Thursday, December 28, 2006

On the road again!

I will be on the road again this morning, as I am going to Louisville to see my great grandmother before she dies. Her health has been rapidly declining, and I have been expecting to have to go down there for a while now. I decided last night that I would be driving down there today.
I am hoping that she will hold on until after the new year, but it's honestly just a matter of time before it happens.

I will be gone until Saturday or Sunday. It may be longer depending on what happens.
I will post updates as I can. God be with me as I travel, and God be with the family as we cope with this difficult situation.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

A few thoughts

Perhaps someone reading my last post might have gotten the impression that I'm just hateful, evil, etc... because of my feelings towards the holidays this year. Well, I'd like to make a few things clear.

First of all, I really don't hate the holidays. I like Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc... I like the time I can spend with my family and friends this time of the year. I like some of the decorations, and some of the gift giving is ok too. Although, I do believe the gift giving and money spending is over rated.

My negative feelings towards the holidays stem from the loss of my uncle, who died 4 years ago. My uncle was a big part of my life, and he was part of what made the holidays so wonderful. He was just like a big ol' kid, especially at Christmas. He was just as excited as the kids were. Since his death, my attitude towards the holidays has deminished a lot. The holidays are not the same. There is a large void, and nothing seems to fill it.

I try to deal with it, for everyone elses sake, but I could do without all of it.

Just thought I would share those thoughts. Good night.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

I must be sick

I have good reason to believe that I am either currently sick, or am on the verge of getting that way. Care to know why I say that?

Well, I actually put a Christmas tree up in my living room last night. I must be sick, or something.

As far as the holiday is concerned, I don't really give a hoot in hell about it this year. I'm just not in the mood for all of the bullshit that goes along with it. There's a lot going on in my life, and with my family, and my mind is consumed by it all. I've been in a lot of pain, physically and mentally, and just don't feel like bothering with any of this festive holiday shit.

I have completed my Christmas shopping for the few people I really have give something, and will be sending Christmas cards to everyone else, but that is as far as my holiday cheerfulness goes.

Bah, humbug!

Monday, December 11, 2006

Family Matters

When faced with the imminent death of a loved one, one comes to realize just how much that person means to them, and to the family as a whole. As the effects of the coming events begin to spread through out the family, and you see how it tears people apart, you come to realize just how much family matters. I am now faced with such a situation; awaiting the coming death of my grandmother.

My mind is racing, as I'm trying to process what is happening, and prepare myself for the unpleasantness that will follow her passing. I am struggling with all of this, and am unsure just how I'm going to deal with everyone else. I'm finding that my mind is not on target; I'm constantly thinking about things in louisville, when I should be focused on working here in fort wayne.

I will be writing more as I have it in words, but for now, I can say no more.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Slideshow - First Snow

First Snow

One clear sign that Christmas is right around the corner, is the first snow fall of the season. Well, Christmas must be on it's way, because Fort Wayne saw it's first snow accumulation overnight.

I awoke early this morning, and upon glancing out the window, found that about an inch of that cold white stuff blanketed everything. While it is pretty and all, I'm really not ready to deal with that stuff yet. Now, I'm not going to complain about it, because it will do no good. I will say, though, it's nasty and cold.

More later.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Ah geez, it's always something

Yesterday was a bad day all the way around. I didn't feel well when I woke up, and really didn't want to go to work. I went anyway, and when I went to leave work, the shit really hit the fan.

When I went to start the car, it began shaking and rattling, annd made some funny noises. Well, I pulled out of the parking lot, and noticed the service engine light had started flashing. So, I slowly made my way back to my place, and parked it. Now, I'm thinking the problem is due to a lack of oil, and the need for a tune up. But I can't be sure. So I have made an appointment for Thursday morning to have the car serviced.

The servicing of the car is going to cost quite a bit; an astounding $468.85, parts and labor. Man, we're talking serious highway robbery. I'm not looking forward to writing the check for the car, but it's gotta be done.

So, for the time, I am without a car. April was kind enough to bring me to work this morning, and will be picking me up when my shift is over. Thank you hun.

On top of this bullshit, the weatherman is talking snow for the weekend. I have to get this car fixed, so I can go buy a new cost.

Ah geez, it's always something.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Another day, another dollar. I guess.

I'm sitting here in the office, having just finished the daily chore of putting all of the daily news content on the website. Now that I have completed that task, I have been hit with a big wave of exhaustion. My eyes are not wanting to stay open, and that's not a good thing. It's a little warm in here, so it is making sleep even more appealing. I wish the window in front of my desk actually opened. A nice, cool, blast of air would help about now.

Not sure what I'll be doing when I leave work. May actually go home and take a much needed nap. Should work on some personal projects, but don't know if I feel like it. We'll see what happens.

Hope everyone reading this has a wonderful day. Back to work now. Ciao!

Monday, November 27, 2006

BUYING THE WAL-MART JESUS

BUYING THE WAL-MART JESUS

The new Wal-Mart Supercenter just opened up in my town, and man, what a sight! It’s a mammoth structure of utilitarian architecture that houses everything from a grocery to a garden center, along with every dry good you can imagine from fashion wear to office supplies. And people just flock there because it’s one-stop shopping, famous low prices, and a quick “get in and get out” affair. It is an amazing achievement in the history of American consumerism.
Oh, and don’t forget about the official Smiley Face mascot greeting you on every sign. It just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside as you spend your money to save money.

The only problem is that the former Wal-Mart building in town is now vacant since the retail giant moved its local operation to the new Supercenter facility. Hard to believe that twenty years ago this smaller Wal-Mart store was the shining Camelot on the hill for local shoppers. Now it’s just a castle ruin, an empty shell of its former glory as the company moves on to bigger and better things. Alas, a sign of the times, I’m afraid.

Prior to the beginning of this Sam Walton invasion, our town had a few Mom-and-Pop retail stores downtown, but they’re gone now, too. The first Wal-Mart that landed here soon priced those little shops right out of the market and made it too easy for the faithful customers of our local enterprises to be slowly seduced by the discount convenience of the new store in town. Hometown loyalty and one-on-one service be damned! Pretty soon, those slow-paced, family-run stores with creaky wood floors and clanging brass cash registers had to close their doors for good. Nobody valued their unassuming brand of commerce anymore.

So why do I bring all this up? Because it seems to me that many Christians today have been infected with the same corrupting consumerism that has given rise to the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Their lives are no longer content with the eloquent simplicity of Jesus Christ and His Word, but now clamor for a wide variety of new and improved Christianized products to over-indulge their so-called faith. The congregations have moved out of the austere model of the small-town church, where unadorned worship to God rang forth, and have instead built for themselves Christian Supercenters in which to sell their worldly goods and services in the name of Christ.

You see striking evidence of this Wal-Mart mentality in postmodern Christianity every time you step into your local Christian bookstore and have to walk past shelf after shelf of shiny religious trinkets and trite bestsellers before you get to that little section of plain black Bibles in the far back corner. You see it every time you watch millions of professed Christians assemble in their multi-million dollar sanctuaries to hear feel-good sermons by Smiley Face mascots who offer heaven and happiness at a discount price.

Of course, it didn’t use to be like this. There was a time, believe it or not, when we survived just fine without the trappings of modern consumerism in our life. Long before the first Wal-Mart was built in my mostly-rural area, the presence of any kind of retail store was a rarity. All people really had back then was the Sears catalog. It sat there, prized like the family Bible, on the kitchen counter. Every member of the family had gone through that tome over and over again, memorizing the products that they dreamed of having one day. Yet they had no money for such luxuries and if they did, it was only due to careful hoarding of every stray penny they could scrape up. Sometimes they had to wait three years before saving enough money to buy that fancy hand-cranked clothes wringer so Mom didn’t have to wear out her arms twisting the clothes dry, unaided by modern technology.

Of course, when times got really bad, even the Sears catalog brought no comfort, except to supply a need for toilet paper in the outhouse.

Back then, we had a Great Depression caused by the blind self-indulgence of the Jazz age; and rural people in this area (through no fault of their own) were especially hit hard by it. These poor country folks didn’t have convenience stores, they only had each other. Families made just about everything they owned, and if they couldn’t make it, they had a good neighbor who could. It was a time when farming was so bad that it was more profitable to use their corn crop to burn in their stove for heat than to sell it for a lousy few cents per bushel. So the local families knitted themselves together and looked out for one another. It was a hard time, sometimes a desperate time. But with lots of faith, love, and patience, they got through it together as a community. There was no such thing as fast food outlets, shopping malls, or Wal-Mart Supercenters to bring swift temporal relief to their plight. It was a bare-boned existence that divided the wheat from the chaff, and forced humble folks to focus on the simple things in life that really mattered and to rejoice in them.

