We just hang it off the back of the truck... yeah... that is how we roll.

Yesterday was a very long day. I got up and headed out the door early to go take a test at the hospital. They were checking for bacteria buildup in my intestinal tract. (Yeah, really yummy subject matter) The test involved breathing into a bag once and they take a reading of my methane and CO2 content in my breath. Then they feed me a substance and they continue to take breath readings every 20 minutes for about 4 hours.

So, I get to the hospital and they check me in with five other people and we go into the test room. In the test room is a big table, a computer for the testing, the bags we are going to breathe in, some magazines on the table and a TV that is turned up really loud on the wall. The test would’ve been bearable if it wasn’t for the TV. The lineup of shows I was subjected to were:

• Good Morning America
• Regis and Kathy Lee
• Martha Stewart

The only positive purpose any of these shows provided was that it reminded me of how important it is to have a job and be employed. There is no way I could become one of the slobs that sits at home watching TV during the day. It is truly unbearable. Good Morning America had such awful guest as the lady who has some personal vendetta against the planet and popped out eight kids all at once. They also had a midget body builder on. Those of you, who know me well, know how much I was looking forward to that. :-/ Regis and Kathie Lee were just as bad if not worse. I really do not know who or what was on that show because at that point I had found that could tune out the blaring TV by preparing my final exam for my class on my laptop. The last show was hard to ignore though. Martha Stewart is an awful speaker. She said, “uh” and “you know” so many times I was surprised that nobody got up and turned off the TV out of sheer annoyance. She also stutters. How anybody can bear to watch this show on a regular basis is beyond me.

Oh… and I forgot to mention… The two nurses who conducted the test… They spent most of the time talking to the TV and the people on it. With such great phrases as, “OH NO YOU DIDN’T!” and “WHAT? TELL ME DAT GURL DIDN JUZ SAY THAT??” It was by far the most unprofessional hospital visit I have ever had in my life.

Then I get to meet with my Gastroenterologist. The lady who checked me in mostly bitched to me about her computer. Then I get back to my doctor and he spends over half of the visit bitching about the computer system to me. One, I find it very unprofessional to be taking my expensive time for a doctor visit to listen to your unsolicited office problems. Two, how does he think that sitting there bitching to an IT guy about his computer system when I am trying to get help is going to help my stomach?!? I think one thing is fairly certain about this visit… I will be finding a new Gastroenterologist. One who has a decent computer system or at least doesn’t bitch me to me about the one he currently has.

Then I show up at my government job where I get told by my boss in not so many words that I need to slow down because I am going to finish my project way too far ahead of schedule. Ahhh…. The old bring it down to the lowest common denominator. Well, I now know my plan for the next couple weeks. I will have to bury myself in outside learning. I guess I will get a lot of reading done and I will work on my Chinese.

Speaking of reading… I am reading two very good books right now. Both are on recommend from Kane. “Against the Gods” is my reading book and “The World is Flat” is my audio book. The latter is insightful and has the added bonus of making laugh hard out loud several times. I also had a funny observation about the first one. While sitting in the test room, a few of the other people had books and were reading them. I noticed that all of the books were about their respective gods they apparently worship. The book I was reading was entitled, “Against the Gods.” I wonder if they understood that it was a book about the concept and history of risk? Or did they just think I was reading a book that was “against” their book? It was the one humorous experience from the whole test hell.

Back to work…. The last thing we did yesterday was shut down and move the EMC Symmetrix DMX1000 Storage System. It is loaded with live data and fully populated. It was sitting in our old data center which we shut down at 5PM yesterday. At that moment we had the EMC tech bring the system down and we unplugged it. We then rolled it out the door of the data center and up the sidewalk to the box truck. Being that the box is about 2000pounds, 8 feet tall and about 4 feet deep, we could not fit it into the door on our box truck. So, about 10 of us got it rolled up the steep lip of the lift gate and balanced on the lift gate. We then slowly raised the lift gate to the back of the truck. Then we had a guy in the back of the box truck with come-along straps. He hooked them to the support beams in the box truck and we wrapped them around the DMX and ratcheted it as tight as we could to the back of the truck. We then took this quarter million dollar piece of equipment about a half mile down a steep mountain road with a couple sharp switch backs. We walked behind and along the truck blocking the road off from traffic while we made the 30 minute move. When we got to the new data center we went to lower the lift gate and at this moment found that the unit was way over the limit for the lift gate. So, when we tried to lower the gate if wouldn’t lower gradually and softly. It would drop hard with each push of the button. So, we had to push the button real fast many times to “bang, bang, bang” the unit down to sidewalk level. We then had the 10 of us roll the unit off the lift gates and onto the sidewalk. The rest was pretty easy and we got it into place on the data center floor. Today will be the real test… we will try to fire it back up. I have to say that I am about 20% nervous about the outcome.

