Category Archives: MySpace Blog Archive

Garryowen…

Posted on by

Editorial Note: Apparently at one point, I had default music playing on my MySpace profile *shudder*. It seems to be for the best that it went extinct some time ago.

OK, so more than one person has sent me a message asking what’s up with the music on my profile. If you’re that interested, Wikipedia has a good article on the song itself. Mostly it’s there because I sort of like it. I know, century old marching tunes aren’t exactly top-40 material, but then again, I’ve never been much of a top-40 kind of guy. Still, I like the imagery of Custer’s 7th riding out of Fort Lincoln, guidons unfurled in the breeze, to meet their destiny on the Plains.

What can I say, I’m got a soft spot for lost causes.

10,000+

Posted on by

I’ve been giddy with anticipation for this event (Yes, I know I’m a geek, so sue me). I’ve been obsessively checking MySpace all evening and I’m finally ready to announce that tonight my little corner of the internet passed the 10,000 views mark. You people have had nothing better to do than check in on my maniacal ranting 10,000 times. Let’s think about that for a minute, shall we?

So, tonight, I’d like to thank all of you readers who keep coming back day after day for making me a little part of your daily routine. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. And while I won’t promise limitless new and interesting content, I hope that I can at least manage say something interesting or even something insightful from time to time.

So here’s to you Mr. and Ms. MySpace Blog Reader. Let’s try this again at 20,000.

Indispensible…

Posted on by

Some days it’s hard to believe that the government ever managed function before I came to work. Apparently I like thinking I’m indispensible way more than I like actually being the man of the hour. Quite frankly it’s just too damned much work. I’m off to the District again tomorrow to avert another crisis.

And for those of you who already think I take myself too seriously, please note that I write this with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek.

A dangerous thing…

Posted on by

Some of you may have noticed that I’m a bit of a technophile. I love the new and the shiny, the sleek and the powerful. I have an overwhelming belief that two year old computers should be heading towards the ash heap of history. And that sets the stage for what comes next…

One of the wonderful features of my work is the quasi-regular video-teleconference we have with various and sundry locations. We tried to host said VTC from our new office this afternoon. When I walked into the room 15 minutes before the great event was to start and all the lights were off, I had the first inkling that there could be a problem. When I went to find the IT people to set up the equipment and they weren’t around, I knew we had a problem.

When, 15 minutes after the meeting should have started, the IT tech is struggling mightily to get the equipment set up we should have known the better part of valor was to throw in the towel. And just when you think the day couldn’t get any more odd, the computer supposed to be running all of the telephone equipment boots up… and is running Windows 95.

Win 95 was a groundbreaking OS back in the day… way back. There have been 5 new versions of windows since then and I hate to estimate how many generations of new computers have come and gone in the last 12 years. I guess that’s why no one was really surprised when 20 minutes into a meeting that started 20 minutes late, the computer froze and dropped the connection.

It boggles my mind that anyone would try to conduct business with this kind of set up. Quite frankly it’s more than a little embarrassing. In the right hands technology is a beautiful thing. In the wrong hands it can be a dangerous thing. But when it’s 2007 and your communications infrastructure is running Windows 95, it’s just a paperweight.

The world turned upside down…

Posted on by

The French went to the polls today (and there’s no real reason anyone other than me would know this) and, wonder of wonders, elected a pro-American conservative president. Nicolas Sarkozy ran on a platform that promised to “loosen the 35-hour work week by offering tax breaks on overtime and to trim fat from the public service, cut taxes and wage war on unemployment.” I’ve read a few articles this evening that compare him to a Thatcher and or a Reagan for the French people.

I’m a little stunned by all of this. Being annoyed by the French is something I’ve come to expect. It’s like the sun coming up in the morning. I’m not at all sure what I think of a France that isn’t wandering around looking for an eye that needs a thumb stuck in it.

So tonight, for one time only you’ll hear me say it: Viva la France!

If…

Posted on by

If I’m ever in a position to direct the work of others, I will not walk off at “quitting time” because I have an itch to start my three day weekend and leave my people holding the bag on a project that I am responsible for delivering on Monday.

Conversely, when in a position to be directed by others, I will not let the mission fail because of poor leadership from those providing the direction.

Ugly Mug…

Posted on by

One of the side benefits of having an extensive road schedule is being able to sample great locally produced coffees. Several producers from Kona still top my “best of” list, but the downside is that a pound of most pure-Kona coffees will set you back $20-30. As much as I love coffee, even I’m too cheap to brew that on a daily basis.

Here in Memphis, I have found a local company, that I highly recommend. At the moment, I am enjoying the just-brewed goodness of their Southern Pecan offering. If you’re looking for a cup of coffee that is highly drinkable, but won’t break the bank, check out the Ugly Mug Coffee Co.

If you’re a fan of good coffee, order a bag. I think you’ll be pleased.

Schism…

Posted on by

I always assumed that the next great rift in this country would split along socio-economic lines, but the more I take a long, careful look at the current situation, I believe I see another, potentially more disturbing fracture looming. Given the recent (though somewhat farcical) procedural votes that have taken place in the Congress, I can see a scenario that would have Congress cutting off funds for the war and a president who would in all likelihood ignore that particular legislative prerogative and carry on the war effort. With the executive and the Congress both in the hands of ideological extremists, it does set an interesting stage for what could be not just a Constitutional crisis, but a systemic meltdown in which the system of checks and balances would cease to function. I’ve studied enough history to know that schism between the executive and the legislative is often the furnace where civil wars are forged. While I don’t think our military is busy choosing sides just yet, late at night that is one of the thoughts keeps me awake just a little bit longer.

While I’m on this particular topic, I have to say that it is incumbent upon the Congress of the United States to fully fund the men and women in harms way. Cutting funding for the troops is not only short sighted policy, but also a political mistake. Imagine being a candidate and facing a row of cameras when the first question is going to be “Why didn’t you support our troops?” For good or ill, that’s how the question will be framed. Maybe with more style, but every time, that is going to be the substance of the question.

Resisting Temptation…

Posted on by

Up until now, I have resisted the temptation to comment on Anna Nicole, not so much out of a sense of respect for the dead as out of a belief that it isn’t an event really worth noting as anything more than a passing way. The incessant and insipid coverage in the major media outlets has been nothing short of remarkable for someone whose major contribution to society was getting naked on film and marrying and elderly billionaire.

Am I missing something here? Are we, as a society, truly this vapid? We are a nation at war, beset by foes abroad and at home. A nation racked by both personal and public debts. A nation facing the most serious public policy disputes since Herbert Hoover sat in the White House. And yet, somehow, a dead c-list celebrity has managed to grind the news-cycle to a halt for the last week.

Stop me if I’m wrong here, but does anyone else see a flaw in our collective priorities?

Peaceful, easy feeling…

Posted on by

There really isn’t anything I feel compelled to bitch and complain about at the moment… or more specifically nothing I feel compelled to bitch and complain about with the world as an audience.

All things considered, I’m finding myself remarkably well satisfied. One fairly significant loose end I am working to tie up on the personal side of things, but work is settling into a (somewhat intense) routine and everything else is falling into place. Everything isn’t what I anticipated, but it seems to be alright.