Fight night
Mood:  energetic
Topic: TV
The fights tonight were good...a nice warm up for UFC 67 next weekend.

I saw that the Pay per views are going to be in High Def...at least the next few I guess. I really need to get cracking on my bank heist plans so that I can afford HDTV and an HD projector!

I should be starting TKD again in Feb...I should then be able to get my black belt by April...assuming no more nasty surprises!

New year started out fast
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Life
I got a call on the 2nd to remind me of the Windows XP Pro class that I had the 3rd (to finish out the class)...and it's a good thing they called to confirm, because I had completely forgotten about it.

After the class, the guy wanted us to start the Server class the 10th. But he hadn't received the books yet...anyway we started the class without having read anything...in fact both me and the other guy in the class hadn't finished reading the Win XP book yet. Tonight we finished off the Server class...and I never even opened the book...seems just like grad school...and undergrad...and high school...and middle school...I think you get the point. Anyway, I will actually have to read this book...and finish the XP one...before I take the actual tests though.

I've been keeping busy doing lots of research on a super secret project I'm working on. Actually, I'm working on a couple of super secret projects right now. I need to get them finished before my anniversary! Nearly every year we go skiing as a spring break/anniversary trip...and this year is no different! So I have a lot to do, and time is getting short! I think both will be a surprise...at least I'm hoping they will be.

I guess we'll see...

Been busy
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Life
The holidays sure can be busy. I've had a bunch of stuff going on the last month...among other things, new job, training classes, putting up and taking down Xmas lights, and UFC 66! :)

Actually the last one there was fun...Lidell Vs Ortiz 2. The whole fight card was pretty entertaining actually. I think only two fights even went past the first round!

Anyway, I'm still here...and hoping to start the new year off with a few more posts...we'll see how long that lasts!

Hope every one had a great holiday, and has a great and safe new years.

Update
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Work
Quick update...I got a call from Wal-mart the day after I took the drug test. I told you it would be a boring read! I then had orientation on that Friday. I've been working my normal shift now for about 4 days...I like my shift better. I have almost 0% chance of being asked anything by a customer. Most of the time I'm in the back unloading trucks and sorting freight.

It is extremely tiring work...purely physical! I have to take my electronic Sudoku to play during breaks and lunch to keep my brain awake! I come home dead tired. But I guess that should be expected...the heaviest pallet I've pulled to the floor by myself was 2965 pounds!! That will drain you pretty quickly! It is funny how after a load like that the 2400 pound pallet that followed seemed fairly light!

Welcome to Wal-mart!
Mood:  energetic
Topic: Work
Well, I had an interview with Wal-mart today...the job is mine, pending a drug test and background check. That would be a boring read...since I've never been arrested and never got into drugs.

I'll be starting as a second shift instocker...basically I get to unload the trucks and stock the shelves. Both of the guys I interviewed with asked me why I hadn't applied for the management position available. Considering the fact that I have zero retail experience, I wouldn't feel right taking a management position in that situation. So it seems that I will be on the fast track into management...as I'll be on one of their mentor lists.

Glenn Beck's special
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Politics
You will notice on the left side of the page there are links under "Exposed: The Extremist Agenda"...these are videos to Glenn Beck's special that was shown on 11/15 on CNN Headline News.

This special should be seen by everyone in America...especially if you are one of those people that thinks we need to talk to our enemies rather than defeat them.

The video clips in the special should be aired on the nightly news...right after they announce that a roadside bomb killed so many people that day in Iraq. But, that would go against the media's agenda...so I guess I won't hold my breath!

Anyway, check out the special...it is broken down into parts, so you can watch it at your own pace. Please forward the links to your friends...these videos are the side if the story that the media won't show you!! This is an important part of the debate that has been hidden from us for far too long!

What a crappy week.
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Politics
Dang, first I get laid off, then the Anti-American political party wins control of Congress...what's next?

