An unexpected note:

” . . . Dear Subscriber

We have suspended publication of Skydiving Magazine.

Because we do not know what the future holds, we have enclosed a check prorated for the amount of unpublished issues.

We hope you have enjoyed reading Skydiving magazine as much as we have publishing it . . . ”

Well, thanks for the check. I rather forgot how much it was to subscribe per anum. Now I can take The Poet out for dinner this weekend. That’s something positive, at least.

So, au revoir. Skydiving magzine. Godspeed.

A cruel nor’Easter slammed Central New Jersey early today, and tonight I’m entrenched alongside the girlfriend and her two cats, Abra and Mooshy at an undisclosed location. Over pizza, we watched a bunch of DVD’s and plotted a weekend of criminality. If only we could dig out past the front door . . .

School is on winter recess. Amen. On a related note, my associate and I began disseminating a new series of random email signatures when informing the community or individuals about technology on campus.

Maxims in circulation:

” . . . Please pick up your laptop in the tech office, we need room for our nunchuks . . “

” . . . Generally speaking, a mouse is not a foot controller . . .”

” . . . Pedro offers you his protection. And so does the Tech Office . . . “

Savvy readers might note the heavy Napoleon Dynamite influence. Or not.

Oh, did I mention someone got a sparkly manicure in the middle of the snow storm?

The link below might be old, but it gets me every time.

Making popcorn

Hard times can bring people closer together, even when they want to brick each other to death. Or just get divorced. Either way, the latest casualty of the new economy are divorce attorneys. According to an article in salon.com, many unhappy couples literally can not afford to legally dissolve their marriage. Portfolios shrink and bonuses wane, which can constrict assets to the point where the only way either party can preserve their lifestyle is by staying together.

While I prefer no one suffer, I rather applaud this development.

First, more people are giving mediation a chance, which encourages a direct adult discussion between the parties about how they might divide common assets. Second, and more importantly, the downturn deprives lawyers of the precious lifeblood they so crave–money. And last,  it nudges divorce attorneys one step closer to where they really belong.

In a coffin.

NOTE: To any divorce attorneys who might be reading, make sure you bill your clients for the time you spent reading this entry. They’ll appreciate it. Really.