So you see, there was a time when Christians in this country were content with being lowly, meek, and poor in spirit. They served humbly in small congregations, read their Bibles faithfully, and prayerfully focused on the glory of Christ alone as they witnessed and brought aid to others. Over time, however, we became more prosperous and self-satisfied, and just like the Jazz Age, we began to borrow on a spiritual capital that we no longer possessed in order to gratify our ever-increasing desire for the things of this world. Soon, many churches became bastions of consumerism and began emulating themselves after the business world, until they finally transformed themselves into a kind of Wal-Mart Christianity.

The problem is, this over-indulgence in the churches will one day takes its toll and collapse like the stock market in 1929 because it is built on a foundation other than Christ alone. And when that inevitable day arrives in which we are stripped of our fleshy provisions and thrust into a great spiritual Depression, how will this rabid Christian consumerism provide for our needs and how much of it will quickly be engulfed by the fires of God’s testing?

In the end, it’s hay and stubble, my friends. All this Wal-Mart Christianity is just hay and stubble.

Back to work

The Thanksgiving holiday has passed, and the weekend is now over. That can only mean one thing, it's Monday, and time to go back to work.

A long week lies ahead of me, as I must now endeavor to build interfaces for a new database application I am building for work, and then attempt to populate and test the database. Not looking forward to it, but it has to be done.

I'm still feeling the effects of all the driving I did over the holiday weekend. With driving to Louisville, around town, and then back to Fort Wayne, I have been left quite sore and tense. The back, shoulders, and neck are really hurting this morning. Add that to being extremely tired, and it's definitely going to be a long day.

I wasn't able to take many pictures during the holiday, so I won't be posting those as I had originally said that I might. Oh well, better luck next time.

All for now. Time to work. Have a good one. Ciao!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Back in the Fort

Just a brief message to let my readers know that I'm back in Fort Wayne now. April and I left Louisville around 2:00pm this afternoon, and arrived home about an hour ago. While I'm sad that the holiday vacation is ending, it is nice to be back home, and I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.

Lots of stories that I could share, but at this point, I'm just too tired to care.
More later.

Ciao!

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all who read this blog.

April and I made it to Louisville last night, safe and sound. I must say, though, that traffic was a nightmare, from Indianapolis to Louisville. Gotta love slow and go traffic; for an impatient person like me, this was a real adventure.

Anyway, we are here until sometime Saturday, and are going to do as little as possible. We are having dinner at granny's house in about an hour, so I better get moving.

More later. Ciao!

Monday, November 20, 2006

A bedtime prayer

I'm sitting on the edge of my bed now, thinking about everything that has gone on today, and everything that I know I will have to deal with tomorrow. My only prayer at this point, is that my mind settles down, and that I will be able to get a decent nights sleep for the first time in a long time.

Things are looking good with the project I'm working on at work, so I can rest a little easier in that regard. I hope and pray that my day will go well tomorrow. That I will wake refreshed and ready to face the day.

Lord give me the strength and endurance to get through the many things that must be done tomorrow, both for work and in preparation for traveling to louisville on wednesday.

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. And grant me the piece of mind in knowing that all will work out in the situations I'm dealing with.

Good night.

Thanksgiving week already?

My word, it's Thanksgiving week already. Hard to believe it, but it's just a few days away. And much like millions of other people, I will be traveling to visit family for the holiday.

April and I will be driving to Louisville after I get off of work on Wednesday. We'll be down there until some time on Saturday.

This years holiday festivities will include a big dinner at my grandmotherss house on Thursday. By big, I mean lots of people, and even more food. You name it, we will have it to eat.

As far as people are concerned, the regular bunch will be there, with the addition of some cousins from Indianapolis, and of course, April and myself. I must make that distinction because I'm not always able to be there for the big events that take place. Like this coming Christmas, for instance.

Anyway, I will probably post more on the holiday travel plans at a later time. I am going to try to take a bunch of pictures of the family, and will post some when I get back.

All for now. Ciao!

Monday, November 13, 2006

Darwin Award Nomination

I hereby nominate the following jackass for a Darwin Award.

Ronald Donah, 43, was killed by one of 6 deer penned up on his property.

Click the following link to read the whole story.
Deer kills man who kept it penned up.



For those who don't know what the Darwin Awards are about, check this out.
www.darwinawards.com

It's Monday already?

Oh man, is it really Monday already? Good lord the weekend went by way too fast for my likings.

I had the hardest time getting out of bed this morning; if you had to be up at 3:00 A.M. every morning, to be at work at 4:30 A.M. you'd have a hard time too. Getting to sleep last night was not the easiest thing to do either, thanks to a terrible headache that I had been fighting most of the evening. I'm really tired of the headaches I battle with on an almost daily basis.

Not totally sure what all will be going on today, but I do know that once I get off work, I'm going to find food, and then go home and hit the sack for a while.

More later.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Thank God it's over

I am eternally thankful that the elections are finally over, and that my work and sleep schedule can finally get back to some degree of normality. What ever normal may be.

I have a whole lot that I want to recap about the elections and the last week as a whole, but at this moment, I just can't put it all in to a perspective that makes sense to me. Maybe in the coming days, I will be able to share the many thoughts that I have about it all, but for now, it will have to wait.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Just my luck

Well, I had a feeling it would happen. Despite my best efforts of getting out of coming back to work tonight, to deal with the election bullshit, I still have to come back in here, and work all night. Damn it!

I'm rather tired this morning, and lord knows I will be dead after working both this morning and then all night tonight. I really wish I could get out of coming in here, because I'm still not feeling the greatest, and am tired as can be. It is a challenge to type and keep my eyes open as I am sitting here now. I will definitely be going home and taking a nap when I get off work in a few hours.

I still believe that I will simply be in the way, and will be spending most of my time this evening sitting on my duff, staring at the walls, tv, etc...
I really hope that my boss is correct in assuming that I will be in great demand, and that the supply of things to do will be great. I really hate the thought of coming back in here to work all night, with the thought of there being nothing for me to do but sit here and twiddle my thumbs. We shall certainly see what happens.

Anyway, I'm going to stop bitching for right now. I'm sure there will be more posts on this subject later in the day. Bleh :-P

Monday, November 06, 2006

How's it going to work?

A co-worker and I have been talking this morning about how election night should be handled. At this point, we know that this place is going to be packed full of people working on reporting the election results, etc... Well, here in the library, there are only four computers; three computers have all the software needed, and one does not. This creates a problem, in that there will be too many people here, and not enough workstations for all of us.

My co-worker and I have agreed that there is really no need for me to come in tomorrow night, because I will basically be sitting here with nothing to do. Now, I don't mind getting paid for sitting around, doing nothing. But, if there is no place for me to work, why ask me to come in?

So you tell me, how in the hell is this going to work?

Election Headache

With the elections only a day away, I find myself in a severe state of dread; the thought of having to work my regular shift Tuesday morning, and then return for an all-night shift Tuesday night, is down-right sickening to me.

Since the elections have to be covered and results have to be reported, nearly everyone will be here at work tomorrow night. My fellow webmaster and I will be busting our tails to get all of the election stories and results posted, on top of getting Wednesday mornings's newspaper posted as usual.

I am hoping to get out of here as early as 4:30 - 5:00 am Wednesday morning. We will see what happens. Needless to say, I will be extremely tired and will definitely be rather irritable by the time I get to go home.

More on this later.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

John Kerry on Imus in the Morning 11/1/06

Thank you Don Imus, for saying what everyone else was thinking. John Kerry's big mouth is going to fuck up the Democrats shot of regaining control.

John, listen to Don Imus, and shut the fuck up.

I'm can be snotty too

This has been another one of those weeks that I could really do without. I've been in a terrible mood, and most of that has to do with the fact that I have a bad cold.
Now, I can be just as snotty as any one else, but this isn't what I had in mind.

I started feeling this cold coming on shortly before I went to Louisville a couple of weeks ago, and since I returned it's gone full blown cold. I've been so congested it's not funny. I have breathing problems anyway, and this really isn't helping. Thankfully, I have been able to get things under some state of control, and have been able to keep working, and doing all the things I have to get done. Thanks to NyQuil, I have been sleeping well.

NyQuil is my friend.

Got a lot of stuff going on this week too. Had meetings with potential clients yesterday, and look forward to hearing back from them as to whether they will be contracting with me to complete their web development projects. More on that later.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Testimony/Joy Comes In The Morning

This one man's testimony embodies the message that I had orginally hoped to share through this blog. No matter how bad things are, we must continue to believe. Dan Miller never quit.

