Friday, February 27, 2009
4:40 AM
Ch-ch-changes!
I'm not sure quite what I'll be doing yet, but I'm giving thought to making some changes to my blog template. This one has served me well, but it's not going to go entirely by the wayside, either. There are things I still like about it. I'm just thinking of giving it some tweaks, especially with the title graphic. We'll see what transpires. :)
I also need to update that list of goals to the left there. It's gone untouched since I blogged my goals for 2009. Tch! Shame!
I also need to update that list of goals to the left there. It's gone untouched since I blogged my goals for 2009. Tch! Shame!
Labels: Blog Appearance, Blog Template, Blog Tweaks
4:03 AM
Equilibrium
Equilibrium, a film by Kurt Wimmer, is a yet another movie about a future dystopian society. It struck me as Farhenheit 451 meets Brave New World meets 1984, and even Wikipedia says as much. What Wikipedia failed to add, however, that I will, is that Equilibrium also adds Matrix-like choreography to the fight scenes. Despite all this seeming borrowing from famous novels and movies, Equilibrium is not without entertainment value. I'll admit to having a rather fondness for stories/movies set in a dystopian society. I grew up a huge fan of science fiction of this sort.Christian Bale stars as John Preston, a Grammaton Cleric who, in a world where via a drug called Prozium, humankind has managed to conquer the evils of the darker human emotions, but at the cost of having also lost the more positive emotions. As expected in a story set in a dystopian society, there is the Underground. Just as Fahrenheit 451 had its lovers of books, Equilibrium has its lovers of emotion. Those who don't take Prozium and who are part of the Underground are said to live in the Nether. Those who do take Prozium but who stop doing so are "sense-offenders".
I've written stories of this sort myself, but it's been quite some time since I've done so. I may try another eventually, but not at the moment. I'm currently in the midst of working on what is probably best called a steampunk fantasy. I'm not entirely certain that the two mix well together, since steampunk typically includes all manner of hardware that might be found in the Victorian Era, but this is what I'm working on. Genres grow and change, expand and contract. Their envelopes get pushed, and I'm certainly not averse to doing some pushing of my own.
If you've not seen Equilibrium, I glady recommend renting it.
Labels: 1984, Brave New World, Christian Bale, Dystopia, Dystopian Futures, Dystopian Societies, Equilibrium, Fahrenheit 451, Fantasy, Movies, Steampunk, Steampunkish Fantasy, The Matrix
Saturday, January 31, 2009
7:51 PM
2009 Goals
Okay. Time to discuss my goals for 2009. There's going to be a bit of repetition here, so don't count on anything exciting or groundbreaking. :P
Here goes . . .
Well, there you have it. My goals for this year. They all seem reasonable. They all seem quite doable. Some of them are going to require me to stop being damned lazy, obviously. We'll see how I've done a year from now.
Now I need to update the sidebar in my blog here to reflect these goals. We'll see how long that takes!
Here goes . . .
- Lose weight.
Goal: 150-159 lbs (68,0-72,1 kgs).
Yes, again. I figure if I keep making it a goal, at the very least I may embarrass myself into actually doing something about it. :P - Write.
Goal: 150,000 words.
You know this is always going to be on my list. The only thing that might change on it is the number of words I'm aiming to write. A slight modification to this, though. First, my goal is to write 150,000 words. Second, I'll be happy if I at least match what I did last year, at 80,000 words, but I'll be fuckin' ecstatic if I can exceed that. I'm positive I can, but we'll see what happens. - Read.
Goal: 30-40 books (novels/anthologies/plays/other).
Seems reasonable to stay with this. - Visit Portugal.
Goal: By Spring 2009.
Although this involves a financial consideration, it's gonna happen. It's a staple on my annual list of goals. However, I may or may not visit some place else in Europe, as I've been doing. I'd love to, but I'm not sure if that'll happen or not. My goal has always been to either visit another place I've never been to, or to see another part of Portugal I've not seen before. This year, it could very well be that I'll have to settle for visiting another part of Portugal. - Learn Portuguese.
Goal: Finish the Hugo Portuguese course.
Now I'm really repeating myself! I've duplicated everything from last year's list thus far. I don't care, though. Although I could be much farther along in my life goal of becoming fluent in three other languages, aside from English, than I am now, I'm not giving up. This is something I'd really like to do. - Save for travel.
