Changes are a coming...


Yes, it's true. I'm going to change it up and install a new site. New features and different layout. Hope it goes smoothly!

m

I'm watching my daughter. She's hopping from couch to ottoman and back again. Like a sugar fueled jumping bean, she leaps in hysterics, laughing in only the fondest of glee I can imagine. Not a care in the world.

But my joy is short lived. Her mother has scolded me for letting her make too much noise and waking her brother.

A life metaphor of sorts. Hapiness is a fleeting moment. Most of the time, I'm just trying to pay the bills, take care of the kids, or get some rest.

I've started a new job in a new city. We're doing our best to enjoy our stay. It's freaking expensive, which prevents us from frequently hitting the town for excitment. For the most part, it's work, eat, sleep.

I really am enjoying it though. The holiday season does make it a bit stressful, but this too shall pass soon enough.

To be sure, there is much else to write about, and all in due time, but I felt it at least polite to say, "hello, I now have internet."

My little man: Stewart McDougal age 16 months. Ain't he a cute lil' fella?

Lately, when I listen to music, I've become more introspective about what I'm listening to. Maybe it's because I'm in a transition time, and a little overly dramatic, but it's like I'm searching for a soundtrack.

"Would this song be right with this scene?" as if I'm asking myself. Truely, I've found beauty in my ashes of life from a song sung by a maladjusted flaxon harlot called Christina Aguilara - Beautiful. I'm ultimately opposed to her in general, but the song is an underlining background for scenes played out in my head.

Like so many other songs, the melodies, the messages, they all play out as iconic memories set to music. Words in motion describing our line of sight -- perspective. Songs to live by...

My day off...

Feels like fall has come. A cool 47∫ outside (feels more like 43∫). What has become of Summer? It was a challenging time which made it go by all too quickly. Not enough family get togethers. A limited income brought limited opportunity. Too few BBQs and Brat frys. Fall has so many changes ahead for our little clan.

I've had good friends.

I read a quote somewhere from someone that our lives are made up of people we love and good beer. I could never agree more with any single statement. Perhaps I never read that. Perhaps it's my own life motto as words to live by.

With this new chapter being written, I will sorely miss my friends. My wife and I have spent some time aquiring good friends, some old, some new. Hard to come by none the less -- that is -- the really good ones.

We've also seen what happens when the true friends have to meet the challenges of life, like unconditional love, forgiveness and pride. They are the ones that overcome. Instead of gossip whoring, insulting, icing the cold shoulders, they come to your side. Their being strong makes you stronger. Like a herd of musk ox surrounding the weak to guard and protect, these are my real friends.

Given a reverse scenario, would I be the better friend? Would I be afraid to show love? Buy the beers and make good conversation? Take care of some of their bills to relieve the tension? Pick up some extra groceries? Let them borrow my car (as if they'd want it)? Loan out my gas card? Take their kids to the park so mom and dad could have a break? What kind of friend would I turn out to be?

Or am I a naval gazer staring at my own belly button expecting everyone to care about it as much as I do? What's the true test of a friend? And how will I find them again once we get to Idaho?

Maybe the friends we have will just pack it up and come with? No. Not terribly realistic, but the truth is, we'll miss you. All of you.

But we haven't left yet.

So. 16 days until we leave for Sun Valley. What the heck!

To do list:
1) Find place to live.
2) Have money to sustain existance in said valley.
3) Reserve truck to move belongings.
4) Purchase plane tickets for wife, daughter, brother and friend.
5) Transfer phone service to friends because cell company won't let me out of contract.
6) Pack.

and the list will continue to grow...

Another buddy jumps into the foray of Blogging

Hey - I'd like to introduce you all to a new Blog.

He's a good friend and I think he has a knack for insatiable verbiage.

Read On Already...

My friend from WDEZ sent over a recording from the session we did for his show.

For your listening enjoyment, I give you, "Is It Colder Or Hotter In Hell, MI"

Part 1

Part 2

We're a very clever bunch.

Hey. I won a quarter barrell on WDEZ last night. This Friday night at The Office Bar, 662 Grand Ave., Schofield, Join me and whoever shows up for some free beer.

Come to think of it, that'd be a great name for a band. Imagine the marquee, "Tonight, Free Beer!"

It'd be huge!!!

When does anyone really know what the hell is going on in the world around them? Most of the time we're all staring at our own proverbial belly-buttons, half expecting the rest of the world to be as concerned as we are. We are often times more absorbed in our own crap, that we never pay attention to the loved ones around us in need of our attention.