Friday, October 27, 2006

I Believe In Miracles

Welsh Corgi video

youtube.com video of a welsh corgi puppy. Soooo cute.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Disaster Avoided

So I had an interview with a web development firm yesterday. I got all dressed up and ready to go; with suit, tie, and laptop in hand, I headed off to the company for the meeting. I arrive 10 minutes early, hit the intercom to be let into the office, and wait until the guy opened the door. This is where things go down hill, literally.

As we were walking up the stairs to the second floor loft, I stumbled. As I fell forward, my brief case, which contained my brand new laptop, cell phone, etc... fell from my hand. I watched in horror as the case rolled and bounced all the way down the stairs, landing just inches from the glass door at the bottom.

At that point, I was horrified; physically ok, but definitely visibly and mentally shaken. I was more concerned about my laptop than I was about my well being. Now, I realize that a laptop if a tangible possession, and can be replaced, but that is not the point. The point is, that laptop is my livelihood.

Thankfully, the laptop was in a hard shelled case, with plenty of padding inside to protect the computer. There was plenty of extra packing around it, meaning the laptop was not going anywhere. I am happy to say that all is well with the laptop; still works like new. I'm thinking about writing some funny testimonial about the extreme durability testing that I just put my laptop through, and sending it to dell to post on the web somewhere.

As far as the interview is concerned, I'm not sure where things stand. I'm not feeling as confident as I had been about the company being a good fit for me. I have to do some thinking about all of it, and decide what would be best for me. I'm thinking that I may just say to hell with it, and just continue as I am now. I have a good part-time job as a webmaster for a reputible company, and I also have plenty of project leads coming in right now. I'm thinking that I can continue on in the capacity that I'm in now, for a while anyway.

Well, I better end here for now. More later.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Lots of Business

Thanks to some contacts that I have at the college, I may be looking at some additional business coming my way, in the form of website design/development projects.

I have a meeting with a small company this afternoon, to discuss what they are looking for in the way of a site. I have also been in contact with another guy who is looking for a web designer/developer to complete a project he has in mind.

One of the leads I received seems like it is going to be more trouble than it is worth. I have looked into the company, the people that run it, etc... and have not been left with a good feeling about it. It appears that there are 2 separate businesses, running out of one store front. From what my contacts have told me, the owner is very wishy washy, so I am leary about getting into any kind of business arrangement with him. We will see what happens.

Don't get me wrong, I love the job that I have now. I like the work, the people, and definitely the money. But I'm only working part-time, about 20 hours a week, and that just isn't enough to ensure that me bottom line is met at the end of the month. I have no intention for leaving this job. I am, however, going to find additional work to make up for what I'm not getting here.

All for now. Ciao.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Back to the Fort

Well, my trip to Louisville is over, and I am now back in Fort Wayne. The biggest highlight of the whole weekend - it didn't rain on me going down there, nor did it rain coming back. That's a first, and will definitely be put on my calendar and list of things that will probably never happen again.

I have a lot that I could share about the trip, but I'm at work now. So I may post more later today. Then again, I may not.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

George Carlin: Life is worth losing

Dirty Joke of the Day.

Man Pisses in a Shot Glass

A guy is in a bar with a bunch of his friends. After a while of shooting pool and drinking, he whispers something to his friends. A few minutes later he walks over to the bartender and asks for a shot of tequila. After he takes the shot he says to the bartender,'' I'd like to make a bet with you.'' The bartender replies, ''Sure I'm in a betting mood.''

So the man bets the bartender $1,000 that he can piss in the shot glass placed all the way across the room and fill it up and not spill a drop. The bartender says, ''I'll take that bet.''
So the man walks to the other side of the room and places the shot glass down. He goes back to the bartender and starts pissing. He doesn't even get a drop in. He pisses all over the place. In the bartender's face, all over the barstools and everything.

After he was done pissing, the bartender laughed and said, ''You owe me $1,000.'' The man paid the money with a big smile on his face. The bartender asked, ''How come you're so happy?'' The man replied, ''You see those five guys over there by the pool table? I bet them $300 each that I could piss all over your bar and you'd laugh about it.''

Saturday, October 21, 2006

I have arrived

Just a brief update. I am in Louisville, KY this weekend, for a birthday party for my mother. Should be real exciting. blah.

I left Fort Wayne around 9:30am this morning, and to my delight, met no rain or bad driving conditions along the way down. I called to let the family know that I wouldn't be here when I orginally planned, because I left home later than planned, but said that I should arrive about 45 mins later than previously planned. Well, I didn't miss that mark by much. Perfect timing! Gotta love it.

Anyway, I'm here, and looking forward to resting and taking it easy this weekend.
To be continued................

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

If it's not one thing..........

It's 5,000,000.

There's a lot going on in my world right now, and most of it really doesn't have anything to do with me. It amazes me just how often I fin myself drawn into the middle of other people's bullshit problems. I don't know, maybe I just care to much. But I some how manage to get pulled into all this stuff, and I wish everyone would just leave me the hell alone.

First, my stupid ass neighbors are just that, Fuckin Stupid. Well, one of them is anyway. There are a couple of guys here that tend to be on the loud side, blasting their stereos, etc.... at all hours of the day and night. I really don't have a problem with that, as long as they don't bother me. I have mastered the art of ignoring people. ha ha. Well, there is this new chick that moved in a month or so ago, and she is constantly bitching and complaining about the 2 guys noise.

This bitch complains about them from the time she gets up, until the time she goes to bed. She has even called me, and was ranting and raving on my telephone about how bad these people were. Personally, I think she's fuckin nutz. Things are not as bad as she is making it all out to be. Yes, there is some noise, but it is not an all day, every day thing like she claims. And on a saturday, you can expect people to be in and out, and for there to be some noise. This girl just won't quit.

She had the nerve to try and talk my into complaining about the noise, just so something would be done. And, to top that, she had the nerve to ask if I would write a statement for some lawyer she is gonna hire, to get the owners to let her out of her lease. Hell no! I am not gonna be pulled into the middle of a law suit. Fuck that shit man! I'm not about to be put in a position that will lead to my having to move. I like my apartment too well for that. Besides, I don't have that much of a problem with the guys or the owners. Nothing but bullshit! I'm sick of it all.


There is also a lot going on with my family right now. I will be going to Kentucky this weekend to see if I can help get some matters resolved. I was originally going down there for a party and some vacation time, but now I'm going to play guidance counselor. Damn it!

Everyone, Leave Me Alone!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

St. Joseph River Greenway

April and I spent some time wondering along the St. Joseph River Greenway. I had the digital camera with me, and took a lot of pictures. I put them in this gallery. Please send comments. Enjoy.


St. Joseph River Greenway Gallery

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Awesome Sky Pics

April and I were on the way home from the library the other night, and noticed a rainbow in the sky. So I decided to stop at lakeside park and take some pictures.
The sky looked like it was on fire. It was really cool. You can't see the rainbow very well in the first pic, but if you look closely at the second pic, you can see it.



Sunday, September 17, 2006

Close one door, open another.

Isn't it funny, how God closes one door, and opens another for us a moment later?

I am talking about the current situation that I'm in with my employment status. I quit one job, and a few days later, got a call from another company offering me a really great job. I thought about it for a bit, and decided to take the job.

It dawned on me that what I had heard and believed all my life was true. God never closes one door without having another one ready to open. Pretty cool, huh?

Let Go, Let God, and Be Blessed!

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Self Respect

There has been a lot going on in my life as of late, and a lot of it has not been good. There is so much, I have become overwhelmed by it all. It is as if I have been in a downward spiral; a free fall that tumbling down and down until finally crashing hard upon the ground.

The job that I had turned out to be a bad fit for me, and I came to that realization after some things took place that made me really begin to question myself and my abilities. So, I decided that I would quit. Yes, that's right, I quit.

I did what? You read it right, I Quit! I know what you are thinking right now. The writer of the "You Must Not Quit!" blog, has quit something. You must be thinking I'm quite the hypocrit right now. Well, I thought so too. I have felt like shit the last week, knowing that I walked away from one of the best opportunities that I have had as of late. I've beaten myself up over it, over and over. The situation has taken control of my mind. I lost my ability to think clearly, and ultimately lost control of myself.

Last night, as I was talking with April, I came to a revelation. It's all about Self Respect! I had seemingly lost my self respect, because I quit something. I'm not a quitter. I never give up without one hell of a fight. So, that lead to my feeling so bad. Well, for years I have been going on and on about how I don't take shit from anyone, and that no one is going to walk on me, and treat me like a piece of shit. It suddenly dawned on me, that I had what it took to stand up to that guy, and put an end to the repressive behavior that he was pushing on me. It's not that I just quit the job. I had enough respect for myself to stand up, and put an end to the way I was being treated.