Ok. I think that is enough bitching and complaining for today. I need to go back to work and continue loading this new data center. I really wish I could post a picture for this blog entry, but, alas our government is a pretty paranoid bunch… so, this blog will have no pictures of the DMX hanging off the back of the truck. *sigh*

Why nobody should ever aspire to be in politics in 1000 words or less

I just finished reading “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” (Yeah, I know… I am a little behind the times) It is an insightful look at the way human relationships work. I also have found that over the last half a year or so I have used some of the habits he discusses without realizing it. This gives me hope that he is on the right track with his philosophy. In that it is inherit to natural human tendencies. I also found it interesting that some of the topics he covers have roots in other books and writings I have read. He would be discussing a topic and it would tie in neatly with a teaching out of Confucius’ “The Doctrine of the Mean” or something from “Tao Te Ching” or another thing would relate well with the content in “Bhagavad Gita.” In short, I found the book to be inspiring and insightful. I would recommend it to anybody who is trying to work on honing their plan for their life and working on being an all around better human being.

This brings me to my observation of the day. I was watching Tim Geithner get grilled by the TARP Oversight Committee today. I was also thinking about what I learned in the book. One thing really stood out in the hearing today. These people in the government have no concept of how to civilly work with each other to reach a positive outcome. Habit 5 in the book is “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” The concept is that you need to first understand what a person is trying to deal with before you can give them advice or direction. This isn’t just parroting what they are telling you. It is taking the time to objectively hear what they have to say and to truly understand their meaning and goals.

This was the exact opposite of what I saw in the hearing today. These committee members asked Tim to come to the hill to explain what is going on at the treasury with regards to TARP. It would seem that they would want to hear what he has to say and to try to learn some things so that they can provide better oversight. Instead the 5 committee members spend the first TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES giving their opening statements. Then it is Tim’s turn to speak. About FIVE MINUTES into his presentation, Elizabeth Warren starts really pressuring him to wrap up. Huh? Excuse me? Why is he here? I found it just stunning. It also makes me really question what the role of this committee really is. If this is the method they are going to pursue to provide oversight to one of the biggest spending plans in the history of earth, I think we are all in for a really bad ride. They have no interest in first trying to understand the treasury’s position. They just want to grandstand and hold a court of public opinion. You would think that somebody who went to Harvard would have a little more insight into the inner workings of human relationships and how to achieve things.

It really did not get any better. Damon Silvers from the AFL-CIO (why in the hell is the AFL-CIO on a TARP oversight board? I could see UAW since they are the second most funded group in the TARP, but, not AFL-CIO. I guess the new administration has to pay back the people that put them there somehow.) started to question Geithner and he proceeds to call him a banker. There was a long back and forth as Damon tried to figure out just what Geithner does or has done all his life. What is really sad, the answer is: He has been in public service all his life. Why somebody on a congressional oversight committee cannot figure out what the person they brought to speak to them does is beyond me. Although it does take me back to that same hearing on the hill I spoke of in my last posting. That committee was overseeing US activity in the newly independent states that broke away from Russia. At one point a member had them turn around the map of the area so he could figure out which country was which. Ugh. If you were going to be serving on a committee for your country’s government to deal exclusively with a small area of the world, wouldn’t you take FIVE MINTUES to look at a map in your down time and try to learn where the countries are? God forbid you actually go further and learn a little bit about the people in those lands and where they came from. But, I am asking this of the same people who cannot figure out what the Treasury Secretary of the United States did or does for a living.

