Occasionally, everyone gets into one of those moods where they do some looking inward and examining their own value to the world. I remember as a kid, telling my mother that my goal was to leave this world better than I found it. I wanted to accomplish something that would make me remembered after I was gone. The truth is that I'm on the down side of middle age and unless I come up with something soon, the only people that will remember me when I'm gone will be my friends and family. I have done nothing to change the world. I am a cog in the wheel. I do my job, but if I died tomorrow the only impact on the world would be that some programmers in India would get a little less tech support than usual until I was replaced and some lucky unemployed I.T. guy would get my job.
I'm not writing this for pity. I am happy with my life and at peace with my part in the world. I write this to point out that the people that truly make an impact are few and far between. There aren't a lot of Eli Whitney and Sam Colt and John Browning and Bill Gates and Steve Jobs out there. Those type of people that make that big of an impact on our world are few and far between. That is why the passing of Steve Jobs yesterday is such a big deal. He was a pioneer in the technology world that has truly changed the world. His impact will be felt as a ripple effect in how we use technology forever. It makes me sad to realize what more he could have accomplished if he had not been taken from us so soon.
R.I.P. Steve Jobs. As a listen to my iPod and dream about buying an iPhone, I will remember you.
"Stay hungry. Stay foolish." - Steve Jobs
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Renamed the Blog
I just decided tonight that "Sean's Blog" was just too darn boring. I needed to come up with something more interesting for a name. After a while, I decided on "Playing in Traffic". It just seemed to fit, and for those of you who know what my nickname was in school, you'll get the inside joke.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Car Shopping... The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
As some of you know, Leilani and I went on vacation back in April to New York City. To save money, and because I hate to fly if I don't have to, we chose to drive. About half way to NYC, I hit a rather large piece of tread with my car. I could immediately tell it had done some damage, but it seemed minor and since we were far from home, I just kept going. There was no body damage, but the car was no longer as smooth as before and over the last 2 months, more and more noises were popping up that made me uneasy. It became obvious we were due for a big repair bill in the near future. Combine that with the fact that I was about to hit 95,000 miles and I decided to start car shopping and possibly trade it in on something new.
Since it wasn't urgent that I make a trade, I took some time to really think out what type of vehicle I needed to best suit my needs and then what brand was best in that class. Here is the list I came up with of what I needed.
1. Gas mileage... At the moment, I work from home so it isn't as critical as it is to some people, but working in I.T. I know this can change at any time. If I did have to change jobs, odds are good I'd have to make the commute to Charlotte and gas mileage would be a BIG deal. Depending on what side of town I was driving to, my commute could be 50 - 75 miles each way. Also, we tend to take my car on vacations since Leilani has a fun, sporty convertible which means no room for luggage.
2. AWD or 4WD... Over the last year, I have really been getting back into shooting IDPA. The dirt roads into the gun clubs where the matches are held are very poorly maintained and driving them in my Nissan Altima was tough and probably contributing to how badly it was starting to drive.
3. iPod connectivity... I listen to my iPod almost 100% of the time when in my car so it was critical that I be able to connect my iPod to my car stereo easily.
4. Reliability... If my job stays the way it is, this will be a low mileage car so I'd like to keep it a long time. If not, I need something that can take the pounding of a long commute and heavy mileage. Either way, I wanted something made well and would last.
After a lot of thinking, I decided the vehicle type that would fit me best was a small SUV or crossover.
The first one I chose to look at and drive was a Nissan Rogue. Up until the incident with the tread, I had been happy with my current Nissan and I also thought the Rogue was the best looking vehicle in this class. Also, my Altima had push button start which I really liked and the Rogue was the only vehicle in its class that was in our price range that had this feature. However, after driving it and then doing some research on line, it got crossed off my list. The biggest issue I had when driving it was that the blind spot was HUGE. Compared to all the other vehicles I test drove later, it had the worst rear visibility by far. Also, when doing research online, I found way too many stories of electrical problems. I decided there were probably better choices for me and I'd just have to live with giving up the push button start feature.
I also really liked the looks of the new Nissan Juke. However, it is a small vehicle and I'm not a small guy. I just didn't fit in it so after sitting in it, I didn't even bother driving it.