Goal: $$$$
Threw you for a loop with that one, didn't I? :P Well, not really. Not if you're at all observant. This just got bumped up from #7 on last year's list. This, too, though, is likely to remain a staple on my list of annual goals. For personal reasons, I refuse to list the specific dollar amount. - Buy a folding bike.
Goal: Purchase a Dahon.
Yeah, I know. I'm still repeating myself. Well, as I see it, now that I've cleared the roadblock of debt from my life, there's no excuse for not accomplishing this one this year. I hope to do this sometime this Spring, so that I can really enjoy it throughout most of this year. - Edit and submit stories for publication.
Goal: 4 stories.
I can't let this one just fall by the wayside. I've got to keep on keepin' on, as we used to say years ago. I am beginning to question my drive in accomplishing this goal, though, given my track record over the past few years. I ought to be ashamed of myself. - Continue with accomplishing my life goals.
Goal: Accomplish at least one goal from my list.
If I'm going to accomplish those goals, then they have to appear on this list regularly. Boring, I know, but true. - Save towards buying a new saxophone, a straight Eb Alto by L.A. Sax.
Goal: $$$$
The dollar amount I'm aiming to have saved towards this goal by year's end is lower than the goal I had for last year. I loved playing sax when I was younger, though, and I'd like to start doing so again. My oldest son is playing clarinet, and when I visited my sons last, I tried playing his clarinet and was actually able to do so without making it squeak or squeal. Given how long it's been since I last played a sax, or any woodwind instrument, I was pleasantly surprised. I take that as a sign that I'll be able to pick it up relatively easily once I have the new sax in hand. The actual purchase, though, may not happen for a couple of years. - Travel writing.
Goal: Read the books I own on this subject, and perhaps buy one or two more, so that I can learn as much as I can about it.
Because I enjoy traveling so much and because I also enjoy writing, I figure why not try to make a little money off it. It's an endeavor that'll let me combine two of my favourite interests: writing and photography. - Theatre.
Goal: Go see at least one stage play this year.
I love the theatre, but it's been—well, aside from seeing a Broadway play last year when I went to NYC, and it was a musical, not a dramatic play—it's been a long time since I've seen a good play.
Well, there you have it. My goals for this year. They all seem reasonable. They all seem quite doable. Some of them are going to require me to stop being damned lazy, obviously. We'll see how I've done a year from now.
Now I need to update the sidebar in my blog here to reflect these goals. We'll see how long that takes!
Labels: 2009 Goals, Goals
6:28 PM
2008 Goals: A Recounting
Man, have my blogging habits gone all to hell. :P Ah well. Not a lot to say, but that's okay. I do, however, want to set some goals for the year, even though a month of it has already gone past. First, though, let's recount my goals for 2008 and how well, or bad, I did in accomplishing them.
That's 8 Hah!s and 4 Yay!s A rather lousy track record for the year, if you ask me. This year's goals will probably a bit more modest, especially when it comes to goals that require some financial consideration, for obvious reasons.
I'll blog about my 2009 goals in my next post.
- Lose weight.
Goal: 150-159 lbs (68,0-72,1 kgs).
Didn't do a damned thing towards this. Bad me! Bad, bad me! - Write.
Goal: 150,000 words.
Not so bad here. I don't have an exact total, because at some point I stopped counting, but I know for a fact that I did manage to write 80,000+. No complaints on that front. - Read.
Goal: 30-40 books (novels/anthologies/plays/other).
Read 30. So, accomplished. Yay! - Visit Portugal.
Goal: By Spring 2008.
Done! And I visited Pisa and Firenze (Florence) in Italy, too. I need to upload photos from that trip to share with you. - Learn Portuguese.
Goal: Finish the Hugo Portuguese course.
Meh. Didn't touch the thing. I suck. Enough said. - Learn to brew beer.
Goal: Brew at least one batch.
Hah! Not. I suck some more. - Save for travel.
Goal: $$$$
For this I said, "How much? I won't say. :P" Doesn't matter. Goal accomplished. This is a priority for me, so it's never a question whether or not I'll accomplish it or not. - Buy a folding bike.
