I've been working for a little over a year doing phone tech support for a major satellite television provider. It isn't a particularly good job for a career. In fact it sucks. For someone working their way through college, it would be an excellent job. Since I am technically working my way through college, again, I guess I could look at it that way, but at my age, and with trying to start a family, it feels a bit different.
Probably the most difficult part however is dealing with unpleasant people, and customers can often be extremely unpleasant. I generally find sports fans the worst. Somehow their team is more important than everything else, and they can't imagine how anyone couldn't be just as in to their team as they are.
I once had a woman call me screaming to the top of her lungs that she couldn't get "The Game". When I tried to find out which game she became totally incoherent with rage. I didn't even know what sport she was talking about. Since there were at least 40 different games on various channels at the time in various sports, I couldn't help her until I had a little more information. She ended up demanding immediate cancel because I was so incompetent as to not know what "The Game" was.
While Sports fans are the most commonly unpleasant, they aren't by any means the only unpleasant people out there. One man I talked to was angry because he was told his bill would be about $20 per month for the first year. He said he paid it, and suddenly he owed $40, and he paid that, and was absolutely having a fit that he now owed $80. He yelled at me for over 30 minutes, and berated me for incompetence, even though I could see what the problem was from the minute I saw his account.The amount he owed was negative. In other words, he had been paying the credit amount. It took me another 30 minutes to get him calmed down enough to comprehend that the amount he saw on his billing was not how much he owed us, but how much we owed him.
It is interesting how often people get an idea in their head, and are either completely unwilling or unable to get over it sufficiently to actually hear what is going on. A lot of liberals, particularly university professors, like to tout being open minded, but when it comes to tech support (actually anything other than what they want to believe) they're about the most closed minded people out there. They refuse to understand what you're telling them when it comes to what you need to do.
TheWife worked at Taco Bell before I met her. She talked about people seeing you as a glorified vending machine. I'm OK with that. It's the ones that consider you less than a machine. Some people feel that since you are paid to see to their needs, you are somehow less than human. That it is somehow their right to abuse you.
I think that part of this is a relatively recent development in our society. There was a time when people wouldn't consider abusing someone serving them in a business, and if they did, they would quickly become a social outcast. Now however, we've lost all of our manners and self control. There are no consequences for being an unpleasant person. There are no real consequences for losing control. In some subcultures, it is actually seen as not only reasonable, but a desirable personality trait.
I have no idea how to solve the problem. It seems to be a form of barbarism. As I write this, there is a program on that was talking about the fall of Rome. It pointed out that as Rome started to fall, things got really bad. The Barbarians came in and took over. Now however we don't have barbarian hordes outside waiting to take us down, we have barbarians already here ready and working to take us down without even knowing.
I'm not looking forward to what's going to happen, but it should be interesting to see how things shake out.
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Monday, June 13, 2011
Joplin, Missouri vs New Orleans, Louisanna
Joplin, Missouri was hit by a severe storm a short time ago. The storm spawned several tornadoes, including at least 1 EF5, which hit Joplin. At least 200 people unaccounted for, with at least 125 confirmed dead, and at least 900 injured. The entire town is basically gone. Yet despite all of this, people are already rebuilding. Everyone is pitching in to help, and some have already started rebuilding. It is an inspiring view of what America should be.
Let's contrast this with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans a few years ago. Everything was Bush's fault. FEMA somehow caused all of the problems, and the government didn''t just come in and fix things. People basically sat around waiting for mommy government to come and kiss it all better or something, and when that couldn't happen, the result was anger and helplessness, not self sufficiency, or personal responsibility.
Let's view some basic differences:
First a nicely illustrative picture of the attitudes in New Orleans.
Now some comments from Joplin:
Now one could argue that it is simply biased reporting, but I've heard nothing about how the government failed Joplin, only New Orleans. I've also heard nothing about FEMA coming in to take care of things in Joplin. What I hear about are people coming together to get things done.
Now a lot would call this racist, but it isn't. It has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with ideology. Everywhere a socialistic/progressive viewpoint prevails, helplessness prevails, not only are people unwilling to help each other, they are unwilling to help themselves. They sit and wait for someone else to take care of it for them.
In areas where people have a sense of individuality, not only do they help themselves, they help each other. It is a truism, that if you can't help yourself, you can't help others. As we can see, in areas where people are willing to own their misfortune, things are getting better. In areas where progressivism reigns everyone sits around waiting for someone else to take action. The worst part is that in these areas, if someone does stand up to try to help, no one else stands up with him. He is crucified in the court of public opinion for not helping more.
Let's contrast this with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans a few years ago. Everything was Bush's fault. FEMA somehow caused all of the problems, and the government didn''t just come in and fix things. People basically sat around waiting for mommy government to come and kiss it all better or something, and when that couldn't happen, the result was anger and helplessness, not self sufficiency, or personal responsibility.
Let's view some basic differences:
First a nicely illustrative picture of the attitudes in New Orleans.
Now some comments from Joplin:
Now one could argue that it is simply biased reporting, but I've heard nothing about how the government failed Joplin, only New Orleans. I've also heard nothing about FEMA coming in to take care of things in Joplin. What I hear about are people coming together to get things done.
Now a lot would call this racist, but it isn't. It has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with ideology. Everywhere a socialistic/progressive viewpoint prevails, helplessness prevails, not only are people unwilling to help each other, they are unwilling to help themselves. They sit and wait for someone else to take care of it for them.
In areas where people have a sense of individuality, not only do they help themselves, they help each other. It is a truism, that if you can't help yourself, you can't help others. As we can see, in areas where people are willing to own their misfortune, things are getting better. In areas where progressivism reigns everyone sits around waiting for someone else to take action. The worst part is that in these areas, if someone does stand up to try to help, no one else stands up with him. He is crucified in the court of public opinion for not helping more.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Starting Back in College
Well, I've started back in college again. I don't know exactly how I'm going to pay for it all, but I'm in college, I just signed the papers.
I won't go back to take classes from my former employer. I don't care if I'm 90% of the way to a degree there, and could do it in a couple of semesters. I won't go back, because my experience there as an employee was simply too horrid, and a number of people there made it clear that if I did try to come back, they would be out to destroy me.
Now to continue my education, I have to pay around $75.000 to an online college, with a less than stellar reputation (strangely, only very slightly worse than the state school I came from). Few if any of my credits transfer, and I have to take three years of year round online classes to get a degree.
