Blog For Free!
Archives
Home
2004 March
2004 February
2004 January
2003 December
2003 November
My Links
SomethingPositive
Pente.net
Boycott-RIAA
PeerGuardian
All Music
TV Tome
Drudge Report
tvtorrents
PTC BitTorrent client
WhereHaveIBeen
tBlog
My Profile
Send tMail
My tFriends
My Images
Sponsored
Blog
|
| Job interviews....aaahhhhh!!! |
| 03.08.04 (7:38 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Angry
Song: "Figured You Out" - Nickelback
Album: "The Long Road" - Nickelback
So, I had a job interview today that was setup by a recruiter (why are there no good IT recruiters anymore?). I went into the interview with the "I don't really want this job, but want the recruiter to hook me up in the future" attitude. I arrived a couple minutes early, just to take stock of the place, and was promptly shown to the "waiting room" which was a room full of CAT5 cable drooping from random places. Wait, let me start out by saying that my interview was at 5:30pm. So, back on the order of things...I walk in a few minutes early and am ushered into the "waiting room, where I am told the interviewer (whom I will not name) will be back in 5min to get me. I wait patiently playing "Dope Wars" on my Palm for not 5, not 15, but 30 minutes (6pm). After 10 minutes I was so pissed off I could barely see straight. I even wrote a note saying that I am leaving and to call me when they can tell time, and was about to leave it on the guy's desk when they came back to get me. I am still so friggin angry about this whole thing, not so much that I was abused, but rather that I took it...bent over...with no lube. I still can't believe that I didn't walk out. Have I gone completely flacid in the past year? I have no balls any more! When I was in Houston I walked out of companies the left me sitting for 5 minutes past the interview time, and then I would patiently explain the definition of respect to the prospective employeer when they called to ask why I left. I am so disappointed in myself, I fully expect my monthly cycle to start any minute now, it is official I have lost my manhood. I can't even claim to have it back by my call to the recruiter telling him to tell the customer to piss off. Screw employers like that, the abuse would only increase with time and I would hate my job and everyone that works there. Until one day I gave everyone the finger and walked out. So, I should have just cut to the chase and gave everyone the finger as I walked out today. Damn the "it's a small town and you can't piss people off" thoughts that ran through my head the entire time I was waiting. Damnit I am such a pussy. Aaaaarrrgggghhhhhh!!
|
|
|
| |
| Almost laid off... |
| 03.05.04 (1:10 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Somber
Song: "Thick as a Brick" - Jethro Tull
Album: "Thick as a Brick" - Jethro Tull - I love Jethro Tull, they have a song that fits every mood.
So, I got a call this morning from a guy in the office telling me that several folks were laid off this morning. As I stopped at a customer site on the way in wondering the entire way if I would have a job when I got in, I cam face to face with reality. It amazes me, that we (the working fools) put up with this kind of abuse. Anyway, I was informed that several things may happen over the next few months: our office is purchased by a competitor, we are all laid off, or everthing will be fine and we will continue indefinitely (hehe). So, I have officially decided that I will use the next couple months to build my own business and have enough flow to hire 1-2 employees besides myself. I want to not only compete, but run a few business out of town while I am at it. I hate working for "the man" and especially one that will look you in the face and tell you how much they are fighting for you and in the same breath lay off most of your co-workers. Makes me think about how stupid I am to put the financial hopes and dreams of myself and my family in the hands of some far away corporate entity. You would think that I would learn my lesson after how many companies? I looked in the mirror today and saw the same look of fear that I have seen more times than I can remember. I am such a fool for trying to make this work. Screw this job or any job for that matter, I can do better than this crap. I think my only regret is the new laptop that I had to fight for 9 months to get. I guess I will just have to work my ass off and buy my own. :D
|
|
|
| |
| Got Your Money? |
| 03.04.04 (12:48 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Piss3d 0ff
Song: "Crawling In The Dark" - Hoobastank
Album: Hoobastank (self-titled) - At any given moment I both love and hate this band (which is perfect for my mood).
So, I just found out that my company doesn't reiburse lunches, only breakfast and dinner. Which would have been fine - if they had told me before I took a 10 day (10 lunch) trip to AZ. WTF is wrong with companies today? Do they want to alienate their employees? I spent all that time tweaking my budget to stay under the per diem, and they slap me with this crap when I get back. Not only that, but I am being told that it is possible that $100 in tools that I bought for the trip are not covered either. I am so pissed I can hardly see straight. I told my boss that I will be pissed if I don't get my money back. IT worker translation - "If you don't give me my money I will be looking for another job and leave your ass in a bind as soon as I possibly can." Not only that, but they have done a great job at making me a dishonest employee. I tack on an extra 5-10 miles every time I drive to a customer site, just to take some of the burden of losing money. I hate having to do it, but I can't work and lose money, it just doesn't make sense. I hate working for companies like this, it makes my life much worse that in needs to be. I really feel like starting my own company again, really the only thing holding me back is medical insurance. I can easily make enough money to support myself and my family, other than the damn insurance. I hate insurance companies, hospitals, doctors and everyone else who leeches off teh hardworking people and enslaves the folks who have families. I am just so pissed - I just want to smash something. --- insert yor favorite "4-letter word" here <----- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!>
|
|
|
| |
| Wow! |
| 03.01.04 (1:39 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Amp3d
Song: "Molly" - Sponge
Album: "Rotting Pinata" - Sponge - I heard "Molly" on the radio, and felt the deep desire to listen to Sponge music for the rest of the afternoon. I had almost forgotten how incredible this band is.
So, it has been a friggin long time since I updated this. I guess I have been a bit on the busy side. I just got back from a two week outdoor wireless install in Arizona. Fun stuff that was. I truly enjoy working with wireless, and that is a bit odd for me because I usually hate the unfrastructure side of things. Outdoor wireless is awesome stuff. Pumping 802.11 across a 1.5mile link is just friggin cool.
Anyway, I get back and sit down to catch up on the news and find out that nothing has really changed. The Democrats are still blaming everyone for everything without offering a solution to the problems. The Republicans still aren't paying attention to anything the Dems are saying other than to poke fun at the stupidity of the other side. Al Sharpton has likeley been violating laws governing the campain donations (really is anyone shocked here?!), he of course says that it is the racist machine that keeps him from being able to break the law whenever he wants. Congresswoman Corrine Brown told Congressman Roger Noriega that he and all republicans are a bunch of racist "white men", which just kills me since Noriega is friggin Mexican born! Is this woman just ignorant or does she just truly represent the stupidy of her constituents in Florida? Here is a link to the article: http://www.firstcoastnews.com...
