Movies:
Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy on Blu-Ray
Star Wars
TV:
Doctor Who
Fringe
Bleach
Books:
LOTR
H2G2 (All 5 books)
Bible.
All of C.S. Lewis' works
The dictionary (Just kidding!)
Sometimes, I miss out on things.
Internet, oh how you have sucked my time away, and yet I have not contributed back (aside from Twitter, Facebook, and now Google+) for so long.
Oh, and that printer thing? I reinstalled with Linux Mint Katya, and it took me three drivers to get it to work this time. Literally, the third driver in the list. No back-handed hpcups install, or going through the CUPS web interface... This one is the pcl3 hpcups driver, I haven't yet tried the Gutenprint driver, though I'm sure it would work as well.
And that subnetting? Well, I finally have a real job, doing real SysAdmin work, so the Certification chase is mostly behind me... for now.
Speaking of the job. I need to get off the internet and sleep now. Thanks for listening, y'all have been great.
I Use Firefox!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Got a free printer, wasted 12 bucks, saved 80
That was a hoot. I recieved a free printer from my best friend's parents while I was in Texas, and hadn't gotten a chance to set it up till now. What I didn't know was Ubuntu's "Keep it simple" mindset was just a little too simple. More details to follow.
The printer is an HP LaserJet 4 Plus, yes one of those huge 90 pound office machines that will crush your toe or finger if you ever venture too close or stumble a bit when moving it. No, I haven't weighed it. I like to keep my fingers intact and attached. The Operating System: Ubuntu 9.04. I plan to upgrade to 10.04 when it's released, but this is my desktop, and it has to work in the meantime. I needed to stick this printer somewhere where it couldn't fall, and was easily reachable by me at my desk.
I selected the left cubby, which it fit perfectly in with just the right amount of breathing room, while my computer is on the right side of my desk, on the outside, because while it would fit just as nicely in the computer cubby, I wanted a bit more airflow around the case, without having to tear out the cardboard backing... but we're talking about the printer here! Point being, the 6 foot cable that came with the printer wasn't long enough. So, I bought a 10 foot printer cable for $7 plus shipping, which I got today; and found out that the printer-side connector was the wrong type. Phooey! I mentioned it to Dad and he said "I might have one of those cables." So I looked in the box of cables and junk he had in his office and found a 3 foot cable that would serve well to extend the cable I had. $12 wasted. (Return, maybe?)
I'd installed both printers that Dad has shared in the basement from his Windows machine fine, so I figured I'd have the same luck with the directly connected HP LJ4+, but alas, it was not to be. The printer showed up in the New Printer window, replacing the LPT1 option with "HP LaserJet 4 Plus" and in the description showing "HPLIP software", straight from HP's open source labs. "Wonderful!" I thought to myself. "HP sure is great. I knew they liked Linux!"
Unfortunately, once I went through the install (fairly simple, it seemed) and tried to print a test page, nothing happened. I check the printer, and it was displaying a "W2 Invalid Pers" error. Ah, the days when printers actually told us what was wrong themselves! Anywho. I had no idea what that meant, so after some googling I discovered that I'd need to install a PostScript module and some extra ram into the printer to make it work. Oh, the days when printers needed font modules and more memory...
I checked on the price of those after some more searching and found Amazon selling them for $75, and another place for $80. "Holy moly!" I thought, "$80 for a simple little font module? They sure don't make them like they used to, and I bet they were much more expensive then." I really, really didn't want to have to spend 80 dollars just to use a free printer that seemed to have drivers already installed. So I looked through Synaptic for anything mentioning "hplip" and found a few things I thought might be useful: hplip-gui, hplip-cups, and hpijs-ppds. The first, because sometimes gui's are a bit more helpful than the command line, and it'd been mentioned in the forums I looked at. The second, because why would the hplips backend for cups not be installed? probably a good idea to have it in case. And the third, because if I needed to use a printer definition file, that would probably be the package I needed.
After I installed those I checked the GUI and got the same error that other folks had run into: No discovered devices. I thought, "Bollocks! You just showed me it in the System printer window!" So I went back a screen and it mentioned going to the CUPS management page on port 631. I know a bit about CUPS, but I've never actually installed a printer through the web-ui. I did recall that moments before, I'd installed the hplip backend for CUPS, and that some people had gotten their LJ4's working by selecting a generic printer driver, so I gave it a shot.