Goal: Purchase a Dahon.
Hah! I suck some more. I really do want one, though. It's just that I've been giving some other things a priority, such as paying off all my debts. I did accomplish that, though, so sacrificing the purchase of this bike was worth it. - Edit and submit stories for publication.
Goal: 4 stories.
Hah! I edited one. One! And did I submit it? Nope. Bad me. Bad, bad me! - Get started on my life goals.
Goal: Accomplish at least one item on my list of life goals.
Yay! Did this! One of my goals was to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and I managed to do that during my annual trip to Europe. :D - Fly in a glider.
Goal: By year's end.
Hah! (Too many Hah!s in this list, I think.) - Save towards buying a new saxophone, a straight Eb Alto by L.A. Sax.
Goal: $$$$
Hah! As with the bike, the paying off of debts had priority, so I've no complaints about not accomplishing this.
That's 8 Hah!s and 4 Yay!s A rather lousy track record for the year, if you ask me. This year's goals will probably a bit more modest, especially when it comes to goals that require some financial consideration, for obvious reasons.
I'll blog about my 2009 goals in my next post.
Labels: 2008 Goals, Goals
Friday, January 09, 2009
4:29 AM
Gotta Get Goin' On Some New Goal Setting
Well, one of the things I'd like to do, both here and at my writing blog, is to recount my goals and how well (or not) I did at accomplishing my 2008 goals, as well as outlining my goals for 2009. Let's see how quickly I can get that done, eh? LOL
On a side note: I went to my bank today to deposit a check I'd received in the mail from my health insurance, and I saw something I'd never seen before on my bank's ATM . . . some text and a graphic that acknowledged that Wachovia is now a part of Wells Fargo. Nice to see that happening now, after all these weeks and weeks of waiting. I'm wondering if Wachovia will remain known as Wachovia out here on the East Coast, or if Wells Fargo will eventually have all the signs replaced so that their name is displayed. Given the economy, I can see Wells Fargo leaving Wachovia as Wachovia, along with a graphic indicating that it's, say, "A Wells Fargo Company," or something like that.
On a side note: I went to my bank today to deposit a check I'd received in the mail from my health insurance, and I saw something I'd never seen before on my bank's ATM . . . some text and a graphic that acknowledged that Wachovia is now a part of Wells Fargo. Nice to see that happening now, after all these weeks and weeks of waiting. I'm wondering if Wachovia will remain known as Wachovia out here on the East Coast, or if Wells Fargo will eventually have all the signs replaced so that their name is displayed. Given the economy, I can see Wells Fargo leaving Wachovia as Wachovia, along with a graphic indicating that it's, say, "A Wells Fargo Company," or something like that.
Labels: 2008 Goals, 2009 Goals, Wachovia, Wells Fargo
Thursday, January 08, 2009
4:23 AM
Graphic Rambling
Whoa! O.O I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted an entry here. I was taking care of some "administrative business" so-to-speak at Flickr, and thought I'd fix the missing title graphic for this blog. I still can't believe that XRack went out of business without saying so much as a word to any of their customers. So rude! Anyway, I had to go through the template of this blog to find the name of the title graphic, and then had to make sure I still had it stored on my computer. I did, so I uploaded it to Flickr, and here it is. That much is fixed now. As for any other images that might've been stored at XRack, I'm not sure I want to be bothered with wading through years and years of posts just to make sure they're available. Instead, I'll simply make sure the graphics for the template itself (the title graphic and any graphics in the sidebars) are available on Flickr, and leave it at that. Any new graphics will be saved as private images to Flickr. Gotta love Flickr. I really liked XRack, but they did occasionally go wonkers and I'd temporarily lose the intended appearance of this blog.
I'm thinking of possibly updating the appearance of this blog. I don't recall how long it's had this appearance, and it's starting to look a little tired to me. I think perhaps I might incorporate some of my photography into my title graphic. We'll see how that goes. I need to either find some photos (or a photo) I'd be proud to post, or I need to get out and take some photos for this purpose. We'll see what happens, but I can't and won't promise that it'll happen quickly.
Need to get off me arse, too, and work on a list of goals for 2009, as well as go over last year's goals and face up to how well (or how terrible!) I did.