I find it amazing that a black woman (not just a woman, but a congresswoman!) can make comments like "you all look the same to me" when it is brought to her attention that Noriega was actually Hispanic. If a white person had made a comment like this, the media would have had him/her strung up from the nearest tree. This is what pisses me off: a minority rule. And so goes the Republic...down with the freedom rich society, up with the rule of the special interests and minority facist groups.
|
|
|
| |
| Is boredom at fault? |
| 02.02.04 (7:39 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Bored
Song: "Come Sail Away" - Styx
Album: "The Grand Illusion" - Styx - This album is awesome. I am a huge Styx fan, excellent muzak all around.
So, I sit here looking at the news headlines (on drudgereport.com of course) and am just amazed at the abundance of stupid people that we (and by "we" I mean society, not counting myself) consider "role models." First off, we have Janet Jackson, who isn't ashamed to show a little extra to make a buck or two (million). She and her whole family just sickens me, seriously, they are living the "American Dream"!?! Next we have Kobe Bryant, the man has sex with a young, white female, and possibly raped her. Even if he didn't do it, what kind of example is he setting for all of those kids wearing Bryant gear? Then we are on to the politcal morons, lets start with Howard Dean (since he ranks as the highest moron of the moment), he thinks that the FCC getting involved in the Janet Jackson bare breast in front of a few million children is "silly". Ok moron (and I say moron in the nicest possible way), if an average person had done the same thing in a mall somewhere they would have been arrested and fined heavily. Yeah, the FCC, who is in charge of fining the "elite" class of celebrities when they get out of hand, should just turn a blind eye to possibly the most blatent and watched instance of public nudity ever. Wow, I hope this guy gets ellected! How do people like this ever get one single vote? The only thing I can think of, its that his supporters have a lower IQ than even he does! Amazing isn't it? I guess his supporters are the same people who find it ok to kill an child just because it hasn't breathed air yet. Humans haven't advanced much past the dark ages, I think boredom is to blame. We need to find ways to entertain ourselves and the same way we did it back a thousand or so years ago still appeals to the sadistic side of man. Murder innocent children in the most aweful way possible: In the dark ages they were burned alive, well we got that topped in our time, we suck them out piece by screaming piece before they are even born!! Yeah! We are the best of all time!! We watch blatent sexual immorality (yes, both gay and straight) held up on high! The Romans have nothing on us! Again we come out on top! We flaunt ourselves in the face of God, and tear down His people. We cheer in support as His chosen people are killed in the street by terrorists, as their very limbs are ripped from their bodies. Take that Hitler, you have nothing on us, we get other people to do our dirty work and we just sit back and watch! (by we, I mean the Islamic extremists that we allow to live here and send money to the homicide bombers). We are at fault, because we sit back and do nothing. We watch TV and movies so shocking that the horror of the world around us doesn't even make us blink. I am sickened by the people that sit back and do nothing as our society is destroyed from within. In our country, the minority rules (by minority I mean the anti-God, anti-life, anti-democracy, Communist, socialist, terrorist supporting, liberals). Why do they rule? Because the good men and women of our country sit back and allow them to. We don't vote, we don't rally for right, we don't fight for everything that is good and decent. Why!!?!! I scream this every day at the evening news. It is because the good people are too busy watching "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance." I pity our children, as the recipients of the morally deprived country we are leaving them.
|
|
|
| |
| Life slips by... |
| 01.20.04 (1:07 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Reflective
Song: "Zoe Jane" - Staind
Album: "14 Shades Of Grey" - Staind - Most Staind listeners are not huge fans of this album, but "Zoe Jane" really puts it over the top for me. This is excellent muzak...
So, I am sitting in the office reflecting on my life over the past couple years, and I realize that I have made it through and intense growth period in my life. I realize that through everything, I have learned some valuable lessons that I can honestly say hurt to learn, but were necessary for me to arrive where I am today. In the past several months, I have turned down jobs that offered much more money than I am making now, I realized that those jobs would not have been good for my family. Just a year and a half ago, I would never have uttered those words. I was all about the money, never considering the effects those decisions would have. I looked to my own wisdom instead of seeking the advice of my parents and those who had already made the mistakes and knew path I was walking. I guess that dreaded "pride cometh before the fall" situation really hit me hard. I have come close to losing those that I love, and losing myself in the process. Hearing the Staind song "Zoe Jane" makes me reflect on what my priorities have been and how foolish I have been in setting goals for myself. Why would I think that it was great to have a high paying job with the respect of my peers, rather than having a lower paying job and spending time with my family every night? When I was in Houston, I would work 80hr weeks would leave the hosue before anyone woke up and get home long after everyone was asleep. I wasn't "living" in my home, I was just sleeping there. The few times I would get home during the day, I would be stressed out and irritable. Now we live close to family, I have a job that pays well enough and I can go home whenever I want, no stress...peace is a wonderful thing. Forgiveness is the only thing I can hope for from all the people I've hurt when I had the dollar signs clouding my vision. Life seems to be a constant fight for forgiveness from those that are hurt on our mad rush to what we thing is important. Sometimes it is best to sit back and realize that love is the only thing that we can truly leave behind and take with us when we go.
Final thought:
Here are they lyrics to "Zoe Jane":
Well I want you to notice
To notice when I'm not around
I know your eyes see straight through me
And speak to me without a sound
And I want to hold you
Protect you from all the things I've already endured
And I want to show you
To show you all of the things that this life has in store for you
I'll always love you
The way a father should love his daughter
When I walked out this morning
I cried as I walked to the door
I cried about how long I'd be away
I cried about leaving you alone
And I want to hold you
Protect you from all the things I've already endured
And I want to show you
To show you all of the things that this life has in store for you
I'll always love you
The way a father should love his daughter
Sweet Zoe Jane
Sweet Zoe Jane
So I wanted to say this
'cause I wouldn't know where to begin
To explain to you what I have been through
To explain where your daddy has been
And I want to hold you
Protect you from all the things I've already endured
And I want to show you
To show you all of the things that this life has in store for you
I'll always love you
The way a father should love his daughter
Sweet Zoe Jane
Sweet Zoe Jane
|
|
|
| |
| Muzak is king... |
| 01.17.04 (12:13 am) [edit] |
Mood: Funky
Song: "I Wanna Be Your Lover" - Prince
Album: "Prince" - Prince - I am usually not a huge fan of "gay" muzak, but Prince has a great mix of funk, R&B, rock, and pays homage to the great black muzak of the 60's and 70's.