Turns out, that was just the thing it needed. For some reason, the default HPLIPS driver sends PostScript data to the printer, which of course it doesn't understand without the (freaking $80) module. So I selected the Gutenprint driver, selected the default options there, and voilà! The printer showed up in my printer configuration window and I can print a test page! So now my shiny happy (old and dusty) printer works; and for (nearly) free, I can print in my room, and I'm happy that I learned a bit more about CUPS.
And now, time to delve into another project. Learning about subnetting and VLSM... Oh how my head spins with numbers.
The printer is an HP LaserJet 4 Plus, yes one of those huge 90 pound office machines that will crush your toe or finger if you ever venture too close or stumble a bit when moving it. No, I haven't weighed it. I like to keep my fingers intact and attached. The Operating System: Ubuntu 9.04. I plan to upgrade to 10.04 when it's released, but this is my desktop, and it has to work in the meantime. I needed to stick this printer somewhere where it couldn't fall, and was easily reachable by me at my desk.
I selected the left cubby, which it fit perfectly in with just the right amount of breathing room, while my computer is on the right side of my desk, on the outside, because while it would fit just as nicely in the computer cubby, I wanted a bit more airflow around the case, without having to tear out the cardboard backing... but we're talking about the printer here! Point being, the 6 foot cable that came with the printer wasn't long enough. So, I bought a 10 foot printer cable for $7 plus shipping, which I got today; and found out that the printer-side connector was the wrong type. Phooey! I mentioned it to Dad and he said "I might have one of those cables." So I looked in the box of cables and junk he had in his office and found a 3 foot cable that would serve well to extend the cable I had. $12 wasted. (Return, maybe?)
I'd installed both printers that Dad has shared in the basement from his Windows machine fine, so I figured I'd have the same luck with the directly connected HP LJ4+, but alas, it was not to be. The printer showed up in the New Printer window, replacing the LPT1 option with "HP LaserJet 4 Plus" and in the description showing "HPLIP software", straight from HP's open source labs. "Wonderful!" I thought to myself. "HP sure is great. I knew they liked Linux!"
Unfortunately, once I went through the install (fairly simple, it seemed) and tried to print a test page, nothing happened. I check the printer, and it was displaying a "W2 Invalid Pers" error. Ah, the days when printers actually told us what was wrong themselves! Anywho. I had no idea what that meant, so after some googling I discovered that I'd need to install a PostScript module and some extra ram into the printer to make it work. Oh, the days when printers needed font modules and more memory...
I checked on the price of those after some more searching and found Amazon selling them for $75, and another place for $80. "Holy moly!" I thought, "$80 for a simple little font module? They sure don't make them like they used to, and I bet they were much more expensive then." I really, really didn't want to have to spend 80 dollars just to use a free printer that seemed to have drivers already installed. So I looked through Synaptic for anything mentioning "hplip" and found a few things I thought might be useful: hplip-gui, hplip-cups, and hpijs-ppds. The first, because sometimes gui's are a bit more helpful than the command line, and it'd been mentioned in the forums I looked at. The second, because why would the hplips backend for cups not be installed? probably a good idea to have it in case. And the third, because if I needed to use a printer definition file, that would probably be the package I needed.
After I installed those I checked the GUI and got the same error that other folks had run into: No discovered devices. I thought, "Bollocks! You just showed me it in the System printer window!" So I went back a screen and it mentioned going to the CUPS management page on port 631. I know a bit about CUPS, but I've never actually installed a printer through the web-ui. I did recall that moments before, I'd installed the hplip backend for CUPS, and that some people had gotten their LJ4's working by selecting a generic printer driver, so I gave it a shot.
Turns out, that was just the thing it needed. For some reason, the default HPLIPS driver sends PostScript data to the printer, which of course it doesn't understand without the (freaking $80) module. So I selected the Gutenprint driver, selected the default options there, and voilà! The printer showed up in my printer configuration window and I can print a test page! So now my shiny happy (old and dusty) printer works; and for (nearly) free, I can print in my room, and I'm happy that I learned a bit more about CUPS.
