Sarcasm aside, don’t also just LOVE IT when a talented and giving blogger is cool and all, but still ends up not delivering on promises he made?  (you and YOU and you know what I’m talking about.  Especially YOU).

I promise I haven’t forgotten.  These promises range from a blog setup, a song, a guest post, a painting, a astrology reading… the list goes on and on.  In fact, I just added one about not forgetting.  Seems I hand out promises faster than Congress can create bills to hand out cash.

(speaking of which – have you signed the petition /poll urging Congress to pass a bill stating that Members of Congress and their families must be forced to enroll themselves into whatever health plan they pass for us citizens?  Go do that.)

In the meantime, I gave to Chili’s Create-a-Pepper fight cancer blitz.  I even wrote some code (which in retrospect is slightly wrong; I didn’t have my favorite code editor to help me.)

(click to embiggify)

While my procrastinating behavior is no excuse, I will say that a few things going on have taken center stage.  One is a new job.

Yup.  After almost NINE (9) years at the same company through mergers, acquisitions, growth and hard work, I’m leaving my awesome job as IT Director of a large national ISP.  It was a tough decision, because, well… I wasn’t looking for a new job.  I like it quite a bit here.  The company I’m at is great, the work is fun, the future is bright and gosh darn it, they even provide shades.  And 35 cent sodas in the vending machine.

But when The Force calls you to action, it’s not like you can just walk away and say no.

(click to embiggify)

I’m not even sure how much I can talk about the new job, so hang out a bit and I’ll probably explain more soon.  I know I can say for sure that it’s a geek’s dream come true.  At least, it’s THIS geek’s dream come true.  I start this coming Monday.

CRAP. I START MONDAY!  GAH!

Remember all those excuses I was saying I had?  One of them is the fact that I’ve been at my current job for almost 9 years and I’m leaving this Friday!  THERE’S SO MUCH TO DO.  Pretty much everything in IT that’s here, I either built, made, bought, set up, coded, installed, customized, supported, cussed at, tweaked, broke, fixed, loved, threw out, kicked, compiled, uninstalled, mentored, laughed with, documented, reviewed, spilled Pepsi on, plugged in, turned off, racked, stacked, touched and/or hugged.  We’re talking hundreds and hundres of servers, networks, firewalls, phone systems, call centers, blackberries, workstations and software packages.  At one time we were 86 people and now we’re almost 500.  There’s a lot of tribal knowledge to transfer with just a three week notice.

On one hand, I’ll be breathing a sigh of relief as I drop the burden of all the little issues off my back by leaving. On the other hand, I’ll be learning a whole NEW set of little issues to welcome onto my back.

So that’s what’s new with me.  What’s new with you?

(note: the above question is NOT just a question-tactic to get comments.  If I were inclined to incite people to comment, I’d ask your opinion about health care.)

Write on my whall

You knew it was coming.  I joined facebook.

[GASP]

Given that I already have a non-trivial online presence with twitter and utterli, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised how fast I went from 1 to almost 100 “friends.”

I put friends in quotes because I don’t know yet how I want to handle facebook.  I’ve decided for now that

• Family is “in”
• Online friends are “in”
• In-real-life friends are “in”
• coworkers, unless they’re actual friends, are “out”

I still don’t know how I want to embrace facebook.  It sure can be a time sink if you let it.  It has way too much potential to interrupt work and “real” life.  I also don’t know if I want to muddy up close friends with semi-acquaintances.  I’m so new, I don’t even know if that’s an issue.

What about you?  Do you facebook?  Do you keep it private or open it up?

Utterz you may have MISC’ed

You might be wondering to yourself – “when Wayne isn’t busy saving the world or eating breakfast tacos, what does he do with all that extra time he has!?!?!?”

To answer that question, I use Utterli.  I speak my thoughts into my phone while commuting or walking the dogs, and YOU can listen in.  Maybe even reply!

Here are some of my more brilliant moments that you might want to check out.

Best of LOLcats

I saved the best for last.

Best of LOLConnery

The Texas Fireball

I did not witness this directly, but as I was waiting outside of IHOP Sunday morning, another patron right next to me pointed up and yelled “Oh my God! a meteor!!!”

Of course, by the time I looked it was gone.

There are many theories on what it was – at first, people thought maybe it was part of the colliding satellites earlier in the week.  Others figured maybe just general space debris.  Then there’s always the tried-and-true “it was an asteroid, dur.”

I’m pretty sure it was the American Dollar, getting ready for the impending signing of the stimulus package.

