Quality Over Quantity

I read a couple of gadget blogs and there's a theme I've noticed over the years. The really vocal computer geeks are cheap bastards. Okay, to be fair they aren't bastards but I don't think they get the whole idea of "boutique" devices. Sure they cost more for basically the same thing but they have a high end brand name or they promote an image. Like a luxury car they do mor than their basic functions. Not interested in showing off a little bling? Don't buy the Lexus or rolex or MacBook air. Wanna save some money and get the most bang for your buck? Cobble together some homemade PC with power parts and troubleshoot everything by yourself. I stopped building computers when my kids were born because I don't have time for it anymore. If you like to fiddle with your computer, by all means go do it. Just don't tell me it's a waste to spend a little more money for a device that doesn't give me grief on a weekly basis.

Happy Birthday

There are times I can't believe it and there are times I'm overwhelmed with happiness. I really can't describe how great it is to see my children every day and hear them say in their excited little voices "daddy!" it was 4 years ago today that they were born. Born almost 3 months too early and only 5lbs between the two of them. They used to look at me from their isolettes with a look on their faces that said, "why?" I sang to them through the plastic box and when I held them I cried. Now they run and jump and play without a care in the world. What would I do without them? Happy birthday to my little babies.

New

So it's been 3 months since my last post.  That's the longest I've ever gone between posts.  I feel bad that I've been neglecting my blog for so long.  I've been writing here for years and now I'm just ignoring it like a one-night-stand.  Anyway, I'll post at least once/week for now on.


What have I been up to the last 3 months?  Celia and I are working on a new project.  Something to help us get out of the financial hole we've been stuck in.  It's great actually, something I've always thought about but couldn't do alone.  Celia is awesome with it too.  The best part is that it can be anything you want - just a little thing or huger than huge.  

Changes

As of Nov 8th, I'm the new coordinator for my department.  This puts me with management so I'm no longer in the union.  Some people have reservations about this - loss of job security and... I don't know what else.  The whole job security thing is a myth anyway.  The union was just an excuse to do a crappy job and not care.  It just encourages mediocrity and a sense of entitlement.  Now I actually have to work to deserve a raise.  Anyway, so far the job is going well but I haven't even gotten around to the second half of my responsibilities.  This will be a challenge, that's for sure.

The Waiting Game

I had an interview for a new job today.  Basically, the position is to be the boss of the position I am currently in.  How did it go, you ask?  Not to brag or anything, but it went really really okay.  I have no idea how well I did (or how poorly) because I've been in exactly 3 interviews in my life so I don't have much to compare it to.  I've never been good at marketing myself so I find it difficult to sell me in an interview.  Anyway, now I just have to wait and see if I get the job.  Whether I get it or not doesn't really matter because I still really like the job I'm in, I just wanted to try something bigger.  Wish me luck.

Why I Don't Like Android

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure that Android is an excellent OS for mobile devices.  And I have to admit that I have never actually used an Android device so everything I'm saying here is based on reviews and comments of other readers of said reviews. 

The reason I switched to a Mac is because I was tired of wading through all the crap that was out there for PCs.  Sure, the PC has everything need and could ever want - and for free - but often, you have to wade through piles of shit to find it.   If you ever got lazy and accidentally installed a POS app, you had to do all kinds of cleaning to get it off your computer and pray that you got all of it (well, I had to pray because I don't know how to do clean things like the registry).  I didn't mind playing with my computer in this way so it wasn't a big deal but when I found that my time was needed elsewhere, like in the baby room to change diapers, I couldn't sit in front of my computer for hours.  And when I had to, I began to hate it.  And this brings us to Android.  The concept is a lot like my old Windows machine: super-customizable and apps are readily available from a variety of sources.  There are some awesome apps out there but there are a whole lot of not-so-awesome apps too.  I don't want to screw up my phone with some POS app and I don't want to bother figuring out which ones are good and which ones are bad.   So the thing that makes Android so great is the very thing that it's not for me. 

Winner!

So last week I did the impossible.  Against all odds, I got what you all want.  I won an iPad.  I was randomly selected with no effort on my part whatsoever.  Okay, that's a bit of a lie - I had to sign up for the contest and go to the mall to check if I won.  Well I did, suckas.  And you know what?  I LOVE IT.  The iPad does everything I want it to do.  Sure, it doesn't do everything, but for what I expect to use it for, it does the job perfectly.  If you don't agree, you go sit on the toilet with your laptop.