close. Entries replies are ever so slowly trickling their way into my inbox.

And then there's that 5 questions meme going around again. This one via cmcmck, who asked me Five Questions. So if you'd like me to ask you 5 questions in return, post in the replies. Then update your journal with the answers to the questions. Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.

1. As a social work expert, is there one thing, socially, you would change to make life better for all?

This is difficult to answer, because I would want to know what you mean by "socially." As a policy person, my first inclination is to suggest a guaranteed annual income, implemented through the tax system such as what was previously introduced in the early 1970s. In an ideological sense, I am more interested in equality of outcome than equality of opportunity.

2. I know you're a native New Yorker, but if not there, then where in the world and Why?

Aaaaah. London and Berlin are my second spiritual homes. They are both enough like NYC to feel familiar yet different enough to be interesting. And though I enjoy the feel of submersion into the history in London, I have friends who are dear to me in Berlin. And, both places have good beer. :o)

3. Is there one person who has influenced your life deeply? How?

Piggybacking on question #1, one of my greatest influences was a professor in my MSW program. He reignited my passion for social justice, set my head on fire with ideas and information, and encouraged me to apply to doctoral programs. He, uh, also reciprocated an extremely chaste flirtation.

4. If you could eat a meal in any restaurant, money no object, where and what?

Are you mad, woman? How can a foodie possibly answer such a question? I have culinary whims, both high and low. Fly to Japan for sushi and eggplant in miso sauce? Northern or Southern India for a fine meal? Head to Tuscany for hand made pasta, fresh fish and olive oil for dipping? Head to China for for roast duck and handmade noodles? Or maybe Jamaica for ackee and codfish, coconut shrimp, plantains and a vegetable roti. Impossible, I tell you.

5. What attracts you to the character of Prof Snape? (as you know, my mother's maiden name was Snape :o)

Like I can answer this in a few sentences?! On a physical level, I felt a kind of spark the first time I saw him on the screen. But on a deeper level, I knew from the start that he was on the side of good, that he had the capacity for unparalleled love and loyalty, that he wielded a tongue sharper than any blade, and that he was the smartest one in the group. These are many of the things I look for in a mate.