The “move a body” award

It seems that I’ve won an award of some kind.

And.. the child…. mentioned… a check?

Friends help you move; GREAT BUDDIES help you move a body

Now, I’m not the kind of person to flaunt my many awards in people’s faces.  That’s what a sidebar is for.   However, I will point out that the person who gave me this award… hmm, well, let’s just say – she received the award four times.  Not too shabbizzay.

You might be thinking… “well if she got the award four times, and she gave away the award to ten different bloggers, how important is this award anyway?“  If you actually asked that question out loud, you need to seek some help.  If you just thought it inside your pretty little head, let me tell you a little bit about me and princepessa.  We have helped each other move bodies, and don’t get on our bad sides, if you know what’s good for you.

My Utterz

You might not follow me on utterli.com.  You might not even notice the regular updates I do in the utterli sidebar, over there to your right.  You might not even know that in addition to subscribing to my blog in a feedreader and watching me in videos called DITLs, you can actually sit and listen to my voice from your computer or your phone.

Here are some of my more brilliant chronological entries.

There.  Feel free to join utterli and join in the conversation!  Sometimes in order to have a dialogue, you need more than one person.  Two heads are more numerous than one.

The Best of LOLcats

Dave2 turned me onto http://rolcats.  Pretty funny stuff.  Although, my initial characterization of the two elements are that lolcats are for optimists, and rolcats are for pessimists.

Anyone who reads Dave2 knows which camp he’s in.

Dat’s all I got.  Just the one.  There weren’t many this time around that I felt were up to par.

]]> http://whall.org/blog/2009/02/17/stuff-you-dont-want-to-misc-68/feed/ 18 http://whall.org/blog/2009/01/13/why-liberals-suck-in-government/ http://whall.org/blog/2009/01/13/why-liberals-suck-in-government/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:49:06 +0000 whall http://whall.org/blog/?p=2464 I composed this utter on the way to work this morning, and liked it so much I decided I’d transcribe it and make it my post today.

(I can’t wait for auto-dictation on utterli)

So click on over there and listen to me talking about it off the cuff, or read on in the extended entry.

You know, liberals?

Sorry that I use the word “liberal” as though it’s a bad thing, but that’s kind of how I feel, but I realized, and this is the kicker, I only feel that way about the politics, or the government. 

Here’s the example I would give for that: (Hope I don’t come across as, I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t do too many disclaimers.).   You see a homeless person on the side of the street. I’m of the mind that I want to give that homeless person help. I want to give that homeless person some food. I want to give him/her some clothing, I want to teach them something, give them opportunity, encourage them, give them hope, pat ‘em on the back, hand them a sandwich, say “hey look over here, there’s a job“, and take them into my home…

These are all things I’ve done, and do, regularly.  I, the kids, we make gift bags for Christmas, where we get some fleece, we make blankets, and scarves and we get a christmas bag and we put the scarf and the blanket and some toothpaste and some toilet paper and some granola bars and some floss and some candy and some gift certificates to McDonald’s, you know, the little $5 gift cards, maybe a handwritten note from the kids and we’ll make 20 or 30 every year, we’ll get in the van and we’ll just drive around some of the colder days around Christmas, and find, you know, you see the homeless, the little packs or whatever, and we just give them out.  We ask for their name so we can put their name on it, and we just say “Merry Christmas, someone’s thinking about you.”

And the look in their eyes is such, so powerful… because they are grateful.  And some, a very small few, you know, they’re like, oh thanks, whatever, and they look for the money, and if there’s no money, they just pass on, and those are the disingenuous homeless, but more often than not, you see this look come over them, and it’s a look of hope, it’s a look of encouragement, it’s a look of gratitude, and it’s very difficult for someone to take that away from me.

My dad and I have ridden in the MS-150 a few times… I’ve done eight, my dad’s done fourteen or so.  It’s a 170-mile bike ride from Houston to Austin to benefit Multiple Sclerosis, we give to charities, we give to churches, we’ve taken homeless people into our homes before.  I don’t believe in giving money, I believe in giving help.

And so, that’s how I approach the needy.  I want to give of myself to the needy.

