It's no secret that I've been busy here lately, folks. Full-time job at the Sheriff's Office, the job at church, fixing computers here and there, and last, but certainly not least this year, helping run a political campaign have occupied the majority of my time since the very last part of last year. Thankfully (and I speak for everyone on the campaign here) the election is Tuesday and we will know then where we go at this particular crossroads. Win, lose, or draw, we will be able to relax a little bit which is something we have been looking forward to for a while. I am hoping and praying that the hard work does not go without reward and Sid is able to move on to the general election in November. We'll see on Tuesday and I'm sure I will update the blog, at least with the good or bad news, after that night.
In other news, I have my feelers out currently and have had for a couple of months. I enjoy my job at the jail but I have had a desire to get back into IT on a more full-time basis here lately. Tuesday will be a personal crossroads for myself as well as for Sid and the Sheriff's race in Hot Spring County. For me, I will either "turn right" and continue to further my skills and experience in law enforcement (come January, if all goes well, I will be sent to the ALETA academy to be certified) and make it my life's career (but still do IT on the side, of course), OR I will "turn left" and continue my job at the jail and keep on trying to get back into IT while gaining experience in Criminal Justice along the way. It's going to be an interesting week.
To my bride, thanks baby. Your support during this whole thing has been awesome and I know it's been hard dealing with me at times. Hopefully after Tuesday, we'll get to settle back into "normalcy." What's that, right?
So I went to Best Buy today to get a new laptop. It's not replacing anything, it's simply going to be one we can carry around the house if we
don't feel like going to the office to get on a computer. My EeePC will still go with me when I'm mobile but the new ThinkPad is for "around
the house mobile." Anyway, that's a different subject; you know when I mention "Best Buy" and "new computer," you pretty much know what this
blog post's about.
I get there and head over to the computer section. I think the store I went to has a big poster in the DumbSquad section with my picture on it
saying, "DO NOT ASSIST." In any case, I was completely ignored for at least fifteen minutes before someone prompted another someone to help
somebody. It was another guy and myself in the same area. I was first. I told the clerk what I wanted and where it was on their top stock
shelf (I had already went to look for it during my fifteen minutes of boredom). He goes off to retrieve the laptop, turns around and goes to
their work desk to grab "the form." I holler at him, saying, "You won't need that, man. Just get my laptop." He ignores me and comes back
with form and laptop in hand. I tell him again that I'm not filling out a form and that I just want the laptop. See my post from 1/19/10 --
this is another "blatantly refuse." I'm told that I have to fill it out for proof that I purchased it. Huh?
"Won't my receipt be proof that I purchased it?"
This shocking bit of logic did him in, he huffed as he walked my laptop to the service counter with me behind. He sets it on the counter, walks
off, and goes to talk to one of his DumbSquad friends. He wants to work in that department SO BAD!! Once again, I'm ignored for another
couple of minutes when someone (I'm guessing a member of management - he was in a nice shirt but he wasn't a DumbSquad whiteshirt know-
nothing droid) asks me if I've been helped. I say, "Yes, I just want someone to ring up my merchandise so I can leave." He asks who was
helping me. I responded that I didn't know his name, he walked me to this counter, sat my machine down, and walked off. The management guy
steps away, asks someone to ring me up, and heads off. I get rung up, decline the Black Tie garbage twice, and finally get my transaction
completed.
For me, the question is now becoming "Does Best Buy Want My Money?" It sure doesn't seem like it since they ignore me, huff away when I decline
their lousy services, and then delay in ringing up my transaction. Seems kinda odd for an electronics retailer to do such things, eh?
I just updated the "See the Network" and "What Makes Up the Network" pages on this site. Kinda nostalgic seeing what I had then
and what I have now. It also makes me ashamed that I haven't kept the entire site updated like I wanted to originally!
Oh well, at least I did it, right?
Check this out: click here for Yahoo story.