Not much to say right now, obviously, except rambling on about graphics. Ah well. More later . . . well, hopefully sooner than later, actually. :P
I'm thinking of possibly updating the appearance of this blog. I don't recall how long it's had this appearance, and it's starting to look a little tired to me. I think perhaps I might incorporate some of my photography into my title graphic. We'll see how that goes. I need to either find some photos (or a photo) I'd be proud to post, or I need to get out and take some photos for this purpose. We'll see what happens, but I can't and won't promise that it'll happen quickly.
Need to get off me arse, too, and work on a list of goals for 2009, as well as go over last year's goals and face up to how well (or how terrible!) I did.
Not much to say right now, obviously, except rambling on about graphics. Ah well. More later . . . well, hopefully sooner than later, actually. :P
Labels: 2008 Goals, 2009 Goals, Bitching About XRack, Blogging, Flickr, XRack
Monday, November 03, 2008
6:14 PM
The Banking Crisis and Me
Well, the results are in, and they've been in for a while now, actually. I just haven't commented on it.
It would appear that Wells Fargo has won out, and will be buying Wachovia. The last I heard/read, Citibank decided to back out of the deal they had and let Wells Fargo have them. In the meantime, Citibank intends to let Wells Fargo have it, . . . with a lawsuit . . . to the tune of something like $60B. Insane. I do think that Wells Fargo does owe Citibank some damages, since Citi and Wachovia did have some sort of agreement before Wells Fargo stepped in, but $60B? C'mon! That's so beyond reason that it's ridiculous! Whatever.
Anyway, I'd rather my account be with Wells Fargo anyway. I banked with them when I lived in California, and I thought they were a great bank. In fact, they are a great bank, as they have a the highest rating among all US banks and are without peer in that regard.
I was just reading some more recent news stories on this (such as this article from the Wall Street Journal and this article at CNNMoney.com), and it would appear that things are still somewhat up in the air on it.
It would appear that Wells Fargo has won out, and will be buying Wachovia. The last I heard/read, Citibank decided to back out of the deal they had and let Wells Fargo have them. In the meantime, Citibank intends to let Wells Fargo have it, . . . with a lawsuit . . . to the tune of something like $60B. Insane. I do think that Wells Fargo does owe Citibank some damages, since Citi and Wachovia did have some sort of agreement before Wells Fargo stepped in, but $60B? C'mon! That's so beyond reason that it's ridiculous! Whatever.
Anyway, I'd rather my account be with Wells Fargo anyway. I banked with them when I lived in California, and I thought they were a great bank. In fact, they are a great bank, as they have a the highest rating among all US banks and are without peer in that regard.
I was just reading some more recent news stories on this (such as this article from the Wall Street Journal and this article at CNNMoney.com), and it would appear that things are still somewhat up in the air on it.
Labels: Citibank, CNNMoney, Wachovia, Wall Street Journal, Wells Fargo
Thursday, October 09, 2008
1:11 PM
Don't Break Up My Bank!
No doubt, many of you have heard about the "credit crunch", the financial crisis, or whatever the hell it's being called these days, here in the U.S.
I've been following the news on one bank in particular, because my accounts are with them. Specifically, I'm talking about Wachovia. This whole thing has had me quite nervous and scared several times, but for the moment my accounts remain with Wachovia. (A banking joke: Some have said that you should never bank with an institution whose name can conceivably be perceived as meaning "walk over you", since that phrase can also be pronounced "wa'k ova ya", and since that's what such institutions tend to do anyway,... just walk over ya.)
Citibank of New York brokered a deal in which they would buy a part of Wachovia for $1 per share, for a total of $2.16 billion. Wells Fargo had been considering buying Wachovia, as well, but balked at first. Then, not long after Citi had put their bid in, with the backing of the FDIC, Wells Fargo changed its mind, and put in a bid for $7 per share, or $15.1 billion, and added that they would not need any assistance from the Federal Government. In response, Citi has filed a lawsuit against Wachovia and Wells Fargo for breach of contract.
