Roman Polanski

I just found out that Roman Polanski is the director of one of my favorite films, "The Ninth Gate". I normally don't pay attention to the credits (unless I am in a movie with R, one of my best friends from high school :) he makes sure I see every last one.).

It is one of my favorite films because, well, I like movies where the bad guy is either the Devil himself, or someone who really, really, really wants to meet the Devil. Not some "demon", but the Devil, Lucifer. Lucifer has always been an intriguing entity to me, not really sure why.

This disturbs me, that one of my favorite films is made by a convicted statutory rapist.

You've got to be kidding, right?

Okay, I think everyone who knows me well, knows that I am pretty darn tight with my money. I believe I said painfully frugal in an earlier post.

My boss and company have outdone me. Here is the email from our adminstrative assistant (names have been removed to protect the guilty):

Hello all!

We have come up with an idea for the Summer Picnic. A Brewers game. The tentative date is September 21 against the San Francisco Giants. Select BP and Amoco gas stations are having a promotion that for every 8 gallons of gas per vehicle per day you get a stamp on the “C’mon Back Club” card. After every 5 stamps you can turn the card in for one free Terrace Level ticket at Miller Park. So we are going to try this. So I’m asking you to try to fill up as much as you can at a BP or Amoco gas station. Below (sorted by city) is a list of participating gas stations. Construction people please use this as a guide when out in the field. Any questions or something doesn’t make sense please let me know. Thanks. You can also check the website www.cmonbackclub.com .

I was left flabbergasted. This is so incredibly cheesy, I just don't know what to say. I started laughing, really hard, the second I read it. It's wrong on so many levels...1. Not everyone wants to spend time at a baseball game (I am already on the "NO" list). 2. What, the company made a couple million in profit last year, so we can't afford $600 in baseball tickets... 3. Why should I buy gasoline for my personal vehicle at an out of the way station? 4. Why go to a baseball game, where, in my experience, you don't talk that much with the people around you? 5. Why change the party from last year's idea? (a picnic where you all bring food yourself, and you actually TALK to the people you work with outside of work)

I just don't get it...

Electrocuted...

I'm just asking this for everybody out there: When you go somewhere (anywhere, really), do you get a little shock everytime you touch something metallic?

Because I do, and sometimes they are nasty enough to really hurt pretty bad. One of the guys I work with was laughing at me this morning because he can tell when I get into work by the "zzzap/crack" followed by "OW! Dang it, that smarts!" It's part of why I am slowly quitting playing slot machines, because I get a little blast pretty much everytime I touch one.

I don't know what it is, but my guess is my body hair building up static electricity (I know this is probably a visual you don't want, but I'm a pretty hairy guy). Any hints out there? Oh, and yes I do use softener in my laundry/dryer.

Is it bad...

that I nearly punched my boss at lunch today?

Long story short, he is the person who suggested I move in with my parents, because "if the NE WI office is open, we'll put you there, otherwise we'll put you in the SE WI office until the NE WI office is open and ready to go. No matter what, that'll be 6-8 months from now."

I said "Sure, that's about as long as I can last living with my parents, or that they can last living with me! :)" (which is true, Mom and I have had some unpleasant moments, starting about the 6 month mark)

Well, we're at the 13 month mark now, and I was getting some sh*t from one of my co-workers about living at home with the 'rents. And my boss piped in with my co-workers.

IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD NOT TO KNOCK HIS TEETH INTO HIS THROAT!

I told him I wanted to move to the SE WI office in November of last year (the 8 month mark). He said to keep waiting, that he wouldn't move me down there. AND NOW HE WONDERS WHY I'M GETTING FRUSTRATED!?!?!?!?

Can anybody tell me, how the f*ck long am I supposed to wait on this pr*ck to make up his f*cking mind? How long would YOU have waited? They didn't give me that much of a raise to move up here...GOD D*MN IT, I HATE IT WHEN I MISREAD SOMEONE COMPLETELY!!! I'm usually not THIS bad at it.