What can I say? My life has been a tumultuous ride these past months, and the one thing that has kept me through is my wife and kids. I wish I could say that I was a good little Christian and kept my faith through it all, but it really did get to a point where all I wanted was to be a good provider. Nothing else. No divine will, or seeking His path. I just wanted a decent paying job, where I could pay bills and play with my kids.

I guess I haven't strayed away from much of that. God's will has not been the top of my priorities, though I've tried to fit Him in where it seemed appropriate. Something would happen in my life (like the Huntsville opportunity), and after planning all of the internal hype in my mind, it would be a moment where, "oh, yeah! It'd be neat if God was the orchestration for all of this." knowing full well I was the architect.

The truth is, I do want God's will for my life, but right now it doesn't seem very convenient. As horribly inaccurate some may read into that, it's very telling of the mental abuse and self doubt my psyche has been riddled with as of late.

So - my life does seem like a sham. My heart desires to follow God - but scared to commit, for fear of failure and humiliation one more time.

Where to from here? (for any of us?)

Is that a huge bratwurst, or are you just glad to see me?

Is that a huge bratwurst, or are you just glad to see me?

The Wausau Fall Fest
Took the kids to the town square for the annual Fall Fest and had some great food and enjoyed the time of friendly interaction with old aquaintences that you never really talk to outside of such events. Wierd how superficial that can be, but it's the truth.

In any case, here's the kids in action.

Today I read something rather entertaining. I hope you feel the same:
The Mother of All Farts

Okay, So it's official. I've been offered to manage my own store in Ketchum, ID. Home of Sun Valley, the #1 rated ski resort in the United States. Pretty groovy, I'd say. Six more weeks of training here in Wausau and then we're off to the mountains of Idaho! Should be set up to roll by November.

Contemplations

Iím hosed. Iím at home this day; away from the busy chaos most people rally to celebrate every morning, called coffee. Despite my passions for such cherries of the Arabica, I find it strangely ironic. The company I work for used to be the one company I despised. Iíve always cheered the underdog. Iíve often been the underdog, but now, Iím in charge of the beast.

What is truly remarkable to mention though, is how amazed I am with the slick company procedures and systems that have made Starbucks the premier purveyor of fine coffees. Itís remarkable how efficiently things run in the background like clockwork ñ somehow just happening as if pixies magically placed orders and ran payroll.

All this to say, ìIíve become the one I hated.î In my 32 years, Iíve come to very few absolute conclusions. One of those is that I donít want to run my own business again. Itís way too much work for far too little monetary reward (though the feeling of accomplishment far outweighs the paycheck).

Another, more profound lesson might be that I really donít want to work at all. Itíd be great to have a substantial cash pool set aside so I can spend time with my kids, give my wife whatever it is she desires, and travel when I need to get away from life. Which brings me back to the first sentence of this blog.

Iím pretty hosed in that Iím about to embark on a journey to live and work in one of the finest resort areas in the world, where I will possibly struggle to make ends meet, thus pulling farther away from my goal of having a cash pool. Donít get me wrong. Iím okay with it. Itís just; I thought Iíd be much further along in my achievement of that goal by age 32.

Maybe.

No update yet on the Starbucks location, but I'll let you know as soon as it's a definite.

In recent reflections, I summed up the last year and a half on my life:

Lost RockWater to the City (they bought the building and turned it into a parking ramp),
lost our apartment (reason same as above),
new house,
new child (Stewart McDougal),
child gets sick,
I got laid off from CellularOne,
child gets better,
snag a contract in England,
child gets sick,
contract falls through,
child gets better,
can't find work at home,
opportunity to open new business,
timeline runs out,
tries new approach to business,
can't secure financing,
business idea goes in limbo,
leaves for California to find work,
nothing turns out,
cell phones turned off,
leaves for Alabama for potential job opportunity,
long distance shut off,
things look good,
house goes on the market,
cable and Internet turned off,
child gets sick,
company runs out of money,
come home,
child gets better,
house and car insurance dropped,
I ID a suspect in local arsons case,
buyer found for house,
electricity & gas threatened to cease,
manages to get help from Catholic Charities, Salvation Army & Energy Assistance,
wakes up to bomb squad removing a pipe bomb near my front yard,
gets a job a Starbucks,
interviews for store manager in Appleton,
gets job in Appleton,
interviews for store in Sun Valley, Idaho,
backs out of Appleton store,
moves out of house on Lamont Street,
waiting for official word of acceptance for Starbucks position in Idaho,
living with brother.

My life is amazing.

Just as a quick update:

a) Sold my house.
b) Started working at Starbucks.
c) Moving in with Angus after September 5th.

So, I'm going to be a Starbucks Store Manager. Not sure where yet, but that's the general gist.