And now, time to delve into another project. Learning about subnetting and VLSM... Oh how my head spins with numbers.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I don't like it.
This thing inside me... this failing organ, this diabetes, or LADA, as they like to classify it. I'm working on getting an insulin pump, which might make things easier... I've gone from being on the high end of normal blood sugars consistently last week to being on the low side of normal consistently this week. It's not fun. I'd really like a Continuous Glucose Monitoring system.... but those things are a bit ambiguous as far as insurance coverage goes. I'm in talks with Animas, who makes the pump I want, and I'll ask them about the CGM solution they're working with/on.
I wanted to rant on stuff failing or being difficult, but I'm really kinda tired out from something... can't really tell if it's the blood sugar levels or the middle-of-the-week Cold Stone shift. I'm definitely quitting there by the end of the month. I think I'll bring that up at the crew meeting on Saturday morning (that I'm currently the only one signed up for... Should be interesting). Also, I've got that interview on the 8th... still anxious about it. Need to talk with my current boss about stuff and getting work hours.
In other news, my room is very nearly unpacked... untarred mostly, as there wasn't much compression, if any. I still need to set up my desktop, which will be good to do. I've covered and uncovered my desk several times in the process. Once I get the trash bags and boxes out of my room it'll be good to fill in the spaces in the last bits of organization. Need to figure out where I'm gonna fit those three or four other chassis I've acquired. On the other hand, I think I've just thought of the perfect spot. So, the end of a part-rant, part-update, the beginning of the end of the room set-up.
See y'all later!
I wanted to rant on stuff failing or being difficult, but I'm really kinda tired out from something... can't really tell if it's the blood sugar levels or the middle-of-the-week Cold Stone shift. I'm definitely quitting there by the end of the month. I think I'll bring that up at the crew meeting on Saturday morning (that I'm currently the only one signed up for... Should be interesting). Also, I've got that interview on the 8th... still anxious about it. Need to talk with my current boss about stuff and getting work hours.
In other news, my room is very nearly unpacked... untarred mostly, as there wasn't much compression, if any. I still need to set up my desktop, which will be good to do. I've covered and uncovered my desk several times in the process. Once I get the trash bags and boxes out of my room it'll be good to fill in the spaces in the last bits of organization. Need to figure out where I'm gonna fit those three or four other chassis I've acquired. On the other hand, I think I've just thought of the perfect spot. So, the end of a part-rant, part-update, the beginning of the end of the room set-up.
See y'all later!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
What a Whirlwind Week!
Well, this past week has been an adventure for sure... Putting up shelves in my room, driving to Jackson, Mississippi and then to Houston, Texas, packing all my stuff up in a day, driving up to Longview, spending a day there, and then driving for three days back to Maryland (I had time enough to pass the time listening to three novels and a short story, but it was still a long drive). I'm beat, and I've already been back for a day!
While I was in Longview I got to hang out with some old friends and some recent ones, and one dude I've never met before. We watched Gilligan's Island episodes and a made-for-TV sci-fi flick called Supernova. Bet you can't guess what that one's about, eh? I also had lunch with a most wonderful girl whom I hope to get to know more in the future, time/space/God permitting.
Now, this week I've got the elephantine task of unpacking and organizing all my stuffs in my room at home (probably gonna need some more shelves)... in the midst of 12 credit hours, a real job with more and more hours, letting my part-time job know I'm quitting, and certificate studies. Who knew real life would be so busy? And now I must be off, for I've got a letter to write!
While I was in Longview I got to hang out with some old friends and some recent ones, and one dude I've never met before. We watched Gilligan's Island episodes and a made-for-TV sci-fi flick called Supernova. Bet you can't guess what that one's about, eh? I also had lunch with a most wonderful girl whom I hope to get to know more in the future, time/space/God permitting.
Now, this week I've got the elephantine task of unpacking and organizing all my stuffs in my room at home (probably gonna need some more shelves)... in the midst of 12 credit hours, a real job with more and more hours, letting my part-time job know I'm quitting, and certificate studies. Who knew real life would be so busy? And now I must be off, for I've got a letter to write!