I had allowed all of those feelings of self doubt to fill me, and take hold of my mind. Then while talking to April, I was reminded of that little thing called Self Respect. I had been feeling guilty, and that I was wrong for quitting the job. Thanks to April, I have been able to get those thoughts out. It's not wrong for a man to have enough respect for himself to stand up to those who are attacking him. The true test of character, is the reaction that we put forth when faced with difficult situations. My character has been tested, and I have passed the test.

I have not wasted my time or money gaining my college degree. I am not stupid, nor am I any less of a human being that any other person. I am not weak, nor am I a quitter. If I am none of these, what am I?

I am a strong, confident, caring, loving, and passionate man. I have a sound mind, and a strong spirit. I am well educated; possessing the knowledge and abilities needed to make it in this world. I am strong willed; filled with a sense of determination and endurance that will carry me through all situations. I am filled with respect, not only for others, but more importantly, for myself.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Infrequency

I'm sure, by now, the few readers that look at this thing have been noticing the infrequency of my postings as of late. I got to thinking about the word Infrequency, and thought I'd share an actual dictionary definition with you.

From the American Heritage Dictionary -

in·fre·quent (n-frkwnt)
adj.
1. Not occurring regularly; occasional or rare: an infrequent guest.
2. Situated or placed at rather wide intervals, as in time or space: infrequent oases in the desert.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

in·frequence, in·frequen·cy n.
in·frequent·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000



Now, I'm sure you are thinking that this is just a bullshit post; thinking that this is an attempt to post something, without posting anything at all. And, you would be right. Lots of stuff going on with me right now, but I can't really bring myself to write about much of it. Well, not in a public forum anyway.

I'm alive, and that's all anyone really needs to know.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

An Old Soul

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition.
Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone.
Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient.
A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people.

You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends
A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others.
Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone.
But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away.

Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

Sunday, August 06, 2006

I'm still alive

Holy hell it's been a long time since I posted anything on this blog. So much has been going on, I hardly know where to begin. There have been new developments where work is concerned. More on that once I've figured out how to explain.

I'm not exactly sure how to explain a lot of the stuff that has been going on lately. I find that troubling, because I'm not one to ever suffer from a loss of words. I guess my mind is just so consumed by everything that I'm not able to process it all as I would like.

Anyway, I'm alive. Among the living, and trying to get by.

Friday, July 14, 2006

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Friday, July 07, 2006

I'm still here

Yeah, I know it's been a while since I updated this thing. I'm still here though, just have a lot of stuff taking up my time these days.

Work is going pretty well. I love my job; I can do all of it right here in the comfort of my home. It is so awesome to be able to set my own schedule, work when I want, and get paid nicely for it all. I work as a web developer for a place called Management Recruiters of Allen County - South West. It's a small, but growing company, and there is the potential for me being employed there for quite awhile. Here's to hoping anyway. I'm currently working on a website for a new division that we are adding to the company, and should have it operational early next week. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result, as are the people for whom I work.

So, I went to Louisville this past weekend, to see the family, celebrate the 4th of July, and to go through a bunch of my old stuff down there, to decide what to bring back with me. Well, I got to see the family, and did go through things, and we did celebrate the 4th, but none of it went as planned.
About a month ago, I asked my mother to get my stuff together and move it down to the garage so it would be out of the house, and accessible so I could work with it. She kept saying she'd do it, and it would be done before I got there. Well, that didn't happen. I ended up having to get it all together, drag it all out of the house, and go through all of it, by myself. No help at all. In 95 degree temperatures too. Needless to say I was not a happy camper, and told my mother and the sorry sack of shit that she calls a boyfriend what I thought of them. Didn't go over well, but I wasn't happy so they didn't need to be either.

Mom was also supposed to take the grill to my grandmothers for the cookout on the 4th, and that didn't happen either. She decided that she would wait until I got there, and have me help her move it. I asked why in the hell couldn't that good for nothing boyfriend of hers help move it. Why wait for me? So the grill never got moved, and it sat in their side yard and got soaked when it stormed down there on the 4th. So.....not only did the cookout get fucked because of the grill, it was fucked because of the rain. And, there was no plan B either. So, there we were, scrambling to get food prepared on the stove at the last minute. Ugh...it was a complete and total disaster.

I guess the only good part of the weekend was getting to see my aunt and uncle, and getting my suits cleaned at the dry cleaners where mom works. Those are the only two things that went as planned. Needless to say, I was all too happy to get in my car and drive back up here to Fort Wayne on Wednesday. Now I'm back, have seen April, and am back to working.

Gotta go to the office in a while, so I better go get things ready. Ciao!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Sick and Tired

I haven't been feeling very well today, or the last several days for that matter.
I have managed to hurt my left shoulder, and I'll be damned if I know how I did it. Haven't done anything out of the ordinary; haven't hit it, carried anything really heavy, etc... Just started hurting a couple of days ago, and the pain won't go away. Ugh!!!

I have spent the majority of today in bed. Woke up feeling really crappy; no energy, in pain, and just lifeless. I was up a few times, but the majority of the day was snoozed away. Maybe I needed the sleep or something, I am feeling a little better now. Still need to improve a lot more, cause I'm still in pain.

Don't know much more than that right now. What I do know, I really don't wanna talk about. So I think I'm gonna go continue my vegetation on the couch. Ciao.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Joining the Ranks

Well, I have officially joined the ranks of the employed. Met with the top guy at Management Recruiters of Allen County - Southwest again this afternoon, and got all of the paperwork completed. I will be working as a web developer for the company. It will be part time to start, but will move to full time after a couple of months. I'm looking forward to being able to work and have the money coming in. The best part is that I can work at home, and don't have to drive to the office every day. I may be in the office once a week or so, as needed. Along with being able to work from home, I have the flexibiliy to set the hours that I work, etc... Derek doesn't care how or when I do my job, as long as I get the work done on time. No problem.

I have been quite busy the last couple of days; writing scripts to make feedback forms function properly is very tiring. My head has been hurting for about 3 days.
I'm in a mad dash to complete the majority of the hostage negotiator's website. I hope to get that done soon.

Anyway, I'm tuckered out. Time to veg, and sink into an 8 hour coma. g'night.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Trying to be Cool!

Well, the guys from the air conditioning place are here to replace my AC unit...FINALLY! Damn good thing too, cause it's supposed to be near 90 tomorrow, and close to 95 this weekend. Hey numb nutz, get r done! Yes, I've lost what little patience I had left with this AC bullshit. You would too if you had breathing problems, and if the heat made you sick all the time.

Went shopping last night for some shirts. Found some that would work, but damn they were expensive. Damn things normally run between $30 and $50, but thankfully, they were running a 50% - 60% off sale, so I got a good buy on them. Hey, I gotta have work clothes; can't wear worn out t-shirts to my business meetings. Casual is good, but it can go toooooo far.

I should probably get off of this computer and see if I can do anything to help get my AC fixed any faster. After that's done, I have to go to the store and buy food. I'm sick of ramen noodles. I want steak!

To be continued..........

Sunday, June 04, 2006

A Lot Going On

I've had an aweful lot of stuff going on since graduation, and really haven't blogged about any of it much. Just bits and pieces here and there; simply letting my few readers know that I'm still very much among the living.

It's finally sinking in that I'm not a college student any more; I'm a graduate and I'm pretty much on my own now. I like that fact; I have my own apartment, my own car, soon to have a job, etc... I've alway been a pretty independent person, and now that I have all of these new things of my own, I am feeling quite envigorated. I love the fact that I can go out, get in my car, and go any damn place I want to, without having to ask someone to take me. I am really thankful for April's willingness to take me here and there before, but am really glad that I don't have to depend on her for that anymore. All of it is really giving me a feeling of empowerment; I feel more like the big, strong, powerful man that I know I am.

So, I graduated from Indiana Tech on May 13th, with a Bachelor of Science in Internet Technologies. I am so glad that I have completed that four-year degree. It was a very long, and trying four years, but overall, I think it was well worth it. Not only do I have a degree in a highly demanded field, I have a wonderful fiancee, whom I have been with the whole way through. If I didn't get anything else out of my four years at Tech, at least I still have April. I think of it as a 2 for 1 deal. hehe.