And before anyone goes off the handle about the Dems being Anti-American...let's look at the facts. The best reference for what is "American" that I can think of is the views of the Founding Fathers (FF). Let's see, did they believe in a big federal government that was all powerful? The answer here, for those of you taught in the public school system, is NO!! In fact, they wanted the US to take after the confederacy model of government...powerful state and local governments and a weak federal government. The Left/Dems believe whole-heartedly that bigger government is always the answer. Sounds fairly counter-Founding Fathers to me. Of course, the current batch of Republicans in Congress could easily be mistaken for Dems....which is partly why they got voted out!!

But let's continue on the Dems being Anti-American. Second, did the FF believe in higher and higher taxes? Have you ever heard of the Boston Tea Party...or perhaps "no taxation without representation"?! But let's see, Dems want to tax and spend...and they want to steal as much as possible from the people that make this country run smoothly. (That's the rich, in case you didn't know -you know, the people that pay your salary!-...they are the ones paying the overwhelming majority of taxes in this country anyway. Don't believe it, check this out. If you don't want to believe that site, believe the numbers straight from the government.)

"But the Reps in Congress spent more money than Dems normally do!!" No kidding, this is another reason that they were voted out of office!

The main stream media would have you believe that this election was a referendum on Bush and Iraq...but that isn't anywhere near the truth. Hell, the media's own exit polls shows that isn't the truth...but that is the way it will be spun. This election was a statement by the American people that if you are supposed to stand for something, then damn it, stand for it; don't flip-flop once you are in office and do the opposite!

And anyone that still needs proof that the main stream media in the country is full of Liberals...did anyone else notice the beaming smiles on the faces of the reporters as they gladly stated that the Dems had taken back Congress?? Seems to me that when the Reps won the last 6 elections, they all looked like they were about to burst into tears when they had to report that the Reps had gained seats. I don't think that you need to work at the Jiffy-Lube to figure out that there is some serious bias there. But maybe that's just me.

That didn't take long...
Mood:  on fire
Topic: Work
Wow, it was just yesterday I posted about the crap I've been dealing with...and here it goes.

I was laid off today from work because my billable hours were too low. Now... ...they are supposed to give me the hours...I can't generate my own billable hours...at least not ethically. I could have always logged into a client's server and started shutting down services...that would surely generate help desk calls...and get me busy. But like I said that isn't ethical...nor legal I'm sure.

However, it isn't like I was sitting around twiddling my thumbs and picking my nose while I wasn't accruing billable hours. I was busy doing tasks that they asked me to do...they have a Visual Basic script that they use to document nearly everything that is on a client's network. It is a really neat script...I was also the only person that ever got into it and knew what the script did and how it did it. I'd been making changes to the script...cleaning it up some, fixing bugs, adding comments...none of which is in my job description.

Why did I do stuff that wasn't in my job description? Well, I had nothing to do that would have fit my job description...so rather than just sitting there scratching my ass, I decided to take it upon myself to get to know the script...and the corresponding Excel macros that imported all the data into a useful format.

Considering the fact that no one else there knows those scripts and macros very well, and that they still are not doing exactly what they want...because I wasn't able to complete my modifications...I guess they will keep wasting time doing it by hand. That is no longer my concern though.

I also, just this past week, wrote an Excel macro that searches the customer documentation folder for the licensing files, then runs a check and reports any clients that have software that is about to expire...so the company can call and sell them either an upgrade or renewal. This little program will generate new sales, but apparently I wasn't really working while I did that.

I hope they remember that I worked on those every time they are brought up. Maybe in time they'll realize that I was actually busy during all these "wasted" hours. I'm not going to hold my breath though!

The part that really sucks? I really liked all the engineers that I worked with...every one of them. They were all pretty cool...very diverse, but cool.

The part that rocks? (For those that don't know me, I generally can't look at the dark side for too long on an issue...I always look on the bright side of everything. Sometimes that leads me to be blindsided, because I always like to take people at their word, and I don't immediately assume that a comment is meant in a mean or hurtful manner.) But I've already set in motion the possibility for me to get my certification training paid for through unemployment. Once I get a couple of those (which this last company kept telling me that I needed to get, and said they pay for...but never did.) I should be making far more than I was!!!!