Care to comment?

The morning to top all mornings (this week anyway).

Seriously. What the hell is up with my life? I am 32, healthy, with two lovely children and an even lovelier wife. I am far from lazy, but can be intuitive and highly creative. But today, I donít give a ratís butt.

I woke up this morning to find yellow tape just outside my front window. Curiously, I wandered out in my PJs and flip-flops, coffee cup in tow, in what has become my customary morning uniform these last 11 months of on and off employment. A Detective walked up to me in the yard and told us to go inside and stay away from the windows as there was a pipe bomb lying across the street. How very nice.

This was not my first run in with a Wausau Detective this week. Iíve actually played a part in fingering an accused arsonist. While working at a friendís garage sale last weekend, I saw a very suspicious character that we called the police about. After seeing a picture that matched the description I gave to police, I confirmed it was he, and theyíve come to my house on two occasions since to ask more questions.

So, as we patiently waited for the bomb disposal truck to arrive, I was struck by the ironic twist that my home insurance had just been cancelled last week. If for some reason the bomb squad fudged the disposal and it blew, my house would have probably lost itís windows and I would have no way of paying to fix them. Not good for the resale value.

And then there was yesterday, another crisis averted of a different proportion. I had to come up with nearly $500 by noon, or lose my electricity & gas services. I swallowed my pride and paid visit to the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and Energy Assistance. My pride has been dealt another blow in this series of avalanching financial ruin.

On Monday, it was the issue was convincing the bank not to venture into Legal proceedings to get the house back. Foreclosure is never pretty and even more de-humanizing than I could bear at this point. Theyíve agreed to allow me to sell it myself and not play bad guy. God Bless them for it.

Last week, it was the loss of the potential job in Huntsville, dropped insurance on the house and car, and a credit card in collections. Before that it was the cable, Internet, cell phones and long distance. You can see that having a pipe bomb in my front yard is merely the icing on the proverbial cake called, ìmy life.î

Care to comment?

 

How not to start a morning...

Self explanatory I'm sure. Unfortunately, they had already removed the
yellow "police line" tape.

"Watcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when they come for you?"
SING IT!

That blue mailbox sure does look menacing.

And here lies said pipe bomb.

There are times when one must take a deep, penetrating look at how life treats us. This can be a positive, or negative thing depending on the conclusions you might draw. Personal experience is a powerful teacher, but often a poor historical reference. What I mean is, the mind has no vocabulary, only emotions felt during different events. We then apply words that describe the emotions and visual memories as best as we can.

Sometimes accurately, and other times inaccurately.

Today I face those emotions. Some passer-by might see me at my titanium powerbook and assume I am a well-to-do designer or video professional, perhaps even an Internet guru of some sort. The fact is, like many people in my field, I am an unemployed IT analyst with nothing but this laptop to show for it.

Spending just a few moments on my blog, I figured I'd ad "Comment" ability to the site to make things more interesting. My buddy, Matt, has it set up on his site and I, the blogging mentor, found myself being surpassed by my own blogging mentee. I visited said mentee this past week. He & his wife are good folk - please go to his blog and read his July 16th entry for his account of my ankle slashing beer bottles!!!

In other news, I'm back in Wisconsin, Internet access free. Kinda sucky, considering how much my life revolves around the technology. This may explain the absence of consistent blogs, but this too shall pass.

Fancy me. I've neglected you again dear old friend.

My life has once again taken a break neck turn for the better. What's amazing to me now is the lack of effort that my life needs sometimes when I get out of the way.

To catch you up to speed, I went to a family reunion about two weeks ago. My brother drove down to meet us (we had flown) and high-jacked me to attend a conference in Huntsville, Alabama. As things would have it, the people there are opening a coffee shop and need somebody to head it up.

Hmmm...Who do I know that might be able to help?

So I headed back home on a Thursday, only to return to Huntsville again the following Thursday (with wife & baby in tow) to interview for the job. Well, I'm now back in Wausau, sitting in a coffee house checking email and pondering what I will need to purchase for the new place I'm about to open. Irony?

So the house has a "For Sale" sign in front of it. Anyone want to buy a beautiful house?

Oh and my friend Matt started a new blog. Matt works for this amazingly creative joint called Rocketown and is genuinly a swell fellow.

At some point, I have to stop and look around. Wether through some sort of diabolical force, or faulty management of funds, it has come to my attention that I need to sell my house.

Not happy about this, mind you.

But I've come to some conclusions over the past week. I need a change. New place. New friends (I've made some recently - right Matt). New surroundings.

As much as things do change though - there are some constants. My wife and children. God. And my faith that it will get better.

