I miss writing here.
I should keep up with this.... (as I finish typing and log out)
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Spamming myself
Music: Funkstörung - B4 || the silk demise - Dead-Letter Queue
At work I have these great little mail filters that sort my incoming mail and place it in the proper spots. So, of Jim from Company X emails me about something it will automatically get sorted into the right spot. Which is great for me, especially where I'm lazy some of the time. (Read: most of the time.)
There are also important server messages that I'm sent regarding the status of some of the hosted sites here at work. If the server goes down, I know about it in 5 minutes or less. On the weekend I don't check my work email all that regularly so getting the notices from Saturday morning on Monday doesn't look too well for me.
I changed the filter on my computer to forward these emails from my work to my personal email at home. Since I'm tied to that like glue, I'd be quicker to get the email and fix the problem.
In theory, this worked great.
I also changed my mail settings to automatically include my work email as a BCC so that I could keep a copy of what I send with the original email. Can you see the problem yet?
An email from about the server came in, and then disappeared from my inbox and went to my personal email. Great.
Problem: Remember that BCC that I said I had added to all out going email?
Well, I got the email from the server again, and it was immediatly forwarded. Which I got again, and forwarded. Within the span of about 90 seconds I had spammed my personal email about 117 times.
Made me laugh all day.
At work I have these great little mail filters that sort my incoming mail and place it in the proper spots. So, of Jim from Company X emails me about something it will automatically get sorted into the right spot. Which is great for me, especially where I'm lazy some of the time. (Read: most of the time.)
There are also important server messages that I'm sent regarding the status of some of the hosted sites here at work. If the server goes down, I know about it in 5 minutes or less. On the weekend I don't check my work email all that regularly so getting the notices from Saturday morning on Monday doesn't look too well for me.
I changed the filter on my computer to forward these emails from my work to my personal email at home. Since I'm tied to that like glue, I'd be quicker to get the email and fix the problem.
In theory, this worked great.
I also changed my mail settings to automatically include my work email as a BCC so that I could keep a copy of what I send with the original email. Can you see the problem yet?
An email from about the server came in, and then disappeared from my inbox and went to my personal email. Great.
Problem: Remember that BCC that I said I had added to all out going email?
Well, I got the email from the server again, and it was immediatly forwarded. Which I got again, and forwarded. Within the span of about 90 seconds I had spammed my personal email about 117 times.
Made me laugh all day.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Guess what I bought....
music: Slick Idiot - Let it Rain (Remixed by B-Audio)
So, today, I have officially ordered cool shit online. No, I didn't order any of the cool geeky stuff I posted back in December. I bought music, actually, offically bought music.
I read today that Nine Inch Nails recently (Saturday) released a new set of albums of instrumental music online, they made the first one available via thePirateBay to download for free. Whats the catch? There are 36 songs in total, which can be bought all together for a total of $5 from their website. I'm waiting for my confirmation email now so that I can download the tracks tonight.
I think this is how music should be made and distrubuted. Who buys CDs anymore? Really the only point to them is to have the artwork and lyrics, which are typically all available online anyways.
Go, buy the album, download album, let the record companies know that we can actually function without them.
So, today, I have officially ordered cool shit online. No, I didn't order any of the cool geeky stuff I posted back in December. I bought music, actually, offically bought music.
I read today that Nine Inch Nails recently (Saturday) released a new set of albums of instrumental music online, they made the first one available via thePirateBay to download for free. Whats the catch? There are 36 songs in total, which can be bought all together for a total of $5 from their website. I'm waiting for my confirmation email now so that I can download the tracks tonight.
I think this is how music should be made and distrubuted. Who buys CDs anymore? Really the only point to them is to have the artwork and lyrics, which are typically all available online anyways.
Go, buy the album, download album, let the record companies know that we can actually function without them.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Morning of nothingness...
Music: Out of your Mouth - I'm Ugly & KMFDM - A Drug Against War
Whats been going on lately around here, apparently so much stuff has gone on that I don't have time to do anything any more. Which is a total crock of crap but I'm use to lying to myself about these things.