So, even though you're almost sickening rich enough to afford to just open up your checkbook and write the check for this gem, you have to
apply to purchase it? You have to go to the "right restaurants" and "right roads" and have a background check on the
previous cars you've had before you can buy it? Give me a break!
I can just hear it now..."But, but, but...my Yukon XL Denali turns heads in the McDonald's drive-thru! Why can't I have this car?"
Sigh...to be rich beyond sickening. Nah...not for me.
So I was at Best Buy scoping out some of the new netbooks based on the Atom N450 chip (with graphics and DDR controllers on the same chip
as the CPU) yesterday. I chose an Asus Eee PC 1005 over a Dell Inspiron Mini due to the Eee being $20 less. Saving FTW, right?
Anyway, as is always the case, before I made my decision and while I was just roaming around the computers section, nearly every clerk
asked me if I needed any help. I replied "no" and continued about my way. My better half had picked out a new digicam and was ready to go.
I decided on the Eee and stood by waiting for the next "Do you need help with anything?" droid to come by. Of course, I stand and wait
nearly an eternity before I am approached. Finally, someone comes up and I tell him what I want. He started telling me something about
their optimization garbage they're doing now, to supposedly get rid of all the crapware on new computers. I tell him point-blank that
I don't want any of that bullshit on my machine. "Find one that hasn't been touched by anyone. If you don't have any, I'll take the
Dell [Inspiron Mini] with the same deal. If you don't have any of those that haven't been touched, I'm leaving." He runs off to find one.
He's gone for a few minutes and then I see him coming back from the front with my rig and a Geek Squad new computer form in hand. In the past,
I've either blatantly refused to fill one out, fill it out then throw it away when they're not looking, or something similar. Today's rendition
was "blatantly refuse."
"Sir, I need you to fill this out."
"Why?"
"All new computer purchases go through Geek Squad."
"No they don't. I'm Geek Squad's worst nightmare. Just let me pay for my merchandise so I can go."
"Well, all new computers are checked out..."
"Mine isn't. No one is touching my laptop; take me to the front so I can pay for it and go home."
And so it went. After that last statement, he relented and led me to the front. After another "no" to the service plan offering, the Eee
was paid for and my wife and I were out the door, new toys in hand.
The Eee worked just fine without being "Best Buyified", thank you very much. After discovering the N450 Atom was 64-bit capable, I wiped it
anyway and put Windows 7 Pro 64-bit on it. Life is good.
My church e-mail box has been inundated with spam/garbage just this past week. I haven't seen so many ads for Viagra
and "sucker" e-mails (those that seem so genuine--to the average user-- that they're so blatantly bogus; a regular "l"user
will click on them - these are from addresses such as "system@fumc---.org" and "support@fumc---.org") since my NetZero days of yore.
Is it wrong of me to want to trip those young punks that have those roller-shoe-thingys? They're like a fucking airplane:
they run a bit to gather speed then they dart one heel in front of the other and there they go, oblivious to anyone/anything
in front of them as they roll recklessly down an aisle at Walmart or Target. All the while, their yuppie parents who drive
a Yukhoburade (no less) just as recklessly down the Interstate just let them do it without a second thought.
Does your ass hurt? Mine does - I've gotten gas within the past week. This it utterly ridiculous and our elected "officials"
are doing nothing about it. Know why? Big Oil companies help pay their way into office! They don't have the gumption to
bite the hands that feed them, so to speak. There you go, folks. This is it, in a nutshell. They're in it just for the money,
to hell with their constituents.
All done for now...'til next time.
Looks like 2010 is going to be more of the same when it comes to the world and national economy. Just today I watched
the price of crude oil rise just around two bucks for no real reason. That's a hell of a way to start a new year,
especially when the national economy is on the brink of depression. Recovery, my ass. The working class is too busy
getting raped at the gas pump to notice any "recovery."
Looks like we're up for a repeat of 2008 as far as gas prices go. Mark my words: should that happen, this country will
be no more, financially.
