BYU-I Tracks

[Imogen]

I don't understand why that parent didn't just call the school? And then, in the face of their laziness, was so rude to Mico.

When my mom wanted to know something about Vassar, she, you know, called Vassar and got her answer. Took between 5-15 minutes each time. Not a total of 8 or more days.

[Digit]

It does feel pretty good when you find out that you can get information for yourself. One time I was listening to NPR in the morning and heard Garrison Keillor say it was the birthday of American novelist Richard Powers, and he told of how one day Richard, who had a stable job at the time, saw an old black-and-white photo of some young farmers, and just because of how he felt when he saw that photo, he quit his job and spent the next few years writing his first novel. Well, I wondered about the practical details, like how he supported himself during that time, so that same day I very easily found his email and asked him, and got a reply in a few hours.
If you're curious now, his email reply to me:

Dear Digit*,



Thank you for your birthday wishes. I wrote my first book over the course of the years 1981 to 1984. I managed to keep body and soul together by living extremely simply on savings that I’d stored up while working. Also, I was able to take various short-term free-lance programming jobs whenever the war chest ran low.



I hope this helps. And best with your own project (if I infer correctly)!



Sincerely,



Richard Powers

*privacy, you know

[Dragon Lady]

I don't understand why that parent didn't just call the school? And then, in the face of their laziness, was so rude to Mico.

When my mom wanted to know something about Vassar, she, you know, called Vassar and got her answer. Took between 5-15 minutes each time. Not a total of 8 or more days.

Link, please?

[Dragon Lady]

Nevermind. Found it: http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/64090/

[Architect]

Conversation about this I had with my brother:

Brother: the question posted at the top at the moment is kind of rude
me: yeah ;
they got the same answer as the first time too
Brother: i know
me: its' silly because they could have done the exact same thing and gon on the web chat
or called BYUI
so I don't know what they're complaining about
Brother: yes
me: everyone wants their free lunch to taste just how they like it i guess
with pastrami and avocado on their sandwich
Brother: cut diagonally
me: on 100% whole wheat

[wired]

wired: hold the mayo

[TheAnswerIs42]

I did think that was ridiculous as well. "You guys are terrible because the truth wasn't what I want it to be. Now I want you to try again, doing all the work for me, but lie this time because my hunch should be right."

[Katya]

I don't understand why that parent didn't just call the school? And then, in the face of their laziness, was so rude to Mico.

I don't see what's so weird about this. I blame Mico for all my problems. (The bad news I got today? Mico's fault. Clearly. )

[Whistler]

@Digit: cool story! It inspires me how other people can be inspired sometimes.

[NerdGirl]

Yeah, I thought Mico had been quite tactful the first time in the way that she told him that the world does not, in fact, revolve around him. Saying that his "admiration of the board writers took a nosedive" because it turned out that there wasn't a way for him to have whatever he wanted seemed a bit melodramatic to me.

[mic0]

I think Hamilton was right, I was under the impression the asker was a woman! Not like that made any difference in the answer.

I'm so glad pretty much everyone agrees that guy was just being ridiculous. I almost wrote a really snarky answer, but I guess it is good I didn't.

[Portia]

The sandwich discussion reminds me of When Harry Met Sally.

After trying to eat a peaceful meal at a museum lunch counter (where I had happened to work a few months prior) and dealing with the world's most demanding, rude, entitled yuppie woman (is that really the extent of your red wine list? I was saving this seat! EXCUSE ME EXCUSE ME MY HUSBAND IS COMING RIGHT HERE CAN I JUST MOVE THIS CHAIR FOR YOU? YOUR SALAD CAN'T HAVE CHICKEN ADDED TO IT? HMMMMMMMMMMMMM I SEE), I never, ever want to be That Person. Seriously she all but shoved a kind-hearted elderly security guard into his soup just so she could get her way. Hopefully she doesn't read the Board!

[Katya]

I almost wrote a really snarky answer, but I guess it is good I didn't.

It's nice when you can take the moral high ground . . . and let everyone else snark on your behalf.