Just not sure when that last one will be yet.

So, out of utter boredom today, I stumbled across this website for creating personalized license plates. It's like being in jail without having to go through the whole criminal investigation and court proceedings crap. Not to mention the flashing bulbs of paparazzi stealing your soul in the name of free press. Ahhh, the fruits of being at home sick.

Make your own licence plate. Fun for the entire family!

Today is Memorial Day. Really nothing new to report. No clever concepts, or links to funny articles. Just spent the weekend camping with some very close friends. Life is good.

But it got me thinking about how blessed I am with what I have. Babies, house and wife, how could I be any happier? It just makes me wonder how others are doing, so I'm going to make some contacts with old friends.

Call it nostalgia or whatever, but it'd sure be nice to hear from some voices from the past and catch up with what's happened over the years. After all, in the end, what matters are the friends we make, the relationships we keep, and the family we raise.

Have a nice day. :-)

Memorial Day Weekend. The official sign of summer! We're going camping tonight for the first time with the kids. Em is not much of an outdoors kind of gal, but she's gonna give it a go. Several other couples are already out there waiting for us. Should be fun, but if it gets a bit much, we'll only be about 20 minutes away.

So that's my update. I promise these will get more frequent.

If anyone has the need to contact me tomorrow afternoon, I'll probably have my cell phone turned off. If all things go well, I should be in a dark theater somewhere being visually stimulated watching the new Matrix.


Don't expect to hear from me.

Okay, so I finally got around to updating my children's photo site. Go ahead and check their latest pics.


Anybody see this? Pretty groovy that my favorite computer maker, Apple, has sold a cool $mil in music. I'm not completely sold that this Music Store concept will be viable after all of the hype is over, but what the heck. Go Apple!!!

My marketing genius at work!!!


†††   


Digital Dialogue Wins Second Place!
press release -- It should come as no surprise to announce that the efforts that went forth at April 24th's "Fresh Meat" promotion had the exact effect we were looking for. Digital Dialogue has won Second Place in "Best of Show" in this year's Chamber of Commerce - Small Business Expo. The hard work of our marketing department and graphic designers has certainly paid off, and we're so proud of our team.

So I'm working on this really cool ad campaign at my new job. It's wicked neat.

I'll post some pictures on Friday.

Oh, so that's where easter eggs come from!



Happy Easter Everyone!!!

My mom came over today with a stack of old report cards from my younger years. I'm not sure what made her think to pull them out at this very moment, but I found it amusing to page through the many ridiculous comments my former teachers had for me.

Nothing could have summed up my entire parochial years more accurately than my 5th grade Math Teacher, Mr. Kawalski, who wrote, "Marcus is making satisfactory progress within the average group."

What the Hell does that mean?!!!!

Or should I just move on?

In other news, I got a job.

Really nothing new to report. Everthing remains the same with the exception of my location. I'm back in Wausau right now. I may be taking a contract that will have me travelling alot. I've also interviewed with a pharmacudical company and that may turn into something, but as of now, I'm still unemployed.

A great article that sums up my current situation quite handily
Oh and here's an interesting site
And another one

In the event that someone is looking for me, I'm not at home in my usually unemployed state - propped up against a boppy pillow on the couch.

No. I am in Aliso Viejo looking for work. Oh the joy of job hunting. Actually it's looking quite promising, but as anyone who's read my pages, you know things seem to have a tendancy of going south, quickly. I've turned a corner in my attitude though. I'm keeping my head up and fighting to get back to work as soon as possible.

In the course of conversing with some people, I've been turned on to a couple of sights that gave me the giggles. I'll share 'em with ya!
http://www.hiremedumbass.com
http://www.oddtodd.com

Stay tuned. The next posting may be announcing my new occupation.

I lost my internet access for almost a month. Amazing how not paying your bill causes such inconvienance. This article was sent to me today. I thought it wise to pass on:

SHAME ON YOU AMERICAN-HATING LIBERALS
Tony Parsons ... Daily Mirror ... September 11, 2002


ONE year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting - the mass
murder of thousands, live on television.

As a lesson in the pitiless cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up
there with Pol Pot's mountain of skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies
stacked like garbage in the Nazi concentration camps.

An unspeakable act so cruel, so calculated and so utterly merciless that
surely the world could agree on one thing - nobody deserves this fate.

Surely there could be consensus: the victims were truly innocent, the
perpetrators truly evil.

But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's
comeuppance.

Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last year.

There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this country -
too loud, too rich, too full of themselves and so much happier than
Europeans - but it has become an epidemic.

And it seems incredible to me. More than that, it turns my stomach.