Christmas 2009 is imminent (it's about 2116 on Xmas Eve right now). It's rained so much here that the freeways and some state highways
were shut down this morning. Traffic was extremely lousy (some co-workers of mine on day shift spent five hours or more getting to work!)
but I made it home safely.
Here's to everyone reading this blog: merry Christmas. Make it the best because the day, any day, is whatever you make of it.
Just wanted to wish all my readers a very happy Festivus for 2009. My "Airing of Grievances" could last for days and be about
numerous topics; rest assured the events of the very first part of this year are up there at the top.
Have y'all heard about the former Verizon employee who took a job at Allied and is now getting sued by his former employer?
Read about it here: Fox16's story. My take on this is that
you shouldn't be blackballed from working in telecom if that's your field of expertise. This guy stepped down from VzW, took a job at a company which, ironically, is all that is left of
Alltel after the aftermath of Verizon's takeover, and now Verizon says he will inevitably use their trade secrets as CIO. How the hell do you know that? Do you have a time machine
where you've gone in the future and seen this? You say he *WILL* use trade secrets. Just like you said *I* will make you lose customers, right?
News flash, Red Devil: the former probably won't happen and the latter sure as hell didn't (cuz you can't/won't prove it). Just more corporate arrogance.
UPDATE at 17:15... from KARK's website...a judge said that Verizon can "not"
stop someone from working at a competitor. Just goes to show that corporate arrogance can (and will) come back and bite you in the ass.
My airing of grievances continues, but not on this blog...wouldn't want to take up all your bandwidth. :-P
Winter-een-mas is coming up soon. I'm not a big gamer but I do love me some Super Mario Bros. Wii, so I guess I do have something to celebrate during the month of January. The climax of the Wintereenmas season is the week of January 25-31. Happy Wintereenmas, everyone, and have a good rest of Festivus!
Mystery solved!
It's been so long since I've posted something on here; but I haven't forgotten about this blog! Working overnights
at the jail, working for the church (albeit just a few hours out of the week), being a husband, and getting an election campaign off the launch pad
(quite well, I might add) tends to make your free time dwindle down to nil. This has the effect of making things you once
enjoyed doing (such as maintaining a blog) become placed in lower spots on the priority list. So, with that being said,
I decided to sit down and write something real quick. In keeping with the theme of this whole blog (things that irk, bumfuzzle,
and make me scratch my head), here's a commentary on an email I got the other day.
Back when I was looking for a job (and back when IT was my one and only career path), I had applied for a job with a company near
Pine Bluff. The name shall be withheld, but I just had to comment on it and how "some things never change." Here goes.
Windows Systems Administrator / Associate -- blah blah blah about the company and how great it is...blah blah blah...
The Windows System Administrator will support over 600 Windows XP desktop systems networked to HP Proliant Windows 2000/2003 servers at a large
research facility. Familiarity with Windows XP, Windows 2000/2003 server and SMS/SCCM (Systems Center Configuration Manager) a must. Good
troubleshooting and testing skills also a must. Familiarity with VMware, MS Office, McAfee Virus Scan, SAS and Symantec Backup Exec System
Recovery desired. Must be able to learn quickly and support custom applications and other scientific software. 5+ years of Windows
administrator experience and Microsoft certification are required.
Let's see: familiarity with Windows XP, 2000/2003 Server - check ... SMS/SCCM - I can Google it and become proficient, however, supporting
over 600 WinXP desktops for what will probably be nothing more than user errors hardly requires me to play with Systems Center Config Manager.
Good troubleshooting/testing skills - check. VMWare, Office, McAfee Virus Scan (barf!), SAS and Symantec Backup - no prob.
Must be able to learn quickly and support custom applications/scientific software - sure thing, check. 5+ years Windows admin experience - check.
Microsoft certification required -
Also, what about education requirements? Can some punk kid out of high school apply and get in if he has certs but no discipline of self
and others that you get from a higher education? Wow...I'm glad I'm not working for you and your company.
Yet another big reason why I'm glad I got out of IT...