Well, I feel better now. What's for dinner?

Just checking in
Topic: Life
I haven't posted anything in a few weeks...but I'm still here. I just haven't felt like spewing about some of the crap that I've been dealing with. That might change though soon...we'll see.

Oh how I love my job...
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Work
Today I got a call from Liz. She calls at least once every single day!

Today she was having a file permission issue...no one could delete a file on the server. She called in to seek some help. In comparison...this is a real issue to her normal calls which consist of us telling her the same thing we've told numerous times...and sent documented instructions for.

I logged in as Admin...sure enough I couldn't delete the file either. I also notice while logged in that some updates had been run, but the server had never been bounced (Rebooted...it goes down and comes back up...bounced. Us IT people are full of genius stuff like that!).

I told Liz that it needed to be rebooted...I actually used the server name. I then logged out of that server and into another on the network...to monitor the process. Liz called back afterward and said it had been done. I told her I don't think so...I'd been pinging the server the whole time and it never lost contact, hence it never shut down.

She went back to the server room to bounce it again...again, I never lost contact with it. Then she tells me she can't connect to the Exchange server. I quickly test that server...it is down. I told her that she bounced the wrong box...she denied it three times. I told her how I knew she had bounced the wrong box...and then she shut up and went to bounce the correct box.

I don't understand why people can't admit that they messed up. Even when confronted by absolute evidence, they deny it. It's not like it was big deal or anything either...all she had to say was "Oops!" Makes no difference to me...but what makes her look like a fool is denying it to someone that knows the facts!

Another call for the books.
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: Work
This call came in from a customer, one of our larger customers:

I answered the phone and was greeted by a pleasant voice on the other end saying that she was having some problems with her system. (Really...I figured that she called the help desk to talk about the weather or something!)

Anyway I asked her what exactly the issue was.

Caller: "I can't play my music CD's."

Me: "Excuse me?" (Let me point out here that our rates for this customer are over $120/hour.)

Caller: "When I put in my CD's nothing happens."

Me: "Ok, have you tried any other CD's?"

Caller: "Oh yes, I have lots of store bought CD's...none of them work."

Me: "Have you tried any CD-ROM's?"

Caller: "What are those?...I'm not very...Wait."

Me: "Oh boy...have you tried opening Windows Explorer to see if the drive is even recognized by the system?"

Caller: "Ha ha...I don't know what that is."

This is about how the call went...this was apparently her first day or so on a computer! She didn't even know what a right-click meant!! That's far below novice. I mean is it that hard to figure out...just using common sense and logic? Let's see, there is a device that I click buttons on...one on the left, and...wow...one on the right. Perhaps that would be the button I should hit?!

ARGH! Some times I wonder how these people have survived this long. I mean, in this day and age...how can you not know ANYTHING about a computer if you are in an office environment? And she sounded fairly young too!

Holy Crap
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Work
Ok, I had a guy today that was unbelievable.

First off, his company just changed their ISP this weekend...and I had nothing to do with that...and had no clue it even happened. But he starts asking me all kinds of questions as though I was intimately involved in the whole thing. I told him I needed to look up some information real quick before I could help him (I needed the new IP address), and he told me that he had it. So he pulled up the address and read it to me...I then verified it back. I tried to ping it, nothing went through...so I verified the number with him again.

Then I got an email forwarded to me with some more information on the switch-over...with the new IP address. I asked the guy which set was the correct one, because the address he gave me was different. When I read the right IP to him, he told me "that's what I told you!"

I don't think so ace. Especially when I verified it more than once, and he never corrected it. So I told him that he had given it to me incorrectly...he responded with "no I didn't"...real grown up huh? So I said "Ok" and moved on.

The best part is, after I sent an email to my coordinator to let her know that he might call back to bitch...he calls in to give us "the correct IP address...245.72.45.173.163". Now, if you know anything about computing, then you know that an IP address only has 4 octets...not 5. Luckily, this email was sent to me, the help desk guy and my coordinator...so there are more witnesses to this guy's knowledge...or lack thereof...on the subject.