America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are
bonded to the US by culture, language and blood.

A little over half a century ago, around half a million Americans died for
our freedoms, as well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon?

And exactly a year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children - not
just Americans, but from dozens of countries - were butchered by a small
group of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray them?

What touched the heart about those who died in the twin towers and on the
planes was that we recognised them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's
son and somebody's daughter, husbands and wives. And children. Some unborn.

And these people brought it on themselves? And their nation is to blame for
their meticulously planned slaughter?

These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or
Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan.

The anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame
the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives suffering
from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do what it
likes without having to ask permission.

The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint since
September 11.

Remember, remember.

Remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their wives to say,
"I love you," before they were burned alive. Remember those people leaping
to their deaths from the top of burning skyscrapers.

Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive. Remember the smiling face of
that beautiful little girl who was on one of the planes with her mum.
Remember, remember - and realise that America has never retaliated for 9/11
in anything like the way it could have.

So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked without a trial in Camp X-ray? Pass
the Kleenex.

So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired
their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but maybe
next time they should stick to confetti.

AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot.
That it didn't is a sign of strength.

American voices are already being raised against attacking Iraq - that's
what a democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a minute's
silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11? How many Islamic leaders will
have the guts to say that the mass murder of 9/11 was an abomination?

When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving
Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that - and
didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the most
powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did not
provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism". A real war.

The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of hell", if
America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of hell like
you wouldn't believe.

The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode the face of
the earth.

The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect and the planned
war on Iraq may be misconceived.

But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to these wretched
countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the
Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand - assuming you
haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting.

I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle.
But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh. Above
all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be - rich,
free, strong, open, optimistic.

Not ground down by the past, or religion, or some caste system. America is
the best friend this country ever had and we should start remembering that.

Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the loved
ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning towers.

Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the hijacked
planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper.

And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the
New York Fire Department. To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than
Saddam Hussein.

Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people and
set up rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told he likes Quality Street. Save
me the orange centre, oh mighty one!

Remember, remember, September 11. One of the greatest atrocities in human
history was committed against America.

No, do more than remember.

Never forget.

So I interviewed with a TV station yesterday. They need a creative editor to help them open up a new production service for their clients. Sort of a one stop shop for ad buys. It looks like a great opportunity and located very close to home. I could literally walk to work. That'd be nice.

A buddy of mine has an open position working helpdesk at footlocker.com and another friend runs a little local coffeeshop with an opening for a supervisor. So I guess when it rains, it pours on this little job market.

And now, on to my desktop project:

I wrote the guy from my last posting and discovered the utilities he used as being konfabulator and NetStatInDock. There's a great article on konfabulator over at O'Reilly.net As a result, I bought my own copy and now you can see what my current destop looks like:

I just found this guy's really cool desktop. I want to know what utilities he's running.

Oh the lust of geekdom.

Dude, you're going to jail!!!

Benjamin Curtis, the 22-year-old actor who portrays "Steven," the Dell Guy, in those bothersome computer commercials, was arrested late last night (2/9) on a marijuana possession charge. Curtis, who lives in lower Manhattan, was charged with criminal possession of marijuana.

Lifestyles of the Unemployed
Marcus Nelson
sendmemail@mac.com
February 6, 2003

This is the documentation of one manís experience seeking gainful employment. Through his words you may see yourself, a friend or a loved one. If nothing else, it will give you a sense of where you donít want to be in an unfortunate economy. You may ponder upon these ramblings, talk about it with co-workers or even reminisce about your own experiences. But if nothing else, be thankful for what you do have and count your blessings one by one. ~marcus sendmemail@mac.com

My UI checks ran out last week. Instead of the customary $329 check, I received a check for $188. Why? Because that was all that was left in my ìaccount.î Itís certainly difficult to change oneís lifestyle to accommodate a drop in salary, but to turn around and say, ìOops. Weíre sorry, but you have no more Unemployment funding left.î Itís kind of a slap in the face.

Never fear, our governing forces have come to the rescue. Iíll have 12 more weeks of funding until it runs out again. Oh joy. George Bush said in his State of the Union Address that every American who wants a job should have one. I could not agree more. I want to work.

Having my daily life programmed between visits to various websites, rÈsumÈ sending, phone calls for leads, and afternoons with Dr. Phil and Oprah, is something my high school guidance counselor never really mentioned in our discussions for job preparation. He did declare that rÈsumÈs should always be followed up with a phone call. That approach no longer applies. Some places even tell you not to call lest your potential candidacy for the position be disqualified.