My poor supervisor, he didn't go to lunch with us today, he was doing employee evaluations elsewhere. Then he came back after lunch, and had to deal with a very riled up zeke70. I feel kind of bad, because he is actually a good guy (not a good leader, but a good guy...uggg, I've been mismanaged from the start).

Well, I guess my search is on with even more urgency now...my dad almost had me convinced to keep working at it really hard. I'll give them everything I have, but I am doing my dangdest to get out of there before I lose my job and end up in jail for a night (or more).

This is the truth, believe me when I say it, I used to be very violent, but now I have calmed that part of me down very well. That part of me came back today and scared the h*ll out of me...no job is worth this...:(

SW Wisconsin

I had to drive around SW Wisconsin all day today. Looking at some old bridges. I love this part of my profession, getting to go out and check things out in the "real" world, where the rubber hits the road as it were. It's fun to make paper drawings, but it's really cool to be able to go physically touch the idea you had...

If I had my dithers, this part of the country is one where I'd want to live and work. Amongst the bluffs and ridges and rivers and creeks is definitely my style. Lots of places to just disappear...

Too bad it's also one of the most economically depressed parts of the state, so there isn't much demand for workers, of any profession. It took severe beatings in the recession of '81 and the recession of '91 and has never recovered. The farm foreclosures of the mid-'80's did not help, either.

Las Vegas, part drei (final installment)

Okay, now I have to do some more history.

The latest installment of American Idol started sometime in the last couple of months, right? Well, I was at work the day after the final 12 were chosen (I think that was the time frame, I don't know, I don't watch the show), and I get this comment from one of the women I work with "There is a guy on American Idol that looks like you." Please note people, if you are trying to compliment someone on their similar looks to anyone else, this is the way you phrase it, not "You look just like so and so..."(note: I am a self-centered prick, too :) as if you couldn't tell!). And while I like this woman as a co-worker, um, let's just say that I am pretty shallow when it comes to looks. So this comment gave me the shivers a bit (actually, office rumor mill has it that she has a thing for me and well, that just makes it all the more shiverfull - icky :-().

Unfortunately, I still do not have a clue as to who she was talking about. Tim or Taylor or Tim Taylor or some such name, I don't know, I don't spend my time watching said show (not my thing). Probably just the gray/silver hair (that's what someone else told me), and that's fine, I can live with that (if I couldn't, I would color).

So, onto Vegas. See my last post. I am sitting at the SAME FREAKING table that I was at in the last post. The three women who came and sat down have just left and been replaced by 5 completely OBNOXIOUS women. Standing up, shouting and squealing in voices above human hearing, but every dog in Nevada started whimpering, and well, I'm a dog :). These five women had me thinking that it's time to get up and walk away. And I was on a hot streak, up over a hundy on $5 bets. But then the following comment sealed it; from the older woman to my right - "You look just like Tim (or Taylor or whatever) on American Idol!! SQUEALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

I got up and left very shortly thereafter thinking "I do believe I'm not liking this character from American Idol very much."

And if you think I've watched my last American Idol show, you are right. Oh, wait, I've never watched my FIRST American Idol show.

Las Vegas, part deux

Last night, I was out with some friends (down at one of my very oldest favorite hangouts - hasn't changed a bit in 13 years, except for the bartender).

I was telling the story of the first phone call I ever got from my friend's new fiancee after she had seen my picture. Here's kind of how the conversation went (I don't remember word for word, but this is close).

Me: (not recognizing the phone number, in a slightly grumpy tone) "Hello?"

Friend's Fiancee (FF): "You are so hot, you look just like George Clooney!"

Me: (my "who the h*ll is this?" tone) "What?"

FF: "You look like George Clooney and I'm going to marry YOU out in Las Vegas!"

Me: (okay, it's her, WTF did she just say?) "What?"