The week after graduation, April and I drove down to Louisville. Went to see the family, etc..., but most importantly, I went down so I could take the road test so I could finally get my license. I am proud to say that I passed the first time around, and with flying colors might I add. I was soooo nervous about the test; I thought surely I would get a prick that would fail everyone on the first try. Man, I am glad I was wrong. Along with getting my license, I had to go down there to get my graduation present from my aunt and uncle. My aunt and uncle, bless their hearts, on top of paying for me to go to college, gave me a car as a graduation present. If there is any other person around who is more blessed than I am, I would like to meet them. It's not a brand new car by any means, but it is in damn good shape. It's a '98 Chevy Lumina. It's carmine red. Great car, it's in excellent condition, drives well, get pretty decent gas mileage, and has less than 75,000 miles on it. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for this thanksgiving.

I finally got my DSL setup and working the other day; a week ahead of the expected date no less. I did have to spend an hour on the phone with Verizon's technical support team this morning. I couldn't get the router that I have to work with the modem that they sent me. I tried every possible thing that I knew how to do, and got nothing. So I called them up, and it took them an hour to get the problem figured out. I talked to no less than three different people, and different levels of support, before the problem was fixed. The funny part, is that I work with this technology all day, every day at work, and could get the damn stuff to work in my own home. Just goes to show that I don't know everything, and do need help some times.

So I went to meet with the guy about the web development job Friday afternoon. Overall, the meeting went well. The projects he has in mind are pretty large, and a little more complexed than I would like, but I think I can make it all work out for the better. I may only be working part-time for a little while, until things get rolling, and until company finances are in better shape, but I gotta start somewhere. The great thing about it all, is that I won't have to work at the office all the time. I will be able to work from home most of the time, and only go in for meetings, etc... when I have to be there. Plus, I will be making at least $10 an hour, and the guy will be taking care of all of the accounting stuff. I will report my hours to him, and he will give me a W-2 at the end of the year. Sounding pretty good huh? I think so.

On the home front, things are shaping up. I am working on getting the rest of my junk squared away, so I can really get down to work on the websites that I have to build. I have someone coming to work on my central air sometime tomorrow. It's not cooling as it should, so I called the apartment maintenence people, and they will have the pros here tomorrow. Thankfully, it has been on the cooler side the last few days, so it has been decent in the apartment. I can't live with out my AC. Fix it NOW!

Well, I think that's about it for now. I have some pictures of my car that I will post soon, and will also post some of the apartment once it is squared away. Ciao!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Got Net?

Finally got my Verizon DSL connected yesterday afternoon. I am so glad that I can finally get on the net from home, and even more importantly, get my web development work rolling again. Having a connection is vital to my success right now.

In related news, I have a meeting Friday afternoon with a guy who is interested in having me do some web design and development work for his company. If things go well, this could turn into a full-time thing. I am so praying that it will work out. I will probably post more about it later.

For now, it is late, I'm tired, and want to sleep. Just wanted to give an update on my net surfing status. Good night all.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Hey, I can drive!

After nearly 3 long years, I finally got to take the road test to get my license. Passed with flying colors too. So, that means I can get in my car and drive back to Fort Wayne in a day or so. YAY! I was so nervous, and worried that something would go wrong, and I'd end up here for another week if I had to retake it. Silly me, I did wonderfully over all. I'm good, and I know it. :-D.

Yes, I said 3 long years. I got my permit at the end of 2003, and practiced off and on, but everytime I thought I was ready to take the test, I ended up getting hurt or something, and had to wait even longer. Well the wait is now over, and I am finally a licensed driver, and a damn good one at that. Clear the road, I'm coming through.

More on that exciting development later. Ciao!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Dude, I'm a College Grad!

Well after 4 long years, I have finally graduated from college. Indiana Tech's 85th graduation was on this past saturday, May 13, 2006. I now hold a Bachelor of Science in Internet Technologies. Yeehaa.

Dispite the fact that I had a lot to be happy and excited about, I found Graduation to be nothing more than a drag. It was more of a pain in the arse than what it was worth. We had to arrive by 11:00am, a full hour and a half before the ceremony even thought about starting. So I arrive about 11:25; big deal, I was running late. I got in, got my cap and gown on, and walked around the hall to find the little sign under which I was to stand until the procession began. So there I am, standing in place with Tim, the other graduating Internet Technologies major, who was one of my roommates for 3 out of the 4 years at Tech. We literally stood there for what seemed like forever, before finally being marched into the arena.

So the ceremony begins with the typical national anthem, and opening speeches, etc... cough *bullshit* cough.
We got through all that, and then came the bullshit commencement address from Miles Brand, head of the NCAA, and former president of IU. Over all it wasn't bad; I mean he meant well, considering the title was "Making a Moral Difference". Mostly philosophy mumbo-jumbo, blah blah blah, moving on.

Next came the presentation of the Honorary Degrees; snorefest '06 was more like it. I swear the speech for each degree was at least 10 to 15 minutes in length. Where as this, and where as that...who give a rats ass about all that BS.

The graduation ceremony ran 2 and a half hours, which over all isn't bad for a college graduation. However, had they cut out the bullshit speeches, and bumped off all of those damn business majors, we could have been out in 45 mins tops. Had they presented to the engineering and computer studies graduates alone, we could have been out in 20 minutes. The program that they handed out at the door told the story. 98% Business Majors, 2% Engineering/Computer Studies Majors. Our group took only a little more than a page to list, where as those business idiots had at least 5 pages. Anyway, I graduated, and got my fake diploma. Bring on the party and the alcohol.

My family had a big party for me a few hours after graduation was over, and I have to say that I really enjoyed that. After the party was over, a group of us decided that a few drinks would help ease the tension. They certainly made me feel a lot better. :) After that, we decided to go down to the hotel pool/hot tub. Now swimming and alcohol don't really go well, but sitting in that hot tub really helped ease all the tension in my back and neck.

Anyway, I'm tired and have run out of ranting energy for now. I will be going to Louisville tomorrow, and will be back sometime next week. Have to go get the car and take care of some other stuff. Ciao!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

WOW!

Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything on here. There has been so much going on since the last post, I just haven't had the time to be bothered with this thing.

Graduation is right around the corner, and along with finishing course work, I have been apartment and job searching. While my job hunt seems to be going no where fast, I have secured an apartment close to April's. It's not the best little place, but it will work for a start. As far as work goes, I have some contract stuff going now, so that will help until something a little more permanent comes along. I have been sending resumes out left and right, so hopefully some thing will give soon.

Classes end tomorrow, and finals are Monday, Tuesday, and Wedneday of next week. Thankfully I only have tests Monday and Tuesday, so I will use Wednesday to start packing to move. I will get the keys to my place Thursday, so I can move then. Graduation is Saturday May 13, and I am looking forward to being done.

GET ME OUTTA HERE!

Saturday, April 22, 2006

What Time of Day are You?

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.
Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.
Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.
You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Color Red?

You Are Red Orange

You are a very genuine person, although it takes a while for you to show the true you.
A bit introverted, you desire respect and affection from those close to you.
You are quite empathetic, and you have a true concern for the well being of others.
Many people have warm, heartfelt memories of you - even if you don't remember them well.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Who's the Monkey?

...........Oh wait, it's just me.

Damn, I really do clean up rather nicely when I have to. Imagine that. So what was the occasion? Had you read the post below, you'd know already, and I wouldn't have to repeat myself. Nevertheless, here it is again.

I was invited to an Honors Luncheon this afternoon at 12:30, at which I was honored for being selected to be listed in the 2006 Who's Who Among Student in America's Universities & Colleges. Lunch was catered by the Oyster Bar, and to me surprise and delight, the food wasn't half bad. Once the meal was finished, there was a nice parade of presentations, in which plaques and certificates were presented to the honorees. It was all over by 1:45, and off I went to finish preparing for the job interview I had with Bobay Web Development.

Then interview was at 3:00 this afternoon, and to my relief, the whole thing went pretty well. I managed to stay fairly well composed, and provided Mr. Bobay with all of the information he requested. He seemed rather impressed with the paperwork, and the responses I gave to his questions. So, I am hopeful that this will work out, and I will have a job with his company come the first part of May. Hey Natty and the Groovey Sisters, would ya put in a good word for me, please? Muchas Gracias Sisters.

So yeah, things have gone well today, and hopefully, will continue to do so. By the way, isn't it amazing what you can do with a digital camera and a tripod? Yep, Natty and I had joked about putting a picture of me in the monkey suit on the web. Gives new meaning to web monkey, huh?

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

A lot going on

Wow, it's been 5 days since my last post. Where in the world is time going?
Graduation is a little more than two weeks away, and I have a million things to
get done between now and then. Getting everything done is where all of my time
seems to be going these days. I'm really excited about graduation, but damn, I
wish time would slow down just a bit.

On a good note, I have an Honors Luncheon to attend tomorrow, and almost
an hour later, I have a job interview with a local web development firm called
Bobay Web Development. I a little nervous about the interview, but I am really
hopeful that something good will come of it. I don't care if it is a part-time job;
a job is a job right now. Anything that will bring me money is more than welcome
right now. Wish me luck, and put in a good word with the man in the sky.
I'll let ya know how it goes.