Note: When I refer to the "RIAA" I am including all members of the RIAA (for a detailed list, please see boycottriaa.com)
So, according to the spyware maker that (by consent) loaded their software about 40,000 home user machines, muzak trading is on the rise again. Up some 15% since Sept 2003. Could this be because the RIAA lost their recent suit and can no longer get names of internet users through just a federal court clerk? Now that they have to file full blown lawsuits, the overall cost of their witchhunt has suddenly jumped to crazy levels. Not that they care, all they have to do is raise the cost of a cd by a buck or two and the sheep will pay. Why is it that people buy major record label cds? It makes no sense. No decent CDs have been made in the last few years (other than "Greatest Hits" albums from the talented artists of the past). All we have now is no talent drivel (ie Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, etc etc etc), it is a miracle that the muzak industry is making any money at all. I think that the filesharing is back up because the people who have been buying cds and "legally purchased iTunes tracks" have finally gotten around to ripping their stuff to easily transfered mp3 filez. Here is my theory on the whole situation:
Background: The economy from 1999 to 2002 (2003 was the strongest growth year in well over a decade) was absolutely aweful. File trading really boomed in 1999 with the release of Napster (and other P2P apps). The average cost of a new CD was $16 during that same time period.
Theory based on these background facts: During the recession or decline in the economy thousands of jobs were lost and most employed folks had to take a paycut to keep their jobs. They could no longer afford the extras in life (entertainment, expensive vacations, strippers, etc), and were busy paying off the debt that had packed on during the boom period of the late 90's. The muzak industry, also accustomed to seeing the growth and profits of a boom in the economy, quickly looked for someone or something to blame for the sudden drop in sales (which by the way is less than the overall drop in average salary of a US citizen in the same period - see the Wall Street Journal back issues for these numbers). Did it ever occur to anyone that sales of any commodity is directly related to the economy ups and downs? Apparently the economists that are employed by the RIAA never took basic college economics. I seem to remember something about a supply/demand curve that suggested that the demand or the willingness for a consumer to purchase and item is based upon supply and price of an item, not to mention inflation and economic factors should play a roll is determining the price of a given item. I am positive that had the RIAA dropped cd prices during the 1999-2002 time frame they would have not seen a significant drop in sales by volume. Instead of using logic, they left their cd prices the same as they were during the late 90's and wondered why their customers were not hitting the record stores. "Oh look, there are people downloading muzak for free! This is why cd sales a so terrrible, we must sue these freeloaders." Lawsuits ensue and a mere 0.1% of filesharers are sued. Along comes 2003 (stongest economic growth year in over a decade) and Bush's tax cuts. The average American has more money in their bank accounts and are more willing to spend it on entertainment (movies, vacations, strippers, and yes even CDs!). Sales of CDs jump along with the sale of muzak at iTunes, et al. "Wow, it must be the few hundred lawsuits that made people move back to buying our crappy product!"
My take: I doubt there is a bigger group of morons running an industry than the guys who run the RIAA. How can people who are so bloody stupid even make ends meet, much less a profit? The answer is quite simple, the people that are buying their product, on average, have an IQ slightly higher than a peanut and don't realize that they could use their collective purchasing (or non-purchasing) power to change the way muzak is distributed to them (not to mention how much is costs!!!). Instead they line up like sheep at their local Wal-Mart, bookstores, etc and buy cds that they can't make backup copies of, and the second they drop that cd on the floor of their car and it gets scratched, they are forced to go buy another one. Wow, this just amazes me. Never did I think that Americans would stand for the right of "Fair Use" to be taken away from them so easily. Then again, I failed to considered that the average person watches 4+hrs of TV per day and hardly realizes when they lose one of their precious freedoms. After all, seeing the world around them would take time away from watching Friends or some other mindless drivel. Sad are all of the mindless drones that sit endlessly in front of their tv sets night after night, while their children grow up in a increasingly restricive world - they don't even realize that they are losing what they will soon come to realize, was worth dying for, but not worth shutting off the tv for...freedom.
|
|
|
| |
| Smash Mouth... |
| 01.11.04 (9:15 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Amp3d
Song: "Wonderboy" - Tenacious D
Album: "Tenacious D" - Tenacious D - These guys are awesome, crude...but funny :)
So, Stephen Davis (SD) pulled a quad today, and the Panthers still won! I love the way the Panthers play football, no flash...just good solid smash mouth football. I hope SD can play next week and pound the crap out the Eagles. I am a huge SD fan, I religiously pick him up in fantasy football and get fired up when he pounds the ball over and over and over, defensive linemen flying around. Now ThAt is football.
Now on to other things....my sister just got engaged. The guy is decent and I can't really find anything wrong with him, other than he is 13yrs her senior. I went fishing with him 2 weeks ago and since he is the only person I have fished with other than family members that knows how to tie his own hooks, lures, flies, whatever, on correctly without me having to show him first, he is definitely and "A" in my book. He held his own weight (which is good since he is 6'6" 260lbs...hehe), and we ended up catching 22 cold water rainbow trout and a few Kokanee in a little under 3hrs (the only reason we stopped was it was friggin cold and I could feel the ice forming under the skin of my fingers). Not wanting to lose any appendages I decided it was best to clean a few fish for dinner and head out before dark. We camped out in this monster of a tent he owns, with a wood stove in it (sweetness) and cooked up some fresh trout (and a couple of those Kokanee), and drank some beer. Can't ask for a better time than that, other than if the St Pauli Girl's we had were actual hot chicks and not cold beers. I guess I can approve of a guy who can take the cold, go fishing, clean his share of the fish in the freezing cold weather, and donate his tent to the cause.
Final thought: I obviously made it back from Columbus just fine, but note to anyone traveling in the West in the winter: avoid flying through Denver like the plague! I hate that airport, they changed my gate at least ten times in a matter of 30 minutes. They have done this to me the last 6 times through there at least, it appears that they just don't have it together or at least have a large number of complete morons working there.
|
|
|
| |
| Travel...travel...aaarrggg!!! |
| 01.06.04 (12:41 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Pensive
Song: "Someday" - Zebrahead
Album: "Waste Of Mind" - Zebrahead - Good tunes, catchy beats, and fun lyrics...who wouldn't love this stuff?
I am in Columbus, OH for training today. Flying sucks, I got here Sunday night and am heading home today, so much travel for just a couple days of cram training. I feel like my mind is going to cave in on itself. I tried to pay attention in class, but my brain kind of shut itself down about half way through. I am still a bit out of it (thus the reason for the Zebrahead...trying to wake myself up). I just learned this product and I found out from the vendor that I am installing the product in a production environment tomorrow at 9am back home! So, I called my boss to confirm and found out he knew about this install for the past couple months. I feel disrespected and annoyed, I guess that is what I get for working for a moron. To say that I dislike my boss is a major understatement, righteous indignation is a bit more in line. I can't believe that he would have me out installing this product after 2 days of training and no lab time. Of course the vendor is sending out an internal engineer to assist. I guess I am learing on the fly (as usual), I don't like it...I just accept it as my lot in life and deal.