Thursday, March 04, 2010
An abbreviated conversation on versioning schemes
Background: I'm named after my father, so I've got the suffix "II" after my name, and I like it. I like it so much I'm going to name my first son after myself and my dad, making him the third. Here's a conversation (edited for clarity) I had with a friend about that.
Her: Here's an idea: When you get that son you want, instead of naming him III, make it a 3
Me: Or even better, make it a 3.0.
Her: Thaaaaat's a little too nerdy.
Me: It's better than making them minor releases until they're 18, i.e. 2.1, 2.2, 2.x, etc. until they reach 18, and then they're 3.0
Her: You can't keep changing his name, paperwork my word!
Me: Oh, for the government we'll keep it simple. We'll just give them the release number they can expect to use. i.e. v3. He's in development before then; the 2.x series is an internal versioning scheme.
Her: Then will 2.11 go on school records?
Me: Well he'll probably be home-schooled, so that won't be an issue. However, if we put him into public school his nickname will be "Beta". Wow I'm having too much fun with this.
Her: I WASH MY HANDS OF THIS IDEA. Please God, send him a sensible wife
Me: Well, hopefully I'll get a sensible, or equally nerdy, wife. Then we can joke about it behind his back. :-p
Her: ...that poor kid.
Her: Here's an idea: When you get that son you want, instead of naming him III, make it a 3
Me: Or even better, make it a 3.0.
Her: Thaaaaat's a little too nerdy.
Me: It's better than making them minor releases until they're 18, i.e. 2.1, 2.2, 2.x, etc. until they reach 18, and then they're 3.0
Her: You can't keep changing his name, paperwork my word!
Me: Oh, for the government we'll keep it simple. We'll just give them the release number they can expect to use. i.e. v3. He's in development before then; the 2.x series is an internal versioning scheme.
Her: Then will 2.11 go on school records?
Me: Well he'll probably be home-schooled, so that won't be an issue. However, if we put him into public school his nickname will be "Beta". Wow I'm having too much fun with this.
Her: I WASH MY HANDS OF THIS IDEA. Please God, send him a sensible wife
Me: Well, hopefully I'll get a sensible, or equally nerdy, wife. Then we can joke about it behind his back. :-p
Her: ...that poor kid.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thoughts from a morning in Proverbs
I'm reading through Proverbs (sporadically) and today is the 15th, so I read Proverbs 15.
Needless to say, there are many gems stored in the words of the Proverbs, some more famous than others. Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." is one my mom is quoting quite frequently... and it's good advice. I'll list a few more that I found noticeable.
v12 "Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise." (NIV)
v14 "The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.." (ESV)
v21 "Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead." (ESV)
v22 "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." (ESV) (One of my personal favorites)
v23 "A person finds joy in giving an apt reply--and how good is a timely word!" (NIV)
and finally, vv31-33
31 "The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor."
Needless to say, there are many gems stored in the words of the Proverbs, some more famous than others. Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." is one my mom is quoting quite frequently... and it's good advice. I'll list a few more that I found noticeable.
v12 "Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise." (NIV)
v14 "The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.." (ESV)
v21 "Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead." (ESV)
v22 "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed." (ESV) (One of my personal favorites)
v23 "A person finds joy in giving an apt reply--and how good is a timely word!" (NIV)
and finally, vv31-33
31 "The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor."
Saturday, February 06, 2010
This week's adventures
This weeks adventures include School, Health Insurance, More school, and SNOW!
A brief summary: At the beginning of the week, I was working on my certification {Now on to Network+ and I've got my exam scheduled for Monday) and health insurance was at the back of my mind. Now I've been alerted to the fact that I really really need to get a job with good health insurance so that my regular diabetic supplies will be covered. I've compiled a list of options, but we'll see what they say. I've aslo had some interaction with representatives from USA+, a group insurance agency/broker with a really pushy manager... I mean really pushy. But that's beside the point. He'd mentioned that because I have a pre-existing condition, I'm "basically uninsurable on an individual plan". Which means that I need to get a group plan, which he would prefer that I get through them.