In my opinion it's totally worth it. The cost, the time, and the effort are all worth it. I need a degree, and I hate the university that I gave nearly 20 years of my life to. I've vowed that they will never receive another dollar from me. They've taken too much from me and those I love already. I owe them nothing.
As for my major, I'm majoring in computer science. They offer two (better than my former university), one with an emphasis in programming, another with one in networking. For the time being, I'm going for programming. I'll post about the overall quality of the classes after I actually experience a class.
I'm actually a bit excited. If I can complete my degree, I can get a better job, and more importantly, I can get the skills I need, as my wife and I are trying to go into business for ourselves, as that is the only realistic way to get a job when there simply are no jobs. When measured using equivalent criteria, unemployment is almost double that of the great depression.
We're also talking about my wife going to school and getting her photography degree, and me getting an MBA. This would give us the skills we need to run our business as we get it started, as it is our preference to be self sufficient, rather than reliant on the whims of others.
I won't go back to take classes from my former employer. I don't care if I'm 90% of the way to a degree there, and could do it in a couple of semesters. I won't go back, because my experience there as an employee was simply too horrid, and a number of people there made it clear that if I did try to come back, they would be out to destroy me.
Now to continue my education, I have to pay around $75.000 to an online college, with a less than stellar reputation (strangely, only very slightly worse than the state school I came from). Few if any of my credits transfer, and I have to take three years of year round online classes to get a degree.
In my opinion it's totally worth it. The cost, the time, and the effort are all worth it. I need a degree, and I hate the university that I gave nearly 20 years of my life to. I've vowed that they will never receive another dollar from me. They've taken too much from me and those I love already. I owe them nothing.
As for my major, I'm majoring in computer science. They offer two (better than my former university), one with an emphasis in programming, another with one in networking. For the time being, I'm going for programming. I'll post about the overall quality of the classes after I actually experience a class.
I'm actually a bit excited. If I can complete my degree, I can get a better job, and more importantly, I can get the skills I need, as my wife and I are trying to go into business for ourselves, as that is the only realistic way to get a job when there simply are no jobs. When measured using equivalent criteria, unemployment is almost double that of the great depression.
We're also talking about my wife going to school and getting her photography degree, and me getting an MBA. This would give us the skills we need to run our business as we get it started, as it is our preference to be self sufficient, rather than reliant on the whims of others.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Spring Yardwork Time
It's amazing how a little maturity, and some desperation can make things that were previously tortuously dull, interesting.
I live on a half acre of property, and I'm pretty sure we're headed for a financial collapse, and I don't think were going to be allowed to do much to actually own anything in the near future, I'm getting into gardening.
Throughout my life I've hated yardwork and gardening. My parents tried to force me to get interested in it, but I never would. It wasn't technological, it was boring.
I no longer feel I have an option. We have a large garden spot, and when the ground dries out, and we can get the grass killed, we will till up a much larger section.
We've begun planting fruit trees, and doing spring yard cleanup as well. We have access to flood irrigation, so we're moving dirt around to keep the water where we want it, and we've set up a supplementary watering system to keep the garden watered when the irrigation water is not available.
I am also working on bigger plans. I'm looking at beekeeping, and even a greenhouse. Keeping chickens would be good too.
If I have access to the land, I want to use it to make myself as independent as possible.
I live on a half acre of property, and I'm pretty sure we're headed for a financial collapse, and I don't think were going to be allowed to do much to actually own anything in the near future, I'm getting into gardening.
Throughout my life I've hated yardwork and gardening. My parents tried to force me to get interested in it, but I never would. It wasn't technological, it was boring.
I no longer feel I have an option. We have a large garden spot, and when the ground dries out, and we can get the grass killed, we will till up a much larger section.
We've begun planting fruit trees, and doing spring yard cleanup as well. We have access to flood irrigation, so we're moving dirt around to keep the water where we want it, and we've set up a supplementary watering system to keep the garden watered when the irrigation water is not available.
I am also working on bigger plans. I'm looking at beekeeping, and even a greenhouse. Keeping chickens would be good too.
If I have access to the land, I want to use it to make myself as independent as possible.
Friday, March 25, 2011
I've had experience with this
Over the years, I've learned that Dilbert isn't really a comic strip. It's more of a documentary.
At the university I worked for, while it was not specifically stated, we were basically to get approval for all activity participated in outside of work. If your extracurricular activities did not meet their approval (some of these included such things as attending an unapproved church, or starting a relationship with a blacklisted individual) they began to try to force that person out. If the mistreatment didn't either get the person to change their life to meet the boss' approval, or quit, charges for firing would be trumped up.
I knew this was happening long before I got fired. I committed several serious betrayals. I took part in a case of whistleblowing, when they fired the whistleblower (since she was a student employee, and at will, they could fire her without saying why), I took her side and tried to help her. Finally I committed the ultimate betrayal. I married her.
They, of course couldn't let that stand. Seven months after I married her (and we went to some significant lengths to hide our relationship from them), they fired me.
As they went through the process of firing me, my department director had a meeting with me to "determine if there was a way I could be returned to work". It was a part of the state mandated appeal process for all classified state employees. I recorded that meeting.
When he determined that he would fire me (he's the one that made the decision anyway), he had to submit it to the university vice president. In that letter, he outright lied, and I had the recording to prove it.
I appealed further, and nearly all of the charges against me were thrown out. Only one remained. One suspicious thing however. The hearing officer delivered his decision two weeks later than he said he would. It made me wonder if there were some sort of coercion going on.
I wanted to appeal further, but that would have required at least another $5000, and I just didn't have it. Of course, since the hearing officer only had the authority to put me back to the same position, I'd pretty much decided that I didn't want to go back to work for such an abusive place.
In the end, I'm happier not working for them. Of course, I'm not through dealing with them. I've managed to collect some evidence that they are actively trying to prevent me from getting another job. I don't have enough to prove it, but some interviewers have asked me some interesting questions.
In truth, as one of my collected quotes says. "I realized recently that my personal happiness and sanity are worth far more than anything an employer can pay me, and that nothing is worth that twisting feeling you get in your gut every morning as you drag yourself out of bed and to a job you can't stand."