All the research seemed to agree on the Top 5 for this class. They were the Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester. In reality, the Equinox and Terrain are the same vehicle with different cosmetics so if one of those was my favorite, the choice between the two would just come down to which one I thought looked better.
The next night, I headed back out and drove the RAV4 and the CR-V. The RAV4 is a nice vehicle that seems well thought out and has lots of storage and head room. However, I just didn't like the way it felt when driving it. It was very "minivan-ish". Also, every time I've ever shopped at a Toyota dealer, the salesperson has managed to annoy me and this time was no exception. He spent so much time trying to pressure me into just buying now before even looking at the other vehicles on my list and trash talking the competition that he really turned me off.
Next up was the Honda CR-V. It is a nice vehicle as well and I really liked the salesperson at the Honda dealer much better. I went there to drive it expecting to just check it off the list, but instead I left with it at the top of my list so far. It drove very comfortable, but still had a tight enough steering and handling to not feel like a mini van. Also, there is no denying Honda's quality, but I wasn't ready to make a decision until I had driven the Equinox/Terrain and Forester.
On Saturday, Leilani was off work so she finally got to go with me. We drove down to Mooresville because the Subaru dealer local to us in Hickory closed early and we got a late start. We started at Randy Marion Chevrolet, looking at the Equinox. We had a hard time finding a salesperson at first because they were all with other customers, but after a few minutes, the fleet manager came out and helped us. He was a good salesman and was low pressure which is what I want in a car salesman. He explained the different trim levels and we decided to drive the LT1. The Equinox is very nice inside. The front feels like a cockpit and is nicely layed out. Also, the seats were the nicest of any of the ones I looked at. The only real complaint I had was that the acceleration was very sluggish. After the test drive, we told him we liked it, but we wanted to drive the Forester before deciding.
Since Randy Marion Subaru was just across the street and owned by the same person, he said he could sell on both lots and took us over there to take a look. We even got to take the Equinox with us to look at them side by side which we thought was very cool. The Forester's seats were not quite as nice and the Equinox, but they were still nice. The Forester also had a HUGE panoramic moon roof that we both really liked. As soon as I pulled it out into traffic, my decision was made. The acceleration on the Subaru was the best of any of them I had driven and it just felt right to me. It came with a lot of nice features like a USB port for the iPod, Bluetooth for the phone (Leilani really likes that because she was always fussing at me about holding the phone while driving), fog lights, cargo nets, cargo covers, etc... It also had reclining rear seats which I thought was nice for the rare occasion when we take other people with us.
The only thing left was to pick a color. We had driven the Marine Blue one, but Leilani didn't care for that shade of blue. I was fond of the Red but it wasn't a great shade either. In the end, the color we both liked the most was the Steel Silver and luckily, they had one in the showroom in the trim level we wanted. Here's a picture of my new Subaru...
So far, I love it!
Since it wasn't urgent that I make a trade, I took some time to really think out what type of vehicle I needed to best suit my needs and then what brand was best in that class. Here is the list I came up with of what I needed.
1. Gas mileage... At the moment, I work from home so it isn't as critical as it is to some people, but working in I.T. I know this can change at any time. If I did have to change jobs, odds are good I'd have to make the commute to Charlotte and gas mileage would be a BIG deal. Depending on what side of town I was driving to, my commute could be 50 - 75 miles each way. Also, we tend to take my car on vacations since Leilani has a fun, sporty convertible which means no room for luggage.
2. AWD or 4WD... Over the last year, I have really been getting back into shooting IDPA. The dirt roads into the gun clubs where the matches are held are very poorly maintained and driving them in my Nissan Altima was tough and probably contributing to how badly it was starting to drive.
3. iPod connectivity... I listen to my iPod almost 100% of the time when in my car so it was critical that I be able to connect my iPod to my car stereo easily.
4. Reliability... If my job stays the way it is, this will be a low mileage car so I'd like to keep it a long time. If not, I need something that can take the pounding of a long commute and heavy mileage. Either way, I wanted something made well and would last.
After a lot of thinking, I decided the vehicle type that would fit me best was a small SUV or crossover.