I better head out and return my rental POS car and get on the plane. Everyone pray it snows in Denver and I get stuck there overnight. No install in the morning and I could hang out with my cousin tonight. Every time I fly thought Denver I hope I get stuck, has never happened, but I can still daydream about it.
|
|
|
| |
| Under One Sun... |
| 12.29.03 (8:29 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Enlightened
Song: "One Sun" - Zoppi
Album: "Suspended" - Zoppi - This album was a rare find - a jewel among the rotting feces that is modern "pop/rock" music.
Busy day today: didn't work too hard, just accomplished alot in the day. I look back on everything I did and all of the miles I drove, the people I talked to, the work I did, and just think how much one can get done if there is sufficient motivation. I am trying to buy a bigger house and want to wipe out all of my debt prior to making that move. This is driving me to work extra hours and take care of lingering problems that other companies are willing to pay me a premium to come in and knock out. I am just worried that I will take care of all the problems before I have reached my financial goal. Of course, it helps that I got my friend a management position at the company that I do extra work for. He is definitely paying me back with as much work as I ask for, favors are nice when they get repaid.
I have been enlightened today. I have seen several things, since moving in March, that have lead me to this place of enlightenment. I realize that no matter what good intentions are meant, no matter how many people one intends to help, and not matter how much love - pain always comes. I guess this is the nature of the world we live in, filled with the most imperfect creatures - humans. Humanity is at best a plague that has infected this planet with our "I want to be god" ideals. We constantly take what nature has to offer and destroy it in the name of progress. If we could just take a step into outerspace and see the little ant hill we live on and how we are constantly moving, changing everything around us - instead of appreciating the wonder of what already exists. Our population is increasing to the point where this planet will not be able to support the increase over the next ten years. I have no answers to these problems, rather I think nature will take care of it for us. As throughout history, every time man grows beyond what can be supported, good old mother nature (or God taking his hand away for a moment, whatever you choose to believe)takes a hand (ie the Biblical flood, tower of Babel, the black plague, earthquakes, floods, the Ice Age, fires, and most importanatly - the flu virus outbreak of 1919). Will the next instance be as bad as these? Only time will tell...
For my final thought, I thought I would put up the lyrics to "One Sun". Happy (really) reading:
I may seem tall but I know
In certain times I walk small
I break in pain, I shred apart
A chest so weak from searching deep
through a dying heart
Our yesterday spent in vain
Pale drawn faces from this breeds shame
I'll always love what you have been
Can I be full? Is this my sin?
What will I say to you
When I come to you?
In the final view
Under one sun
For the life of me
What will it do to me?
Knowing we'll always be
Under one sun
(Hey-eee-uuun-yaaa)
Can't justify all I know
It's always there just never shown
No woven threads can weave this blame
I give you this now, give me the same
What will I say to you
When I come to you?
In the final view
Under one sun
For the life of me
What will it do to me?
Knowing we'll always be
Under one sun
(Hey-eee-uuun-yaaa)
Under one sun
(Hey-eee-uuun-yaaa)
I find myself at ease if I can
somehow just see me for me
Unconscious to you now is saving me
but I will always bleed
What will I say to you
When I come to you?
In the final view
When said and done
For the life of me
Will it set me free?
Give me serenity
Under one sun
(Hey-eee-uuun-yaaa)
Under one sun
(Hey-eee-uuun-yaaa)
Will I wait
Will I sleep
Will I feel
What I am
In time, in time
Will I wait
Will I sleep
Will I feel
What I am
In time, in time
|
|
|
| |
| What's new? |
| 12.29.03 (12:33 am) [edit] |
Mood: Reflective
Song: "What's New Pussycat?" - Tom Jones - I love this song, not really sure why...
Today I had a great day. My parents took my son after church and are keeping him overnight, so I spent the free time wisely - went to go see "Last Samurai" and "Cheaper By The Dozen." "Last Samurai was amazing, of course I have always been interested in Japan and Japanese history, especially the Samurai and the culture of old Japan. I think it all stems from reading "Shogun" when I was younger, James Clavell has a way of dragging his readers into a lifetime of obsession. I am one of those crazy people that requests chopsticks and such for Chistmas gifts...I think that about coveres how crazy I am. As for "Cheaper By The Dozen", I was not impressed, but was struck by several of the "moral lessions" within the movie: 1) Putting career ahead of family = bad 2) Family unity = good 3) Family should always be number one. The lesson of putting career/money ahead of family really struck home, especially the way it was presented (moving for a career advancement, etc). A few years ago, I was living in Nashville and was offered a much more wallet friendly position in Houston. I of course picked up the family and moved based completely on the money and not on "this is better situation for the family." That move ended up being a huge mistake, a mistake that has lead me to the place I am now with the wisdom I have gained from the 2 years of torture that ensued because of my greed based decision, never the less - a mistake. One that I will not make again. I am of course not living in Houston any longer and am close to family and am happy in my current position, making much less money than I was a year ago - but my son can sleep over with the Grandparents, I can go fishing only five minutes from the house, no big city traffic, and am mere hours from my home town. So, in watching the movie today, I became very reflective on all of the changes that have taken place in my life over the last 4 years and all of the decisions that have created the man I look at every morning in the mirror. Do I wish I hadn't been such a fool? - (of course) Would I change those decisions if I could? - (not a chance) I love the life I have, I sometimes wish I had more money, more time, more this and more that - I wish I had been wise, but in the end those are just wishes, and those wishes don't accomplish anything but make me feel like I haven't lived up to some old dream of who/what I would be at this juncture in my life. Well, reality isn't bad, rather it is quite good. I am satisfied - no happy - with the way my life has developed. I am not depressed, dying, or without love, I have my health, food on the table, a family and friends that I love, and the belief that everything will get better from here.
|
|
|
| |
| BitTorrent....mmmmm |
| 12.26.03 (3:25 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Amp3d
Song: "Politically Correct" - SR71
Album: "Now You See Inside" - SR71 - /me loves SR71. All around good stuff.
Well, I discovered the PTC BitTorrent client and have been rocking out to the tune of 200k/s for the last 3 days straight. It appears that I am finally able to get all of the filez I ever wanted. The original BT client is a bit annoying and difficult to maintain seeds, but the PTC client is so friggin sweet. I put a couple of links on the left there for future reference. - If anyone wants additional torrent links I have a ton of them. PM me and I will ship them over.