In related news, I am now looking at apartments that are close to April's house.
The rent will be a little more, and I will have to pay the gas & lights, but I am
willing to pay a little more if I can be closer to family. :) Being out in the middle
of nowhere, with no one I know around, really doesn't sound appealing to me.
Not to mention all of the bad things I keep hearing about the south end of town.
More on that later too.

For now, I have to finish my senior project, and revise the resume. ~Ciao!~

Friday, April 14, 2006

I CAN COOK!

You Are a Learning Cook

You've got the makings of an excellent cook, and the desire to be one.
But right now, you're just lacking the experience. You couldn't be a top chef yet, but you could be an apprentice.
This is close, but I would say that I'm better than an apprentice.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Peace in the Eye of the Storm

Peace In The Eye Of The Storm
by: Jill Lemming

Let us find peace in an angry world
let us strive harder each day
to live as your people, humble and good
without violence and vengeance, we pray.
Let us walk proud, united as one
determined to live by our faith
trusting Your guidance in all that we do
thankful for the gift of Your Grace.

Lord, we are strong, not by ourselves
but with Your Spirit abiding within
every moment of every day
we surrender to You once again.

With our country in turmoil and bound in sin
we plead for a change still to come
Lord, give us leaders who rely on You
to direct what this world will become.

We leave our future in Your loving Hands
in the midst of a World that is torn
whatever we face, we know You are there
to bring peace in the eye of the storm.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Sleepless Nights

Lately I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping at night, and I'm not exactly sure what's causing the problem. It's certainly not a lack of being tired, because I have been plum tuckered out. I've found it nearly impossible to get comfortable, and when I finally fall asleep, it's due to passing out from pure and utter exhaustion. There have been a few nights that I have not slept at all, meaning I was up all night and had to go to classes total zombified. I can tell you, with as strenuous as my schedule is, I can't afford to lose sleep like I am.

I have tried to figure out what could be causing the insomnia, and the only thing that come to mind is the anxiety surrounding the fact that I graduate from college in a MONTH! Not only that, I am also working on a pretty big website project right now, and I'm feeling the pressure to not only do a great job, but to get this done as soon as I can. Hmmm.....wonder what could be keeping me awake at night.

What ever the cause, I am damn tired of it; big emphasis on TIRED!

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Chance or Choice

Choice or Chance
================

When we meet the right person to love, when we're at the right
place at the right time, that's chance.

When you meet someone you're attracted to, that's not a choice.
That's chance.

Being caught up in a moment (and there are a lot of couples who
get together because of this) is not a choice.
That's also a chance.

The difference is what happens afterwards.
When will you take that infatuation, that crush, that mind-
blowing attraction to the next level?
That's when all sanity goes back, you sit down and contemplate
whether you want to make this into a concrete relationship or
just a fling.

If you decide to love a person, even with his or her faults, that's not
a chance. That's choice.

When you choose to be with a person, no matter what,
that's choice.

Even if you know there are many people out there who are more
attractive, smarter, and richer than your mate, and yet, you
decide to love your mate just the same, that's choice.

Infatuation, crushes, and attraction come to us by chance.
But true love that lasts is truly a choice.
A choice that we make.

Regarding soul mates, there's a beautiful movie quote that I
believe is so true about this: "Fate brings you together,
but it's still up to you to make it happen."

I believe that soul mates do exist, that there is truly
someone made for you. But it's still up to you to make the
choice if you're going to do something about it or not.

We may meet our soul mates by chance, but loving and staying with
our soul mate is still a choice we have to make.

We came to the world not to find someone perfect to love,
BUT to learn how to love an imperfect person perfectly.

~Author Unknown~

Saturday, April 01, 2006

You really think so?

People Envy Your Compassion

You have a kind heart and an unusual empathy for all living creatures. You tend to absorb others' happiness and pain.
People envy your compassion, and more importantly, the connections it helps you build. And compassionate as you are, you feel for them.

Nominated to be Solicited

So I was recently informed that I have been selected by Indiana Tech to be in the 2006 edition of "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges". Below is the announcement that was on Tech's website:

Students honored in "Who's Who"
March 29, 2006

The 2006 edition of "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges" will include 31 Indiana Tech students chosen as national outstanding campus leaders. Those students are:

A'lana Washington, Alicia Barrett, Alicia Harrison, Alison Muhlenkamp, Amy Stroud, Benjamin Hogue, Casey Hunsucker, Christopher Payne, Clinton Gulley, DeNisha Gray, Erin Plank, Guanita Hillsman, James Shafer, Janelle Freeland, Joseph Corona, Kara Walker, Kelly Jones, Makiaya Jackson, Mariana Rodriguez, Mark Gilson, Marquita Phillips, Michael Durbin, Michelle Quinn, Molly Windle, Nicholas Oswalt, Ross Causley, Ryan Bedwell, Ryan Camp, Steven McGlennen, Thomas McDowell, and Timothy Rupp.

Campus nominating committees and editors of the annual directory have included the names of these students based on their academic achievement, service to the community, leadership in extracurricular activities, and potential for continued success.

Now, I appreciate the honor but I have one little problem with it. The letter I received from the VP of Academics regarding this, clearly stated that I would be contacted by the Who's Who organization, soliciting my purchase of the 2006 book. Not only that, but I will have to pay them to include my 3 line bio in the book. So, to sum up the situation, I have been nominated to be solicited.

Anyway, I will drop to that level, be happy that I was nominated, and pay the $10 for my 3 line bio. I just thought that someone might get a kick out of my complaint. If not, Megabyte me.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

ABC’s OF A FRUITFUL LIFE

ABC’s OF A FRUITFUL LIFE

A lways put God first in your life.
B e a true friend and you will have many friends.
C ount and thank God for your many blessings daily.
D iscipline yourself. Decide to make your life count.
E dify and encourage others consistently.
F ollow great leaders and then become one.
G ive liberally and joyfully of your time, talents and means.
H ave an attitude of gratitude.
I nvert any negatives thrown your way. Turn them into positives.
J ourney through life one step and one day at a time.
K eep written goals set ahead. Make specific plans to accomplish them.
L ove and forgive everybody.
M aximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
N ever, never, never give up!
O pen the door wide when opportunity knocks.
P ractice patience. Promote peace.
Q uit bad habits by replacing them with good habits.
R ead God's Word and other profitable material every chance you get.
S hare the Gospel whenever and wherever possible.
T ake time to appreciate everything and everyone God has given to you.
U se your God given common sense.
V isualize your dreams and stretch to reach for them
W atch, listen and pray without ceasing.
X amine your motives on a regular basis.
Y ield to the Holy Spirit when He prompts you.
Z oom in on God's real purpose for your life.

-- Author Unknown

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Happy Birthday to ME!

I thought I'd take the time to wish myself a very Happy 22nd Birthday. Might be the only birthday wish I get all day. After all, I do have to look out for numeral uno once in a while.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Experiencing His Presence

So I was at the Barnes & Noble bookstore Saturday night and I found a devotional book entitled Experiencing His Presence by Tommy Tenney. Seemed like an interesting book, and since it was on the cheap books table I bought it.

Figuring that reading such a book would spark a firestorm of thoughts in my mind, I decided that I would create a new blog. As I read the book, I will use the blog to plot my progress, and post reflections on the reading that I have done.

All are welcome to visit the Experiencing His Presence blog, and are welcome to post comments.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

What Type of Writer?

Courtesy of Sr. Steph's blog

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind.
You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life.
Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling.
And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

Midnight Reflections

On Thursday, Natty posted the follow quote of the day on her blog:

"God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the difference."

Too often, I think about how wonderful it would be to never see half of the people I have had the misfortune of meeting while here at college. Then again, there are some that I would like to know better than I do. There are some that I have met along the way, whose names and faces I no longer remember.

I can only pray that I will have the good fortune of remaining with the one person who has made the biggest difference in me since I came to school. May I always have the eyesight to see the one who brings light to my world on the darkest of days. For not having either, would most certainly make for an existence as dark as a moonless night.

Monday, March 20, 2006

I'm still here

Wow! Has it really been eight whole days since I made my last post? There's been so much going on since Spring Break ended. Some good, some bad, but as usual the bad has been weighing me down the most.