The first one I chose to look at and drive was a Nissan Rogue. Up until the incident with the tread, I had been happy with my current Nissan and I also thought the Rogue was the best looking vehicle in this class. Also, my Altima had push button start which I really liked and the Rogue was the only vehicle in its class that was in our price range that had this feature. However, after driving it and then doing some research on line, it got crossed off my list. The biggest issue I had when driving it was that the blind spot was HUGE. Compared to all the other vehicles I test drove later, it had the worst rear visibility by far. Also, when doing research online, I found way too many stories of electrical problems. I decided there were probably better choices for me and I'd just have to live with giving up the push button start feature.
I also really liked the looks of the new Nissan Juke. However, it is a small vehicle and I'm not a small guy. I just didn't fit in it so after sitting in it, I didn't even bother driving it.
All the research seemed to agree on the Top 5 for this class. They were the Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester. In reality, the Equinox and Terrain are the same vehicle with different cosmetics so if one of those was my favorite, the choice between the two would just come down to which one I thought looked better.
The next night, I headed back out and drove the RAV4 and the CR-V. The RAV4 is a nice vehicle that seems well thought out and has lots of storage and head room. However, I just didn't like the way it felt when driving it. It was very "minivan-ish". Also, every time I've ever shopped at a Toyota dealer, the salesperson has managed to annoy me and this time was no exception. He spent so much time trying to pressure me into just buying now before even looking at the other vehicles on my list and trash talking the competition that he really turned me off.
Next up was the Honda CR-V. It is a nice vehicle as well and I really liked the salesperson at the Honda dealer much better. I went there to drive it expecting to just check it off the list, but instead I left with it at the top of my list so far. It drove very comfortable, but still had a tight enough steering and handling to not feel like a mini van. Also, there is no denying Honda's quality, but I wasn't ready to make a decision until I had driven the Equinox/Terrain and Forester.
On Saturday, Leilani was off work so she finally got to go with me. We drove down to Mooresville because the Subaru dealer local to us in Hickory closed early and we got a late start. We started at Randy Marion Chevrolet, looking at the Equinox. We had a hard time finding a salesperson at first because they were all with other customers, but after a few minutes, the fleet manager came out and helped us. He was a good salesman and was low pressure which is what I want in a car salesman. He explained the different trim levels and we decided to drive the LT1. The Equinox is very nice inside. The front feels like a cockpit and is nicely layed out. Also, the seats were the nicest of any of the ones I looked at. The only real complaint I had was that the acceleration was very sluggish. After the test drive, we told him we liked it, but we wanted to drive the Forester before deciding.
Since Randy Marion Subaru was just across the street and owned by the same person, he said he could sell on both lots and took us over there to take a look. We even got to take the Equinox with us to look at them side by side which we thought was very cool. The Forester's seats were not quite as nice and the Equinox, but they were still nice. The Forester also had a HUGE panoramic moon roof that we both really liked. As soon as I pulled it out into traffic, my decision was made. The acceleration on the Subaru was the best of any of them I had driven and it just felt right to me. It came with a lot of nice features like a USB port for the iPod, Bluetooth for the phone (Leilani really likes that because she was always fussing at me about holding the phone while driving), fog lights, cargo nets, cargo covers, etc... It also had reclining rear seats which I thought was nice for the rare occasion when we take other people with us.
The only thing left was to pick a color. We had driven the Marine Blue one, but Leilani didn't care for that shade of blue. I was fond of the Red but it wasn't a great shade either. In the end, the color we both liked the most was the Steel Silver and luckily, they had one in the showroom in the trim level we wanted. Here's a picture of my new Subaru...
So far, I love it!
Friday, March 11, 2011
42 Things about me
A good friend of mine started his own personal page today and one of the things he posted was a "42 things about me" list. I thought it was rather clever and like all clever things, deserving of being ripped off and copied. ;o) In no particular order, here are 42 things about me that you may or may not already know.
1. I am an only child which has been good and bad. The good is that it taught me to be comfortable alone. The bad is that I'm so comfortable alone that I don't feel the need to make many friends.
