Things that should be eradicated from a company in IT world

1) Internet Explorer. If your application requires it, lock it down, deny it access to the Internet and use Firefox. Every place I have ever worked uses IE and every place gets infested with crapware

 

2) Brother printers. Every device made by Brother has caused me terrible headaches

 

3) Symantec Anything (or even any company that is likely to be eaten by Symantec)

 

4) Citrix (if you need to print, stay away from this monster)

 

5) Vista, Go with XP, Linux or a Mac but dont let Vista touch your network

 

6) Home computers. Dont let ANYONE use their homeized XP Home or Vista Norton infected piece of crap on the company network

 

7) Trendiness - Dont virutalize, use thin clients or other buzz crap just because you read about it in a PC mag.

 

8) ANY INKJET PRINTER

 

9) Any HP desktop PC

 

10) Consumer Grade Networking Hardware

 

 

I really do like it here

My previous post made it sound like I am in a ghetto and unhappy. In reality, I like it here. The people overall seem more civilized, less hickish. There is more to do. I love the small parks around here on the Sound. They remind me of the Oregon Coast. Very peaceful and nice despite being in a big city.

This area is a melting pot and I like that too. I have had some great Thai food since getting here. I cant wait until my wife gets here and we can check out the city together. I am not a loaner.

Work is work. New place same things but I am good at it and I am not in mortal fear of a layoff like I was in Oregon for the last year and a half.

I still think Oregon was a good place to live but Washington is too. Both are similar. Green, rainy, progressive yet sprinkled with conservatives. Live and let live attitude.

Life in the Big City (Seattle)

I have now been up here except for the weekends for almost a month. Working so many hours that I rarely see the light of day. Safe and secure in the little town of Puyallup. This weekend I am all alone in Suburban Seattle near Seatac Airport.

Overall Washington is not much different than Oregon. It has more people and more ethnic diversity which is not a bad thing. The traffic is but I avoid it for the most part. Seems like a cool place to be.

Well this weekend there was a gang related shooting at Southcenter mall (the big mall up here) One person dead. Thousands freaked out. About 5 miles from here.

Today I went for a little drive down 99 toward Redondo Beach. There were cops everywhere and the road was blocked. A big white SUV sitting in the middle of the road. I thought what an idiot to park there.

Later on the news I find out the cops were called because the SUV was sitting there and the guy was not responding. Aparrently he was dead and had been shot. Nobody saw anything. No clue how he got there. Did he shoot himself? Did someone shoot him and he drove toward a hospital and died there. No clue. Nice to know that within a couple miles there is at least one killer running around. Maybe two.

I park on the street here. One car in front of me their windshield was based in.

I also have noticed a lot of people who look like trouble. Black, white, mexican, purple, green, I dont care but groups of teenagers looking for trouble bother me. Most of these are black and look like they came from S Central LA. Now I couldnt care less about their skin but if they want respect they need to stop acting like gangsters. People should stop being a stereotype.

Anyway, I am not in fear of my life. THe worst thing that has happend to me was two condoms next to my car. One used, one new. I have lived in big cities. I get the feeling I am not in the best part of the Seattle area and cant wait to get a nice place to live. Regardless its not much worse than Albany. We had a dead guy near us there too.

What is wrong with people these days?

Bye Bye Oregon

Well not completely but I am moving. I accepted a job in the Seattle area. Its a good job. Pays more than I got here and more room for growth. I couldnt get ANYTHING around here. Must be time to move on.

I am heading up tomorrow and starting work on Thursday.

Thanks to all that prayed for me. God has a plan.

I think life will be good in Seattle. Bigger city. More to do. But still the Northwest. Still will have trees and mountains.

I will be coming back to Oregon a lot to visit for the foreseeable future.

I think something is about to happen

This roller coaster ride of 3 weeks has been interesting. My perspective is different. If anything I am less depressed and see more hope than I did before the big layoff. I needed some time to collect my thoughts and realize what is important. Not to mention time to kick some strider and combine ass on Half Life 2.