My great-grandmother had to have surgery on Monday, to remove some skin cancer spots from her face and arms. The spots on her face were around her nose, and they were bad enough, that part of the nose had to be removed. She literally had another hole in her head. Thursday, she went back in so a plastic surgeon could rebuild her nose. Having gone down there this past weekend, I can tell you that she really looks like shit. Thankfully, she came through the operations pretty well, and remains in good spirits about the whole situation. Now most people would say, "oh, that kind of stuff is done everyday. It's routine procedure, blah blah blah."
Well, I can tell you that this particular case is anything but routine. I did say that she is my Great-Grandmother. The woman in 88 yrs old, in terrible health as is, and is, by all accounts, ready to go. Needless to say, knowing what I do about the situation, I haven't been able to focus on anything related to school. I hope that having seen her myself, I will now be able to ease my mind, and focus on my obligations here, rather than dwell on something I can't do anything about, considering it's 250 miles away from here. I know, easier said than done.

In the midst of the negativity, there have been a few positives. For starters, I have taken on that website project for the Indiana Association of Hostage/Crisis Negotiators, that I wrote about in a previous post. The exciting aspect of that is the $1,500 + that I'm going to rake in for my work. Not a bad start.

The positive sides of going home this past weekend included getting away with April, seeing my family, getting the suits that I bought during spring break, and celebrating mine and my sister's birthdays. Whitney's birthday was Saturday, and while my birthday isn't until March 28, I wanted to be able to celebrate it with my family for a change. That was the original reason for going home this weekend.

To be continued..........................

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Back to the grind

It's nearly midnight, classes resume tomorrow, and I really should be in bed. Despite how tired I am, my mind doesn't seem to want to let me go to sleep. My mind has been racing most of the evening; I've been thinking about all the stuff that I have scheduled for the weeks ahead.

This week I really need to get the website for my senior project finished. I worked on it off and on during the break, but haven't quite completed it yet. Shouldn't take me long though; it's taking shape and really looking good. That may just be my opinion, but we'll see what the stakeholder has to say about that. I also need to get the ambassadors website updated before Wednesday; we are scheduled to have a meeting with the university president that evening. Big waste of time if you ask me. I have database project stuff to work on, a possible test in network and systems administration to prep for, and then, there's work in the library. Blah!

At the end of the week, I will be going back to Louisville with April, for a big birthday party for my sister and myself. April thought it would be nice to visit during my sister's birthday, which is saturday (March 18), and I thought it would be nice to be able to celebrate my birthday with the family down there at the same time; haven't been able to do that since I came to college, and thought the family might enjoy it. Should be a blast......cough, cough........uh huh.

Then the following week, on March 22, I have the Senior Etiquette Dinner to attend. The dress for that is professional. So I have to get all dressed up, suit, tie, and all, and go to that nightmare. I spent a bunch of money on professional attire during the break, and will share more on that later.

I am also expecting to hear from the representative from the Indiana Association of Hostage/Crisis Negotiators about the website job which I wrote about in a previous post.
So, um, yeah.....I have a lot going on. This is only a small portion of what I could list; though I don't feel like wasting my time with any more than I have here. More than anyone else would care to bore themselves reading too.

Well, now that I have rambled about all that is in store for me in the coming weeks, I'm finally ready for bed, so off to the land of dreams and nightmares I go. Ciao!

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Good times (continued)

Well, the trip back to the fort wasn't too bad. As usual, my aunt, uncle, and I stopped at the outlet mall in Edinburgh; we had lunch, then went through a couple of book stores there, and was I disappointed in the selection of techie books at both. I did happen to find one interesting title, "Who's Pushing Your Buttons? Dealing with the difficult people in your life." Sounded like something that I could handle reading, so I bought it. Only 5 bucks anyway. We stopped in the kitchen and cooking stores; I found a line of Jack Daniels coffees in one of them and bought some sample bags just to see if they are any good. If I like it, I may go back and buy some more. We'll see what happens.

We finally got to Fort Wayne shortly after 4, and after stopping at the hotel so the aunt and uncle could check in, we headed to my place to unload all my junk, and to meet April before going to dinner. Ended up going to Applebee's for dinner, and as usual, the food was pretty good. My only complaint about that place is they use toooooooooo much salt on all of their potatoes; fries, red skins, mashed, you name it. Tooooo much salt. Just an observation that I've made the last few times I've been there. Overall, the experience was good.

After dinner we made our way over to the Border's book store. Of course, I found a couple of the techie books that I had been looking for, and bought them despite how much they cost. Some of those books are grossly over priced. Then again, this week has been one for spending money, and what's a few hundred more compared to the thousands that I've spent over the last 4 years.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Good times

Well, this has certainly been a wonderful spring break thus far. The trip home has gone so well, I really couldn't have asked for a better time. I've done a lot of shopping; spent mega bucks, spent time with family, went to an art museum, and actually managed to get some other work done too. Overall, it's been a great trip, and I'm really sorry that it is ending tomorrow, when I return to Fort Wayne. Well, sort of sorry any way. There is the whole part of missing April, and wanting to get back up there to spend time with her. Of course, since I will be returning on Thursday, I will have until Sunday to spend time with her, and relax, and prepare for classes to resume on Monday. Blah. I'm having such a good time right now, I don't want to go back to class on Monday. I'm having a wonderful time doing nothing. Damn, why do good things have to come to an end?

To Be Continued........................

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Made it home

Well, finally got out of Fort Wayne about 5:30 this evening. Mom got to town shortly after 3; we went to Walmart, had dinner, then got on the road. We made it to Louisville in 3.5 hours. Speeding may or may not have been involved. hehe. I'm staying with my aunt and uncle while I'm home. It's so nice and quiet here at there place, and I'm under no pressure to do anything. So nice to be able to relax in a warm, comfortable environment like this for a change. Maybe I'll actually be able to get some work done on my senior project after all.

My aunt and uncle will go to church in the morning, and I will more than likely stay home. I think I will use that time to work on some stuff. Might as well make good use of my time. Some of you may be thinking, "yeah right, it's spring break, you aren't going to work on school stuff."
I will have you know, I am hell bent on getting some work done during the break, even while I'm here in Louisville.

Anyway, it's late and I'm rather tired. Time for a nice long nap. Good night people.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

A thought on Spring Break

I was looking through my AIM buddy list, and noticed an away message with the following:

"spring break is fail. because when I think of spring, I obviously think of 40 degree weather, dead grass, heavy coats and trees without leaves."

Keep in mind, Spring doesn't officially start until March 20. Tech's Spring Break is March 4 thru March 12. Shouldn't Spring Break be after Spring officially starts?

Thursday, March 02, 2006

The Position Has Been Filled

Well, I thought about the web site job that Julie told me about and I have decided that I would take the challenge head on. Having reviewed the organization's existing web site, I can honestly say that I'd almost be willing to do the job for free. It's really bad. I've been told that they are looking to have a simple, yet visually appealing and professionally done web site. I told Julie to give the people me contact information, and have them contact me after spring break. By then, I should have the current web project I'm working on completed, and will be able to handle the new task.

By the way, did I mention that there was money involved with this gig? I'm not sure how much yet, but any thing is better than nothing at all. Not only will I walk away with money, but it will be one more job to add to my resume, and may potentially lead to other job opportunities. The more projects like this that I can add to my resume and portfolio, the better off I am going to be.

It's nice to know that people have taken note of my talents, and are promoting me when job opportunities like this come along. May these opportunities continue to present themselves as graduation grows near.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Encouraging Prospects

So I was sitting in the networking lab this morning, studying for a test, when Julie walks in and tells me that she finally remembered what she had been wanting to talk to me about. It turns out that the Indiana Association of Hostage/Crisis Negotiators is looking for someone to rebuild the organization's website, and Julie seems to think that I would be the perfect guy for the job. The plus side is that there would be money involved, so I am sorta drawn towards it. The website to be developed will be relatively simple in nature, and shouldn't take long for me to build at all. I have to figure out if it can fit into my schedule, so, I told her that I would consider it, and let her know soon.

Then, this afternoon I received a call from a technical staffing company, that evidently found my resume on either monster.com or careerbuilder.com, and thought that I would be a great candidate for a web design position at International Truck and Engine here in Fort Wayne. While the prospect certainly excited me, I was disappointed to have to inform the guy that I couldn't take the position at this time. He was very understanding of my persistence towards getting finished with college before taking a position, and said the company will keep my resume on file, and contact my closer to graduation time. I am encouraged by this prospect to say the least.

It is nice to know that there actually are employers looking at my resumes on monster and careerbuilder, and it was gratifying to receive a call from someone stating that I appeared to be very well qualified for the position he had available. I hope and pray that something else like that comes along at graduation time, when I really need it. I truly believe that God will provide when the time is here. And for that, I give thanks.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Day light lasts a little longer


Natty posted an audioblog about the fact that it was still fairly light out at 6pm this evening. I was out between 5:30 and 6:30 pm and can attest to her claim. In fact, I had my digital camera with me at the time, and though the sky looked cool enough to warrant my taking a picture. So, to supplement Natty's post, here are a couple of pics.