Another dumb call
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Work
This week I had a real idiot on the phone. I got a request to setup a new user...fairly normal request...so I setup the user and emailed the login info to the company contact. A few hours later I get a call with "Joe" (from the company)...he has "Jack" (new user) on conference call with me. Joe asks me to help him walk Jack through signing into the network and setting up his Outlook.

This is all pretty normal...Jack is actually going to be connecting from home...or at least out of the office. So I first had to explain to him how to make a terminal server connection (you run a simple program, nothing to it)...here's where it apparently got difficult for Jack. I told him his user name...and then said your initial password is "password one with a capital p in password."

Jack says "What?"

Joe & I together: "password one with a capital p in password."

Jack: "password1p?"

Joe: "No Jack, password1...where the p is capitalized."

Jack: "001?"

Me: "No...capital P...lower case assword...1"

Jack: "Is the 1 capitalized?"

Joe & I: " "

Me: "You can't capitalize a 1."

Joe: Laughing

At this point I figured that I'd be better off logging in as Jack first, and setting up his Outlook in a basic way (Joe can help him customize it!) and all for him...or I'd have been on the call all day! So in a few minutes I was done, I logged in as the Admin and set his account to force a password change when he logged in. I figure this way, he knows the first password...then he can change it to something he might actually remember.

Well, if you've ever been prompted by Windows to change your password, you know it has 4 fields (user name, old password, new password & confirm new password)...and the user name will already be populated...and Jack finally knows the old password (or so I thought!). All he had to do was think of a password and then type it in twice. I tried to explain that he needed to type Password1 into the old password field...

Jack says "it already says Password."

Me: "Yes, that is the field where you need to type it in."

Jack: "I don't understand."

...

10 minutes later, Joe & I finally got him logged in! I'm thinking that Joe isn't too impressed with his new hire. I'm almost willing to place money on the fact that Jack won't be around long.

The next day Jack calls back because he forgot how to login. Guess who got to talk to him...if you said "you big guy!"...you win. You don't get a prize or anything, just pat yourself on the back.

And some people wonder why I drink...

Muslims are violent.
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Politics
Let's see, the Pope recites a quote from an Emperor about Mohamed being violent...so the idiot terrorists (Muslim extremists) respond by burning churches & the Pope in effigy and killing a nun. Ok, I think they proved the Pope's point. Can the American left not see this crap? Can't they figure out what we are up against? We are fighting psychopaths that think that killing people and burning things is a proper response to some one saying they are violent.

Why do we have to try to understand them...they have no plans to understand us? They will do whatever they think they need to do to kill us all. That leaves us with two choices, kill or be killed. If the left doesn't want us to kill the terrorists...

Yesterday was a tough night to watch tv
Mood:  not sure
Topic: TV
I'm putting this under TV although it could go under Life or Politics. Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of "The path to 9/11" Sunday night, but did watch it all last night. Isn't it funny how the left in this country has no problem with a docu-crap movie like Fahrenheit 9-11...which was mostly Michael Moore's day dreams, and only a little bit of reality (and even that was edited to completely change its meaning)...but they freak out over a movie that is based mostly on reality with only a little bit of added material to make it flow smoothly?

Anyway, watching the video of the second plane hitting the south tower still gets to me. The video of the towers falling and the wall of debris flowing through the New York City streets is the same way...it's hard to watch, but even harder to look away. I think a part of me feels like watching it is the least I can do for all the people that were murdered that day by terrorists. Every time I see it, the same feelings I felt watching it live creep up on me. It's overwhelming. Then I get angry that the left tries to pretend like it never happened...that they try to block everything we do to stop the terrorists (like the New York Times telling our enemies about every tactic we try to employ)...and then they complain that we either aren't doing enough, or are doing too much. They think some how that if we just leave the terrorists alone, they'll leave us alone. But you have to either be brain dead or Anti-"the American way of life" to think that way for real. Personally, I think they are both.