Some job leads have vaporized. others are going well. My two strongest are not in Oregon and not in the same state. One is in Seattle. The other in Chicago. I think I may well have offers from both by the end of the week. Assuming I get both I will be faced with a new dillema. That is that my decision will affect others in a big way.

Seattle is closer. I know people in both cities. My mom hates both ideas but prefers Chicago because she doesnt want to be near my dad. But why cant she just stay in Oregon and we come visit her every couple of weeks. I am torn between the two. I like the job in Chicago but would rather live in Seattle. But sometimes what I want means very little. Seattle would be so much easier to move to.

Anyway a different kind of problem and its all hypothetical since I dont have offers in either place yet. Either way, it is starting to look like bye bye Oregon. I will actually miss this crazy place.

Wage Slave in Search of New Master

I am still alive and kicking. I almost went to Open Forum on Saturday but I didnt want to share the fun and give everyone the pneumonia I was getting over.

I am still out of work. A whole week and a half now. that sounds like nothing but it is something when you realize the money will run out. But I am actually calm.

I havent found a damn thing in the Willamette valley from Portland to Eugene. Its like this place is loaded with out of work IT people and also there is a depressiveness to the place. Its like a lot of people have given up.

a buddy of mine in Chicago is trying to get me into the company he works for and its a strong possibility. I have to think it through. Chicago is a big change but the job would be great.

I also have managed to get interviews in Ventura, CA and Medford, OR (I am going to Medford on Friday). Now Southern Oregon is nice. Though Methford is not my idea of great but its close to Ashland and its still Oregon. That would be a much easier move.

I am torn now. What if I get all three of these jobs. I realize that sounds like a stupid problem but the choice will be hard. Chicago has the best job and the best possiblility of getting another job if that doesnt work out. California has the best weather but its EXPENSIVE(so is Chicago for that matter). Medford is Oregon which I am used to and is drier than here.

Wish me luck. I think I will know this week. Phone interview in Chicago Thursday. Regular interview in Medford Friday and possible trip to California for an interview next week.

I will actually miss this part of Oregon (and its proximity to Seattle and the Ocean) if I leave but I cant stay here and wait for the money to run out. It sounds bad but I was at the Eugene library yesterday and saw a bunch of homeless people. It saddens me that they are discarded by our society but what really scared me was, that could be me in a few months. That got me motivated to get out there and get back to working as a wage slave. Suddenly I feel like a fool for complaining about my last job. I wish I wasnt in a situation where money was so damn important but without it life isnt easy. I want whats best for my family.

Anyway this is mixed up and confused but I wanted to get it out there

Fucked Freedom

Sorry if the title offended anyone. Everyone heres about how crappy the economy is and I have noticed the sinking ship effect at the workplace for a while now. What I did not know was that the iceburg had been hit and I was about to be tossed into the frigid waters.

At about 9AM today I was laid off along with about 17 others. they told me they loved my job performance and I feel my manager (who is a good guy) really didnt want to do this. I knew things were bad but this was like a kick in the face from out of nowhere.

the odd thing is though I am feeling extensive fear and panic as well as uncertainty like how will we pay the rent etc? I also feel liberated in a weird way. Like for the moment. I am not a wage slave or at least a semi emancipated slave. Perhaps this is a good thing. I will tend to see it more that way once I get another job and realize that the old minivan we bought a while back isnt going to be our new home. I will feel better when I know that our diet wont consist of roasted riverrat (or maybe headcrabs).

perhaps its going to be OK. Or perhaps my life will just drain out into the pit that is this fucked free market.

I am holding it together while experiencing the full range of emotions. Everything from I am a worthless piece of shit to I hate corporations and they are evil. At times things dont even seem real. I think that is called shock.

When the dust settles. All may be well.

I could use some prayer.