The top pic was taken at 5:26 pm. The bottom pic was taken at 6:23 pm.


Rest in Peace Anthony Burger

Gospel Pianist Anthony Burger Dies At 44 While On Gaither Cruise
posted February 23, 2006

A gospel pianist who hailed from Cleveland, Tn., died Wednesday while performing on a cruise with Bill Gaither.

Anthony Burger was 43.

He was a part of the Gaither Homecoming shows and had a number of gospel albums to his credit.

He lived at Brentwood, Tn.

Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland said Mr. Burger grew up in Cleveland and was on his radio show playing the piano when he was three. He said he had been friends with him ever since.

Mayor Rowland said Anthony burned his hands when he fell on a grate as a youngster, and doctors said he would not be able to use his hands. "But he was determined that he would play the piano."

He said he left Bradley High School when he was 16 to join the Kingsmen Quartet. He went on "to win virtually every gospel award. He won the gospel music award so often that they named it for him."

Mayor Rowland said Mr. Burger came back to Cleveland to film his 25th anniversary music video and it was a best seller. He was in Cleveland for three recent Christmas concerts and all were standing room only.

Mayor Rowland said Mr. Burger played the National Anthem at the World's Fair when President Reagan attended, and he played several times at the White House. He said he "played with all the great people."

He said there was no hint that he had any health problem, though he had said he was not feeling well and he had chest pains. He said he was on stage playing when he winked at his wife, Luanne, then fell backwards dead.

The couple has a daughter, Lori, who is in college, and young sons, A.J. and Austin.

His parents, Richard and Jean Burger, still live in Cleveland.

Mayor Rowland said funeral arrangements are incomplete, though he expects there will be services in Nashville and in Cleveland.

He said the ship is not due to reach shore until Saturday. An autopsy will be performed, but a heart attack is suspected.

Anthony Burger was described as "a piano virtuoso with an incomparable style of playing. Classically trained, the much-revered pianist for the Gaither Homecoming series as well as a highly successful solo recording artist, he commands a stage with his keyboard acrobatics."

On his latest release, A Tribute To Bill & Gloria Gaither, he featured some of the best-loved classics from the Gaithers, including He Touched Me, The King Is Coming, It Is Finished and Because He Lives.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Congratulations April



Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Engineering Week Banquet held in the conference center on campus. I say it was a pleasure because April was honored with an Oscar Weitzman Academic Achievement Award at the banquet. After 3 years of applying for one of the E-week Scholarships, April was finally selected to be a recipient this year. Daniel Ewing, P.E., of the Fort Wayne Engineers Club presented the award.

We had a wonderful evening, dinner was great, and April received an honor which she definitely deserves. Congratulations April!

Friday, February 24, 2006

Quick Guide to Programming Languages

Quick Guide to Programming Languages

The proliferation of modern programming languages (all of which seem to have stolen countless features from one another) sometimes makes it difficult to remember what language you're currently using. This handy reference is offered as a public service to help programmers who find themselves in such a dilemma.


TASK: Shoot yourself in the foot.


C: You shoot yourself in the foot.

C++: You accidentally create a dozen instances of yourself and shoot them all in the foot. Providing emergency medical assistance is impossible since you can't tell which are bitwise copies and which are just pointing at others and saying, "That's me, over there."

FORTRAN: You shoot yourself in each toe, iteratively, until you run out of toes, then you read in the next foot and repeat. If you run out of bullets, you continue with the attempts to shoot yourself anyways because you have no exception-handling capability.

Pascal: The compiler won't let you shoot yourself in the foot.

Ada: After correctly packing your foot, you attempt to concurrently load the gun, pull the trigger, scream, and shoot yourself in the foot. When you try, however, you discover you can't because your foot is of the wrong type.

COBOL: Using a COLT 45 HANDGUN, AIM gun at LEG.FOOT, THEN place ARM.HAND.FINGER on HANDGUN.TRIGGER and SQUEEZE. THEN return HANDGUN to HOLSTER. CHECK whether shoelace needs to be re-tied.

LISP: You shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds...

FORTH: Foot in yourself shoot.

Prolog: You tell your program that you want to be shot in the foot. The program figures out how to do it, but the syntax doesn't permit it to explain it to you.

BASIC: Shoot yourself in the foot with a water pistol. On large systems, continue until entire lower body is waterlogged.

Visual Basic: You'll really only appear to have shot yourself in the foot, but you'll have had so much fun doing it that you won't care.

HyperTalk: Put the first bullet of gun into foot left of leg of you. Answer the result.

Motif: You spend days writing a UIL description of your foot, the bullet, its trajectory, and the intricate scrollwork on the ivory handles of the gun. When you finally get around to pulling the trigger, the gun jams.

APL: You shoot yourself in the foot, then spend all day figuring out how to do it in fewer characters.

SNOBOL: If you succeed, shoot yourself in the left foot. If you fail, shoot yourself in the right foot.

Unix:

% ls
foot.c foot.h foot.o toe.c toe.o
% rm * .o
rm:.o no such file or directory
% ls
%

Concurrent Euclid: You shoot yourself in somebody else's foot.

370 JCL: You send your foot down to MIS and include a 400-page document explaining exactly how you want it to be shot. Three years later, your foot comes back deep-fried.

Paradox: Not only can you shoot yourself in the foot, your users can, too.

Access: You try to point the gun at your foot, but it shoots holes in all your Borland distribution diskettes instead.

Revelation: You're sure you're going to be able to shoot yourself in the foot, just as soon as you figure out what all these nifty little bullet-thingies are for.

Assembler: You try to shoot yourself in the foot, only to discover you must first invent the gun, the bullet, the trigger, and your foot.

Modula2: After realizing that you can't actually accomplish anything in this language, you shoot yourself in the head.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

The McMillen Copy Service?


Since when does the McMillen Library offer copy services? I'm sitting at the circulation desk, and in walks one of the security guards, who proceeds to demand that I make some copies for him. Not once, but 2 fricken times. Now grant it he is an older guy, and I try to show some respect for my elders/authority figures, but for the love of god, how hard is it to place a piece of paper on the copier, press the number of copies desired, and press start? How hard is that? Apparently, too hard for this particular chap.

This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened. This time he only want 4 copies of each paper he brought in. However, he has been known to bring in a folder full of stuff, and demand 40 or 50 copies of each. That's bullshit. Why the hell should I have to do someone elses work? Is it really in my job description that I have to make copies for other departments in this building? If this is the kind of shit that I'm going to be expected to do on a regular basis, then by damn, we should be charging a fee for the service.

Hey you lazy some body, copy this!

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Blonde Finally Wins

A guy gets on a plane and finds himself seated next to a cute blonde. He immediately turns to her and makes his move. "You know," he says, "I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger. So let's talk."

The blonde, who had just opened her book, closes it slowly and asks the guy, "What would you like to discuss?"

"Oh, I don't know," says the guy. "How about nuclear power?"

"OK," says the blonde. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff-----grass. Yet the deer excretes little pellets, the cow turns out a flat patty, and the horse produces muffins of dried poop. Why do you suppose that is?"

The guy is dumbfounded. Finally he replies, "I haven't the slightest idea."

"So tell me," says the blonde, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know shit?"

Painfully funny

Now that the pain is easing from the injury mentioned in the post below, I'm finding it much easier to joke around and laugh about it. It was such a stupid accident; a finger smashed in a frickin library book dropbox. You can't make this shit up! It's a damn good thing I have pretty thick skin, because I'm catching grief from everyone I talk to about it.

Several people have congratulated April for a job well done, and have offered suggestions as to how to do a better job next time. Next time? Bullshit, once is enough for some things. And at least one person has said they wish there were pictures from the scene of the accident. Well God Bless them too. :-D

There I was, holding my hand and dancing around like a frickin idiot; April trying to figure out what the hell was the matter with me. I was so cold, and in so much shock that I couldn't really say anything. I just showed her my hand. The one thought that ran across my mind was "damn it, you hurt me, AGAIN." I know that she really didn't mean to, and appologized profusely, but I couldn't help but think that thought. I think this is about the most painful thing that has happened as a result of something she did, but this is not the first injury that I have suffered at the hands of my accident proned fiancee. From the many hits in the head as she pulled her purse or book bag from the backseat of the car, to the near busted ear drum from her screaming "there it is" when she saw a sign while driving down the road. High pitched shrieks in small closed spaces are not good for the ears.

I can say with a great deal of certainty....Love Hurts!