Bloomberg has put up an interesting article on the subject of this particular fiasco going on in the midst of the "credit meltdown", as others have called it. As a Wachovia customer and as a U.S. taxpayer, I'm definitely of the opinion that Wells Fargo's deal should be the one to be backed by the government, and that Citi ought to be awarded some sort of financial recompense, too. Citi's complaint against Wachovia and Wells Fargo has merit, but Wells Fargo's proposal is without doubt far better for Wachovia's shareholders, employees, and customers, as well as U.S. taxpayers, since this would be a deal they wouldn't have to foot the bill for.
I fully agree with the following, found in the Bloomberg article linked to above:
Also, I love this, from the same article:
I've even found an article calling for Citi to walk away from this deal: Citi, walk away from Wachovia! (CNNMoney.com). In fact, in the CNNMoney.com article, it's noted that Citi claims it was a deal they wanted, not one they needed:
But my absolute favourite part of the Bloomberg article, though, is this:
FOOTNOTE: No, Gary Townsend, president of Hill-Townsend Capital LLC, is not me. But he's got a great name!, don't you think? :P
I've been following the news on one bank in particular, because my accounts are with them. Specifically, I'm talking about Wachovia. This whole thing has had me quite nervous and scared several times, but for the moment my accounts remain with Wachovia. (A banking joke: Some have said that you should never bank with an institution whose name can conceivably be perceived as meaning "walk over you", since that phrase can also be pronounced "wa'k ova ya", and since that's what such institutions tend to do anyway,... just walk over ya.)
Citibank of New York brokered a deal in which they would buy a part of Wachovia for $1 per share, for a total of $2.16 billion. Wells Fargo had been considering buying Wachovia, as well, but balked at first. Then, not long after Citi had put their bid in, with the backing of the FDIC, Wells Fargo changed its mind, and put in a bid for $7 per share, or $15.1 billion, and added that they would not need any assistance from the Federal Government. In response, Citi has filed a lawsuit against Wachovia and Wells Fargo for breach of contract.
Bloomberg has put up an interesting article on the subject of this particular fiasco going on in the midst of the "credit meltdown", as others have called it. As a Wachovia customer and as a U.S. taxpayer, I'm definitely of the opinion that Wells Fargo's deal should be the one to be backed by the government, and that Citi ought to be awarded some sort of financial recompense, too. Citi's complaint against Wachovia and Wells Fargo has merit, but Wells Fargo's proposal is without doubt far better for Wachovia's shareholders, employees, and customers, as well as U.S. taxpayers, since this would be a deal they wouldn't have to foot the bill for.
I fully agree with the following, found in the Bloomberg article linked to above:
"It is going to be a mess trying to divide up the deposits," said Morgan Keegan & Co. analyst Robert Patten. "But the loans that go with the relationships are even more important." He called carving up Wachovia "a horrible idea."It would be nice if these banks, especially Citi, would show more concern for the people most affected by this transaction, instead of concern for our deposits.
Also, I love this, from the same article:
More drawbacks face New York-based Citigroup than San Francisco-based Wells Fargo because of opposition from Wachovia shareholders, employees and customers, said analyst Nancy Bush of NAB Research LLC in Annandale, New Jersey.If the shareholders, employees, and customers are not wanting their bank to be broken up by Citi, then why should their deal be allowed to go through? If the shareholders, employees, and customers are not wanting their bank to be broken up between Citi and Wells Fargo, then why should that be allowed to go through, either? Why settle for a complex and messy arrangement when a far more simple one is already on the table? Let Wells Fargo buy all of Wachovia, as they have proposed, but enjoin them to pay Citi for having intruded on their deal. Giving Citi the $2.16 billion they had proposed to pay for Wachovia, plus punitive damages would seem a fair deal to me.
I've even found an article calling for Citi to walk away from this deal: Citi, walk away from Wachovia! (CNNMoney.com). In fact, in the CNNMoney.com article, it's noted that Citi claims it was a deal they wanted, not one they needed:
If Citi is to be believed, the purchase of Wachovia's banking assets is not a make or break acquisition for the firm. In the press release about its complaint Monday, Citigroup said that Wachovia "was always a deal Citi wanted rather than one we needed."My personal feelings on the matter are these: if Citi is given full reign, and Wells Fargo is shoved out the door, then I'll be moving my accounts to another bank, most likely Bank of America. If Wachovia gets split between Citi and Wells Fargo, then the results will be the same: I'll still move my accounts. If, however, Wells Fargo is allowed to follow through on their proposal (which, I would think, would require some sort of punitive damages be paid to Citi), then I would leave my accounts with Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo was my bank when I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they were a great bank to deal with. They had, and still have, incredible customer service, and they also have the highest rating a bank can receive, which is yet another great commendation for them.