Oh well. I need to go do more productive things than to rant about something that is waaaaayyyy out of my sphere of influence. All I ask is that we as human beings try to take a few minutes each day to understand one another. I know I sure need to take a long sit-down and try to figure out these members of congress and these committee people. *sigh*

I just cannot find a good side to this at all

I usually like to root for the underdog that stands up against the government. I usually support anybody who is willing to take a stand for what they believe in and put themselves on the line to execute on their beliefs. But, in this following story, I cannot find any good from this at all.

Pakistani Peace Deal Gives New Clout to Taliban Rebels

All of it is just sick. How any of these people can justify their actions as being just and good for the human race, I have no idea. The only thing I could even remotely come up with to feel any compassion for them is that they are human beings and that religion can make people do some pretty messed up things. If you want to see what the flogging looked like here is a video of it that was released by the AP:

Woman flogged in Pakistan - DISTURBING FOOTAGE

While it isn't debilitating or lethal, it is so cruel and barbaric. I remember being on the hill back in 1998 for a meeting in the Senate and the issue of the Taliban came up. It was a 10 minute rebuttal from one of the committee members informing the representative from Unocal why they were not going to support building a pipeline through Afghanistan. It took him about 10 minutes of non stop talking to get through the list of atrocities that the Taliban had committed on its people and its nation in general. Nothing has changed since then. It is still a barbaric group of people and they have no business being given any kind of leniency or legitimacy.

I am 100% against going in and bombing them like so many Americans seem to be quick to want. But, I do NOT think giving them the leadership of a region of ANY country is a good idea at all. I try to tell myself that it isn’t as bad as I see it right now, that I just don’t have the big picture, nor an understanding of where these people are coming from. My problem in the end is that I cannot drum up any compassion for these people. I really hate to get to that point about anybody, but, I fear I am at that point with this group. I know that it isn’t everybody in the Swat district that is this way. It is only a select group. Unfortunately, this select group is the one that just had the power over the people granted to them. What a complete and utter disaster.

On the other hand... this story did help put in perspective the other story in the WSJ today:

Harassment Is Said to Persist at a Mint Branch

While this is a bad thing also, it does show how much better we have it here in America than in some other countries. That is not an excuse to just sit back and rest. We should still be outraged by the activities at the Denver Mint. But, it does help keep it in perspective. And possibly remind us of where we could end up if we do not stand up for what is right.

Personality Test

My wife and I both took personality test today. It was very interesting to see how we (ahem... um...) "matched" up. Wow, all I can say is... I guess opposites attract. :)

Here is mine:


Here is my wife's:


All I can say is wow... It makes for an interesting relationship. :) That's for sure. And the positive way to look at it is, we both bring a unique perspective to any situation.

Too much thinkin'

I had the day off yesterday and today was pretty slow at work. This fortunately or unfortunately (I am unsure at this point) this gave me a lot of time to think. I have really been trying to get my life back in order lately. I sometimes feel like I have let about a half decade slip away. I have experienced a lot of good things over the last five years, but, I feel that in many aspects of my life I am spinning my wheels. Part of this problem I think stems from a lack of direction and purpose. Here I am at 35 and I really still have no realistic idea of what I want to do with my life. I have the big dreams and goals, but, I fear that I may have let way too much time slip to really actualize any of them. This means that I need to hunker down and focus on the more obtainable and realistic goals. The big problem I face is sitting down and really assessing my values and my situation. I have some short term goals in place and I am working on them, but, they do not address the big questions. Some of the short term goals are things like get to 200 pounds and attain a graduate degree. I am 70% of the way from 300 to 200 on the weight front and I am knee deep in the graduate school process, but, these are just short term, temporary stops along the way. I still need to really figure out what I realistically want to do. *sigh* I was hoping that writing about it tonight would get the mental juice flowing and I would have some epiphany. It doesn’t appear to be the case. I guess this process will be as it should be… a long arduous journey that I will never really complete. Until then, I will just keep on chugging along, reading, studying and trying to learn from anybody and everybody I can.