Quite a few have asked what my new job is. Once I tell you, you may understand a bit better why I will now be keeping
a low profile in regards to my employment, particularly with people I either don't know at all or don't know very well.
I will be accepting a position at the Pulaski County Detention Facility as a Detention Officer as of Wednesday, 4/1. I will
sign the hire letter, go in for my physical and psych evaluation at that time, and begin training on 4/6 with a group of individuals.
There will be few, if any, blog entries regarding my position there becuase, quite frankly, it's the nature of the business.
Rest assured, dear reader, that there is enough idiocy going on in the world to keep me blogging for a while.
Please note that I am not fully getting out of IT. I will still be developing the network here at home and keeping up to date
with new and exciting technologies that are brought out. The decision to get out of IT as my current career was halfway
easy and halfway difficult to make. I've always enjoyed technology; it's what I went to school for and what I always
thought I'd be doing for the rest of my life. However, as time went on and I found out that "school knowledge" means nearly
diddly squat to employers and, as I found out, it's all about those certifications before you become credible to anyone,
I became quite disillusioned in the industry that I've been immersed in for some time. I reached a turning point late last year
when I decided that I was going to leave the company I was working for at the time (this was before the little meeting on 1/26)
and get into law enforcement. A number of my friends are protecting and serving; my father in law served in the Little Rock PD
for over 20 years. I guess you could say it gradually entered my blood as well over time.
After being shown the door at the end of January, there wasn't much out there for law enforcement, so I was sticking to IT for my
next full time job mainly because of instinct. I knew what was going in the industry and could go somewhere and do a job well right away.
I learned of the opening in the county for a detention officer and knew that would be a great way to get my foot in the door
in law enforcement, so I jumped on it. First interview - went well; second (integrity) interview - went great; I waited
from this past Wednesday to this morning for that phone call that told me either I was in or I wasn't. That phone call came
and I'm in!
The sky's the limit for this field, it's more or less a recession-proof job, and I'm now a part of it. As I told my wife this morning
after the phone call, "2009 gets better starting today!"
A lot of things have really been griping my ass here lately. Following is a list of the big ones...
1. I'm sick of not having a full time job. I am qualified, I am experienced, I am professional when it comes to a job,
yet here I sit, scanning shit in retail. It's all about having those precious certifications regarding getting a job in IT.
Guess what. Those cost money, which I do not have! I'm not being given a chance to prove I know what the hell
I am doing because it's probably so much easier to hire someone with a piece of paper which says he/she knows
what they're doing rather than give an honest individual a chance to prove themselves. Here's a novel idea!
No two corporate networks are alike. You will STILL have to provide on the job training to a new hire just so they know
what's going on! That's wasted time and money, especially if you hire someone with certs for more money versus someone
without a lot of certs.
2. Money. It's almost to the point that it will cost you to breathe. Read about some of the CO2 taxes sometime!
For the middle class of folks, bills keep pouring in wanting every dime people make, leaving them with squat.
Rates for anything go up "due to the economy" yet people's salaries are not going up to compensate for same.
This is the reason why a lot of people are in so much trouble when it comes to paying their bills every month.
God knows I am not rich or wealthy; I wasn't even four months ago before my world got rocked. However, my wife and I
have been able to keep our bellies full, our heads dry, our lights on, and the water running. We are rich compared
to a countless number of people around the world and even in this country.
3. AIG. Bastards, they are, the whole lot of them. Jail them, no bail, and contribute the bonuses of their "top talent"
to everyone in America. How's that for a stimulus?
4. Oil prices. Why is the average price for a gallon of gas back up to $2? I thought the idea was to save what's left
of the economy. With prices going back up, you morons will destroy what's left of it!
5. My former employer. To (possibly former) management above the individual whose initials are J.B.: Fuck you all.
You were so scared and whined about the fact that all these people, current and potential customers, might see this blog
and think the company wasn't worth two shits after reading it. I never once defamed the company itself by any means.
YOU HAVE THE ENTRIES TO PROVE IT! I NO LONGER DO! I DELETED THEM PER YOUR REQUEST!