So, Christmas is finally over. All the pain and torture complete...it is like a breath of fresh air. Just think, this is the last weekend of moronic shoppers clogging up the checkout counters, roads, public restrooms, etc (at least until next year)! It literally took me over an hour to drive what normally takes me 15min the other day. What is wrong with people? Do they have no concept of what their time is worth? Is getting a couple of bucks off of a couple of items worth the pain and torture of dealing with all of those other idiots?
|
|
|
| |
| I cannot carry the ring for you, but I can carry you! |
| 12.21.03 (8:51 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Somber
Song: "Twitch" - Bif Naked
Album: "I Bificus" - Bif Naked - "Twitch" is by far my favorite track on this album, although I can't say that there is a track I don't like. All around an excellent piece of work (and by piece I mean Bif...um Naked ;)
So, I went to see the third installment of the LOTR (Lord Of The Rings trilogy yesterday. I loved it, of course, what geek wouldn't love that movie. I have been telling people who haven't seen any of the movies (yes, there are people who haven't seen them!), that LOTR is to Fantasy what Star Wars was to Sci-Fi (I had a response from a chick who said "I hate Star Wars", at which point I stabbed her through the hart with a stake! What kind of evil must have possessed her, we may never know!). Well, I may not be the intense fan that dresses up as an elf, but I get shivers from the spoken Elvish, as I did when I read the original books as a kid. Perfect is the only way to describe the way I felt walking out of the theatre yesterday.
Well, on to my reason for feeling somber.... A couple, that I have come to know over the past few months, had a miscarraige this past week, and I found out about it today. I saw the pain in their eyes, and it brought back all the memories of my baby girl. I didn't speak to them directly because I didn't want to start the crying fest that would ensue. I think that there is really nothing one can say or do to help ease the pain in these situations. I remember people telling me "the pain will ease with time," and secretly I hoped it would, but have come to realize that the pain never eases or lessens...you just hide it away in a compartment in your heart so it doesn't consume you. It felt like a fist hitting me in the chest when I saw my friends, I hope that they can deal with their loss better than I have mine. I miss my daughter every day, and often wonder what my life would be like if I came home from work tomorrow to two children running into my arms with excitement, the flow of the brush though her hair in the mornings, the laughter of a girl in the house...I often wonder why she was taken from my life, but that is the question we all ask in times of loss. There can be no answer in this life, but only the prayer that through that loss - the love for those you do have is strenthened and cherished even more.
|
|
|
| |
| BitTorrent madness... |
| 12.19.03 (3:42 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Amp3d
Song: "Trust" - Megadeth
Album: "Cryptic Writings" - Megadeth - I love Megadeth. Nuff Said.
Well today is full of good news! First the morons at the RIAA lost a major court battle and they are now not allowed to freely get access to names users from ISPs. Which brings to mind that there will be quite a few lawsuits against the RIAA and the ISPs from the users who were sued over the last year. I dispise the RIAA and they way their members do business. I wish they would realize that music is a form of entertainment and entertainment, while nice to have is not a necessity. When money gets tight, suddenly $10-20 for a cd with only 1 ot 2 good songs on it becomes a luxury that people will not splurge on. I love it that those SOBs are finally being brought down a notch.
Second, I have been using BitTorrent to get some files I have been seeking for a long time. I not only found them, but was able to get them all at mad speeds. BT is possibly the greatest thing I have seen in a long time. I spent most of my day (between actually working) seeding the network with my filez, I figure I might as well help out a good cause.
Third, I was digging around a storage closet here at the office and found a 1u p3-1.2ghz server in a box. It was ordered and never used since July, 2002! As I have been needing a box to do "testing" on at home, this was a real score. I was so excited I picked up 2 wireless testing kits and a firewall on my way out. Speaking of those kits, they came with 2 APs and 2 Yagi's....I have been sitting in my office pointing one of the Yagi's across the street hitting a couple of open APs. The internet connection over there seems a bit better than mine...better to test the speed of BitTorrent with...hehe. I was nice enough to call over there and tell their IT guy that he was hanging his goods out for all to see...and as they were quite undersized and warranted much laughter, he should probably cover up before something bad happens. This is 3hrs later and his AP is still open to the world. On another note: WEP won't stop anything - don't broadcast the SSID and use mac filtering if possible. Better yet, buy Cisco equipment and you won't have to worry about people cracking your WEP key. Do people just not read or are they so stupid that they don't get it?
Final thought: Why is it that our significant others (wives, girlfriends, lovers, rod holders, or whatever you call them these days) are always surprised when they notice that guys act differently with other guys than they do with women? If we acted the same here is what would happen: Situation 1) No women would like us because we fart, curse, and drink way too much beer or 2) Guys would probably kick our asses (and we wouldn't say "ass" it would be "fanny" or "backside"). So, we have the best of both worlds, women actually enjoy our company when we are with them, subsequently we are allowed to further the human race with them; and we can still have a place where we can reach back to the old times where it was ok to get drunk and kill things. Isn't it better all around that we segment...seriously?!
|
|
|
| |
| The rest of the story... |
| 12.16.03 (8:58 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Elated
Song: "Mr. Brownstone" - Guns 'N' Roses
Album: "Appetite For Destruction" - Guns 'N' Roses - I heard a few songs from this album on the way into work this morning. What a way to start the day, air guitar and trying to sing along with Axl Rose!
So I got my refund from CompUSA. I went in with my kvm and whatnot and told the guy at the returns counter what I wanted, and he did it with no lip!! I find that if I speak monosyllabically enough for the morons who wear the red shirts to understand I have much better luck. I was in no way disappointed that they didn't put up a fight, I was tired of dealing with them. I don't think I will ever recommend shopping there again...ever. If they treat me that badly then it is likely they will do it again and again with no regard for lost customers. Because they gave me my money back I will not take it to the "vendetta" stage, just passive agression.
I am sitting here burning cds like a madman and cranking Axl at extreme decibles. "Sweet Child Of Mine" cannot be played quietly, it must be rocked for all to hear and air guitar to. It also helps drown out my sing-along, my singing voice is right between Wolfman Jack and Rip Torn. Just imagine Merry trying to crank to "Paradise City" and you will have a fairly good picture of what I look and sound like right now :D
Congratulations! You're Merry!
Which Lord of the Rings character and personality problem are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
|
|
|
| |
| aaarrrggg...CompUSA!! |
| 12.16.03 (3:41 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Friggin' Angry
Song: "Low Rider" - KoRn
I am going to get right into this while I am still angry (which has not changed much in the last few hours). I went to CompUSA today and bought a new KVM for the office. I decided to spring for the good one since it wasn't my dime anyway. I call back to the office to find that a co-worked had already bought one and we didn't need two of them. So, back to CompUSA (mind you this is ~20min later) I go and ask them for my money back as we already had purchased another one (yada yada). They reply that they are going to charge me a 15% restocking fee and I wouldn't get my sales tax back, etc. Now I am ticked since this won't be expensed and is on my dime now. I asked for a manager and somehow kept my cool until he came over and essentially told me that I was not important enough of a customer to warrant changing the policy for and that I could either take my product with me or eat the 15%. I threw I fit. It was one of those classic fits that almost get you arrested. I made all kinds of threats like: I am an IT consultant and know hundreds of business owners in this town (which is not that big and word gets around quickly) and I am going to make it my personal goal in life to tell everyone I meet not to shop there. Ideal new person introduction from now on: New person, "Hi my name is _____" Me, "Nice to meet you _______. My name is ________ By the way: Don't shop at CompUSA they will bend you over a chair and make rough love to you with a splintery broom handle!!!!" :evil: I am so pissed off right now...
