Not Necessarily Interesting News

I live in Williamson County, Texas, just north of Austin. It looks like the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority thinks taxing us twice for the same thing is a good idea. What they are proposing is to convert several highways in the area to toll roads. I have no problem with toll roads. I do have a problem with having to pay to drive on a road I have already paid for with my taxes. If they want to fund a road with tolls, fine. On new roads.

This organization is starting the fight to get CTRMA to pull their heads out of their asses.

: I’m Cryin’ from the album “Texas Flood” by Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble

Yup, i’ve managed to reach almost a 1/3 of a century. Huh, who woulda thunk I’d last this long. Normally I’d celebrate it like I have every year since moving to Texas. A visit to one of my favorite places to hang out, Wimberly Glass Works. We aren’t going this year because they’ve moved their yearly ‘irregular’ sale until January, after I talked to Tim, the owner, who said they weren’t going to do that. I was rather upset. I’ve looked forward to my birthday every year since we’ve been here for that sale. We have been the first people in line for about 3 or 4 years now, showing up 2 hours or more before the doors opened. Just hanging out in what always seems to be freezing weather and talking to Tim about his year was a highlight. We’d hit the sale, then Wimberly Market Days, and for lunch we’d hit my favorite place in CenTex, The Saltlick for all-you-can-eat BBQ. We’ll still be goin’ down to The Saltlick but we’ll skip WGW until next month I guess.

I’ve already gotten most of my presents from my family and myself. I bought myself an external firewire drive to backup my iBook quickly and easily. My wife gave me some John Cusak DVDs and my son gave me a figurine named ‘Father and Son’. My sister gave me a giant LEGO minifig for my desk at work. The biggie and the one gift I’ve wanted for a long time but would never buy myself was from my parents. They gave me a poker chip set. Real clay poker chips, 11 gram weight, exactly like are used in Vegas. They feel so good in the hands and make and oh-so-satisfying clink when thrown in the pot. I guess it’s time to start up Saturday night poker games again.

I’m gonna head to bed to sleep in as late as I want. In the morning, or afternoon depending on how late I sleep, I’ll probably finish decorating the house for Christmas before we head out to dinner.

: Stille Nacht from the album “Christmas” by Mannheim Steamroller

I took my Texas CHL renewal course last night. I passed of course. I shot a, for me, disappointing 248 out of 250 on the shooting test. I should never have dropped those two shots low and left by an inch. I know why it happened and won’t let it happen again. I also did 96% on the written. Not too shabby I guess but I feel I should have aced it also.

If you are considering getting a CHL and live in the Austin area I greatly recommend Ross Bransford as an instructor. I’ve used him every time and he is a great teacher. He intersperses his own life experiences into the class. He really knows his stuff. He made the 5 hour renewal course fly by.

: Carol of the Bells from the album “A Fresh Aire Christmas” by Mannheim Steamroller

*sigh* Just got done canceling my 45 day free trial of AOhelL. I signed up so I’d have access when we were in Orlando last month. I never used it because my iBook died the first day. The person I was talking to was obviously in India. I could hardly understand the guy. Yeah, he did his job just fine and I’m sure they all can. But, geez, it’d be nice to talk to someone who’s first language is English for a change.

Ok, Apple support, who I talked to last week, was a guy in Sacramento, CA. I’ll give Apple credit where it’s due. They don’t seem to have sold out. Yet. I know a guy here in Austin that does support for them.

Back to the rant. Yeah, it’s cheaper to send these jobs overseas. Sure. For the big companies. The problem with it is that these companies are sending, what in the computer industry are, entry-level jobs overseas. They are eliminating the bottom rungs of the ladder into the industry. I did my time in the tech support trenches years ago. I still thank Netcom, may it rest in peace, for giving me a chance to get into computers. I know that IBM sure as hell wouldn’t have even given me the time of day if I hadn’t put my time in elsewhere. I worked my way up the hard way. Tech support > Support Lead> Support Manager > Sysadmin > Software Tester where I am now. I learned a little bit with each step over the years.

When you move all these things overseas you eliminate those bottom three rungs. Where are people supposed to start?

: Carol Of The Bells from the album “Christmas Eve In Sarajevo” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Man, I didn’t realize how much I relied on my little iBook until I didn’t have it. The display had died and it also wouldn’t use an external display. I figured a dead video chip. I called Apple last Monday evening and got them to send me a shipping box. It was too late to get the box out that day so we received the shipping box Wednesday afternoon. The day before Thanksgiving. We packed it up and called Airborne to come pick it up. They arrived to pick it up around 4PM. It arrived back at our house at 9:30 this morning with a new motherboard. Unfortunatley they failed to put in a G4 while they were at it. 😉

A 5 day turn-around on a holiday weekend. Very impressive. Now I know why I love Apple so much.