-- MC Langston
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
I'm Getting My Confidence Back. Part 2
Some time ago, I wrote that I was getting my confidence back. It is interesting, but it's still true and, this time, I've realized something interesting. I am a substitute teacher, and I am doing well, despite having zero training to be a teacher. OK, the kids sometimes walk over me, but that is how it works with subs. The thing is, I don't often get called in on the carpet for anything, and I am working most every day. I maintain decent classroom discipline, and generally follow the lesson plan (when there is one).
It was noted last night that a substitute teaching job is healing me. A job that is widely considered one of the most thankless and unfortunate jobs available, a job in which I receive daily abuse at the hands of near feral children, a job that barely pays me minimum wage, a job that has me essentially on call during school hours, a job for which I have no training, is somehow healing me.
This raises the question, if being a substitute teacher is healing me, making me feel better about myself and about the world in general, and has has erased the constant stress and anxiety about going to work, how bad was my previous job?
I really can't say, because I was in that environment for so long and, until now, that's how jobs seemed to be. My boss was someone I once had respect for, and who I had considered an ally. I was wrong. I will be very careful with whom I ally myself again.
What I can say is that I am happier now than I ever have been in any job. I wish substitute teaching paid well enough I could make a living, however I have discovered something very interesting. I enjoy the "difficult" classes. I taught at an alternate school today. The kids were problematic, but I seem to be able to make them respond. On several other occasions I've taught regular special ED, or resource room. It is for the slightly slower kids. Again, I've enjoyed it. Strangely though, what I enjoy most is the DLP or Developmental Learning Program. Or the program for children with severe mental deficiencies. Some are severely autistic, some have other issues. Some are basically infants with teenage bodies. It is very difficult work, but somehow very rewarding. I'm thinking seriously of applying for the position.of an aide in the program. It doesn't pay much, but it does get benefits, and I would feel good about the work.
No matter what, I'm glad I'm through with that university.
It was noted last night that a substitute teaching job is healing me. A job that is widely considered one of the most thankless and unfortunate jobs available, a job in which I receive daily abuse at the hands of near feral children, a job that barely pays me minimum wage, a job that has me essentially on call during school hours, a job for which I have no training, is somehow healing me.
This raises the question, if being a substitute teacher is healing me, making me feel better about myself and about the world in general, and has has erased the constant stress and anxiety about going to work, how bad was my previous job?
I really can't say, because I was in that environment for so long and, until now, that's how jobs seemed to be. My boss was someone I once had respect for, and who I had considered an ally. I was wrong. I will be very careful with whom I ally myself again.
What I can say is that I am happier now than I ever have been in any job. I wish substitute teaching paid well enough I could make a living, however I have discovered something very interesting. I enjoy the "difficult" classes. I taught at an alternate school today. The kids were problematic, but I seem to be able to make them respond. On several other occasions I've taught regular special ED, or resource room. It is for the slightly slower kids. Again, I've enjoyed it. Strangely though, what I enjoy most is the DLP or Developmental Learning Program. Or the program for children with severe mental deficiencies. Some are severely autistic, some have other issues. Some are basically infants with teenage bodies. It is very difficult work, but somehow very rewarding. I'm thinking seriously of applying for the position.of an aide in the program. It doesn't pay much, but it does get benefits, and I would feel good about the work.
No matter what, I'm glad I'm through with that university.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas
Luke Chapter 2
In this season of Christmas, let us not forget what it is really all about. Let us not just remember the birth, but the life and the sacrifice of our Savior, and live our lives as He would have us live them.
1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23. (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24. And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28. Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32. A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35. (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
39. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
40. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
In this season of Christmas, let us not forget what it is really all about. Let us not just remember the birth, but the life and the sacrifice of our Savior, and live our lives as He would have us live them.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Tron Legacy Review
For my birthday, my wife gave me tickets to the opening night of the new Tron movie, Tron Legacy 3D. Despite it's rather dull storyline, I had been something of a fan of the original Tron, particularly that it was a rather groundbreaking movie with computer generated special effects.
Tron Legacy is a much better movie. It's still a special effects movie, and the storyline is still somewhat lacking, but no more than a lot of other movies that try to be primarily special effects. Unfortunately, while the effects in the original Tron were, at the time, fantastic and futuristic, The Tron Legacy effects were nothing special by modern standards. These days everything is done in the computer anyway, so it isn't that big of a deal anymore.
One other annoying detail, The 3D version isn't exactly 3D all the way through. It is 2D until Sam Flynn (Kevin Flynn's son) is pulled into the computer (I'll trust that's not a significant spoiler, It wouldn't be much of a Tron movie if someone didn't get sucked into a computer). Then it's 3D until it shows the real world again, when it goes back to 2D. All I can figure out is that they were trying to do what The Wizard of Oz did with the color, black and white change when entering Oz. As far as I'm concerned, it was annoying in both instances, and I think that I'll skip the 3D version of this particular movie in the future.
There is a little anti-capitalist propaganda that I detected in the movie. It's rather blatant, and the attitude is almost a cartoonish version of progressive thought. After all, how dare a company try to turn a profit. Kevin Flynn is even more of a hippie type than before, and that really looks like a caricature as well. Interestingly, there is also very much an anti-utopist message in the movie. Attempting to create some sort of utopia doesn't work, and totalitarianism generally results. There is even a strong pro family message to the movie. The liberal propaganda seems tacked on to get things past the leftists running Hollywood,
One final complaint. It wasn't really finished. Most of Tron Legacy almost seemed to be more about setting up the sequel, than having an actual movie. There were several major plot threads that were never finished or fleshed out. I suspect at least one, possibly two more movies are in the works.
Overall, if you want a deep movie Tron Legacy isn't it. It is a nice popcorn type movie with decent if not fantastic (by modern standards) special effects. The plot is also fairly flat, better than the original, but also rather similar to the original.
Finally, if you want to see and actually understand Tron Legacy, you should probably rent the original Tron. There are a number of references that could leave the uninitiated confused.
I intend to get the DVD when it's available, and I'll see the sequels. It's not a deep or masterpiece of a movie, but it's worth a nice view a few times.
Tron Legacy is a much better movie. It's still a special effects movie, and the storyline is still somewhat lacking, but no more than a lot of other movies that try to be primarily special effects. Unfortunately, while the effects in the original Tron were, at the time, fantastic and futuristic, The Tron Legacy effects were nothing special by modern standards. These days everything is done in the computer anyway, so it isn't that big of a deal anymore.