Must...listen....to...more...KoRn....
|
|
|
| |
| In the shuffling madness... |
| 12.15.03 (10:43 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Amp3d
Song: "Locomotive Breath" - Jethro Tull
Album: "Aqualung: - Jethro Tull -I don't know if it is possible to listen to JT without getting fired up. Every time Locomotive Breath comes on the radio, I always reach for the cd to hear it again, and again, and again...
I am rocking out big time. I have been hitting the Tull, Megadeth, Metallica (again the old stuff, not the crap they put out since Load), Husker Du, etc. Mix a blend of old a new rock, and pound to the guitars, drums and badass friggin rock...Who-AH!. Nothing like punching out a blog entry and good rock muzak. It almost makes me want to load up the UT2k3 and do a little fraggin. Nothing like killing massive numbers of people with a flak cannon while trying to play the air guitar. Lets face it, when "Thick as a Brick" brick comes on I feel forced to grab the rocket launcher and gib the heck out of everyone, while laughing like a maniac! :D
Ok, by the last paragraph I just proved that I am a bit on the crazy geek side, but is that really a bad thing? It is my geekiness that makes me a living. I have never been one for doing the normal partying, drinking, etc; my idea of fun is a night of loud music, the glow of a couple of monitors, and as much fraggin as a person can handle. I haven't game for a while, but every now and then (like tonight) I just feel the need for speed and giblets. I think it all has to do with the capture of Saddam yesterday. I get fired up thinking about our guys over there kickin ass. I sometimes wish I had gone into the military, but I would probably be working on computers and not killing the enemy. That and I don't think a flak cannon is on the list of approve weapons.
Final thought: How about that chick who is sueing MTV for the computer editing on her part on Snoop Dogg's "Doggy Fizzle Televizzle"? Seriously, first she must be desperate to take the part in the first place and secondly she is asking for that kind of thing by doing business with MTV (known for sleeze and stupidity) and Snoop Dogg (known for sleeze and stupidity). Next we will have parent's who send their kids to spend the night with Michael Jackson suing him saying (insert whiney idiot voice here) "I thought he was just a nice woman trying to be a friend to kids in need."
Disclaimer: If you are reading this Snoop: You know I love you and don't mean any harm please don't send your posse to take me out, I am just a poor white guy from the suburbs trying to be a star like you. You da shiznatz yo!
Quote of Note:
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
|
|
|
| |
| IRC morons... |
| 12.14.03 (10:09 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Irritated
Song: "Heaven Is A Half-Pipe" - OPM
Album: "Menace to Sobriety" - OPM - OPM is a bit on the odd side of things, but "Heaven Is A Half-Pipe" is great. It takes me back to the old days.
Well, I was just on IRC and was kicked from a channel by a certain moron operator because my nick is not "family friendly." First of all the channel is not exactly on the side of things where most families would hold any kind of event (all you see is Omen script announcements and the occasional file request). I have been kicked from channels for this very reason in the past and have always been pissed off about it. First, no child is going to get what my name means without asking mommy, at which point mommy will ban him from IRC forever (lets face it, IRC is not a domain for children...unless you want your child exposed to every sick and twisted thing on the internet and that is only the beginning). Second, I have been using IRC long before this llama operator migrated from DalNet. Seriously, in the old days I would have done some nasty things to him and probably have him banned from his own channel by now. Why the heck can't people just let me hang out and download filez? Isn't that what the net is all about: sharing? Information, filez, pr0n, or whatever...it is all to be shared with all who want it (and are age appropriate of course). So I told the guy how much I appreciated his opinion (hehe) and how I enjoyed my time in his channel. I guess there is just no reasoning with stupidity, unfortunately, as in life sometime the morons get promoted to positions of power and have some control over the actions of the people around them. Pity that...luckily there are thousands of other channels to choose from, a few in which I am the almighty OPERATOR!!! BUHAHAHAHA!!
Note: I never use my operator powers to kick or ban people for stupid reasons. Being a moron quickly causes people to migrate from your channel leaving you all alone to lord over yourself and your empty channel. Real reasons to ban people (addresses): 1-Their IP is on the Peerguardian ban list 2-Advertising (site, pr0n, other channels, etc) something other than an fserv, ftp, etc 3-Annoyance (flooding, won't stop pestering OPs for no reason [even then I give plenty of warning], etc) 4-Cracker or some other irritation (trying to crack my box, upload a virus, or cause me undue irritation in some other manner). I can't think of anything else, so any other reason is just abuse of powers.
I am done ranting about this...for now. Speaking of annoying - those damn emoticons blinking to the left of the tblog box when I am writing a new post are starting to make my eye twitch.
|
|
|
| |
| Easy Tonight... |
| 12.14.03 (9:43 pm) [edit] |
Mood: A bit on the sad side of things
Song: "Easy Tonight" - Five For Fighting
Album: "American Town" - Five For Fighting - I am a huge FFF fan and especially love this album. I heard these guys back when I was living in Nashville and realized that there are still a few good bands making good music :)
I have to warn you, I use this blog as therapy of sorts and while most are a bit on the funny side of things, this one is not...
Well, yesterday was my daughter's first birthday. It should have been a day of celebration, but instead it was a day of sadness. I never knew her, but I love and miss her intensely. I will not go into the entire story on how she died, as I don't want to rehash the entire experience here, but I will say that I am having a tough couple of days. I started writing this at least five times and never could find the words for how I feel...so I won't even try. I took my wife and son out for pancakes yesterday, which was the meal we were supposed to have when we left the hospital, but it never happened. I think that this will be my tradition on this day, to eat pancakes and think of what it would be like to be celebrating the day. I have to admit that I didn't actually order pancakes (I just couldn't bring myself to do it), but it was Denny's and there were pancakes present so I feel like I symbolically ate them. I have been thinking the past couple days about what it would have been like with her in my life and how different Christmas would be this year, how she would be sitting on the floor with my family and we would all be enjoying her awe at the entire event. I have changed so much from the day she died until now. I am no longer the person I once was, so full of ambition and drive to succeed. I no longer count my success by the number of bejamins in the bank. I realize now that love is the most important thing and no matter how "successful" I was at work, how many hours I put, or hor much respect I received - I would have wasted countless hours on something that is worthless.