FF: "You are so hot, I am imagining threesomes out there."

Me: (WTF did she just say? Laughingly...) "What?"

FF: " I just wanted to tell you that."

Me: (WTF is this?) "Oh, okay..."

Phone call ended.

Now, normally, I would consider the comment about George Clooney a compliment. However, in the context above, it just made me REALLY uncomfortable. I DON'T mess at all with my best friends girl friends and/or wives, mostly because (forgive me, all you wives and girlfriends of my best friends and all of the other women I have met) I haven't met a woman yet that was worth the friendships these 5 men have given me in my lifetime.

So there I am, feeling kind of weird and uncomfortable about all of this. I'm sitting at the blackjack tables in Vegas, trying to get away from those two for a bit. Three women come down and sit around me at the table - one somewhat attractive a few years younger, one attractive looking about my age, and one other that was a good 10 years younger (attractive except for the fact that she was blind, stinking, stumbling, damn near drooling drunk - not a good look for anyone). Not a bad thing for a single man sitting at a blackjack table, so I smiled and said "Hello". Response from woman my age "You look just like George Clooney."

Now imagine Michael Bolton from the movie "Office Space". I'm beginning to not like George Clooney very much...

What soda am I?

I usually avoid these quizzes, mostly because I think they are a bit silly. Now, after answering a couple of questions, I would say because I am boring and tasteless, kind of like 7-UP :).

Now I would agree, favorite soda is Diet Coke. And while I do like Mountain Dew, it's a bit too harsh on my nerve endings for me to go for on a regular basis.

You Are 7 Up

Understated and subtle, people warm up to you slowly. But once they're hooked, they can't imagine going back to anyone else! Your best soda match: Diet Coke Stay away from: Mountain Dew

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Finishing school

I know this is probably a bit early, but...

I am sitting here thinking about what a bunch of you are doing right now, at this moment. You are finishing graduate/law school. And I'm trying to remember what it felt like...and I want to remind you all of something that is very important: Remember these days and these feelings, they are precious. I have a feeling you will all do well with this, since you are much more in touch with your feelings than I am with mine. And I remember my feelings as the end of school approached something like this:

1. Absolute joy - You mean I don't have to go to class anymore? SWEEET!

2. Absolute fear - You mean that I'm going to have to find a JOB? And earn my money without having a professor across the hall to ask questions of when it gets tough? (This one was particularly worrisome for me, I graduated in Dec. '01, right after 9/11 and right at the start of the big recession)

3. Self respect - I have accomplished something that very few people have done (really, ask around outside of your circles, very few people have an advanced degree in anything)

4. Dread (for someone socially skittish like me) - You mean I'm going to have to make new friends? Again? My goodness, that's pretty tough...I'm just guessing, but you probably won't have as much trouble with this one :).

5. Paychecks are coming - They're going to pay me for doing this? But this stuff is FUN!!! Cooool! (look of complete astonishment) They're going to pay me HOW MUCH for doing this fun stuff?

6. Freedom - This is the last one that I really remember, but it's also the most difficult to describe...Yep, I've tried about 5 descriptions here, and none of them really cover it. I think you all know what I mean, sorry none of my words seem to work. Almost (but not quite) like being re-born, awakened...see? nothing of mine quite fits...grrrrr. (one of you - help me out, eh? I need some more VO-CAB-YOU-LARRY! ;) Good thing I'm an engineer, not a word-smith! :))

*EDIT*

I think I might have #6, so I'll spill it out here and see what you think.

6. Liberation(probably not the perfect word here, but...) - You now are recognized by other people that you have the necessary base knowledge to participate in your chosen field. You have the base knowledge of what to do when life pitches lemons at you (make lemonade is the standard answer, but what flavor? and "how" exactly? sugar or some other juice for sweetener? now you get to be tricky about it. :)). It grants you freedom of autonomy; you'll be applying said knowledge to practical/real problems, without the hands-on guidance from a professor. It's real now, live without a net. Exhilarating, isn't it? :)

*End of EDIT*

While there are a couple of "bads" listed above, the "goods" far outweigh them. It is a joyous time for you all.