2. By the age of 12 I had moved from Rock Hill, SC to Gaithersburg, MD back to Rock Hill, SC to Knoxville, TN to Kent, WA to Lakeland, FL and back to Rock Hill, SC.
3. Since the age of 12 I have moved several more times but never more than a 90 minute drive from Rock Hill.
4. My family ran a pawn shop from 1940 until my mother's death in 2001. I met some interesting characters while working there, but I think it made me a more interesting character.
5. 2001 was the worst year of my life... and it is not even close. It started with Dale Earnhardt's death. Then, I married the wrong woman. Then, my mother was diagnosed with cancer WAY too late to do anything about it. Then, my mother died which is the single most painful thing I've ever experienced. And to put the cherry on top, that was the year of the 9/11 attacks.
6. 2002 started out looking like it was going to suck as bad as 2001 when my wife and I separated, but things improved dramatically when I met my current wife a couple of months later.
7. My mother was married 4 times, to 3 men. My dad got 2 tries at it. Each marriage lasted 7 years. She took the 7 year itch thing to new levels.
8. It took me 7 years, 3 schools and 3 majors, but I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science in 1997.
9. I was there for the very first regular season game in the history of the Carolina Panthers. It was an away game at the Georgia Dome against the Atlanta Falcons and the tickets were a birthday gift from my mother.
10. I was there for the very first regular season win in the history of the Carolina Panthers a month later.
11. I love sushi and hate canned tuna.
12. My favorite part of most vacations is the chance to visit really good restaurants in new places.
13. I have been trying to write the same novel for 20 years and have made very little progress.
14. I've been trying to learn to play the guitar for 23 years and made even less progress than I have on the novel.
15. I am tone deaf, which might explain #14.
16. My big toe on my right foot is paralyzed, but my thumbs are double jointed.
17. I was certified to scuba dive before I was old enough. The instructor issued me a temporary card and waited to mail in my paperwork to PADI until after my birthday.
18. I got the bends when I was 16 and spent 5 hours in a recompression chamber. That sucked.
19. I learned to shoot a rifle when I was 13 years old and have been hooked on guns of all kinds ever since.
20. I shoot in IDPA matches because it is fun and because it helps me test my skills under pressure. Granted the timer does not put as much pressure as a life and death encounter and the targets don't shoot back, but is the best I can do without roaming a war zone or some of the less desirable neighborhoods in Atlanta.
21. I once left work and drove to Atlanta with my mother on a whim to take her to her first Braves game. It was during the NLCS. We got tickets from a scalper and saw John Smoltz get his first Save. It was a very good day.
22. Most of my happiest memories of my mother revolve around baseball.
23. I am almost never unarmed. If I legally can, I will carry a concealed handgun. If not, at least a good pocket knife and/or pepper spray. It is not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
24. I separated my left shoulder while snow skiing in college and it reminds me of that occasionally without warning.
25. I have cartilage damage in both knees and they remind me of that if I take them for granted... or there is a good storm on its way.
26. I have broken my right foot, twice and each of my toes multiple times each.
27. My DVR has changed the way I watch TV to the point that I cannot imagine not having one anymore.
28. I have far too many interests and have to actively make an effort to limit the number of hobbies I have so that I do not get overwhelmed by them.
29. I got to meet R. Lee Ermey at the NRA Annual meeting in 2010 and he is pretty much exactly like his character in Full Metal Jacket.
30. My most prized possession is a Star of David necklace that I never take off. The chain was a gift from my wife, the gold was my mother's high school ring... melted down and the diamond is one from my dad's wedding ring.
31. There are 3 people in this world that I would take a bullet for. The rest of you are on your own.
32. I am finding it is harder than I thought to come up with 42 interesting facts about myself.
33. I tried for 5 years to learn to play golf and never really improved. I finally quit for the good of the game and concentrated on the shooting sports instead.
34. I never order a steak more cooked than medium rare and if I need steak sauce it means the steak sucks.
35. I hate to fly. I hated to fly before the TSA started molesting passengers, but that sure didn't help matters.
36. I have been known to write a poem or two in my life, but don't tell anyone.
37. My earliest memory is actually a very realistic dream I had when I was 3 years old. I have forgotten nearly every dream I've ever had, but I still remember that one 35 years later.
