New Job

I started a new job on Wednesday! I am a LAN Analyst, sounds cool eh? As a friend if mine says, "no longer a phone bitch!"

Basically, I am doing user account migrations, creations and modifications for a LARGE financial institution that shall remain nameless. It is a 6 month contract position but when I get done I will be a Microsoft Active directory god! That means it will be a perfect time to take the test.

The pay is excellent and the commute is long, both are good things (I really like driving). With any luck I will be able to use this as a foot in the door for a permanent position or possibly another contract job when this is over.

Yesterday was a good day!

Yesterday was one of the best days I have had a long time (mostly). I had a job interview in South Chandler (which is like 45 miles from my house) for an Active Directory/Exchange Administrator job that I really want. It is a contract job but it is an excellent opportunity to get into a good company. The interview was outstanding and I left feeling great!

Once I got home I decided it was time to clean-up my car so I spent the next hour or so scrubbing and cleaning. Man, it was freakin' hot! Then I got a call from a friend to have lunch so it was off to North Phoenix (about a 20 mile drive). While we were eating our lunch on the patio of a nice Mexican restaurant another of our friends stopped by with his wife and talked for a few minutes.

After lunch, I stopped by another friend's house to pick-up my daughter, who had spent the night (his kids are in town for the summer). After a short talk my daughter and I headed home. I hadn't been home for more than an hour when I got a call about the job! I got it! Wo-Ho! Things are now moving very fast as they want me to start on Tuesday.

To celebrate, I took the family to an early dinner at our local Chinese restaurant (the wife had to work last night so dinner had to be early). After dinner, I finished painting an English Civil War unit for Warhammer ECW 9one I have been working on for months and never seems to be motivated to paint) and then played Codename: Panzers for about an hour. Good fun!

Later in the evening I went to play poker (in South Tempe only 37 miles from home) with some friends from my previous job. It was great to see everyone and catch-up with happening for the last couple of weeks.

A very good day!

(All that driving and I never left the metro area - people wonder why Americans drive so much. The place is huge! The Phoenix Metro area is about 90 miles across! It is at least 40 miles North to South. I am sure glad my car gets good mileage.)

Never Stop Thinking…

I wonder if all the people who accused Michael Shiavo of abusing his wife and being an evil, vile person will now apologize. From the sound of the autopsy report he was advocating the correct action and Terry was finally humanely treated. I love it when people pass judgment without knowing the facts.

Several years ago I read George Orwell’s 1984; in this book there is a character whose job is the destruction of words. You see, it is much easier for a totalitarian society to censor the people if you destroy words that can be used in a subversive manner. The only difference between this book and real life if that in the book the government were the ones who destroyed the words and censored people, in real life the government just gets the big corporations to do the dirty work. I especially like how the corporate mouth-piece refers to authoritarianism as a “regulatory environment.” If a company were to enter into this type of agreement with the government of the United States what would the press say? The share-holders? The political parties? Would we all be keeping so quiet about it? So why do we think it is OK for a company to do this in another country?

I wonder why no one has ever made a movie that contends that Mohamed never existed. Oh yeah, because the people who believe in him won’t roll over like the Christians do! People will show this as an example of the true glory of the Freedom of Speech, and it is, but they will never question why these things are always about tearing down Christian beliefs. When will we get the movie about Moses being a legend? How about the Great Buddha, any movies in the works denying him? Christianity is the safest religion to attack because Christians do not have a RECENT history of killing people who don’t believe what they believe.

Just when you begin to think that good sense and honesty are things of the past in the academic world you find a story like this! What is truly sad is that a story about a professor writing an honest textbook is even news-worthy, but such are the times in which we live!

As many of you already know I am a huge fan of Ayn Rand and her Objectivist ideology. In her writings one of the strongest recurring themes is the destructive nature of Altruism and the welfare state. She contends that Altruistic tendencies on the part of society and government actually harm society, in the long-run, by destroying individuals and making them dependant on the state. I found an excellent article about the Swedish welfare system that seems to prove the point. Read it and understand that there are people in this country who believe that this is a model that the United States should follow.

Michael Jackson

Well, the verdict is in and I must say I was not surprised. The jurors sited the mother’s history of lies as a main reason for the acquittal. Strangely, most experts on pedophiles say that this is precisely the type of people pedophiles target, it is the unreliability of the family that provides the cover for the abuse. Oh well, I think the local radio program said it best, “It just proves that in America you can get away with anything if you are rich and white.”

Still no Job…

…and I am getting board. I am still applying every day for 2-3 jobs and I check all the on-line job sites, but so far I haven’t gotten any calls. It has only been just over a week, and I know it could take a month, but I started looking more than three weeks ago. Patience is the name of the game.

On the good side, the time off has allowed me to spend more time with the family and catch-up on my reading. I just finished War Trash by Ha Jin. This book filled me with some very mixed emotions. Throughout most of the book the Americans are the “bad guys” which was a new perspective for me. As I read the book I began to see it as a simple pro-Communist story, but the ending really changed my mind. The story is a very complicated tale that ends up not fitting well into a simple pro-East, pro-West argument. It is a very good book that I highly recommend.