Do your happy dances, smile, party, enjoy the moment.

Congratulations!

Looking for a job

You know, when I finished with my first degree way back in the day, finding a job was a lot harder. You went to the job placement office and got a boatload of places that were looking to hire (no specifics, they just wanted someone with a BS/BA in such and such). Then you sent them a resume and a cover letter, trying to "personalize" a basically boiler-plated piece of paper. And if you were a poor student like me (I found that drinking and partying were worth more than reading and studying the first time around), you then got to wallpaper your room with the rejection letters, without even getting an interview.

Now (2 degrees, tons of technology and a few years wiser ;)), I go to specific companies web sites, click on their "careers" (or something similarly difficult to understand, like "job openings" :-p), and find out what they have for openings and so on. You don't have to waste time, paper and energy to send a resume to someone who has zero use for a widget maker (too bad, I'm a really good widget maker :)).

And holy Toledo, are there job openings...I did a bunch of quick "peeks" (went to the website to see, without fully reading every little detail). WOW!!! There are several companies right nearby that are looking for people like me, very cool! Plus, some of the really big companies are looking for people like me all over the country. Dad made a couple of calls and found out one company that I am very interested in working for has an opening (I confirmed online tonight) in Ewwwww Clair near the Twin Cities.

Looks like I have a bunch of resumes to work up this weekend, and online applications to fill out on Saturday during the day...I hope I get to hang with a few very good friends that night.

So it seems there is good reason to hope, so please keep those fingers crossed for me! :) Thanks for the thoughts, prayers, candle lightings, however you are helping me out, it's greatly appreciated. :)

Resume

Well, I finished up my basic resume and cover letter (leaving room for specific adjustments for specific companies) .

It's kind of sad, this job started with tremendous hope and promise, and now I just don't feel I can trust my boss anymore. The second that happens, I know it's time to move on. Because if I don't, I can expect him to screw me over again. Life is too darn short to deal with that.

Between my internet searches and my dad's connections, I should be able to find other work in short order (I hope, crossing my fingers! Please cross your's for me, too! :)).

Lasers...

I can't help but think of the movie "Real Genius" when I read this. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but does anybody else think that the US military having a weapon like this is a very bad idea?

Grandma

I went to see Grandma yesterday with my parents and all of the brothers and sisters. It was a very emotionally draining day. You can tell that she isn't all there anymore, but she still has some life left. She was all smiles (she has always loved being the center of attention, but only once in awhile :)).

She called me John. I was flattered. John is one of my uncles. I have met very few, if any, who are kinder and gentler than he is. I know I don't have his personality (well, some of it I do), but I'm happy to share some of his likeness. And I'm happy to remind her of him.

She was having a grand time. She doesn't walk very well anymore (only with a walker, and then barely), so she was in a wheelchair. Well, remember having a little kid in a walking trainer? The things with the bumpers and wheels so they can work their little legs in preparation for walking? Grandma was using that wheelchair purely with her calves and feet. And man could she motor! :) My mom had her feet run over several times because she wasn't moving fast enough. :)

From what I understand though, it's not looking real good. But I'm glad to see there are good moments like yesterday still around. I hope that she doesn't follow Grandpa's path (Alzheimer's). I don't know if Mom could take it again, and I worry about her.

The nurses seemed pretty cool, and one of the nurses is one of Grandma's old neighbors grandkids (I think that makes sense), so there is at least one familiar face nearby more often than we can see her.

One of my uncles has power of attorney. He is having a pretty hard go of it from what I saw of him yesterday. He looked absolutely whipped and beat down, like there was a world on his shoulders.