But my absolute favourite part of the Bloomberg article, though, is this:
"Citi should fold their tent and leave the scene," said Gary Townsend, president of Hill-Townsend Capital LLC, an investment firm in Chevy Chase, Maryland, that specializes in banks. "Why should regulators agree to a sale where it means taxpayer involvement, when we have another willing buyer who isn't seeking government involvement?"How could I possibly disagree with him?:P
FOOTNOTE: No, Gary Townsend, president of Hill-Townsend Capital LLC, is not me. But he's got a great name!, don't you think? :P
Labels: Bank of America, Bloomberg, Citibank, CNNMoney, Credit Crunch, Credit Meltdown, FDIC, Wachovia, Wells Fargo
Friday, October 03, 2008
1:53 AM
Cars, Loans, & Books
Today, I'll be mailing off the final payment on my car, my precious 2003 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T. The photo below shows a 2003 Jetta 1.8T that looks exactly like mine, except in colour. The one below is Baltic Green, but mine is what Volkswagen calls Galactic Blue.
I rather like the idea of not having any more car payments to make. My Jetta currently has 126,000+ miles on it (202,777 kms), but it's been well-maintained, and I want to keep it for at least another 125,000, if not more.
Paying it off will leave me with one last loan to pay off, and then I'll be debt-free, . . . again. :P Yes, I've been there before, and then managed to run up some more. However, I've done a lot better in recent months, and seem to have a much better handle on my finances. My plans are to take a portion of the money that was going to the car and to apply it to that one last loan.
It's a five-year loan that I took out last November. All along I've been sending in more than the minimum payment. I started with an extra $22 per month, rounding the payment up to the nearest $100. After a couple of months, I added an extra $50 to my monthly payments. Then, after another couple of months, I added another $50 to my payments. So, more recently, I've been sending in an extra $122 per month. I'm now four months ahead on my payments, as the next one isn't due until this January. With the car now being paid off, my plan is to increase my payments to this loan this month by at least another $100 per month. When I receive my 2008 tax refund, which should be around March of next year, I plan to send in a rather large payment. My hope is that with that payment I'll have paid off more than half of this 60-month loan in the span of 15 months, and that thought gets me very excited!
Unless my math is off, I think it's entirely possible that I could have this five-year loan paid off in two years or less.
This past Wednesday, I took my mum to see Nights in Rodanthe, a movie based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. It's not really the sort of movie that I'd want to see, but because my mum had expressed an interest in seeing it, I thought I'd take her. So, we saw the movie, had dinner, and then went to a bookstore afterwards, whereupon I indulged my book-whorism by purchasing three books.
I rather like the idea of not having any more car payments to make. My Jetta currently has 126,000+ miles on it (202,777 kms), but it's been well-maintained, and I want to keep it for at least another 125,000, if not more.
Paying it off will leave me with one last loan to pay off, and then I'll be debt-free, . . . again. :P Yes, I've been there before, and then managed to run up some more. However, I've done a lot better in recent months, and seem to have a much better handle on my finances. My plans are to take a portion of the money that was going to the car and to apply it to that one last loan.
It's a five-year loan that I took out last November. All along I've been sending in more than the minimum payment. I started with an extra $22 per month, rounding the payment up to the nearest $100. After a couple of months, I added an extra $50 to my monthly payments. Then, after another couple of months, I added another $50 to my payments. So, more recently, I've been sending in an extra $122 per month. I'm now four months ahead on my payments, as the next one isn't due until this January. With the car now being paid off, my plan is to increase my payments to this loan this month by at least another $100 per month. When I receive my 2008 tax refund, which should be around March of next year, I plan to send in a rather large payment. My hope is that with that payment I'll have paid off more than half of this 60-month loan in the span of 15 months, and that thought gets me very excited!
Unless my math is off, I think it's entirely possible that I could have this five-year loan paid off in two years or less.