38. I had a brief racing career in the SCCA but it was an even more expensive hobby than shooting or golf.
39. My favorite movie is Tombstone.
40. My favorite TV show is Justified.
41. My favorite song is a bluegrass remix of Snoop Dogg's Gin and Juice by The Gourds, but my wife HATES it.
42. My favorite book is The Hitchhiker's Guild to the Galaxy, which explains my affection for the number 42.
1. I am an only child which has been good and bad. The good is that it taught me to be comfortable alone. The bad is that I'm so comfortable alone that I don't feel the need to make many friends.
2. By the age of 12 I had moved from Rock Hill, SC to Gaithersburg, MD back to Rock Hill, SC to Knoxville, TN to Kent, WA to Lakeland, FL and back to Rock Hill, SC.
3. Since the age of 12 I have moved several more times but never more than a 90 minute drive from Rock Hill.
4. My family ran a pawn shop from 1940 until my mother's death in 2001. I met some interesting characters while working there, but I think it made me a more interesting character.
5. 2001 was the worst year of my life... and it is not even close. It started with Dale Earnhardt's death. Then, I married the wrong woman. Then, my mother was diagnosed with cancer WAY too late to do anything about it. Then, my mother died which is the single most painful thing I've ever experienced. And to put the cherry on top, that was the year of the 9/11 attacks.
6. 2002 started out looking like it was going to suck as bad as 2001 when my wife and I separated, but things improved dramatically when I met my current wife a couple of months later.
7. My mother was married 4 times, to 3 men. My dad got 2 tries at it. Each marriage lasted 7 years. She took the 7 year itch thing to new levels.
8. It took me 7 years, 3 schools and 3 majors, but I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science in 1997.
9. I was there for the very first regular season game in the history of the Carolina Panthers. It was an away game at the Georgia Dome against the Atlanta Falcons and the tickets were a birthday gift from my mother.
10. I was there for the very first regular season win in the history of the Carolina Panthers a month later.
11. I love sushi and hate canned tuna.
12. My favorite part of most vacations is the chance to visit really good restaurants in new places.
13. I have been trying to write the same novel for 20 years and have made very little progress.
14. I've been trying to learn to play the guitar for 23 years and made even less progress than I have on the novel.
15. I am tone deaf, which might explain #14.
16. My big toe on my right foot is paralyzed, but my thumbs are double jointed.
17. I was certified to scuba dive before I was old enough. The instructor issued me a temporary card and waited to mail in my paperwork to PADI until after my birthday.
18. I got the bends when I was 16 and spent 5 hours in a recompression chamber. That sucked.
19. I learned to shoot a rifle when I was 13 years old and have been hooked on guns of all kinds ever since.
20. I shoot in IDPA matches because it is fun and because it helps me test my skills under pressure. Granted the timer does not put as much pressure as a life and death encounter and the targets don't shoot back, but is the best I can do without roaming a war zone or some of the less desirable neighborhoods in Atlanta.
21. I once left work and drove to Atlanta with my mother on a whim to take her to her first Braves game. It was during the NLCS. We got tickets from a scalper and saw John Smoltz get his first Save. It was a very good day.
22. Most of my happiest memories of my mother revolve around baseball.
23. I am almost never unarmed. If I legally can, I will carry a concealed handgun. If not, at least a good pocket knife and/or pepper spray. It is not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
24. I separated my left shoulder while snow skiing in college and it reminds me of that occasionally without warning.
25. I have cartilage damage in both knees and they remind me of that if I take them for granted... or there is a good storm on its way.
26. I have broken my right foot, twice and each of my toes multiple times each.
27. My DVR has changed the way I watch TV to the point that I cannot imagine not having one anymore.
28. I have far too many interests and have to actively make an effort to limit the number of hobbies I have so that I do not get overwhelmed by them.
29. I got to meet R. Lee Ermey at the NRA Annual meeting in 2010 and he is pretty much exactly like his character in Full Metal Jacket.
30. My most prized possession is a Star of David necklace that I never take off. The chain was a gift from my wife, the gold was my mother's high school ring... melted down and the diamond is one from my dad's wedding ring.