I can't remember a time where I felt so tired after visiting someone, though. It was a tremendously happy day, yet incredibly draining. Emotionally, physically and mentally, I was wiped out. I think it's partly that stress that most people feel (yet do their dangdest to hide) when they are facing their own mortality. My Grandma is in a home, and well, those places are hard for me. I don't like her being in there, but I also know that I couldn't take care of her anywhere near as well as those folks are taking care of her. Thank goodness for the kind (and patient) nurses and workers and doctors who work at that home, and other homes like it.

Grandma's circle of life is nearing completion. I am thankful that she has been and still is in my life and has given me such good things to remember her by when her time here is done.

First time in about 3 years...

Well, I freaking did this to myself, but I know how to get out of it. Spend less for the next few weeks.

For the first time in about 3 years (since my last MAJOR truck repair), I have spent more money in a period of less than 1 week than I will receive in my next paycheck. This is not because my paychecks are particularly large, definitely not a true statement. This is because I am typically very (read "painfully") frugal.

I splurged on my computer stuff (I got another hard drive and a second TV tuner for my MythTV setup, and I bought UPS units for my machines, something I should have had a long time ago...), combined with my truck repair (final tally of $850+) and ouch, there it is. Good thing my 'rents are driving this weekend to see Grandma, otherwise I'd be sitting on the couch all weekend (I wouldn't even be able to allow myself a poker game if I wasn't going to see Grandma).

I have the confidence in my spending habits that I'll be back by my paycheck after next and back to my saving ways, but this is disconcerting!

On the good side, it will let me get caught up on resume writing (and sending out) and a whole pile of cleaning and organizing I've been putting off for months...oh, the joy! :)

Anybody know of a good book on organizing? I've found that my self-help books on fitness (Bill Phillips "Body-for-Life") and financial tips (Dave Ramsey "Total Money Makeover") have been a great help in those areas of my life, maybe I can learn something from another good self-help book. If you don't like something about your life, change your life, right?

MythTV setup

Finally, I have it working. It is recording as I write this.

Question for those Tivo users out there: how many shows can you record at one time, and can you watch "live TV" while you are recording a show? In other words, how many inputs can you deal with on the Tivo?

I have one, and it, well kind of sucks. I'd like to be able to watch one show/record another or maybe even record at least two shows at one time. I can do that, but I'd kind of like to know what the Tivo can do, maybe get close to those capabilities.

I know I'll need another hard drive, but I want an idea of number of tuners.

Boston College Coach

He finished it off with one of the classiest moves of all sports - he made his team do what they do after every, they salute their fans...even after a big loss to my Badgers.

Without the fans, there is no "big" game to play in (without the fans, who cares who wins?), so thanks coach Jerry York for remembering us all out here.

How 'bout dem BADGERS!!!!!

Division I Women's Hockey Champions and

Division I Men's Hockey Champions!

Go BADGERS!!!!

Clear Blue Betty

I just saw this band on UPN local access tonight. I liked it, I'm sure they are like any rock band, not what people would call talented in the classical sense, but their sound seems pure to me.

Her voice reminded me of something, but I can't put my finger on it. Almost like I've heard her before, but I don't recognize her name at all.
It's odd because I typically do not like women singers. I can count on one hand (or less) the number of female singers that I actually like in my musical tastes...The Donnas (I know, technically a band), Suzanne Vega, Amy Lee (Evanescence), Joan Jett, I think that's about it.

Mother Fuuuuuuuuuuu.........

I got my MythTV system working.

Then I rebooted and learned/remembered why I build my own systems and don't buy Dell's/Gateway's etc. F-ing Dell has it so hard coded into the BIOS what hard drive should be booting that I have to start all over.

Well, at least I got it working once, means I can get it working again, right? :)

BSG

Okay, is it bad that I suddenly don't want to watch BSG as much anymore?

You see, yesterday, I had to do a bunch of stuff with one of my company's IT guys. Let's just say I don't like him - AT ALL. And he finished part of our conversation with "Frackin' ".