I spent part of the morning in a meeting learning about software that I'm supposed to be teaching in the coming months. Not only did it make little to no sense but the person who wrote it didn't explain the purpose of the software and the things that I'll need to know. The morning was spent learning what happens when I click a button that says "Add Group". (I could have figured that out on my own.)
To make matters worse, I have to spend the better part of this afternoon dealing with a project that was thrust upon me when I returned to work. The bulk of which will be the software that I spend time learning this morning. Oh yeah baby, hear me screaming.
The weekend was pretty great, spent the better part of Saturday in my wife's hometown hanging out with her mom and Step dad. We also got to see friends of ours who are getting married the end of March to discuss their wedding photos. Did I mention that I agreed to be their photographer? Probably not, but its good reason to buy a new camera. Now, if only I could find some cash to do that.
Apart from that I spent a good portion of time playing fetch with our new kitten. He did it for like an hour the other night, I'd throw it to make him go away and stop chewing on my toes, then he'd bring it back. The cycle continued until I got fed up and let him chew on my toes.
The only sour note of the weekend was that my wife spent the better part of Friday poking her finger to determine if it was broken or not. There was an accident in the office which caused her to fall on her chair, which then fell on her hand severely bruising her ring finger.
She tells the story a little different, when she tells it there's some tilting, laughter, falling, yelling and blame being directed at me. (Which I wouldn't deny as it was kind of funny.)
She's doing much better now though, which is good because I'd hate to be responsible for her having a hooked finger, though it would be good for scaring children later in life.
Whats been going on lately around here, apparently so much stuff has gone on that I don't have time to do anything any more. Which is a total crock of crap but I'm use to lying to myself about these things.
I spent part of the morning in a meeting learning about software that I'm supposed to be teaching in the coming months. Not only did it make little to no sense but the person who wrote it didn't explain the purpose of the software and the things that I'll need to know. The morning was spent learning what happens when I click a button that says "Add Group". (I could have figured that out on my own.)
To make matters worse, I have to spend the better part of this afternoon dealing with a project that was thrust upon me when I returned to work. The bulk of which will be the software that I spend time learning this morning. Oh yeah baby, hear me screaming.
The weekend was pretty great, spent the better part of Saturday in my wife's hometown hanging out with her mom and Step dad. We also got to see friends of ours who are getting married the end of March to discuss their wedding photos. Did I mention that I agreed to be their photographer? Probably not, but its good reason to buy a new camera. Now, if only I could find some cash to do that.
Apart from that I spent a good portion of time playing fetch with our new kitten. He did it for like an hour the other night, I'd throw it to make him go away and stop chewing on my toes, then he'd bring it back. The cycle continued until I got fed up and let him chew on my toes.
The only sour note of the weekend was that my wife spent the better part of Friday poking her finger to determine if it was broken or not. There was an accident in the office which caused her to fall on her chair, which then fell on her hand severely bruising her ring finger.
She tells the story a little different, when she tells it there's some tilting, laughter, falling, yelling and blame being directed at me. (Which I wouldn't deny as it was kind of funny.)
She's doing much better now though, which is good because I'd hate to be responsible for her having a hooked finger, though it would be good for scaring children later in life.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
What the hell is wrong with you people....
I've been neglecting this like a crack addict neglects eating or flushing the toilet.
I've spent much of my time lately watching movies, spent the weekend watching the Extended editions of all three Lord of the Rings movies. (Man, thats ALOT of movie.)
Speaking of which, go right now to your local video store, rent "Eastern Promises". Watch it, and tell me 2 things you hated about the movie, I think you'll have a hard time with it. Such a wonderful movie, its hard and grim but you can't make a mafia movie in the style of Disney.
Now to the bitching:
I have a pretty standard work week, generally I work Monday to Friday 8-5. Which is nice to be back to a normal schedule. And since I've been back with the company I've been in a number of meetings furthering the software and keeping the clients happy.