There is also a new technique in corporate America used by Human Resource offices using software to ìdiagnoseî your aptitude for success. These software programs are referred to as combers, or crawlers that search for specific words, or combinations of words that satisfy the companyís job requirements. The hiring manager tells HR what they are looking for and software does the rest, brushing through hundreds, if not thousands of rÈsumÈs filtering out buzzwords that fit the managerís description.

If your rÈsumÈ is not specifically tailored for each and every job application, then all of your efforts, as sincere and hopeful as they may be, are in vein. To receive a letter in response saying anything about actually seeing your rÈsumÈ is next to non-existent. And even if you do, there will be a small tag line similar to this one I received today, ìIf the position you applied for is not well suited to your background, we will retain your resume for thirty calendar days for future consideration.î

This is usually a sure tail sign that your carefully crafted depiction of your life and work history just hit the back side of someoneís rubbish bin, or got nailed by a simple keystroke; sending it off the precipice of binary abyss. These are the cherished lessons of job-hunting in the Twenty-First Century.

Six months have gone by since my last layoff. There have been a few contracts along the way, but nothing-long term. I live in Central Wisconsin and have been through three layoffs in my nine years in the Information Technology sector, and now I canít even land a Helpdesk position. My college buddies out on the west coast arenít fairing much better. Steve has been making jewelry since he was let go by Seibel Systems a year ago. Holly just lost her job on Monday at Wind River. Both are technically savvy, but expendable.

And so goes our modern economy. Gone are the days of life long careers at one company. Our parents dedicated forty years to a company because the company took care of them. Faithfulness goes much further than fat paychecks. Faithfulness of the company to the employee and from the employee to the company, history taught people to take care of each other. These are different times. Dogs-eat-dog. Bottom lines have driven companies to care more about shareholders than communities.

Thereís really nothing I can do about that. Itís a society issue now, but the golden rules should still apply, ìDo unto others as you would have them do unto you.î If the company canít afford to keep their employees, they should be responsible to make every effort to find them new employment.

Societal commentary aside, finding a job has always boiled down to one simple factor for me. Knowing somebody at the company. So maybe my problem is not really a case of writing a bad rÈsumÈ, being over qualified or something so circumstantial. Maybe the problem is more about not knowing enough of the right people to get to the companies I want to work for? That, or all of my contacts are just as unemployed as I am?

If this is for real, I would very much like to become a distributor.

I could make a fortune! The Fourteen-Minute Orgasm Pill

I think I've figured out why it's so hard for me to find a job here in Wausau, Wisconsin. I saw two articles, one here and the other here. It looks like many American technical jobs are heading over seas as corporate cost saving measures. What's the world coming to when an educated American can't find a job in his own country?

[ insert your own sarcastic remark here ]

Anybody else see this? Amazingly, a kid was thrown from his overturned jeep only to fly into overhead telephone and electrical wires. He grabbed on to one of them and stayed suspended for 20 minutes while rescue workers worked to get him down safely. Amazing.

I'm supposed to get a call today about a job. I have yet to receive that call. Does that mean I won't get the job? Strangely enough, I am scheduled to have a second interview on Monday - at the same company! I guess I can wait until then. My wonderful life.

The Super Bowl was underwhelming. I was so wishing the Raiders would pull out a miracle run. Not because I necessarily like Oakland, but more for the hope of an exciting ending to the game. I figured, as long as I'm trying to watch the best commercials of the year (arguable), there might as well be some kind of decent game to watch.

Instead, I actually felt bad for Gannon, the Raider quarterback who just failed to deliver anything consistently. Oh well, better luck next time Oakland. Of course, next time it'll be the Packers and not the stinking Buccaneers!!!

Speaking of good commercials, why does a company spend 2.2 million smack-a-roos on airing commercials weíve already seen (can anyone say Honda Element)? And was it just me, or were there more summer movie trailers than usual this year? Anyway, the only commercial that really got to me was the Reebok commercial with "Terry Tait ñ The Office Linebacker." That basicly took the cake.

There is a vocation that few in our society have chosen - and certainly for good reason. This is the profession of a Special Education teacher. No one can deny the internal fortitude that one must exhibit daily to patiently cope with the challenges of the mentally retarded.

I found this site, Tardblog, and I must admit, lack of professionalism aside, some of these stories are downright sad, if not funny as hell.

I am still awaiting employment. The investor and I have called off the project - for now. We will revisit this concept at a later time. In the mean time, I have interviewed with a couple of other companies. One in particular, I am anxiously awaiting their phone call. They are speaking with one more person today, so we will see where that leads (maybe a call today?).

How the heck does a movie like Kangaroo Jack become the number one movie in America? That is either a fluke of stupid movie-going zombies, or some really attractive marketing. Unbelievable!