And here’s what I think a liberal thinks.  A liberal, and if you consider yourself a liberal, don’t necessarily think that this is you, but this is how I view liberalism in government… is the liberal will approach the homeless person, feel empathy or at least sympathy, for that homeless person, and instead of giving of themselves, say “they’ve gotta give to them, those rich people.  someone else…”  

They’re very liberal with other people’s money.  I’m liberal with MY time, my actions, my resources, and a liberal is generous with other people’s money.  And that’s the difference, that’s what I don’t like about liberal government, because these liberal politicians and all these people pining about give, give, give, give, but they’re always talking about using someone else’s money.  You look at their giving, their charitable donations, their time and more often than not what you see is only photo ops, things that give them a boost, and they’re not giving of themselves.

But I see conservatives, not all, I’m not bulking all of them, but people like myself, they give of themselves.  

That’s the big difference, and what I don’t like about progressive taxes and liberal government is they infringe on my ability to give.  They’re actually taking away, and deciding… “no, no, no, we don’t want you to take your money and your time and help this person right in front of you that can thank you; we want, we’re going to TAKE your money, and we’re gonna help these other people.”  Now, whether or not I agree with helping those people, or even if those people need help, they’re probably pork-barreled, lobby-tagged, earmarked fat cats, (incenses the heck out of me) and they take away my ability to give.

And what they do, even for those people who DO need it, they replace someone like me, who gives a heart-warming, heart-felt, from-the-gut gift, and that person is grateful… they replace it with a cold hard brick building, where someone is PAID to hand out the money, someone is PAID to hand out the food.

What kind of gratitude is the person gonna get?  If you’re really hungry, and you need clothing, and you’re tired, and you need a place to stay… if you get that from a fellow human, you FEEL something with that, and you don’t want to do it again.  You’re grateful, you feel maybe there’s a little stigma about it, and you resolve to do better, and you feel emboldened by the human race and maybe “someday I can have the opportunity and I can be successful and I can give to someone else the way someone’s given to me.”

But if you’re hungry, and tired, and cold and you go to the cold brick building, where someone is SUPPOSED to give you what you need… don’t you feel a little entitled?  Aren’t you gonna come back the next day?

And those are my thoughts about liberalism in government.

My policy: act liberal and vote conservative.

This is Wayne from whall.org sending positive “I really wish the best for you” energy from all across the universe, to you.

And although I did not win last night’s lotto, it got me thinking.  With all this positive energy coming from dozens of brilliant, loving, compassionate and incredibly good-looking people, the measly $5million (estimated cash value) jackpot is just. not. worth it.  

I mean think about it – who do you know that is rich that is happy?  

No, I mean besides Oprah.

Sure, with that kind of money I could probably buy lots of stuff, stop getting calls from bill collectors, live in a better neighborhood, hire a maid or two and not work any more, but when you really think about it, who wants that?  Doesn’t that just sound like hell on earth?  Really – could you live with yourself when you have that much money?

Clearly it was not meant to be.

Nope, not at all.

That kind of money just isn’t meant for me/us.

No no no, $5m just isn’t enough.  The incredible amount of positive energy you guys are sending to me is destined for Friday’s Mega Millions, estimated at $53,600,000.  THAT’S the kind of money that would bring happiness!

So I’m running TWO sets of numbers for tomorrow’s MEGA MILLIONS – the ones I initially used and the ones Hilly “lost.”

Keep the positive energy coming!

Offer still stands – anyone leaving a positive comment on this post or yesterday’s post gets a share of 1/2 the winnings!  (btw, that’s any winnings, not just if I win the jackpot).  Comment must be left by 10pm Central  Friday night, the 21st, 2008.  Comments left on my utter also count, so that’s an easy way to get double shares.

Also, I can’t believe no-one correctly guessed the reference at the end of yesterday’s post yet…  An extra share still is up for grabs

First, if you’re not listening to my Utterz, you should consider doing so.  I speak my mind more than a few times per week over at Utterli, and the latest ones are shown over in the sidebar to the right.  One thing I really like about Utterli is the telephone interface – it’s a good way to fill up the commute with semi-worthwhile activity.

You could hear me sing a little Def Leppard over on the above utter or maybe hear about the low low price of gas on this one.  Sometimes I geekout to the extreme.

heh, sometimes.  I crack myself up.  ”sometimes”.  HA!

Secondly, Andy Bailey over at CommentLuv is giving away lots of prizes, and you can win.  

Have you noticed on my blog’s comments how it lists someone’s most recent blog entry and puts a little heart symbol?  I don’t type those in manually – oh no!  That work is done by the CommentLuv plugin for WordPress.

Here’s all you need to do:

• Register your blog, if you have one, over at commentluv.com and have it verified.
• Enter a profile description
• Comment on my blog somewhere