Let me just say that it was bad enough that we are both computer geeks and can understand half of what the other is saying (I'm a Linux user outside of work, he sticks with all M$). Does it have to invade my personal life, too?

Boot Camp

Okay, OS rookies out there. Sorry, I just feel the need to educate a little bit. I got a comment regarding "Boot Camp", the new little piece of BETA software that Apple released to allow MS Windows to dual boot on the new Apple Intel hardware.

Basically, this is old technology. Linux users have been doing this for several years, mainly Linux/Windows (because Linux is really meant for the x86 chips (i.e. Windows boxes)) and Linux/MacOSX on the PowerPC (yes, Linux does run on both the old and new Mac's).

My guess is that Apple basically took the Linux GRUB bootloader (has never been anything but BETA) and slapped their pretty little GUI on top so the end user could figure it out, which is a good thing (GRUB can be a b*tch the first couple of times you set it up). I'm guessing that somewhere out there, some super Linux user probably already had a triple boot machine setup (i.e. MacOSX, Windows and Linux) on the new Mac's, probably within a week or two of receiving the machine.

It still doesn't hold a candle to what will happen over the next couple of years with paravirtualization technology. Right now, a dual boot means you have to shut the machine off and turn it back on and tell the machine what OS to use. With paravirtualization, the machine will already have all of the OS's up and running and you'll just have to select the tab of the machine you want to use. I'm telling you, it's the wave of the future for developer's and geeks like me, and it's going to revolutionize the writing of software. It will completely relieve the grip that M$ has on the OS world. It's going to be huge, if people push it right. MacOSX (and any future version) and Linux will be able to get some traction against M$Windows if they will run on generic hardware (right now, Linux does, MacOS does not). Apple has to find a way to rework their plan and get away from selling hardware for so much more. I know, I know, a Macintosh is "cute" or "sexy" hardware. Well, I won't pay an extra 500-1000 dollars for "cute" or "sexy". Apple can kiss my behind. Let me have my juice for a decent price (you know, I'd probably pay an extra hundy for it though), and I'll buy your stuff.

What a couple of weeks...

Okay, first, a couple of weekends ago, I fought with and tried to get my MythTV setup running. Well, it kind of worked, but I spent most of last week (prior to April Fool's day) trying to get it running with my old hardware. Because I didn't know how much I was going to have left over from my Vegas trip. Lot's of time burnt there.

Now, onto Vegas...let me just leave it at this. When you have a best friend who is not exactly the most mature guy on the planet, and he is dating a woman much, much, much younger than you and him, expect them to break their promise to you of not f*cking around in the room while you are in the room (no wait, I don't mean "making out", I mean "f*cking"). Two words -- NOT COOL!!!

Well, I did okay in Vegas, lost some money, spent some money, got drunk (I only allow myself to drink when in Vegas), had fun overall. So I had some money leftover. I spent a little bit of it on a new set of headphones - those Bose sound dampener/noise reducing headphones. A very good investment for someone who likes to listen to music when flying and who likes to sleep when flying. Really quiets everything down. Not worth it if you don't fly several times a year at least.

I also had enough leftover to buy the new video capture card for my MythTV setup, so it might be a bit "easier" to get working. I do believe the saying is "YEAH, RIGHT..." Ouch, I've spent another 8 hours on it this week so far trying to get it working, not there yet.

Then, I decided to go get some things fixed on my truck. That may have been a back breaker for my savings plan for this paycheck...new fuel pump (still don't have a price yet), oil change, fuel filter and TRANSMISSION problems. My mechanic and I decided not to fix the transmission issues because it would cost more to fix than to buy a used/refurbed one. At least I can trust him to tell the truth. He also said that I could skip any fix at all and deal with the issue that is happening. I can do that and it shouldn't hurt the vehicle at all (well, maybe the transmission, but that's already broke a little bit anyway). Total cost will be in the $500 range for the rest of the work being done.