mobility required

Ever since I first saw "packed file corrupt" on my Dad's 386 MS-DOS machine (used for his business) I've had a strange relationship with computers and software. And now, some 20 years later, it feels like that continues to resonate with my struggle with these (this?) technological time burglars: broken monitors, sketchy disc burners, failing hard-disks, "out of memory", and numerous minutes spent "...loading"


Oh to be a Luddite.

blurb about Bank of America ATM deposits

You don't even need an envelop to deposit into a Bank of America ATM. I just used this today and it was simple as possible. You login, feed your check into the deposit slot, the machine grabs it, scans it, asks you to verify the amount (it reads the check. Hit a button or two, get a receipt with a scan of your deposits on it, and your gone. I'm probably never going into the bank again for any normal teller services. (They used to be frequently out of envelopes) Nice innovation. I don't know who came up with that, but thanks.

money and mouths

With all the recent blibbing and blabbing on financial news media I find something interesting: How far can you really stand behind what you say? You could think of it like a derivative from calculus, using "why" as the differentiator. From that analogy I suppose the integral would be the thoughts you say. I mean I'm always hearing about how "this will do that, and if this then the end of the world." Much of the time it's to one extreme or another. When I argue with someone (as I often do) I find myself answering why after why after why question until it ends up that I don't know after a while. A lot of the time when I give the why I'll get some damn illogical reference to some fringe "study" or "evidence". Frustrating, but I guess that's why successful people are those who can cut through bullshit like that. But even successful people don't know everything...

Socialism for the Rich

Though it may actually be a good thing, it should still be noted that the nationalisation of Fannie and Freddie means all the higher-ups of those companies are going to get off with all the money they line out to themselves via salaries and bonuses and now handing the bill to the Fed. Nice...whatever.

This country has two economic platforms: Capitalism & Corruption (read: socialism for the rich) Bailouts at the top of society and the bottom. Though I'm sure the bottom still sucks. Female, poor, and need sympathy...just get pregnant; need some paid time off...just get fired and go get your check; old and out of shape?...ah whatever...

Work: Something you do?

Wah? Work is, of course and by very definition, something you do. However, for me and may others it's also, maybe even more so given my low-ass-class stature, a place you go...go everyday...5,6,12 or more days a week. (trust me, there are no 7 day work weeks. There's just 6, then it's at least a 12 day week.) Though I'm not inclined to work in their industry, Best Buy has implemented a plan to help some of it's employees remember that work is only worth it if you get things done. Their plan is called ROWE, Results-Only Work Environment, and is being used by about 3,000 workers at the company’s main offices in Richfield, Minn. It was tested at two divisions of Best Buy in 2003 and then spread to other units. There's no work schedules, but you'd better get things done.

Individual team managers have developed goals for each worker that are intended to serve as the sole basis for deciding whether that employee is delivering the necessary results. About 80% of Best Buy’s headquarters staff have switched to ROWE.
ROWE’s developers say a main goal is to get managers to abandon the widespread but misguided notion that “Time + Physical Presence = Results.”

I don't know, I bet there's heavy politics involved. Though, absolutely right on the concept.

What does a VP do???

CNBC clip via YouTube: Sara Palin Qualified?
What the hell was that? The clip is from a Larry Kudlow interview with republican VP nominee Sara Palin. She can't sound much dumber, can she? "It's a pretty cool job, too." -just dumb...hell ass dumb! Listen to how Kudlow has to hold-back (amid a couple cracks) his laughter. It doesn't get much better than that. LOL.

Millionaires under 30

I just watched a small segment on CNBC about some of the top investors are under 30. I'm 29 and have for about 10 years been an on/off trader and market enthusiast. It just makes me wonder about ambition. Which is the main factor of those under 30 (or even 40) that allows them to be successful. It really boils down to that...along with some organizational skill. Organized ambition is what built the country, discovered the "new world", built the atom-bomb. There's a quote that often seems to embroil me rather than encourage, but "you've got the same number of hours in your day as Newton, Einstein, Dylan, Da Vinci, Magellan, Franklin, Washington, even Bush." Okay, that's not exactly the quote, but it's something like that. Anyway, use the hours.

Text books suck

It happened again. So many times over the course of my college endeavors in taking classes I will see one book listed in the Syllabus and another, though similar, book in the bookstore. I know, I know go to Amazon and get the book listed in the silly-bus, but I was on the short-squeeze this time, having taken a week off already and really just need the material for next class period, which would be tomorrow. Anyway the book I bought from the bookstore was 15 bucks more than listed, due to some fees and tax. Can't they just be on the same page instead of trying to screw with someone just that one inch further?

Political culture

I caught a few glimpses of the DNC and will have to watch the RNC now. After taking a compulsory class in US Constitution I've wanted to become more politically involved. Not just aware of issues and people, but actually put effort in understanding how that mess-o-machine works. Seems like it's too important to let slip by. Look what happened when not enough people cared in 2000, and then similar shit in 2004. There's a lot going on in the world, and we're in the world. If you're not paying enough attention and trying to understand things for yourself, then the world's not going to just "pass you on by", but it'll most likely just find a new way to fuck with you.

Return from the North Country

Well I'm back in Tallahassee after spending a couple weeks on my family's grain farm in Minnesota. I'm also back in school to complete a BS in engineering at FSU, though I'm currently taking the back-roads in. Minnesota is beautiful in the Summer. Cold and bitter in the Winters though. I'd like to thank all the staff at TJ's Tavern, in Oklee, for the great hospitality during the open mic sessions (every Wed. night). Excellent pizza as well.

The flight up was a standard nwa flight for me. I've never had any complaints with any of the nwa staff or procedures. I flew into Minneapolis/St. Paul int'l airport and hitched a ride with my brother 300 miles N by NW to the farm. My return trip didn't go quite as smoothly. Since my brother would be heading South before me I bought a ticket on Jefferson Lines (pretty much the only bus service in that area). I bought it a week in advance on the internet. I paid for a full one-way fare from McIntosh, MN to Minneapolis, MN, about $60. Anyway, I get a ride to McIntosh (about 15 miles from the farm) and find there's no designated bus-stop area. We went into the only gas station (located next to the major highway that is the bus-line) and asked if the bus stops here. We were told that it usually did. So we waited, thankfully my ride waited with me, be cause we found out that the bus was running an hour and 15 mins late. Turns out the damn thing starts out in Winnipeg, CANADA! And we were told, "sometimes gets hung up at the border," what the hell? Anyway, so the 1:15 turned into about 1:40 and as I saw it barreling down the highway approaching the gas station, I ran outside to make sure he could see me. That damn bus never slowed down! We jumped into the car to try and catch it in the next town and found it didn't even stop there. I can't understand that, I bought the ticket in advance, he should've known there was a stop in McIntosh. Then when I called their customer service line I was informed that since it was Sat. and Mon. was a holiday, they couldn't help me until Tues. Okay, I called the main-office in Minneapolis and got nothing but a recorded message telling me to write a letter to them if I had any trouble! Oh they'll get a letter.

Anyway, is that the best we can do, shit, is that WHAT we're doing? Isn't it 2008?!? We should be transported anywhere in the US by some sort of Jetson-mobile by now. What the hell is wrong with this place?