Paddles! Clear! *Pop*

A friend of mine is out in Utah this week and I was wondering if there were any In-N-Out burgers out near him. Turns out they are building several in Utah right now. But, that isn't the important part of this. What I found during my research is the holy grail of In-N-Out Burgers. Check out this group of 2 girls and 6 guys who polished off a 100x100 on a crazy Halloween trip to Vegas. I am so jealous. (except for the raw patties at the end)

SuperSizedMeals

This is a public service announcement

Sometimes we don't always think things through. That was the case on Saturday afternoon for me. I decided that the wind didn't seem that bad so, I could take the Ninja out for a ride. I came up through my valley and things seemed ok. I then went east out the road for a good ways through the flat land and never felt any ill effects from any wind. Then things changed... I turned around and began to make my trip back west. At this point I came to realize that the steady 30-50MPH winds were in my face instead of at my back. This meant that the apparent wind speed of 15-35MPH when I was heading east was now an apparent wind speed of 95-115MPH. This makes riding on a small Ninja sport bike a bit hair raising to say the least. It took a good bit longer to get home than it did to leave. All I could think was that at least it wasn't a nasty crosswind. That would be much worse.

The rest of the weekend went very well. Our hockey team won 4-0 and I spent a decent amount of time relaxing around the house. We even went out for a couple nice meals over the weekend. The icing on the cake was a down S&P500 today. I have been hoping for a reversal for a few days. This is a good sign that things are going in the right direction for me. I'm just crossing my fingers for some really bad earnings reports tomorrow. Come on Alcoa! You never fail to disappoint! Do your magic!

Well, I better go rest up. I have a long day of not having to go to work ahead of me tomorrow.

All this positive stuff has me feeling queazy

I guess I just have to keep myself distracted. Every time I look at my portfolio I want to sell something. This has been such a rip to the upside over the last few weeks. I keep telling myself that it has to run out of steam at some point. There is no real substantial economic data put there that point to a real good bull run. If I spend too much time looking at the screen I just want to start selling and selling. But, for everything I have sold, it has been too early. Or at least it seems that way. I guess I just need to keep at it and keep lightening these positions. I think this is the hardest time of trading. It is easier to get out of a bad position on the way down because you stop the bleeding and feel like you have avoided sure death. On the way up, it is a whole different ballgame. Whenever you lighten a position and it continues to rip higher, you just feel like you were too antsy and to scared of success. Deep down inside I know this tear to the upside has to come to an end. If it goes on for a while longer, I think I will be sold out over everything except for a little bit in the core positions to just keep a dividend income stream flowing. Right now this sounds like a scary proposition. But, I have faith that it will get back to work on the downside. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing a recovering economy and investor enthusiasm. I also find it a lot less painful to sell stocks that have made money instead of down position that is starting to bleed me. I just would like this latest movement to be over so I can get back to the day to day. I miss range trading CCL day after day. It was so much easier and a lot less stressful. For the time being, I am saying good-bye to some CAT, INTC and NAT. I am also continuing to walk slowly into some more SDS. Come on plummet of the S&P!!!

In other news, I got to go in the ARMORED van today. It is pretty sweet inside. It has solid metal plating all down the sides, roof and floors on the inside. The windows are all very thick bullet proof glass. The only real drawback I have found so far is the weight of the doors. They are a bitch to open and close. They have to weigh about 500lbs a piece. Luckily it is already black. So, I do not need to paint it. I do think it would look good with a stripe down the side like the A-Team van. But, that may be a little too flash and I am unsure if Zombies are attracted to flashy things. I will have to do some research….

Some things you just gotta have...

My job has some interesting side perks occasionally. One of them came about today. We have GSA auctions occasionally at work and today’s posting caught my eye. Usually they are selling old trucks, trailers and such, but, sometimes there is a real gem that pops up. Today was just that kind of day! Listed on the GSA schedule for auction at our site was an ARMORED Ford Econoline Van. How freaking cool is that?!?!?! I know it isn’t exactly my dream vehicle of all time. (That is a BMW 750iL with the armor package that has been shot a few times while being operated in a foreign country) I am thinking I would probably gut the insides of the van and put in shag carpeting and velour drapes. It would be the ultimate mobile love machine. An added benefit would be that no girl would have to ask if I was using protection. I would just have to tap the 1-3/4” thick bullet/bomb proof walls to drive home that point.

My only obstacle at this point is getting approval from the wife. I am guessing that this blog posting should get the conversation started. I am pretty sure she reads this blog sometimes. Ok. I am off to figure out what color I should paint it. Black seems too easy….