31. There are 3 people in this world that I would take a bullet for. The rest of you are on your own.
32. I am finding it is harder than I thought to come up with 42 interesting facts about myself.
33. I tried for 5 years to learn to play golf and never really improved. I finally quit for the good of the game and concentrated on the shooting sports instead.
34. I never order a steak more cooked than medium rare and if I need steak sauce it means the steak sucks.
35. I hate to fly. I hated to fly before the TSA started molesting passengers, but that sure didn't help matters.
36. I have been known to write a poem or two in my life, but don't tell anyone.
37. My earliest memory is actually a very realistic dream I had when I was 3 years old. I have forgotten nearly every dream I've ever had, but I still remember that one 35 years later.
38. I had a brief racing career in the SCCA but it was an even more expensive hobby than shooting or golf.
39. My favorite movie is Tombstone.
40. My favorite TV show is Justified.
41. My favorite song is a bluegrass remix of Snoop Dogg's Gin and Juice by The Gourds, but my wife HATES it.
42. My favorite book is The Hitchhiker's Guild to the Galaxy, which explains my affection for the number 42.
Sunday, March 06, 2011
What I won't write
I was listening to the Tech Stuff podcast the other day and the topic they were discussing was "social media faux paus". It really got me thinking about what I see some people write on their blogs or Twitter or Facebook. There have been quite a few documented cases of someone posting on facebook that they were leaving their house and then someone broke in while they were gone. There have documented cases of people posting something stupid like a picture of themselves with no shirt on, drinking and getting fired from their job or not getting a job they just interviewed for. I don't think most people realize that once you post it out there for your friends to see, EVERYONE can see it. Yes, there are privacy settings on many of these sites, but most people don't use them or don't use them correctly. So... off the top of my head... here are some things you should never post on the internet.
1. Any plans that say when you will be out of your house. You might as well advertise that your house is unoccupied from x time to y time so the thieves know they don't need to rush. They can take their time and be thorough so they can get all the good stuff. If you want to talk about your vacation on your blog or facebook that is fine, but do it once you get home. Posting that you are 1000 miles from home at the moment is only an invitation to thieves.
2. Anything about your work. I don't post about work except in the most general terms like "I got a new job!" or "Just go layed off." or something like that. I don't even like to name the company I work for, just in case something I say could be interpreted to be a company statement. A public site is no place to complain about work or your boss. Lucky for me, I love my job and have a great boss... ;o)
3. Don't post anything that you wouldn't want your employer or a future employer to see. Many companies have become very tech savvy and they will search for you when they receive your resume' on all the common social network sites. If they see something they don't like (e.g. too many pictures of you with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Jim Beam in the other) they won't even call you in for an interview. Also, your current employer could do the same search and even if they can't fire you for it, they can certainly hold it against you when raises and promotions come up.
4. The same rule as #3 goes for your spouse or significant other. If you are on that site, what makes you think they aren't on it too. Facebook or Twitter probably isn't the place to vent about the fight you just had with your spouse. They are going to read it so you might as well get ready for Round 2!
5. Don't "friend" people that aren't smart enough to not say things that will get you in trouble. I had a friend who wrote something rather provocative on my wall on Facebook. It was something that many of my other friends would have been pissed about and could have made me look bad since it was on my wall. I deleted the message and sent him a private message telling him the next time he did something like that, I was going to "de-friend" him. He's behaved since then. If your friends are going to get you in trouble (or tell everyone you are 1000 miles from home right now), it is time to find new friends... at least online.
Anyway, those are just a few of the things that I could think of that I think you need to keep off the internet. The big thing is to think before you post and remember that once it is out there... it is out there forever.
1. Any plans that say when you will be out of your house. You might as well advertise that your house is unoccupied from x time to y time so the thieves know they don't need to rush. They can take their time and be thorough so they can get all the good stuff. If you want to talk about your vacation on your blog or facebook that is fine, but do it once you get home. Posting that you are 1000 miles from home at the moment is only an invitation to thieves.