One other annoying detail, The 3D version isn't exactly 3D all the way through. It is 2D until Sam Flynn (Kevin Flynn's son) is pulled into the computer (I'll trust that's not a significant spoiler, It wouldn't be much of a Tron movie if someone didn't get sucked into a computer). Then it's 3D until it shows the real world again, when it goes back to 2D. All I can figure out is that they were trying to do what The Wizard of Oz did with the color, black and white change when entering Oz. As far as I'm concerned, it was annoying in both instances, and I think that I'll skip the 3D version of this particular movie in the future.
There is a little anti-capitalist propaganda that I detected in the movie. It's rather blatant, and the attitude is almost a cartoonish version of progressive thought. After all, how dare a company try to turn a profit. Kevin Flynn is even more of a hippie type than before, and that really looks like a caricature as well. Interestingly, there is also very much an anti-utopist message in the movie. Attempting to create some sort of utopia doesn't work, and totalitarianism generally results. There is even a strong pro family message to the movie. The liberal propaganda seems tacked on to get things past the leftists running Hollywood,
One final complaint. It wasn't really finished. Most of Tron Legacy almost seemed to be more about setting up the sequel, than having an actual movie. There were several major plot threads that were never finished or fleshed out. I suspect at least one, possibly two more movies are in the works.
Overall, if you want a deep movie Tron Legacy isn't it. It is a nice popcorn type movie with decent if not fantastic (by modern standards) special effects. The plot is also fairly flat, better than the original, but also rather similar to the original.
Finally, if you want to see and actually understand Tron Legacy, you should probably rent the original Tron. There are a number of references that could leave the uninitiated confused.
I intend to get the DVD when it's available, and I'll see the sequels. It's not a deep or masterpiece of a movie, but it's worth a nice view a few times.
Friday, December 3, 2010
How I Became a Gun Owner
I am an enthusiastic gun owner. I have been for about six years. The question becomes "Why does someone in his 30's suddenly decide to start acquiring guns?"
My journey toward gun ownership is rather inextricable from my journey toward conservatism. For much of my life, I thought of myself as a liberal. I wasn't really, but I hadn't come to that realization yet. I am and was raised in a Mormon household, and hold to those beliefs. Already, anyone familiar with traditional Mormon beliefs can see that I was far from being an actual liberal, but my parents were firm Democrats. My father, as well as my grandfather, were railroaders, and union men. Then I started to get some actual life experience.
When I was young, I had only a little interest in guns. It wasn’t that I was anti-gun, but is pretty apathetic toward gun ownership. I generally felt that some sort of gun-control was necessary to prevent insane individuals from entering into public places and shooting unarmed people. I had no idea how this was to be done.
My first shooting experience was when I was about 7. I was playing with the next door neighbor. He was a bit older than me, and had a BB gun. He let me shoot it a couple of times. I had asked my dad for one, but he didn't want to get me one. He said that they were too dangerous, but upon reflection, I'm pretty sure he just didn't want to go to the effort it would have taken to teach me how to use it properly. It took too much away from TV watching. I would be left to do all of my shooting activities in the Cub and Boy Scouts for the next little while.
I next did a little shooting at a Cub Scout day camp. My dad didn't seem to mind, which would tend to confirm my belief that he just didn't want to be bothered. Of course, since I was young, I didn't realize that it was an excuse.
It would be a few years before I would be able to do any more shooting. The summer I was 12, my cousin came from Kansas City for a visit. He had gone to scout camp, and had tried for his Rifle and Shotgun merit badge and failed to get it. He was on the competitive side (but nothing compared to his father my uncle E) we had been doing some other sporting activity. I have always sucked at sports. My cousin was more gifted. He had to be. If he weren't his father would have never have even claimed him.
We had been doing something something sports related. I don't remember what it was, but I hadn't done it before, and I sucked at it. My cousin made fun of me, and rather pissed me off. I had already registered to go to scout camp, and it was coming up in a couple of weeks. I had signed up for several merit badges, but I decided then and there that I would do whatever I could to get MY merit badge. I had to do something better than he could.
When I went to Scout Camp, I started working on all of my Merit Badges. Unfortunately I needed to spend so much time at the range that I could only work on a single other Merit Badge. I managed to get Rifle and Shotgun. It took a lot of work, a lot of .22 ammo, most of my time for the whole week, and a lot of help from my Scoutmaster.
When my cousin heard that I had gotten a sports related merit badge that he couldn't get, he was somewhat annoyed, but my uncle E was livid. He couldn't stomach that I had done something better than his spawn.
The next year, he brought a BB gun when he came to visit, and we borrowed one from my Grandpa, and we ran around the neighborhood having fun. We weren't exactly responsible, but nothing bad happened. The next Christmas, I asked my Grandma for a BB gun, and I got a decent Daisy repeater air rifle. My cousin got one like it. By then he had moved much closer, so we saw each other more frequently. We had great fun with our guns.
Over the next few years, I kept the squirrels out of the nut and fruit trees around the neighborhood, I did a lot of target shooting, and in general had fun.
Then I got into computers. The BB gun went to storage, and I played with my computer. I finished High School, and went to a year of college. Then I went on my mission.
On my mission, I went to the Dominican Republic, and then because I got sick, I was sent to Maryland. Here was where I started my journey toward conservativism. In the Dominican Republic, I encountered actual poverty. Although I didn't really connect it until later, I witnessed the actual effects that the "evil American capitalists" were having on that country. They were building factories, and paying the workers. They were paying what we would consider slave wages, but were about five times the going wages from local employers. Hideous I know.
Even worse, their employees weren't as productive as they could be because they were sick, so they bullied and bribed the local government into providing proper sanitation, and they provided classes in home sanitation. They built apartments for employees and their families to live in, so they could get out of the palm frond, or even garbage huts they lived in before. The apartments had flush toilets and running water, rather than having to use a communal latrine. They had kitchens, rather than having to cook over charcoal purchased that day. There was refrigeration, rather than having purchase food fresh daily. Then they taught them how to use and maintain these things.
Of course they didn’t just give the people these things. They gave them the opportunity to work for them. Simply giving someone something makes them dependent, and doesn’t turn out as good of workers. They were taught to earn it for themselves, and that they could keep what they earned.