I have not seen any new movies or watch anything of consequence on TV. Most of my time has been spent, when not looking for a job, on Medieval: Total War. My next game will probably be Codename: Panzers. For some reason I have not been inspired lately to paint, maybe I will get back into it this weekend.

Leftists attack each-other...

This may be one of the funniest examples of leftist kookery around. Sir Bob Geldof – a near saint if leftist buffoonery – is being threatened by even bigger left-wing nuts over his Live8 concerts and his “long march to freedom.” You see, Sir Bob hates modern capitalist society and has been active in African relief charitable causes for years. His latest efforts – Live8 and the long march – are continuations of this fine tradition. It seems that the real heavy hitters in the anti-G8 protest community have decided to highjack Sir Bob’s march in Edinburgh in July. Classic! I hope the commies beat the crap out of each other…

On a related note, Sir Bob is getting some criticism that the London line-up of his Live8 concert is too white. So now we are to believe that he is some closet racist I guess. Why don’t the critics of this event stage their own concert with the proper racial mix? Easier to criticize I guess. Just think, if they had let the Spice Girls play there would have been one more black performer!

Bob Geldof makes me sick! He does not care about starving people in Africa, he only cares about using Africa as a cover for his radical political agenda. He seems to like being in the public spotlight and seen as a humanitarian saint, however.

I have no job and I should be bitter…

The 10 most harmful books of the 19th and 20th centuries. These books have been dubbed the most harmful by a group of conservative scholars. I agree with all of the top ten but in the Honorable Mentions there are a few that I would deem to be great works. Just as a side note, I have read some of these, mostly as excerpts. I plan on reading them all one day. Don’t ban books read them – but don’t believe everything you read.

Hollywood and the Anticapitalist Mentality is an excellent article discussing how Hollywood always portrays big business and businessmen as evil. This coming from movie studios that are themselves successful big businesses. There are many links in this one to keep you busy.

Last Day of Work...and Other Stuff

Well, today was the last day of work for me. My place of employment for the last 4+ years has closed and our jobs have been relocated. I just want to wish my (ex) co-workers good luck on their new endeavors. A surprising number have already found new jobs and most seem to have done very well for themselves. I, on the other hand, am still looking. I didn't start looking for work until about two weeks ago and so far I have had a couple of calls and an interview. Tomorrow I will start putting some serious effort into the search.

On a completely different note, I have to bring everyone up-to-date of my latest listening, reading watching - always a popular feature.

Reading: I have been on a William Gibson kick for the last couple of months and I think I am getting close to being caught up. Last month (or was it the month before) I read Idoru. At the time I was unaware that this book is somewhat of a sequel to the book Virtual Light. Recently I returned to Virtual Light for a much needed re-read. I originally read the book years ago, when it was first released. At the time I liked the book but I didn't get it. Upon re-reading I found a book that was much better than I remembered. It was not until I read the third book in the series - All Tomorrow's Parties - that these three books are linked. They are not a trilogy in the traditional sense but they do share key characters and settings. These three books are highly recommended and should be read in order. Gibson's writing style is unbelievable - the way he can draw a picture so vividly with only a few words. A true talent.

Listening: Mostly I have been trying to listen to all the new stuff that I have added to the collection in the last year. The CD that has been getting the most play in the last few days is The Reason by Hoobastank. This is a very good driving CD - now if I only had a good car to play it in.

Watching: Like most people I know, I have been watching the new Star Wars movie - Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith. I must confess that I am a mild Star Wars geek - no costumes though. All-in-all the movie is very good and exactly what you would expect from a George Lucas film. It has lots of action and great special effects. On the downside, the dialog is crappy and the plot is terrible. I really could pick this movie to pieces - and in the future I may do a full and detailed breakdown of the Star Wars universe. Damn I'm such a geek!
Okay, that's all for now. I will get back to the news in the near future. I might also have some info on my 'new' Mac G4...

Kids Cross the Boarder to Attend School

It blows my mind that we allow children to cross the boarder to attend US schools. Anyone see a problem with this? Of course the activists think it is just fine for kids who live in Mexico to go to school in the US. I am sure we are collecting a HUGE amount of property taxes to pay for their education. We have lost our collective minds!

The Cost of Illegal Immigration

It costs lives. Already a dozen people have died in the Arizona desert crossing into the country illegally. When will this stop? Mexico cares so much for their citizens that they refuse to fix their own country. If cheap labor is so important to the US economy why is not important to the Mexican economy?

It cost innocence. An illegal immigrant in Florida attacked and raped an 8 year old girl. He left her for dead and it is shear luck that she survived. This guy has been arrested multiple times before this attack and was never deported. Hmmm. What is wrong with this picture?

Seems like the answer to these problems is to make it easier for people to enter the US and stay here. Right.