Right now, I can count on one hand the ONLY UNIQUE visitors who have accessed my blog, or this site in general -- AFTER YOU STOPPED
BOMBARDING MY SERVER WITH REQUESTS FOR DOCUMENTS WHICH NO LONGER EXISTED.
That's right, folks, these ignorant morons continued to query my server for a good week or two, "just to make sure"
I deleted the stuff as I said I would. I saw multiple entries from their proxy daily. Granted, some were legit users
probably looking at my site from their workstations on their breaks/lunches, but I'm not a fool. I know web server abuse when
I see it; I saw it, just as sure as I'm sitting here.
That's right, I'm not stupid; I check the HTTP logs of the server nightly and I still have
those logs which showed the corporate proxy server trying to access content which I took down in good faith; the same as I
would have done had you let me keep my fucking job. I put YOU in an awkward situation? No, YOU put ME in an awkward
situation, fucker. I hope you get to know how it feels going from making around $60k a year to making less than $20k.
The content's gone and won't be back. However, I hope you had fun finding a replacement for me OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS!
I hate to think about all the work that didn't get done and all the information that left you the day I left. You won't get
that back, EVER. The information you might get back, but the willingness to share it with EVERYONE (not just a select few
in a "clique") may be a bit more difficult. I feel sorry for you, you worthless sacks of shit. Tell your recruiters
to stop sending me shit about coming to work for the "new" company. Not interested. You fucked me; that I do not forgive,
or forget. I don't care to contribute any more of my time to people like you. Before you did this, I was perfectly content with retiring with you!
Guess what. I still have those web server logs, guys. What do YOU think I should do with them?
I ran into a former co-worker while running around town tonight. I asked him if anyone had replaced me at my former job.
He said that they hadn't and have yet to even start interviewing. The whole thing is having to go through a lot of
middleman and red tape to even happen. Here's what I have to say about it:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! You ignorant fucks. Ya know, all you had to do was say, "Hey, we don't really
like that stuff on your blog. Would you mind taking it down? When you go home tonight, take it down, and
we won't say another word about it." My response? "Sure. It'll be gone before ten o'clock tonight. No worries."
It would have been done, you would have kept one of the best Spec II's you will EVER have, and life would have gone on.
BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! You had to be a bunch of babies about it all. "You're making us lose customers."
"You're costing us money." "Blah, blah, blah...mama! Mama! Mama! He's being mean!" Prove it, fuckers. Show me proof positive
that a customer left because they read my blog. Show me where the company lost one single penny because someone read
this blog. You can't because IT NEVER HAPPENED! You were probably being told from above that you had to cut costs somehow
and started looking for anyone and anything that even remotely appeared like they were "causing trouble." This blog was
the perfect excuse for you and you fucked me over. Well, guess what! By doing so, and by no fault of mine, it has all
come back and kicked you square in the ass. Karma sucks, don't it? I can't imagine the workload that has increased due
to the absence of my efficiency. God help the rest of the Spec II's - I liked them all.
So some people may tell me to just get over it and move on. Oh, I am. I've moved way on from that sorry place. But, the thing
is this: I NEVER forget both how I got screwed AND who screwed me over. I hold grudges and I never forget it.
Would I let it get in the way of my professional career? Hell no; I'm more professional than that. Will you see this
away from the office? Yep - don't try to be all "buddy-buddy" to me; I'll tell you to go straight to hell.
This has ultimately made me feel better about the whole thing. Instead of rapidly moving on about in the world, they're having
to work like mad to find someone to replace me. They haven't even interviewed anyone? Hell, I've already found work
and am still getting interviews for full-time work.
Serves that place right.
I filed for unemployment today and went through all that process entails. To be honest, I felt out of place and somewhat
embarassed by being there. But, the bills have to get paid somehow while I continue the job hunt. Anyway, I had already
printed out and completed the form off the Internet and had it in hand ready to go. My name gets called and I am led back
to a room which houses a whole bunch of computers. I am escorted to one and am asked the earth-shattering question:
"Do you know how to use a computer?"