2. Anything about your work. I don't post about work except in the most general terms like "I got a new job!" or "Just go layed off." or something like that. I don't even like to name the company I work for, just in case something I say could be interpreted to be a company statement. A public site is no place to complain about work or your boss. Lucky for me, I love my job and have a great boss... ;o)
3. Don't post anything that you wouldn't want your employer or a future employer to see. Many companies have become very tech savvy and they will search for you when they receive your resume' on all the common social network sites. If they see something they don't like (e.g. too many pictures of you with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Jim Beam in the other) they won't even call you in for an interview. Also, your current employer could do the same search and even if they can't fire you for it, they can certainly hold it against you when raises and promotions come up.
4. The same rule as #3 goes for your spouse or significant other. If you are on that site, what makes you think they aren't on it too. Facebook or Twitter probably isn't the place to vent about the fight you just had with your spouse. They are going to read it so you might as well get ready for Round 2!
5. Don't "friend" people that aren't smart enough to not say things that will get you in trouble. I had a friend who wrote something rather provocative on my wall on Facebook. It was something that many of my other friends would have been pissed about and could have made me look bad since it was on my wall. I deleted the message and sent him a private message telling him the next time he did something like that, I was going to "de-friend" him. He's behaved since then. If your friends are going to get you in trouble (or tell everyone you are 1000 miles from home right now), it is time to find new friends... at least online.
Anyway, those are just a few of the things that I could think of that I think you need to keep off the internet. The big thing is to think before you post and remember that once it is out there... it is out there forever.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Picking up the guitar again
I have tried off and on since I was in high school to learn to play the guitar. A couple of weeks ago, I got the bug again. I pulled out the old acoustic guitar and tuned it up. I've pulled out some old lesson sheets from when I was taking lessons from an instructor and been playing around with it ever since. Maybe this time it will stick. Who knows. I did go out today to a music store and picked up a spare set of strings, some extra picks and a strap.
I've got a pretty major project for the next week, but after that I hope to try to dedicate some real time to learning. If I can stick with it for a month or two, I'll spring for some lessons from a teacher again. In the meantime, I'm getting a new desk this weekend so I'm busy packing up my whole office so I can move out my old desk, bring in the new one, put it together and set everything back up. The only bad part is that since I work from home, the bulk of the work will have to all be done during the two days I'm off so I have a place to work. If I haven't thrown out my back or smashed all my fingers by next week, I'll try to post more.
I've got a pretty major project for the next week, but after that I hope to try to dedicate some real time to learning. If I can stick with it for a month or two, I'll spring for some lessons from a teacher again. In the meantime, I'm getting a new desk this weekend so I'm busy packing up my whole office so I can move out my old desk, bring in the new one, put it together and set everything back up. The only bad part is that since I work from home, the bulk of the work will have to all be done during the two days I'm off so I have a place to work. If I haven't thrown out my back or smashed all my fingers by next week, I'll try to post more.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack...
I hate to admit this, but I actually forgot this blog was here. I stumbled across it today by accident and thought I'd start it back up. I don't think I can completely catch up 4-1/2 years of personal history, but I'll give you the Cliff Notes on the major things that have changed since I abandoned this blog in '06.
We have added several pets. When I last posted we had a boxer named Paden and a cat named Phoebe. We still have both and they are both healthy and well. A few years ago, Leilani's mom moved in with us for a while and brought her Chihuahua named Petey. He and Paden bonded pretty quickly and when her health worsened and she moved into assisted living, Petey stayed with us. She passed away a little over a year ago so I guess he's ours for good now. About 2-1/2 years ago, Leilani's friend Penny gave us a kitten from her cat's litter named Patches. A year after that, a grey kitten showed up on our front porch and made himself at home. We named him Payne and he and Patches have become inseparable. I call the two of them "The Smash Brothers" because of the havoc they can wreak. So, somehow we went from 2 animals to 5. Go figure.
Almost 3 years ago now, I took a job as a contractor at large financial company in Charlotte. After a few months, the person on our team working nights was let go. Back then, the company had a policy that you could not be a contractor for more than 2 years and the night shift guy hit his 2 year mark and had to go. My manager at the time asked for a volunteer to go to night shift and said it came with the benefit of getting to work from home. Since Leilani works nights and the commute was 58 miles each way (at least $100 per week in gas) I jumped at the chance. I worked nights at home from then until February of 2010 when I hit the 2 year mark and had to go just like my predecessor. I was out of work for a while. I did get a 2 week contract at a manufaturing company that stretched to 6 weeks, but they didn't have the budget to keep me and it was an even longer commute so that ended too.