When I went to Maryland. I met some actual liberals. It was in Maryland that I first realized that I wasn't all that liberal, but I couldn't admit it to myself. I met radical feminists, militant homosexuals, and the like. I still thought of myself as a Democrat, but I realized that I was nothing like a liberal. I still held a rather anti-capitalist attitude, and felt that I was somehow better than people motivated by money.
After I came home, I started into the local university, and received a wonderfully socialistic indoctrination. I got involved in Linux, and the Open Source/Free Software movement. What these are, and the difference between them is beyond the scope of this article, but perhaps one day, I’ll write a little more about that. To keep matters short, I became deeply involved in the advocacy of Open Source or Free Software. Some individuals in these movements have very socialistic leanings, and tend to be a little heavy handed in their advocacy. I began to notice some of this behavior, and started to wonder. That is not to say that the Open Source movement is socialistic. There is also a very prominent libertarian faction, as well as a small number of conservatives.
The Clinton administration didn't help the liberal cause. Clinton was a slime ball, and I became rather antipathetic toward politics. I had voted for Ross Perot the first time, because I couldn't bring myself to vote Republican, and Clinton was so bad. I even considered starting the "anti-incumbent" party, which would endorse whoever wasn't the incumbent, or lacking an incumbent, whoever wasn't in the incumbent party. In the case of a third party candidate, the endorsement would go to that candidate if he stood a chance of winning, or if a particular winner was basically a foregone conclusion.
Then came my first real realization as to some of my particular problems with liberalism. I was doing my taxes. I had an actual job, and although I wasn’t earning a lot, I was earning some. I did my taxes, and didn’t understand a lot of it. I did know how much I had paid in however. Somehow I had gotten back three times what I put in. That didn’t seem right. I checked it again, very carefully. The numbers checked out. I found this part called “Earned Income Credit.” Without that part, the numbers looked about right. I asked my mother about it, and come to find out this is a feature.
I eventually mentioned it to some of the more liberal students and professors at the university. I was told that it was a wonderful program for redistributing wealth. I had a serious problem with that. First, the government is stealing money from those who did earn it, and giving it to people who, like me, did not earn it. I had a serious problem with that.
For the most part, however, I remained apathetic. I was uninvolved in politics in general. Then came September 11th. That was really a turning point for me. Evan Sayet said it better than I could. In "How Modern Liberals Think", he gives a parable. He tells about a guy who is always complaining about his wife. He's always talking about how terrible his wife is. Now his friend is talking to him one day in a restaurant, and looks out the window, and sees his wife being beaten by a gang. He says "Come on, your wife is being beaten, let's go help her". The man says "No, whatever it is, I'm sure she deserved it."
This was my experience on 9/11. We were attacked, thousands of Americans died in a cowardly and unprovoked attack, and the response I heard from people in the university I where I was working and going to school. I heard how we deserved it, and the implication of how those who worked there also deserved it. I saw the media deliberately distorting the story, and deliberately sanitizing it to make it seem less horrific than it was
That was when I truly realized that liberalism was completely bankrupt morally, ethically, and in every other way conceivable. I began to reexamine other viewpoints that I had shared with those "people."
I had also watched a show on the History Channel about Upton Sinclair, author of The Jungle. He was a communist, and wrote The Jungle, not to showcase the need for an FDA like I was taught in school, but to show the evils of capitalism. I had seen how badly communism had failed, but the History Channel show made it sound like a good deal. It actually made me a bit sick. The real telling thing was when I first tuned in.
I had been raised by union workers. I had been taught how great unions are. In the show, it showed a dramatization of Upton Sinclair (although I hadn't been watching long enough to know who the show was talking about) going to a meeting. I hadn’t figured out even what the show was, but they had speaker spouting pro-worker propaganda. It was some of the same things I’d heard when listening to my father or grandfather talk about unions. I was only half watching, but I figured it was a union organization meeting. When I found out it was actually a depiction a communist rally, I was somewhat disturbed that it was basically impossible to tell the difference between union propaganda, and communist propaganda.
Along about this time, I had another epiphany. I was on my way to pick up my paycheck, and was thinking about how I had no problem paying taxes. They weren't that much, and they did a lot of good. When I went to pick up my check, I looked at how much my gross pay was. I had done it before, but I had never really taken stock of just how much the government was stealing from me. I wasn't making that much, but was having more than a third confiscated from me. I would get some of it back in tax return, but only a small fraction of it and, of course, there is the promise of social security when I retire, but I'm starting to think that wishing on a star might be a more reliable retirement plan.
I began to become interested in my rights, and I started to read about the philosophies that this country was founded on. I found web pages by geeks, like myself, who were not liberals, and started to read what they had to say. I started to think about getting a gun, as it was clear to me that gun ownership was the most effective way for the populace to guard against tyranny. The problem was that guns aren't cheap. If someone tells you they are, either they've looked somewhere I've never been able to find, they're lying, or they have no idea what they're talking about. Whenever I had money, it went toward more computer equipment.
By this time, I had basically become a conservative. I was watching what the liberals said, and did. I was watching how it worked. I was observing history, and noting that we were repeating it. We were allowing our country to move toward a more statist stance. I began to wonder if gun ownership and perhaps violent revolution may, one day, be necessary to restore our liberties.
Then one day, I had a minor lapse of sanity. My mother and my aunt go to yard sales every Saturday during the summer. I tended to lose sanity and go with them once per year. I had my sanity lapse this day. We were checking out yard sales, and I was becoming annoyed with myself and my mother and my aunt. They were checking out the dumbest yard sales, and staying forever at places that had nothing.
Then we stopped at a yard sale, and I saw a semi-auto .30-06 rifle. I wasn't particularly initiated into guns at the time, so I had no idea what kind it was (and I can't remember enough about it now to tell), or if it was in any kind of good shape. It was only a couple of hundred dollars, I passed. I wasn't thinking clearly because I was upset.
Later I started considering the political situation. John Kerry was running for president, and it was looking like he had a chance. He had gone on the record as to supporting all manner of gun-control. I wanted to get a gun before he had a chance to screw everything up. I was kicking myself for passing on that rifle at the yard sale.
I spoke to my father and grand-father about it. Since I had a fair amount of money at the time, I could actually afford several guns. We decided to make the rounds on gun stores to see what they had. There was one problem however. I have poor vision in my right eye, I have to shoot rifles left handed. We needed a semi-auto, a pump action, or a left-handed bolt. I had no idea at the time, but left-handed bolt action rifles are a bit of a rarity, and generally must be special ordered.