Last week I spend about 10 hours of my week in meetings, now I don't mind being in the meetings because it makes me feel important and it helps take my mind off of the daily happenings of the office.
But then I come back to reality with a sharp kick the groin when the meetings are over.
Like this morning for example.
I had a very short meeting concerning one of the projects that we are working on, and that I have taken over since my return (not by my choice, but the clients requested me). When I was finished with the meeting I went back to my desk to research some of the items that were there that need to be completed tomorrow during my consultation visit.
One of the items is outstanding since the beginning of December, way too long for an issue to be unresolved. I talked to the guy who was working on it.
It went something like this....
Me: Do you remember this problem that Client X is having?
CB: Yes, I remember testing it to see if was a solution.
Me: Did you fix this problem for the client at their location?
CB: No. Two other people fixed it.
I went to talk to those two people.
Me: They didn't fix it, they told you about the problem and that you had to fix it.
CB: Oh, I remember testing some fixes.
Me: What were they.
CB: I don't know.
Me: Did anyone give them to the client?
CB: I don't know.
Me: Do you have the files so that I may test it?
CB: No.
This is the point where I wanted to slap this guy into next week for being a complete f*cking idiot.
He then went on to say that the guy whom I replaced fixed the problem and that I should email him. (I have proven documentation that he himself went to the client to fix the problem and not the other fellow he likes to blame all the time.)
Stupid people generally make me laugh, but not when they keep me from doing my job properly.
I've spent much of my time lately watching movies, spent the weekend watching the Extended editions of all three Lord of the Rings movies. (Man, thats ALOT of movie.)
Speaking of which, go right now to your local video store, rent "Eastern Promises". Watch it, and tell me 2 things you hated about the movie, I think you'll have a hard time with it. Such a wonderful movie, its hard and grim but you can't make a mafia movie in the style of Disney.
Now to the bitching:
I have a pretty standard work week, generally I work Monday to Friday 8-5. Which is nice to be back to a normal schedule. And since I've been back with the company I've been in a number of meetings furthering the software and keeping the clients happy.
Last week I spend about 10 hours of my week in meetings, now I don't mind being in the meetings because it makes me feel important and it helps take my mind off of the daily happenings of the office.
But then I come back to reality with a sharp kick the groin when the meetings are over.
Like this morning for example.
I had a very short meeting concerning one of the projects that we are working on, and that I have taken over since my return (not by my choice, but the clients requested me). When I was finished with the meeting I went back to my desk to research some of the items that were there that need to be completed tomorrow during my consultation visit.
One of the items is outstanding since the beginning of December, way too long for an issue to be unresolved. I talked to the guy who was working on it.
It went something like this....
Me: Do you remember this problem that Client X is having?
CB: Yes, I remember testing it to see if was a solution.
Me: Did you fix this problem for the client at their location?
CB: No. Two other people fixed it.
I went to talk to those two people.
Me: They didn't fix it, they told you about the problem and that you had to fix it.
CB: Oh, I remember testing some fixes.
Me: What were they.
CB: I don't know.
Me: Did anyone give them to the client?
CB: I don't know.
Me: Do you have the files so that I may test it?
CB: No.
This is the point where I wanted to slap this guy into next week for being a complete f*cking idiot.
He then went on to say that the guy whom I replaced fixed the problem and that I should email him. (I have proven documentation that he himself went to the client to fix the problem and not the other fellow he likes to blame all the time.)
Stupid people generally make me laugh, but not when they keep me from doing my job properly.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The benefits of complaining...
Music: Holy Fuck - Bontempi Latin
Because I'm being viewed as such a whiner here at work, I've become rewarded. I've been constantly complaining about the processes involved in the installation of the updates and Service Packs for the software we distribute. A new version would come out, I'd test it, tell them that it sucks and give them a list of things that were wrong.
If they were lucky, I would tell them how to fix it as well.
