Seriously slacking

Tween deep research / problem management at work, various plauges rolling through the house, and weather of a craptastic nature  not seen since I was in High School, I've really slacked hard on my photography lately. 

I've got the new domain up, attached to a professional SumgMug account, but just haven't had a moment of truly free time to attack it. Hell, I've even gotten a really great 90mm Macro lens for the D200 and just NO time to attend to it. Heck, the old X370 I'm using for my B&W refresher course locked it's shutter up as well, now I have 3 projects to finish by next week. When stuff breaks, it always picks a great time.

Whaaaaaa! Okay, enough whining.

 I did end up getting one of those "just the right time" shots off about 2 weeks ago, based on a idea for a shot I did earlier.

Compare to the first one:

A study in Coffee cups... who woulda thunk it? Yah, I gotta get some "me-time" soon I think.

Somebody hand me a clue please!

 I'm so confused. Is that the point?

According to this story by The Toronto Star, "African Americans are openly asking whether the first-term Illinois senator (Obama) is 'black enough.' "

WTF? Between the exclusionary rhetoric of the NAACP, the pandering of "Black Centric" marketing companys, and this kind of story I'm just straight up confused.

I have not yet heard a good explanation of double standard that the Black Community is attempting to hold the rest of the US to. It's simply confusing. I was taught not to care what color a person was - but in my adult life I'm pounded over the head with it. What gives? Does anyone have a decent link to show me the other side of this? Please choose carefully, 'cause I'm confused enough.

...and for the record, I'd vote for Obama on the Dem's side of the ticket because I find his style of politics and flair for common sense refreshing. The man could could be spotted with green stripes for all I care - it's his character and drive that impresses me more then his skin tone. (Which next to my pasty Northern European coloring is quite nice actually. ;-)

This formula needed to be preserved

From the BBC no less:

Last Updated: Friday, 25 November 2005, 15:08 GMT

'Beer goggles' effect explained

Alcohol is not the only factor in the beer goggles formula Scientists believe they have worked out a formula to calculate how "beer goggles" affect a drinker's vision. The drink-fueled phenomenon is said to transform supposedly "ugly" people into beauties - until the morning after. Researchers at Manchester University say while beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder, the amount of alcohol consumed is not the only factor. Additional factors include the level of light in the pub or club, the drinker's own eyesight and the room's smokiness. The distance between two people is also a factor. KEY TO FORMULA An = number of units of alcohol consumed S = smokiness of the room (graded from 0-10, where 0 clear air; 10 extremely smoky) L = luminance of 'person of interest' (candelas per square metre; typically 1 pitch black; 150 as seen in normal room lighting) Vo = Snellen visual acuity (6/6 normal; 6/12 just meets driving standard) d = distance from 'person of interest' (metres; 0.5 to 3 metres) They all add up to make the aesthetically-challenged more attractive, according to the formula. The formula can work out a final score, ranging from less than one - where there is no beer goggle effect - to more than 100. Nathan Efron, Professor of Clinical Optometry at the University of Manchester, said: "The beer goggles effect isn't solely dependent on how much alcohol a person consumes, there are other influencing factors at play too. "For example, someone with normal vision, who has consumed five pints of beer and views a person 1.5 metres away in a fairly smoky and poorly lit room, will score 55, which means they would suffer from a moderate beer goggle effect." The research was commissioned by eyecare firm Bausch & Lomb PureVision. A poll showed that 68% of people had regretted giving their phone number to someone to whom they later realized they were not attracted. A formula rating of less than one means no effect. Between one and 50 the person you would normally find unattractive appears less "visually offensive". Non-appealing people become suddenly attractive between 51 and 100. At more than 100, someone not considered attractive looks like a super model.

Looking back over my Career - 2000 to 2004

IT sucks.

Don't get me wrong - it used to be fun back when it was young. New things coming out everyday, helping get stuff done faster, better. Watching Das'Blinkn lights - knowing that a few bits here and there would cut down on someones work load. You might be working late - but every hour you spent meant that ALL of your team-mates would be better off.

It was a very balanced, rewarding pursuit.

Then the "suits" got involved. Why just settle for making the rest of the company work well. Why not make it revenue generating? Not real revenue, but that fluffy interdepartmental kind. We can send each other invoices and talk about billable hours. Besides "Revenue Center" sounds sexy to that new temp the boss keeps having 3 hour lunches with.

After that, the idea of doing it right the first time went out the window - as did the family life of most of us in IT. It's become a game of just how good you can get with bailing wire and duct tape. After that first draft is done, just how much abuse can you take while you explain the Quality/Time/Money pyramid AGAIN to some MBA jackass with a PERM and gold Rolex that he wears like a bracelet. Nothing like explaining 'work' to someone that thinks it refers to sitting on their laurels and yelling at other people.

Sure the "Bubble" was interesting - but for the most part those of us who had been working tech before then were troubled by it. Already seasoned to the "If you make no money, you don't survive" conditioning, the 95-00 was like watching a college bar at last call; It was obvious that these people didn't hear reality stalking them like a hungry wolf.