Well, I am done with my therapy for now...I will write something a bit more upbeat in a few minutes. I was just on IRC and I feel a serious rant coming on, so stay tuned.
|
|
|
| |
| Stone Cold Crazy... |
| 12.11.03 (12:51 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Bored
Song: "Stone Cold Crazy" - Queen
Album: "Sheer Heart Attacks" - Queen - I have always been a Queen fan, they guitars, Freddy Mercury's vocals, and the over all greatness of the rock. This album brought "Killer Queen" and "Stone Cold Crazy" to the world, what more can you ask for?
So today I am sorting music (again), studying a bit for the CISSP exam (still), and am about to go build a new Exchange server. I decided to take a break from my stressful life and read the news. I of course started at the Drudge Report and came across several nice articles about "I want to be President for all the poor white trash folk in America" Dean. The guys appears to be a Southern loud mouth idiot, who scares most of the people in his own party (what amazes me is the Clintons don't like this guy, I guess "there can be only one" applies). I dispise every candidate the Dems are putting out there this year, all in all Dean seems to be the most popular among the masses for some reason and with Gore's support he is pretty much guaranteed to get the nomination. Wow, will Bush clean up on this election or what? It is almost as if they aren't even trying to compete. Sad...
Speaking of sad, I am trying to get my boss to buy me a new laptop and I found out that he is ordering 5...for the new employees coming in and was expecting me to keep on using my personal one. I am inches away from giving him the bird and taking that other job. I can take it any time, the offer is good forever. I love that :)
Final thought: It appears that I am even more of a badass than I thought:
What Finding Nemo Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
|
|
|
| |
| Christmas gifts... |
| 12.10.03 (11:18 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Too wired to sleep
Song: "Hail Caesar" - AC/DC
Album: "Ballbreaker" - AC/DC - I am a huge AC/DC fan. It is rare that you have a band that can crank out good tunes album after album the way they do. Never stop rockin'!
Well, I suppose it is time to buckle down and buy the Christmas gifts for the year. I typically hate Christmas: the shopping, the people crowding around to buy crap, the fat guys in Santa gear...it all gets on my nerves. I think that I just plain don't like Holidays, except for St Patrick's Day (now there is a day with purpose!). I dispise giving gifts, but I hate getting them more (I know this may shock most people), maybe I am strange...but hey, at least I'm honest. I think there are alot of people out there that don't like Christmas, but hide it behind fake cheer and spiked eggnog. Granted, I love to get a nice bottle of Irish Creme and torch my way through it as everyone opens gifts...it makes the whole thing almost bearable. I am sounding like a scrooge here and will probably be dragged through town by the ghost of Christmas past sometime in the near future, but what they heck. I mean, am I the only one who feels this way? Don't get me wrong here, I love spending time with the family. I have a great time eating holiday foods, telling stories, and having a "jolly old time" Christmas Eve evening. I love going to the Christmas Eve church service (never know anyone there because most of the folks come only on Christmas and Easter), it is great...I don't have to chit-chat with anyone. Ah, with that last statement the whole thing makes sense on while I don't like Christmas...I just plain don't like people, especially hordes of them fighting over toys at Wal-Mart, clogging up the lines...I mean seriously, it takes me 20 minutes in line just to buy a pack of Altoids. Note to self: Next year stock up on Altoids in October.
So, here I sit ranting about some other random crap that is bothering me. I am not a negative person, I am just using this a place to vent - it is really great therapy. Well, it is midnight and I can't sleep because I didn't go work out tonight and I have all kinds of crazy excess energy. I caught up all my Pente games, watched the new episode of Jake 2.0 (I love this show, and because of this fact, UPN will probably cancel it after the first season and I will be angry and probably vent about it right here, so stay tuned folks...it looks to be a good rant), and am looking for some Bluegrass music for my Grandma for Christmas. Wow, do I have an exciting life, next I am going darn some socks to Frank Sinatra and sip some weak tea. Who-Ah!!
|
|
|
| |
| Et tu, Cisco? |
| 12.09.03 (2:54 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Tired (yes, that is a mood...)
Song: "Come Sail Away" - Styx
Album: "Greatest Hits" - Styx - I have always enjoyed Styx music. I guess I am a bit odd, like Adam Sandler in "The Wedding Singer." After one taste of "Mr Roboto" I was sold.
So I am trying to do some simple NATing on this little Cisco router here (I won't mention the model number because you will laugh at me), and the friggin thing won't keep the config. I write the config to memory and as soon as I reboot the thing, the config is back to its original state. Why must I be tortured in this manner? I am forced to work on Novell products yesterday, and today I can't even add a couple of damn NAT entries to a router?! I am starting to think that this week is cursed and I just need to call in sick for the rest of the week. Tomorrow I am scheduled to do a Business Works migration, every one I have done has gone fine, but something tells me that this is going to be a pain.
So, I had lunch today with the owner of NwN and he offered me a perm position over there. I am just doing some contract work for him on the side, and there is some good extra cash flow coming from that direction. I don't love my regular job, but it is decent enough for me to stay and contract on the side. I might, however put it out there that I am being offered more money somewhere else and want a raise to stay. More money wouldn't suck at all. I am a pretty good engineer and can learn almost any technology (other than this ghetto router that isn't taking my config). I not only should get more money, but I would go as far as to say I diserve more money.
Screw it, I am going to box this POS up and ship it back. I hate to do it, but I am not getting anywhere here.
What a day! I think I need to goto the gym today and work out some frustration on the raquetball court. Speaking of needing to work out, the chick that works at the front desk here has been cleaning out the candy dish at an alarming rate. All I wanted was a friggin peppermint and she about took my hand off. If she keeps this up she will need to get a more sturdy desk chair or 2 (one for each cheek).
Final Thought: How about Al Gore (who?) endorsing Dean for the Dem nomination? Is it just me or is the Dem party moving further and further to the severe left? If they go any further they will all turn into communists (they don't have far to go, so be prepared to pull out the hammer and sycle).
|
|
|
| |
| I see flamers... |
| 12.08.03 (10:58 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Irritated
Song: "Move Bitch" - Ludacris
Album: "Word of Mouf" - Ludacris - Ok, I usually hate this type of music, but "Move Bitch" just fits my mood sometimes...like right now!