But with any bureaucratic process there are hangups. The hangup for this instance is documentation, there is a lot of paper work that goes along with the creation and update of the software. For instance, to produce the update there are meetings to be had, five or six documents to write and have approved. Then you get to write the code, all the while documenting what changed.
Some of the problems I've found have been minor that require a simple one line change in a configuration file somewhere. But, because of the process thats involved in getting the software ready they'd have to redo the entire process just for these changes. They do not want to.
To make matters worse, the people who create the installation break stuff by making changes to the program forget what they changed and then do not know how to get it back to a point where it works. I just want to kill people now. Who does this? Seriously? Why don't they have the same process to follow than everyone else?
Because of all this, I've been rewarded. For the next release I get to manage, document and plan the *ENTIRE* installation process so that it will work (here are the key words) how *I* want it to work. Hell yeah! Thats what I'm talkin about.
**
I was just interrupted for 15 minutes by the project coordinator for the Brunei project that I'm involved with. Have you ever met someone who just talks for the sake of talking? You ask them a question and they continue talking like you never opened your mouth? How continually interrupts their own sentences to talk about something completely separate to what they were mentioning to begin with?
I asked him, what do you want me to do with the paper you handed me?
He looks at me puzzled, well, here is how the training is going to break down and attempts to explain the training sessions which are on the paper.
I look at him and laugh to myself while he continues to talk. I interrupt, what is this? Pointing to an item on the paper.
Well, the guy before you had set this up as a training session.
Whats the point of it? Is it necessary?
He put it there so I'm keeping it there? I don't know what it is but he said it would be useful?
Without showing frustration or annoyance, I ask again, What do you want me to do with this paper? Approve, modify the training days?
Yeah, that sounds good. You can do that as well as doing this...
I begin to tune him out because he begins to ramble on how the training flights will be and condensing training that we do not provide to make it faster with fewer flights.
Some people just don't get it.
Because I'm being viewed as such a whiner here at work, I've become rewarded. I've been constantly complaining about the processes involved in the installation of the updates and Service Packs for the software we distribute. A new version would come out, I'd test it, tell them that it sucks and give them a list of things that were wrong.
If they were lucky, I would tell them how to fix it as well.
But with any bureaucratic process there are hangups. The hangup for this instance is documentation, there is a lot of paper work that goes along with the creation and update of the software. For instance, to produce the update there are meetings to be had, five or six documents to write and have approved. Then you get to write the code, all the while documenting what changed.
Some of the problems I've found have been minor that require a simple one line change in a configuration file somewhere. But, because of the process thats involved in getting the software ready they'd have to redo the entire process just for these changes. They do not want to.
To make matters worse, the people who create the installation break stuff by making changes to the program forget what they changed and then do not know how to get it back to a point where it works. I just want to kill people now. Who does this? Seriously? Why don't they have the same process to follow than everyone else?
Because of all this, I've been rewarded. For the next release I get to manage, document and plan the *ENTIRE* installation process so that it will work (here are the key words) how *I* want it to work. Hell yeah! Thats what I'm talkin about.
**
I was just interrupted for 15 minutes by the project coordinator for the Brunei project that I'm involved with. Have you ever met someone who just talks for the sake of talking? You ask them a question and they continue talking like you never opened your mouth? How continually interrupts their own sentences to talk about something completely separate to what they were mentioning to begin with?
I asked him, what do you want me to do with the paper you handed me?
He looks at me puzzled, well, here is how the training is going to break down and attempts to explain the training sessions which are on the paper.
I look at him and laugh to myself while he continues to talk. I interrupt, what is this? Pointing to an item on the paper.
Well, the guy before you had set this up as a training session.
Whats the point of it? Is it necessary?
He put it there so I'm keeping it there? I don't know what it is but he said it would be useful?
Without showing frustration or annoyance, I ask again, What do you want me to do with this paper? Approve, modify the training days?
Yeah, that sounds good. You can do that as well as doing this...
I begin to tune him out because he begins to ramble on how the training flights will be and condensing training that we do not provide to make it faster with fewer flights.
Some people just don't get it.
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