M
G
I was silently and secretly taken aback by this question. I think I may have ceased responding to external stimuli
for about 0.68 seconds before I said, "Yes." So I sat down, filled out all the online stuff which was just a
mirror for the paper form I apparently wasted my time filling out (and getting ink all over my left pinkie and ring
fingers - I do not write anymore. I am totally submerged in 21st century technology; meaning that all my correspondance
is done ONLINE. I haven't actually, physically written this much (job applications) since I was in high school.)
So anyway, I filled out my stuff, got it processed, and then am escorted to what I'm assuming is an Arkansas WorkForce Services
representative. I am educated on how to fill out my resume for the ARJobLinks site and am sent on my way.
I get home, get some stuff done for Sunday, and proceed to finish up my resume for the ARJobLinks site. I then proceed to apply for
a couple jobs. One goes through easily; the other I have to go to another website to complete the application. I slave for
a good 15 minutes to get it all done. From reading the job description and requirements, I easily meet all qualifications for it.
After I hit submit, I get an email which says this:
David Holiman,
Your application for employment has been received. Unfortunately, you do not meet the basic qualifications for the position in which you applied. We appreciate your interest in
our company.
Best Regards,
(company name withheld)
Huh? Do you need to re-read your own qualifications, asshats? You gotta be shittin' me by saying I do not meet the basic qualifications!
Buddy, I'm SITTING among the stuff that MAKES me qualified! I get even more irked by the fact that no one answered
the phone when I tried to call and "settle" this little issue. I sure as hell ain't leaving a voicemail.
After that steam blows off, I go over the app again. Yep, qualified in every way. So, I go back to the area where I answered
the questions which determined that I was/was not qualified. Instead of answering, oh, let's say "Good" to a question such as "Rate your
ability to work in a team," I changed that to "Excellent." I did this for a couple others to which I initially answered "Good" and
resubmitted my app. It went through that time and said I was qualified. That's better. Now we get to wait and see.
I brought e-mail online on the server today. I can be reached via my new address immediately (address is on the main page
as well as on the HCS information pages).
The job search is going well. I have a couple of positions which I've applied for which I'm an excellent fit. A position
which I've applied for with the State of Arkansas has yielded a letter in the mail today which says I'm qualified and
can expect an interview to be scheduled. Sweet deal!
First, my new motto: My pride has not been hurt. My life will go on and, in fact, is. *YOU* can't stop me from enjoying life.
OK, I admit it's been interesting to see some of the job postings I've been
looking through in the past 24 hours or so that I've been thrust back in the job market.
As you can tell from looking at other areas of this site, namely HCS (shameless plug), my forte
is all things computing and networking. I got a little of that with my former employer but I had long ago
reached a threshold, in my opinion, and was planning to look elsewhere, either within that same company or outside, within
the coming months anyway. Essentially, I've been placed a few months ahead of schedule. No worries.
Anyway, enough about that. I could go on and on but it would be a waste of my time and yours, my reader.
Back to the job postings I've found here and there. I won't go into much detail but I find it somewhat
insulting that one little piece of paper will mean the difference between actually having to have experience in a given
field to get a job and having no experience whatsoever.
I came across a job opening in Tucson, AZ just now which basically stated that if you have a Master's degree,
no experience is necessary before getting the job. Wait a sec. You mean to tell me that if someone
walks in off the street with NO KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER of, let's say, Windows Server, BUT HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE,
you will automatically place him/her higher in the consideration list over someone with experience with all
sorts of operating environments yet only has, say, a Bachelor's? I feel your logic is flawed in that you will
need to teach the individual with the Master's how to run a server and network, wasting time and resources all
along the way, while the person who could have stepped right in with little transition time to the job continues
to seek employment.
I do need to mention this: my wife is in the process of getting her Master's. I am proud of her. That needs to be
said up front. However, her field of study and her profession is much different than mine.