**WARNING** ***RANT ADVISORY***
I did a search on Google today for "4NiK8R" and found that there are possibly hundreds of friggin flamers out there copying me. Ok, so you say, "How do you know you were first 4?" I say, "Because I have been using it on the 'net (and I use this term loosely, since the way I got in back then was not the conventional dial-up to Compu-Serve" way) since '88 and that was before most of these morons even knew a computer exited. Yes, I was young and yes I had access to a Kermit (not the frog) like system back then. And I was "The one and only" 4NiK8R. I mean seriously, I am married now, have kids, etc and I still use the name. When I started using it I was not even old enough to be a 4NiK8R, but over time this handle has become ingrained in who I am (at least in this world...). That is why it is so damn irritating that these children (and I use that term for everyone too lame to come up with their own handle) have to jack mine. Come on, I have been an IRC fanatic since before most of of the lamers who are just now finding DalNet even knew what AOL was. I was the 4NiK8ing king of the mp3 before it was illegal and you could make them because there were actually fair-use laws. I was fraggin' as the 4NiK8R before games had a GUI, it was all text, and if you couldn't type faster than 100wpm you were some vampire's rape victim (if you know what I am talking about, you are officially old school). I hate these whiney little pansies who start clans with my name, posers, and lamers they are all. I am not claiming to be L337 by any means (even though I could frag all you little girls at any game you choose, so in that sense I am more l337 than j00 be0tch). So, if you are one of the posers, then give it up and find your own name, seriously...wtf is wrong with you anyway!?! And if you know one of these morons, feel free to laugh at their expense because they are nothing more that the slime I scrape off the barrel of my AK, Rocket launcher, or Desert Eagle as I run over them like a speed bump. So, you discovered the internet and you have entered teh world of being completely anonymous, well listen up, there is no such thing, I know who you are and you are not me, so stop pretending. Didn't you grow out of that when you gave up playing with dolls...or is that a cabbage patch sitting next to you?
|
|
|
| |
| Pieces of who? |
| 12.08.03 (9:13 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Zoned Out
Song: "Pieces of You" - Jewel
Album: "Pieces of You" - Jewel - This album is really the one that introduced me to Jewel. I never was a big fan of this genre of music until I heard "Foolish Games." I think I fell instantly in love...with a beautiful voice and poetry maid music. Ok...I am starting to feel like a freak so I will STFU right about now :?
Today I custom installed several home grown apps on a new Dell Inspiron 2600. That this was sweet, 15.4in wide screen and 2 (yes 2) gigs of ram. I had to wipe the drool off of it before I turned it over. All of my excitement was destroyed when my next call was to work on a Netware 5 server where none of the login scripts were running under a certain context. I hate Novell, they make the most worthless products known to man (and by man I mean me). Not even them buying Suse can make me respect the "red N." I does bring them up a few notches on my list of "totally worthless companies that should have gone out of business a long time ago, except MS keeps them around to keep the anti-monopoly police off their backs" companies. I mean seriously...Groupwise...just that name makes me scream "DAMNIT!!" at the top of my lungs. I get sent out on a call for it, and as soon as I get in my truck I scream it as loud as I possibly can. I kid you not, I have gone into customers after having lost my voice from all the yelling on the way there. If it is more than a 10min drive you can guarantee I won't be speaking louder than a whisper for at least a few hours after.
On a brighter note...it didn't rain today!! At least I think it didn't, I can't really tell because I was in a basement working on friggin Netware for most of the day...aaarrrrggg!! Why can't someone (Bill Gates) just buy Novell, fire everyone, install NT 3.51 on every machine in the place, and re-open it as the "new and improved" Apple Computer? Just throw some goofy wall-paper up, buy a few hundred kilos of weed, and hire a bunch of wanna-be hippy pc techs to run run the place and you will duplicate Apple easily. (Disclaimer: I do not mean to say that Apple employees smoke weed, rather a half-intelligent person would have to smoke a few kilos of it to kill enough brain cells to be as stupid a most of the people working there [Steve Jobs]). (Disclaimer 2: I humbly apologize to any and all people stupid enough to buy a Mac, if you can remember that you read this more than 20 seconds from now, I hope there is no hard feelings...seriously...)
Final thought: Why is it that the RIAA feels it is necessary to alienate their customers. They want to know why their cd sales are slipping, well they don't have to look any further than Cary Sherman and Madonna...I mean you have a moron running the show and you make music that is for the most part just crap. Back in the 70's you had bands that wrote and made music for the love of the art, that love was passed down to the listener. Now you have Madonna (wtf?), Britney (wtf?!), and Justin Timberlake (seriously...wtf!?!), and they expect people to fall in love with the artists the way kids did with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, and on and on it goes. We can flip on the radio and hear the hits from any of these artists every day, and does any one even remember what song Madonna sang last year? (hint: the answer is "only the mentally retarded even listen to that drivel"). So, I leave you with the question of, why are you spending music on worthless crap that you will listen to maybe once? Don't buy new, buy used cds and send the difference to the artist via paypal or drop a few coins in the Salvation Army bucket and call it a day. Don't give the goons at the RIAA your money, until they learn to put out something that is more than half-ass garbage. 8)
|
|
|
| |
| Fantasy Football! |
| 12.07.03 (1:36 pm) [edit] |
Mood: Anxious
Song: "Pudding Time" - Primus
Album: "Fizzle Fry" - Primus - Primus is one of my all time favorate bands. I used to scate (board) to their stuff back in my younger more "willing to sacrifice my body in the name of fun" days. If you have never heard Primus (in which case you probably live in a cave), you might want to give them a try...you might be walking around with "Wynnona's Big Brown Beaver" stuck in your head for the next few weeks. :D
Well, today is of course Sunday, so I am sitting in front of my computer watching my Fantasy Football scores and Episode 2 of Jake 2.0. My team pretty much sucked all season other than the last 5 weeks (all wins) and so I have to chance to make the playoffs (if I win this week and a couple of other people lose, which looks promising). I am excited because I didn't give up on the season and my guys are finally starting to perfrom (with the exception of Matt Hasslebeck who sucked it up today against the Vikings...arrggg!). So if you want to help me out, throw out a few prayers that Stephen Davis runs like the wind tonight and puts me over the top.
Now on to a more interesting subject: I got paid on Friday, and when I say paid, I mean !PAID! I got the check for the last 2 projects I did for NWN and man it was a fat check. I am amped because I can actually buy Christmas gifts for all of my family members without having to eat a diet of ramen noodles and saltines for the next 2 months to recover. I love that these gigs came at just the right time of year. If I can work it all out, I will have the majority of my dept paid off by the end of January, thus allowing me to take the ultimate debt gaining leap of buying a house next spring! I am fired up about that, I hate renting and giving some else a nice passive income source (my rent check which is 30-40% higher that their mortgage payments).
Final thought: Root for Ricky Williams to break his leg early on in the game vs the Pats, thus sealing my win!
|
|
|
| |
|
|