This past Wednesday, I took my mum to see Nights in Rodanthe, a movie based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. It's not really the sort of movie that I'd want to see, but because my mum had expressed an interest in seeing it, I thought I'd take her. So, we saw the movie, had dinner, and then went to a bookstore afterwards, whereupon I indulged my book-whorism by purchasing three books.Labels: Book-Whorism, Movies, Nights in Rodanthe, Volkswagen Jetta
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
3:09 AM
Everybody Knows
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
Thats how it goes
Everybody knows
Leonard Cohen - Everybody Knows
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows that the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
Thats how it goes
Everybody knows
Leonard Cohen - Everybody Knows
Labels: Leonard Cohen
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
4:54 PM
An Inconvenient Job Prospect
I am now very seriously considering changing jobs. There are several reasons for it, not the least of which is incompetent management at work, as well as management which knowingly lies to my face. I cannot continue to work in this environment. Rest assured, however, that I'm not about to do anything stupid. I won't give up a decent paying job until I have a firm-offer in the wings.
This brings us to the photo above. This is an image of Oahu, Hawai'i, taken from the air, obviously. A co-worker recently told me that the firm I've contracted with before has jobs for switch technicians in Hawai'i, and that they're paying $90,000 per year. Hawai'i is obviously an expensive place to live, for a variety of reasons. Rent, based on a brief search that I've done, would run $1500-$3000 per month, or $18,000-$36,000 per year. That would eat up most, if not all, of any raise I might enjoy with a $90,000 salary. I'd love to visit Hawai'i, but there ain't no damned way I'm gonna live there. Everything would be expensive because everything has to be imported, including domestic products. It's too bad switch tech positions don't pay similar salaries closer to home.
Ah well.
Labels: Hawai'i, Switch Technician
Sunday, August 31, 2008
10:55 AM
A New Widget and Cities
I thought I'd give a new widget a try. You can see it in the left-hand column. It's a list of visitors by country. Given the somewhat internationl flavour of this blog, it seemed appropriate. Then again, given the disuse that this blog has fallen into lately, it might not be appropriate. Whatever. :P
I'll probably be lucky to have a total of five visitors, all of them from no more than two or three countries. :P
I've also decided to document which cities I've visited and/or lived in, worldwide, and this can also be found in the left-hand column. Eventually, I'll have all of these link to websites associated with those cities. Obviously, this is going to take some time to complete. (The only "insignificant" cities that I'll be including on this list are cities where I've lived. Otherwise, they will be cities that are of some renown.)
I'll probably be lucky to have a total of five visitors, all of them from no more than two or three countries. :P
I've also decided to document which cities I've visited and/or lived in, worldwide, and this can also be found in the left-hand column. Eventually, I'll have all of these link to websites associated with those cities. Obviously, this is going to take some time to complete. (The only "insignificant" cities that I'll be including on this list are cities where I've lived. Otherwise, they will be cities that are of some renown.)
(57,338 - 38.2%)
Born and raised an Air Force BRAT, the Garrulus has been to 18 countries and U.S. territories on three continents, as well as to 39 of the 50 states. He has lived in places as diverse as Okinawa, Japan; Biloxi, Mississippi; Bangkok, Thailand; and Bloxham, which is in Oxfordshire, in England, not too far from Banbury. (You've heard of Banbury Cross, right? You haven't? Well, where the hell were you in English class? Good God, if you were going to skip class, why the hell did it have to be English? You coudn't've skipped out on something useless? Like wood shop? Dumbass! Serves you right. You could've learned a thing or two about a certain naked woman on a horse, and you might also have learned something about chocolate. Heh. I'll bet that makes you regret skipping English class now, doesn't it?) Too, the Garrulus enjoys comparative religion and mythology, and he loves to innoculate his fantasy fiction with these interests, as well as with various aspects of the different cultures he has experienced around the world. As he has family in Australia, South Africa, England, and the U.S., you might say the sun never sets on his family. Then again, you might not. (He doesn't give a damn whether you say this or not, to be honest.) His friends are the most motley crew, seeing that they're from, amongst other places, New Zealand, Australia, England, Poland, Canada, and Wales. The love of his life is from Portugal. He also enjoys photography, the graphic arts, languages (including foreign curse words, of course), and travel, travel, travel.