And for those of you paying attention to the weather, it's -5 right now with a weather advisory for high winds which should dip the chill factor to about -35. Nice.

And that's why I love Wisconsin.

This is refreshing news. Mel Gibson standing up for Jesus?

"Actor-Director Mel Gibson is currently in the process of making a realistic movie about the suffering, sacrificial death of Jesus. Gibson was recently quoted by the media as saying " This is a movie about love, faith, hope and forgiveness. Jesus suffered for all of us. It's time to get back to that basic message. The world has gone nuts. We could all use a little more love, faith, hope and forgiveness. " He has stated that he is under attack for making this movie. "

Geez-oh-peet.

Just when you thought you had nothing left to learn, Fox News has to throw this in our face. Gas B Gon!!!

I guess I can now go back to living my life once my GasBGon flatulence filter seat cushion arrives at my door. Oh happy, happy, joy, joy!

We are making progress on the project!!! That's all I can say, and I am so happy to say it.

A good friend is coming by tonight to drink Guinness, discuss stratagy and look at furniture for the lounge. My evening is packed with goodness!

8~}

As typical mornings go, I was watching a movie this morning with my daughter. While watching Disney's, Lady & the Tramp II: Scampy's Adventure, it occurred to me; Disney is hurting. Just perusing through the recent releases of Best Buy's Family Movie section should be enough to prove my point. Peter Pan II: Return to Never Land, Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Aladdin II, 101 Dalmatians II, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, and Pocahontas II.

Never mind the other motion picture crap coming out of Anaheim (The Emperor's New Groove, Mulan and Hercules), but somebody up there in the Magic Kingdom is running out of inspiration. Seriously, some folks may question, "What about Toy Story, Bug's Life, and Monsters, Inc.?" One word: PIXAR

Now, I might be willing to pay homage to Lilo & Stitch as an original story, but still, one out of a dozen that has a new slant of a storyline. Come on Michael Eisner! Let's crack a whip over there, or maybe you need to find some fresh ideas from somewhere outside the glare of Hollywood.

Man, that's my bitch session today. Well, Disney and the fact the investor has yet to call me back and reschedule our meeting (again).

Just when I think I'm having a bad day, I have to find this video. Life becomes more bearable after viewing a clip like this! It even made me cry. 17.2mb

well... he cancelled again. No meeting this morning, but perhaps tomorrow? I'm getting really antsy, now.

In addition, I placed a call to the place I interviewed at a week ago and left a message for the owner. AND, another company called this morning for a position they have opening up.

I also sent a resume off to a friend of my mother-in-law's who works for a particular outdoor activity company. Maybe I need to live near Irvine, CA?

Much has happened since my last blog. I sent a resume to Forward Electronics - apparently they need a technical salesperson. I also spoke with the Performing Arts Foundation and they are in need of a promotions person for their Great Room. Thet would be a total shmooze position, which might be pretty fun.

Saturday, we spent our gift certificate from Best Buy on DVDs for Olivia and the parents. Purchased films included Peter Pan, Lady & the Tramp II, Signs, Sixth Sense and the new Austin Powers. We watched Signs last night and it gave both Emily and I the willys all night!

This morning, I meet with the investor - part 2. He had to cancel last week, which is fine, but a week had to be burned in order to reschedule. Accordingly, we'll be under the gun to get this project finished by the due date of February 10th. That's when the liquor license has to be used by. Oh the pressure!!!

And so... the day has ended. As I reflect upon my day, Iím greeted by the fact that I have a loving wife, two beautiful children and a wonderful home. I find this comforting in the sense that I have no current direction for my life. By direction, I suppose I am referring to the lack of employment.

Itís amazing that I have actually considered moving today. The contract I did this morning has openings in Fort Lauderdale, Phoenix and LA. They asked for my resume. My mother-in-law has also received my resume and will be shopping it amongst her happy throng of contacts in Orange County, CA.

If only that meeting last Tuesday had not been cancelled, I'd have clearer direction!!! I spoke with the City Clerk and found out that not only do I have to have a new site selected by Feb. 10th, but it must also be inspected and approved by that date. This puts a lot of pressure on me to get the place open, and fast!!! Maybe thatís not such a bad problem?

Wow. What else can I possibly say? Apple has done it again, creating awe-inspiring products that beg for adoration. The 17î PowerBook is simply stunning, begging laptop case makers around the world to make room for this beautiful behemoth. Not too much unlike Anna Nicoleís seamstress, I would imagine.