We hit a couple of gun shops in the area, and I didn't seen what I wanted. Then we hit a Sports Authority. Someone had ordered a Remington 700 BDL left handed bolt there at least a year earlier, and had never picked it up. They were practically giddy when I wanted to buy it. It was taking up space, and although it's an excellent firearm, a left-handed gun isn't nearly as easy to sell.
Over the next little while, I acquired several more guns. Both pistols and rifles. I started reloading, and now reload for everything I shoot, I acquired a concealed weapons license. I read everything I could about various types of guns, ammunition, and I acquired several books. I began to advocate for the Second Amendment, and I joined the NRA.
I have not been able to go shooting as often as I would like, and I haven't done any reloading in over a year and a half, as life has gotten complicated, but I still love guns and shooting. I still carry habitually when I can, and I'm saving for more training. I've convinced my wife to get a concealed weapons license, and we're currently waiting for that to come through.
My journey toward gun ownership is rather inextricable from my journey toward conservatism. For much of my life, I thought of myself as a liberal. I wasn't really, but I hadn't come to that realization yet. I am and was raised in a Mormon household, and hold to those beliefs. Already, anyone familiar with traditional Mormon beliefs can see that I was far from being an actual liberal, but my parents were firm Democrats. My father, as well as my grandfather, were railroaders, and union men. Then I started to get some actual life experience.
When I was young, I had only a little interest in guns. It wasn’t that I was anti-gun, but is pretty apathetic toward gun ownership. I generally felt that some sort of gun-control was necessary to prevent insane individuals from entering into public places and shooting unarmed people. I had no idea how this was to be done.
My first shooting experience was when I was about 7. I was playing with the next door neighbor. He was a bit older than me, and had a BB gun. He let me shoot it a couple of times. I had asked my dad for one, but he didn't want to get me one. He said that they were too dangerous, but upon reflection, I'm pretty sure he just didn't want to go to the effort it would have taken to teach me how to use it properly. It took too much away from TV watching. I would be left to do all of my shooting activities in the Cub and Boy Scouts for the next little while.
I next did a little shooting at a Cub Scout day camp. My dad didn't seem to mind, which would tend to confirm my belief that he just didn't want to be bothered. Of course, since I was young, I didn't realize that it was an excuse.
It would be a few years before I would be able to do any more shooting. The summer I was 12, my cousin came from Kansas City for a visit. He had gone to scout camp, and had tried for his Rifle and Shotgun merit badge and failed to get it. He was on the competitive side (but nothing compared to his father my uncle E) we had been doing some other sporting activity. I have always sucked at sports. My cousin was more gifted. He had to be. If he weren't his father would have never have even claimed him.
We had been doing something something sports related. I don't remember what it was, but I hadn't done it before, and I sucked at it. My cousin made fun of me, and rather pissed me off. I had already registered to go to scout camp, and it was coming up in a couple of weeks. I had signed up for several merit badges, but I decided then and there that I would do whatever I could to get MY merit badge. I had to do something better than he could.
When I went to Scout Camp, I started working on all of my Merit Badges. Unfortunately I needed to spend so much time at the range that I could only work on a single other Merit Badge. I managed to get Rifle and Shotgun. It took a lot of work, a lot of .22 ammo, most of my time for the whole week, and a lot of help from my Scoutmaster.
When my cousin heard that I had gotten a sports related merit badge that he couldn't get, he was somewhat annoyed, but my uncle E was livid. He couldn't stomach that I had done something better than his spawn.
The next year, he brought a BB gun when he came to visit, and we borrowed one from my Grandpa, and we ran around the neighborhood having fun. We weren't exactly responsible, but nothing bad happened. The next Christmas, I asked my Grandma for a BB gun, and I got a decent Daisy repeater air rifle. My cousin got one like it. By then he had moved much closer, so we saw each other more frequently. We had great fun with our guns.
Over the next few years, I kept the squirrels out of the nut and fruit trees around the neighborhood, I did a lot of target shooting, and in general had fun.
Then I got into computers. The BB gun went to storage, and I played with my computer. I finished High School, and went to a year of college. Then I went on my mission.
On my mission, I went to the Dominican Republic, and then because I got sick, I was sent to Maryland. Here was where I started my journey toward conservativism. In the Dominican Republic, I encountered actual poverty. Although I didn't really connect it until later, I witnessed the actual effects that the "evil American capitalists" were having on that country. They were building factories, and paying the workers. They were paying what we would consider slave wages, but were about five times the going wages from local employers. Hideous I know.
Even worse, their employees weren't as productive as they could be because they were sick, so they bullied and bribed the local government into providing proper sanitation, and they provided classes in home sanitation. They built apartments for employees and their families to live in, so they could get out of the palm frond, or even garbage huts they lived in before. The apartments had flush toilets and running water, rather than having to use a communal latrine. They had kitchens, rather than having to cook over charcoal purchased that day. There was refrigeration, rather than having purchase food fresh daily. Then they taught them how to use and maintain these things.
Of course they didn’t just give the people these things. They gave them the opportunity to work for them. Simply giving someone something makes them dependent, and doesn’t turn out as good of workers. They were taught to earn it for themselves, and that they could keep what they earned.
When I went to Maryland. I met some actual liberals. It was in Maryland that I first realized that I wasn't all that liberal, but I couldn't admit it to myself. I met radical feminists, militant homosexuals, and the like. I still thought of myself as a Democrat, but I realized that I was nothing like a liberal. I still held a rather anti-capitalist attitude, and felt that I was somehow better than people motivated by money.
After I came home, I started into the local university, and received a wonderfully socialistic indoctrination. I got involved in Linux, and the Open Source/Free Software movement. What these are, and the difference between them is beyond the scope of this article, but perhaps one day, I’ll write a little more about that. To keep matters short, I became deeply involved in the advocacy of Open Source or Free Software. Some individuals in these movements have very socialistic leanings, and tend to be a little heavy handed in their advocacy. I began to notice some of this behavior, and started to wonder. That is not to say that the Open Source movement is socialistic. There is also a very prominent libertarian faction, as well as a small number of conservatives.