Also, I've gotten some leads on jobs, one through my boss's boss at Cold Stone. The owner of the store was in and we chatted for a little bit. He knows a guy who has his own consulting firm, and has said that I can send him my resume and he'll forward it on. I need to get on that soon!
In the meantime, we've figured out that the best option for me right now is to go back to shool. But this time, it's mainly for the status. If I'm a full-time student, I can stay on my parent's insurance, AND I won't have to start paying off my student loans for a bit, AND I get some extra knowledge from whatever community college classes I decide to attend. Should be fun. Of course I still need to be seeking options, but that may literally buy me some more time to get things set up, especially to get me an insulin pump.
That's all for now folks, I hope to be posing still more regularly as time rolls on. Cheers, and thanks for reading!
A brief summary: At the beginning of the week, I was working on my certification {Now on to Network+ and I've got my exam scheduled for Monday) and health insurance was at the back of my mind. Now I've been alerted to the fact that I really really need to get a job with good health insurance so that my regular diabetic supplies will be covered. I've compiled a list of options, but we'll see what they say. I've aslo had some interaction with representatives from USA+, a group insurance agency/broker with a really pushy manager... I mean really pushy. But that's beside the point. He'd mentioned that because I have a pre-existing condition, I'm "basically uninsurable on an individual plan". Which means that I need to get a group plan, which he would prefer that I get through them.
Also, I've gotten some leads on jobs, one through my boss's boss at Cold Stone. The owner of the store was in and we chatted for a little bit. He knows a guy who has his own consulting firm, and has said that I can send him my resume and he'll forward it on. I need to get on that soon!
In the meantime, we've figured out that the best option for me right now is to go back to shool. But this time, it's mainly for the status. If I'm a full-time student, I can stay on my parent's insurance, AND I won't have to start paying off my student loans for a bit, AND I get some extra knowledge from whatever community college classes I decide to attend. Should be fun. Of course I still need to be seeking options, but that may literally buy me some more time to get things set up, especially to get me an insulin pump.
That's all for now folks, I hope to be posing still more regularly as time rolls on. Cheers, and thanks for reading!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
So, about that weekly thing
Well, it's been nearly 3 weeks since my last post, and lookie there, I'm posting again. I believe it's time to give an update on my Resolutions so far this month, and I'll repeat the process at the end of each month hence.
Complete 7 certificates
Progress is good on this front. I took and passed my A+ exams, and I'm almost halfway through the Network+ study material. For a bit I wasn't able to access some of the labs and exams, but an update to my client fixed that. I'm also going through the Linux+ study material in my "free time", and it turns out I don't know as much as I thought I did... the command line is nearly unnecessary these days in a desktop environment.
Read more of the Bible
I've been reading sporadically more of Proverbs, which is more than I have been in the past. I've missed a few days, but what I've read has been really good and instructional.
Set up a wireless N linked router
Well, we've given up on the N part of the network (alas) since we've got two WRT54GL's linked and broadcasting. Funny thing is though, with the second router hooked up, the signal from the first router is stronger, and when it's not, it's so weak you can hardly stay connected for 15 minutes. I find that odd.
Get a job with a $40k+ salary
Definitely haven't gotten this one near done at all. I'm currently working at Cold Stone Creamery on Friday's, which is not bad at all, but other than that I'm focused on certifications as my full time job.
Set up a media/backup server (Test FreeNAS, CoreNAS, OpenMediaVault, OpenFiler)
This simply needs hardware... and that's in Texas. I'm currently in MD, and will most likely stay here for a while. I'm here until March for sure, and then I'll be heading down to Texas after taking my sister back to school inLouisianaMississippi. (So, if you're at LeTourneau, the next time you'll see me is March 22nd)
Set up a media client (MythTV, XBMC, Boxee, LinuxMCE, Enna/GeeXBoX, etc)
This one also requires hardware... but I'm thinking I may not have to roll my own for the client. I've been looking at a few things, and the Popbox looks pretty darn slick. It plays just about every single format you could want (and more than I have in my collection), and give me access to streaming services like Netflix and Revision3's stuff and Crunchyroll (look it up if you're into anime.) The kicker: it'll be priced at only $129 when it comes out. Pretty darn amazing if you think about it. The Boxee Box is also intriguing, but it's not stackable and wouldn't fit in our media center unless we stuffed it behind the VCR and DVD players. I do so love the remote though. Hopefully someone will come up with a hack to use it with a regular computer.