Just Say “No” to Global Warming Kooks

Stop the global warming hysteria! Everyone needs to read this piece from Fox News and try to understand what is being said - there is NO evidence of any change in the Global Mean Temperature - because no one knows what the actual GMT is. This entire issue is a political move on the part of ‘scientists’ who have a political agenda. Many of the global warmers have a hatred for modern, industrial society and they see this as a means to force fundamental changes in how business is done. It has NOTHING to do with real science and everything to do with politics. Some people believe that scientists have all the answers and I say they are just humans who have the same biases and failings as any other person; the difference is they are supposed to be trained to look at the FACTS.

Journalists Lie and People Die…

Someone at Newsweek must pay for this - 15 people died as a direct result of biased and inaccurate reporting. The image of the United States was further damaged by the inaccuracies of this story. This type of cheap journalism makes the government’s job of repairing the image of the country that much more difficult. It is time the press understands that with FREEDOM comes RESPONSIBILTY.

More News of Interest...to me

Don’t believe the hype! Scientists are not in agreement about climate change. This is a great presentation that refutes the major climate studies that form the basis for the Kyoto Protocol. It is kind of scientific in nature but you get the point. Don’t believe the hype!

I hate to agree with Arizona Democrats but businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens need to have some state sanctions. This is not what is happening in Arizona.

This opine piece from the CATO Institute is right on the money. The Federalist tradition of the Republican Party seems to be dead, and that is a real tragedy. It is time for the Republicans to remember who they are and get back to their core values.

This story just infuriates me! If it is true there needs to be some heads rolling! How can anyone justify not doing there job, especially a job as important as securing our boarders?

Tokyo

This is one place in the world that I must see. William Gibson, who is one of my favorite authors, uses Tokyo as a setting and an inspiration is several of his novels. Even when Tokyo is not there the influence is clear. This is an old article that he wrote for Wired about Tokyo and it just makes me want to go even more.

Boycotts and Blankets

Yesterday was Hispanic boycott day in Phoenix. This idea was for Hispanics to call sick and not purchase anything in order to demonstrate their economic power in the state. There is a glowing story about how successful the boycott was from azcentral.com. I, for one, noticed absolutely no difference. I wonder what would happen if Ayn Rand’s idea, from Atlas Shrugged, of all the people who are the real moving force in the economy were to go on strike. What would the press say if a group was to call for a boycott by all the white people in the state? How about a strike by all the white men? It is funny that the immigrant advocate groups are the ones calling attempts to reform U.S. immigration laws ‘racist,’ but they are ones using the race card.

Global warming kooks have come up with a new idea. The Swiss are wrapping a glacier in a giant blanket to slow the summer melt. Wha..? Glacier… Giant blanket…

I think the clock is slow...

Bill Steigervald points out that the press has given the Global Warmers a free pass. I agree. It is time the press begin to challenge scientists and politicians on this issue rather than treating it as FACT. It is not FACT and it is time people are educated on the real issues.

Organic farming has become the victim of its own success. Or, possibly, the victim of its own inefficiencies. One thing the envrio-Nazis don’t want you to know is that modern farming techniques were developed to increase the quantity and quality of agricultural products. This benefits all people. Organic farming is a silly fad that makes rich people feel better about themselves - poor people have no user for organic foods.

Enviro-Nazis win one in Italy. Seems that the Vatican radio station has been polluting the area around their radio station with “electromagnetic pollution.” Whatever… Can you really pickup a radio station on your lamp?

I really need to get a life…I think I read too much

This just in – SUN CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING! The need for broader – global legislation is required to stop this new danger to the environment.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is coming to the big screen! This is great news and not just for Christians but for everyone.

Wow! Students rally in SUPPORT of Social Security reform! I’m speechless. This must be a propaganda campaign by the campus Republicans.

Michael Medved has an excellent article about the evolution of the Hollywood war movie. He points out that the change in Hollywood’s attitude towards the military and war reflects their attitude towards America as a whole.

Ooopsy! I made one little error on that last post...

I think it was the Hitler question that threw me off! This is more like it.

I am: -9% Republican.

"You're a damn Commie! Where's Tailgunner Joe when we need him?"

Are You A Republican?

My Republican Rating

I am: 67% Republican.

"I bet you'd like Democrats okay if they wouldn't keep handing out your paycheck to urban welfare cheats, right? (And you probably don't want me to be saying anything about 'urban' being some kind of code word, I bet.)"

Are You A Republican?

Thanks to which ever blog I found this on. You know who you are.

The Filibuster

This is an excellent article on why getting rid of the filibuster in the Senate may be a good thing.

Here is an equally good article on why keeping the status quo on filibusters is the right move.

I must say that I have mixed feeling on this issue. I am not a big fan of changing the rules just to get your way - it does not seem right. It is also not right to stonewall a nomination from a vote because you do not like the POLITICAL views of the nominee. These nominees should be evaluated on their qualifications as judges to hold the job, not by a political litmus test. It is the prerogative of the majority party to appoint judges that they want and the nomination process should not stop qualified people from getting the job. It is time the Democrats get over it and allow these nominees an up or down vote. If you do not like the person vote no and go on record. There is much more important things the Senate needs to be working on.