Then came the layoffs - people were used and then let go with no regard to their service to the company or worth to the continuing effort to stay afloat. Worse still, often after a CEO made a deep cut, they would get a bonus for "cutting costs." Nothing like watching the head man drive into work with a Porsche and 30-day tags the day after you walked your pals and team-mates to the door.

If the layoff's weren't bad enough - then we got to live through the "outsourcing" phase. Let's send technical work overseas to a bunch of generalists that know nothing (and care nothing) about our customers and products. More people meet the day-of-the-long-knives carrying their dignity in a cardboard box. Gee, and the boss is out the next day closing on his new 1.5 million dollar home in Georgetown. He has a new aupair working for him (that's French for Live-in mistress) and while it's pleasantly distracting that she seems boggled by the function of undergarments - it's a bit irritating that he's 'hired' her and augmented her figure using money from the tax-break that he got by sending the call-center work to Bangladesh. Besides, it's kinda sad they way that his wife stares into space and drools after taking all those pills, and watching the "help" jiggle while she giggles."

When the customers start getting tired of moonlighting as ESL teachers while attempting to get their problems solved, they stop buying your service/product. Then the boss looks up and says "This product line is dead. Let's buy a new company and use it's stuff." They call this a 'pivot'. I call it bending over. It' more like self-fulfilling destiny - cut off the development and operational staff and your product goes nowhere, then finish it off with craptastic support.

Complaining about it gets you now where fast - you might as well be shouting at the sun. Besides, the Boss just bought a new home theater with his "merger bonus" and wants you to come to his house and set it up. Taking a dump in his potted plant doesn't quite make up for the 4 hours spent setting up his stadium seating home theater - but it was amusing to see the confused look on the dogs face as he is convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

Somewhere in here - prolly when your hiking your shorts up after framing the dog - you realize that it's just not worth getting upset about anymore. So you TRY to enter a Zen-like, Teflon state of mind. "The Checks Don't Bounce Yet." is your mantra.

After another round of "right-sizing," hearing the "So sorry about your co-workers, but look around - this is the new MessedUp.Inc.", and walking teammates to the door while holding back the tears and frustration - your mantra seems pretty self centered. Besides - are you really a manager if the only people in your department are yourself and the Boss's nephew with the lazy eye and an IQ four points lower then his age in years?

So, you TRY to make a difference in between the scenes in your Monty Python like day.

Long Live the Dakar... Welcome KLX

I traded the Dakar for an '03 KLX400. While it is a light nimble bike that tracks well... OH MY GAWD do the ergo's SUCK. I wasted my calves and thighs trying to ride the thing on FIREROADS today. Ofta. Looks like I have some tinkering to do. I figure if your a 5'6" Japanese man then you'd fit pretty well... but my big floppy feet and 6' frame in boots was not working with the bike this AM.

 Guess I'll be starting a KLX/DRZ Tech page now.

Ummm... wow.

Stumbled accross this Duc while browsing my monthy bookmarks... 

New Photo "Project" started

  I have no illusion that this has never been done before.

I'm essentially shooting a lot of detail shots of Charlottesville. Wide angle, close focus mostly. If I shoot anything that is traditional focus, I'm trying to make it more obscure objects or areas.

Check out my beginings here. 

Blog and Commute Page Updated

   I've decided to update the Commute Ride page as I go. I think that watching the seasons change along my route might be intresting.

 I also updated the blog with an event from my past that popped to mind.  

Yellow! Yellow! Yellow!

   Yellow is Mucho Cool to us Color Blind folks... it's one of the few that we can't screw up seeing.

New Stuff in the Hall of Rides

Exploring my new Environment... slowly.

Wanna get an idea of my average day? 2006-SEP-01

  Then check out my latest blog entry... 

Been awhile... but there's been alot going on

Check out the blog for all the details.. but there should also be a couple of new mini-ride reports soon. 

I ride... therefore I am.

 Some people have spa days to de-stress... I like getting wet, muddy, dusty, and sweaty on a bike. My way sounds much more manly.

SmugMug Update

Added some pics in Wanderings. Also I uploaded my USS Wisconson visit into SmugMug. Go Big Whiskey! 

2006-07-20 Excuse me, does anyone speak dumbass?

My settlement was supposed to be today, however for the second time the !@#$!@%! didn't show up.  

2006-07-19 - Real Estate Madness

Good god... selling a home in today's market is nothing like 10 years ago. The buyers are bottom-feeders, and the mortgages companies would give a note to an unemployeed turnip if they thought they could get a processing fee out of it.

Needless to say, I'm swamped. No time for the fun stuff. All I have to offer is a gallery of photo's from the home inspection of the place I wish to buy - that of course rests on the house in CtrVille selling, which in turn depends on the bottom feeding turnip that wants to buy it getting his loans. I find out tomorrow... think happy thoughts for me. 

Adding a "Rides" page to post my adventures

As an ADVrider Wannabee, I must write about my two wheeled adventures, even when they are not very adventurous. It's all part of the scratch and dent lifestyle. Check out the Hall of Rides.

Just staking my claim...

So this is Google pages huh? Intresting so far. I'll dig into in earnest in a little while. Anything to support the benevolent upstart. ;-)