Besides the PowerBooks, several new applications knocked my socks off, like the new iLife suite, and Safari, Appleís new Internet Browser. Steve Jobs just could not stop pulling out the iCandy [pun intended]. There was also Keynote, a PowerPoint-like app that just dripped with coolness.

I guess I was fortunate enough to behold all of this through live web cast. I was supposed to be meeting with investors today, but they had to cancel due to some health issues. I might have been dressed up with no place to go, but at least I got to sit at the fat end of a nice internet pipe with a clear picture to watch Steve in all of his glory doing what he does best, inspiring the masses.

Tomorrow I get to migrate a SCO Unix Server to Linux 7.2. Oh, what pleasures to behold! Thanks TekSystems, youíre the best!!!

Tomorrow is MacWorld 2003 in San Francisco. The Mecca of all Apple events, and I have to miss it, again. Dang it!

In the mean time, I'm going to list the following Apple announcements - er, ah - I mean speculation:

IT World - Apple to introduce 800M bps Firewire ports.
C|net - Apple expected to unveil a new portable product.
eWeek - Mac Tablet: Ready for Expo?
Loop Rumors - A video enabled iPod.
Mac OS Rumors - A new Digital Lifestyle Device.
Forbes - What Is Apple Baking?

What ever happens, there will be millions of Apple aficionados waiting anxiously tonight.

Moreover, I am meeting an investor tomorrow about my coffee/cocktail concept, so Iím guessing I wonít get much sleep tonight.

So, I bought a new bag at ebags.com today. It's an Eagle Creek Matrix Kripton and I can't wait to put it to use. My saddle bag (from Kensington for those of you taking notes) blew a seam right in the front. I liked that bag, may it rest in peace, but the new one should be even better. Did I mention that ebags.com is having a winter blow out sale? Yeah, I got the bag for $39.95!!! It's usually more like $80, so I felt I got a deal.

Honestly, I would much rather have purchased a really choice Leather Business Case or Aluminum Attache, but I'm kinda poor right now - being out of work and all...

And so this is the part where I place my commentary about the Packers performance last night against the Atlanta Falcons. Well... I have given some thought to this, but like my Mama always told me, "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all."

I guess I'll leave it at that.

Last night I bought a new Calander insert for my Day Timer. I've had the thing for over ten years now, and I have an off and on relationship with the leather piece of organization. What bugs me is whenever I get a new insert, I end up having to transfer all of my random notes. I get so used to knowing where my jots and jittles are that it's really a pain to have to re-teach myself where to look for things.

I also took a consideration of PDAs. I'm a techie-type and I don't own a PDA of any sort. And it's not like the new Palm products are that expensive anymore. What the heck? I should own one! It would certainly add to my arsenal of crap to carry around.

MacWorld is next week. Every rumor site our there is predicting the drool worthy objects of affections that may be on the way. Honestly, I think this one is going to be a yawner. I went to the keynote in New York last summer and was bummed that there were no major announcements then either. Apple just needs to come out with some neck breaking speeds and low costing hardware. This, IMHO is what would grow their market share. They can run all the "switch" ads they want, but in a $4.95, all you can eat society like ours, the cheapest costing alternative is always going to have the bigger market share.

Maybe Apple will come out with some more neat tools for the iPod so I can use that instead. Yeah, that would be much better than a crummy, run-of-the-mill PDA! Your Thoughts? email me

I got a phone call yesterday. An investor wants to talk some more about my coffee & cocktail bar concept. We are meeting Tuesday and I cannot wait to see what comes of it. So much needs to happen to make this idea a reality. Very exciting times indeed.

Anyone feel like they want to help??


Oh yeah. I also got a hair cut.

Did anyone else realize that yesterday was 1-2-3? January 2nd, 2003 is also written 01/02/03 or as I observed, 1-2-3. Iím an incredible observant little monkey, huh?

Today is the day I find out about working at that company I interviewed with on Monday. It seems like a pretty sweet deal, casual work environment, relatively simple product line, and a car. Canít find a complaint about this at all.

The problem is, my idea for a cocktail bar in Wausau is not dead yet. Do I abandon that dream for a comfortable job with nice benefits and avoid the long hours and agony of being a business owner? This, my dear friend is my quandary.

Okay, sometimes it comes down to some good ol' fashion arithmetic.

0 Dinner

+1 Apple Martini

+1 Cosmopolitan

+3 Dirty Martinis

+1 Guinness

+1 Bass

+1 Champaign

equals

An unpleasant morning.

And in the end, we ask ourselves, "Was it even really worth it?" The answer my friends is yes. Any excuse to be out in the company of great friends, and good people is worthwhile investment. As long as it only happens once a year. I'm going to go take some advil.
Happy New Year!