In August of 2010, I was offered a new contractor position at the same company that had laid me off in February. Their policy says that after you leave for the 2 year rule, you can come back after 6 months and it starts over. A few days after the 6 month mark, I was back, but on days and in the office. Unfortunately, it was only a short term contract and in a lower level position than I had been in before. However, on November 1st, they hired me as a permanent employee and promoted me back to my previous level. After several weeks of training on my new position, I got to go back to nights were I preferred it, and after a couple more weeks of training, I got to start working from home again. So, after all that I'm right back to working nights from home... only this time I'm not a contractor anymore. It all worked out in the end.
Also, because of the odd schedule and other distractions, I quit shooting in IDPA matches for several years. I'm trying to get back into that since I enjoyed it so much. I have shot 2 matches in the last 5 months and plan to shoot another one next weekend. I am hoping to get to the point where I regularly shoot a match every month.
I also started another blog a couple of years back specifically about my gun hobby. If any of you are interested, it is called "Watch Your Six" and there is a link on the right hand side under "My Other Blog".
Well, I think that is all the news that is fit to print for now. I will try to post here whenever something happens interesting enough to write about. Until then, I hope everyone is happy and healthy out there.
We have added several pets. When I last posted we had a boxer named Paden and a cat named Phoebe. We still have both and they are both healthy and well. A few years ago, Leilani's mom moved in with us for a while and brought her Chihuahua named Petey. He and Paden bonded pretty quickly and when her health worsened and she moved into assisted living, Petey stayed with us. She passed away a little over a year ago so I guess he's ours for good now. About 2-1/2 years ago, Leilani's friend Penny gave us a kitten from her cat's litter named Patches. A year after that, a grey kitten showed up on our front porch and made himself at home. We named him Payne and he and Patches have become inseparable. I call the two of them "The Smash Brothers" because of the havoc they can wreak. So, somehow we went from 2 animals to 5. Go figure.
Almost 3 years ago now, I took a job as a contractor at large financial company in Charlotte. After a few months, the person on our team working nights was let go. Back then, the company had a policy that you could not be a contractor for more than 2 years and the night shift guy hit his 2 year mark and had to go. My manager at the time asked for a volunteer to go to night shift and said it came with the benefit of getting to work from home. Since Leilani works nights and the commute was 58 miles each way (at least $100 per week in gas) I jumped at the chance. I worked nights at home from then until February of 2010 when I hit the 2 year mark and had to go just like my predecessor. I was out of work for a while. I did get a 2 week contract at a manufaturing company that stretched to 6 weeks, but they didn't have the budget to keep me and it was an even longer commute so that ended too.
In August of 2010, I was offered a new contractor position at the same company that had laid me off in February. Their policy says that after you leave for the 2 year rule, you can come back after 6 months and it starts over. A few days after the 6 month mark, I was back, but on days and in the office. Unfortunately, it was only a short term contract and in a lower level position than I had been in before. However, on November 1st, they hired me as a permanent employee and promoted me back to my previous level. After several weeks of training on my new position, I got to go back to nights were I preferred it, and after a couple more weeks of training, I got to start working from home again. So, after all that I'm right back to working nights from home... only this time I'm not a contractor anymore. It all worked out in the end.
Also, because of the odd schedule and other distractions, I quit shooting in IDPA matches for several years. I'm trying to get back into that since I enjoyed it so much. I have shot 2 matches in the last 5 months and plan to shoot another one next weekend. I am hoping to get to the point where I regularly shoot a match every month.
I also started another blog a couple of years back specifically about my gun hobby. If any of you are interested, it is called "Watch Your Six" and there is a link on the right hand side under "My Other Blog".
Well, I think that is all the news that is fit to print for now. I will try to post here whenever something happens interesting enough to write about. Until then, I hope everyone is happy and healthy out there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