The Clinton administration didn't help the liberal cause. Clinton was a slime ball, and I became rather antipathetic toward politics. I had voted for Ross Perot the first time, because I couldn't bring myself to vote Republican, and Clinton was so bad. I even considered starting the "anti-incumbent" party, which would endorse whoever wasn't the incumbent, or lacking an incumbent, whoever wasn't in the incumbent party. In the case of a third party candidate, the endorsement would go to that candidate if he stood a chance of winning, or if a particular winner was basically a foregone conclusion.
Then came my first real realization as to some of my particular problems with liberalism. I was doing my taxes. I had an actual job, and although I wasn’t earning a lot, I was earning some. I did my taxes, and didn’t understand a lot of it. I did know how much I had paid in however. Somehow I had gotten back three times what I put in. That didn’t seem right. I checked it again, very carefully. The numbers checked out. I found this part called “Earned Income Credit.” Without that part, the numbers looked about right. I asked my mother about it, and come to find out this is a feature.
I eventually mentioned it to some of the more liberal students and professors at the university. I was told that it was a wonderful program for redistributing wealth. I had a serious problem with that. First, the government is stealing money from those who did earn it, and giving it to people who, like me, did not earn it. I had a serious problem with that.
For the most part, however, I remained apathetic. I was uninvolved in politics in general. Then came September 11th. That was really a turning point for me. Evan Sayet said it better than I could. In "How Modern Liberals Think", he gives a parable. He tells about a guy who is always complaining about his wife. He's always talking about how terrible his wife is. Now his friend is talking to him one day in a restaurant, and looks out the window, and sees his wife being beaten by a gang. He says "Come on, your wife is being beaten, let's go help her". The man says "No, whatever it is, I'm sure she deserved it."
This was my experience on 9/11. We were attacked, thousands of Americans died in a cowardly and unprovoked attack, and the response I heard from people in the university I where I was working and going to school. I heard how we deserved it, and the implication of how those who worked there also deserved it. I saw the media deliberately distorting the story, and deliberately sanitizing it to make it seem less horrific than it was
That was when I truly realized that liberalism was completely bankrupt morally, ethically, and in every other way conceivable. I began to reexamine other viewpoints that I had shared with those "people."
I had also watched a show on the History Channel about Upton Sinclair, author of The Jungle. He was a communist, and wrote The Jungle, not to showcase the need for an FDA like I was taught in school, but to show the evils of capitalism. I had seen how badly communism had failed, but the History Channel show made it sound like a good deal. It actually made me a bit sick. The real telling thing was when I first tuned in.
I had been raised by union workers. I had been taught how great unions are. In the show, it showed a dramatization of Upton Sinclair (although I hadn't been watching long enough to know who the show was talking about) going to a meeting. I hadn’t figured out even what the show was, but they had speaker spouting pro-worker propaganda. It was some of the same things I’d heard when listening to my father or grandfather talk about unions. I was only half watching, but I figured it was a union organization meeting. When I found out it was actually a depiction a communist rally, I was somewhat disturbed that it was basically impossible to tell the difference between union propaganda, and communist propaganda.
Along about this time, I had another epiphany. I was on my way to pick up my paycheck, and was thinking about how I had no problem paying taxes. They weren't that much, and they did a lot of good. When I went to pick up my check, I looked at how much my gross pay was. I had done it before, but I had never really taken stock of just how much the government was stealing from me. I wasn't making that much, but was having more than a third confiscated from me. I would get some of it back in tax return, but only a small fraction of it and, of course, there is the promise of social security when I retire, but I'm starting to think that wishing on a star might be a more reliable retirement plan.
I began to become interested in my rights, and I started to read about the philosophies that this country was founded on. I found web pages by geeks, like myself, who were not liberals, and started to read what they had to say. I started to think about getting a gun, as it was clear to me that gun ownership was the most effective way for the populace to guard against tyranny. The problem was that guns aren't cheap. If someone tells you they are, either they've looked somewhere I've never been able to find, they're lying, or they have no idea what they're talking about. Whenever I had money, it went toward more computer equipment.
By this time, I had basically become a conservative. I was watching what the liberals said, and did. I was watching how it worked. I was observing history, and noting that we were repeating it. We were allowing our country to move toward a more statist stance. I began to wonder if gun ownership and perhaps violent revolution may, one day, be necessary to restore our liberties.
Then one day, I had a minor lapse of sanity. My mother and my aunt go to yard sales every Saturday during the summer. I tended to lose sanity and go with them once per year. I had my sanity lapse this day. We were checking out yard sales, and I was becoming annoyed with myself and my mother and my aunt. They were checking out the dumbest yard sales, and staying forever at places that had nothing.
Then we stopped at a yard sale, and I saw a semi-auto .30-06 rifle. I wasn't particularly initiated into guns at the time, so I had no idea what kind it was (and I can't remember enough about it now to tell), or if it was in any kind of good shape. It was only a couple of hundred dollars, I passed. I wasn't thinking clearly because I was upset.
Later I started considering the political situation. John Kerry was running for president, and it was looking like he had a chance. He had gone on the record as to supporting all manner of gun-control. I wanted to get a gun before he had a chance to screw everything up. I was kicking myself for passing on that rifle at the yard sale.
I spoke to my father and grand-father about it. Since I had a fair amount of money at the time, I could actually afford several guns. We decided to make the rounds on gun stores to see what they had. There was one problem however. I have poor vision in my right eye, I have to shoot rifles left handed. We needed a semi-auto, a pump action, or a left-handed bolt. I had no idea at the time, but left-handed bolt action rifles are a bit of a rarity, and generally must be special ordered.
We hit a couple of gun shops in the area, and I didn't seen what I wanted. Then we hit a Sports Authority. Someone had ordered a Remington 700 BDL left handed bolt there at least a year earlier, and had never picked it up. They were practically giddy when I wanted to buy it. It was taking up space, and although it's an excellent firearm, a left-handed gun isn't nearly as easy to sell.
Over the next little while, I acquired several more guns. Both pistols and rifles. I started reloading, and now reload for everything I shoot, I acquired a concealed weapons license. I read everything I could about various types of guns, ammunition, and I acquired several books. I began to advocate for the Second Amendment, and I joined the NRA.
I have not been able to go shooting as often as I would like, and I haven't done any reloading in over a year and a half, as life has gotten complicated, but I still love guns and shooting. I still carry habitually when I can, and I'm saving for more training. I've convinced my wife to get a concealed weapons license, and we're currently waiting for that to come through.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. We're all full, and the first turkey I ever cooked turned out very well. I was extremely thankful to have the wonderful feast I did.
I am thankful I have some work, and some income.
I am thankful for my wonderful wife.
I'm thankful I have a family that is helping me out during lean financial times.
I am thankful I live in a country that is (for the time being) still free.
I'm thankful I live where there is clean air, water and food.
I'm thankful for a many more things than I can list.
I am thankful I have some work, and some income.
I am thankful for my wonderful wife.
I'm thankful I have a family that is helping me out during lean financial times.
I am thankful I live in a country that is (for the time being) still free.
I'm thankful I live where there is clean air, water and food.
I'm thankful for a many more things than I can list.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Getting Ready For Thanksgiving
Today has been a fairly busy day. It's the day to get ready for Thanksgiving Day. My wife and I are cooking the turkey this year. We made up a brine, and are going to brine the turkey tonight. Tomorrow, I'm going to cook it. Since it's my first time, I hope I do it OK.
We're having a massive feast for just four people. We're having turkey, mashed potatoes, two types of stuffing, green beans, beats, gravy, rolls, salads, a relish plate, home made cranberry sauce and perhaps asparagus. We'll finish it off with pumpkin pie, ice cream and persimmon cookies.
It should be fun a rather nice feast.
We're having a massive feast for just four people. We're having turkey, mashed potatoes, two types of stuffing, green beans, beats, gravy, rolls, salads, a relish plate, home made cranberry sauce and perhaps asparagus. We'll finish it off with pumpkin pie, ice cream and persimmon cookies.
It should be fun a rather nice feast.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Early Winter Here
We've been hit with an early snowstorm here. Pretty much everything was canceled. Schools and even universities closed. I pretty much hibernated inside. I haven't seen this much snow before Thanksgiving since I was in my single digit years.
I did like getting the day off. This means I get the rest of the week off. Tomorrow is record day, meaning only the regular teachers work. They'll do grades, etc. After that are the two days off for Thanksgiving. I go back (If I get called) on Monday.
Unfortunately that makes it a light week from a financial standpoint.
I did like getting the day off. This means I get the rest of the week off. Tomorrow is record day, meaning only the regular teachers work. They'll do grades, etc. After that are the two days off for Thanksgiving. I go back (If I get called) on Monday.
Unfortunately that makes it a light week from a financial standpoint.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Buying Gold
As things get worse and worse for this country's economic situation, I'm thinking of cashing out the retirement from my former employer, and buying gold. Why? Because gold is the safest investment possible. I may lose money, but I won't loose it all.
My wife is against the idea, and I won't go ahead with it until we're both onboard. Also, since it's an outsourced retirement fund, I could find another employer that pays into the same retirement fund. I'm just concerned that the dollars in that fund will be worth nothing very soon.
So my dilemma is, do I cash out and loose at least 50% of what is in there, or do I keep it. If I keep it, I may lose more, but I may be better off in the end. Without knowing what is going to happen with our monetary system, I have no idea what to do, but I'm more and more inclined to play it safe.
My wife is against the idea, and I won't go ahead with it until we're both onboard. Also, since it's an outsourced retirement fund, I could find another employer that pays into the same retirement fund. I'm just concerned that the dollars in that fund will be worth nothing very soon.
So my dilemma is, do I cash out and loose at least 50% of what is in there, or do I keep it. If I keep it, I may lose more, but I may be better off in the end. Without knowing what is going to happen with our monetary system, I have no idea what to do, but I'm more and more inclined to play it safe.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Flu Sucks
No much more to say. I have the flu now, and it sucks. I'm just happy that I have a wonderful wife who takes good care of me when I'm sick.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
A Piece of Life Advice
After you're married, and you lose your job, if you can possibly help it, don't move in with your parents, particularly if the house is rather small. You tend to get on eachother's nerves a lot.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween
Just wishing everyone a Happy Halloween. Probably my favorite holiday. Christmas would be, but something that should be a more sacred and religious holiday (forgetting for a moment that Christ almost certainly couldn't have been born in winter) is a tribute to conspicuous consumption and commercialism.
Halloween was never a Christian holiday, and although sacred to some, for most people it's just a fun time to dress up and decorate. We celebrated it yesterday, because it falls on Sunday this year, and we don't do non-sabbath appropriate things on Sunday.
Tonight I'm going to watch "The Real Story of Halloween:" on the History Channel. I'm sometimes dubious about what comes across the History Channel, but it should be interesting.
If I get around to it, I'll try to post a review.
Halloween was never a Christian holiday, and although sacred to some, for most people it's just a fun time to dress up and decorate. We celebrated it yesterday, because it falls on Sunday this year, and we don't do non-sabbath appropriate things on Sunday.
Tonight I'm going to watch "The Real Story of Halloween:" on the History Channel. I'm sometimes dubious about what comes across the History Channel, but it should be interesting.
If I get around to it, I'll try to post a review.
Welcome to "Recovering From Tech Support"
Hello, I'm FormerTech. I used to work tech support for a state run university in the northwestern United Staes. For reasons I don't currently care to explain, I got out of it, and am seeking other opportunities. I noticed many problems in our current university system, and with both the faculty and administration. Students aren't coming out of the university educated. They can parrot socialist-progressive propaganda, but know little about anything else. The average university senior knows nothing of U.S. history. I've even heard the argument that the Japanese attack on Perl Harbor was in retaliation for the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.
If you speak out on any problems however, you must be very careful. They can't abide opposition, and they're very vindictive when you cross them. I've seen multiple professors fired, or forced to change departments.
Of course the University culture wasn't the only problem. Far too many people are morons when it comes to computers. The problem isn't that they haven't learned as much as I have, but that they refuse to apply logic and intelligence to solving their own problems.
The combination led me to seek mental health care, and put me on multiple anti-anxiety medications. Almost as soon as I left, I was able to stop the meds, and despite not having money, I'm happier than I've been in years.
If you speak out on any problems however, you must be very careful. They can't abide opposition, and they're very vindictive when you cross them. I've seen multiple professors fired, or forced to change departments.
Of course the University culture wasn't the only problem. Far too many people are morons when it comes to computers. The problem isn't that they haven't learned as much as I have, but that they refuse to apply logic and intelligence to solving their own problems.
The combination led me to seek mental health care, and put me on multiple anti-anxiety medications. Almost as soon as I left, I was able to stop the meds, and despite not having money, I'm happier than I've been in years.
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