Start re-learning Sign Language
No progress thus far, but it's only January.
Rent or own my own place
Comes after the job marker.
Get on an insulin pump
My next appointment with my endocrinologist is Feb 3, and I've gotten my sugars down and regulated pretty darn well, so we'll see what she thinks. If she gives us the go-ahead, we'll need to schedule another meeting with an insulin pump educator, because it's a whole different system than the pens I've been using
Write a blog entry a week
Fail. :-p
Actually put up a decent website for myself
I've got my URLs (still) but no progress as of yet.
Move my blog to that site/URL
Ditto.
Read a book a month
Haven't even picked one up this month, guess I'll have to start next month. Any suggestions?
Complete 7 certificates
Progress is good on this front. I took and passed my A+ exams, and I'm almost halfway through the Network+ study material. For a bit I wasn't able to access some of the labs and exams, but an update to my client fixed that. I'm also going through the Linux+ study material in my "free time", and it turns out I don't know as much as I thought I did... the command line is nearly unnecessary these days in a desktop environment.
Read more of the Bible
I've been reading sporadically more of Proverbs, which is more than I have been in the past. I've missed a few days, but what I've read has been really good and instructional.
Set up a wireless N linked router
Well, we've given up on the N part of the network (alas) since we've got two WRT54GL's linked and broadcasting. Funny thing is though, with the second router hooked up, the signal from the first router is stronger, and when it's not, it's so weak you can hardly stay connected for 15 minutes. I find that odd.
Get a job with a $40k+ salary
Definitely haven't gotten this one near done at all. I'm currently working at Cold Stone Creamery on Friday's, which is not bad at all, but other than that I'm focused on certifications as my full time job.
Set up a media/backup server (Test FreeNAS, CoreNAS, OpenMediaVault, OpenFiler)
This simply needs hardware... and that's in Texas. I'm currently in MD, and will most likely stay here for a while. I'm here until March for sure, and then I'll be heading down to Texas after taking my sister back to school in
Set up a media client (MythTV, XBMC, Boxee, LinuxMCE, Enna/GeeXBoX, etc)
This one also requires hardware... but I'm thinking I may not have to roll my own for the client. I've been looking at a few things, and the Popbox looks pretty darn slick. It plays just about every single format you could want (and more than I have in my collection), and give me access to streaming services like Netflix and Revision3's stuff and Crunchyroll (look it up if you're into anime.) The kicker: it'll be priced at only $129 when it comes out. Pretty darn amazing if you think about it. The Boxee Box is also intriguing, but it's not stackable and wouldn't fit in our media center unless we stuffed it behind the VCR and DVD players. I do so love the remote though. Hopefully someone will come up with a hack to use it with a regular computer.
Start re-learning Sign Language
No progress thus far, but it's only January.
Rent or own my own place
Comes after the job marker.
Get on an insulin pump
My next appointment with my endocrinologist is Feb 3, and I've gotten my sugars down and regulated pretty darn well, so we'll see what she thinks. If she gives us the go-ahead, we'll need to schedule another meeting with an insulin pump educator, because it's a whole different system than the pens I've been using
Write a blog entry a week
Fail. :-p
Actually put up a decent website for myself
I've got my URLs (still) but no progress as of yet.
Move my blog to that site/URL
Ditto.
Read a book a month
Haven't even picked one up this month, guess I'll have to start next month. Any suggestions?
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Year's Resolutions!
Goals and resolutions:
I've got a dozen or so goals for this year, so I figured I'd hop on the bandwagon of resolution making, and the tenth day of the tenth year seemed like a decent day to start.
And now we start getting into longer-term goals. I'll get into those next week, when I continue fulfilling my resolutions for the year.
I've got a dozen or so goals for this year, so I figured I'd hop on the bandwagon of resolution making, and the tenth day of the tenth year seemed like a decent day to start.
- Complete 7 certificates
- I'm currently halfway through my A+ certification, and plan to get the rest of the CompTIA suite and a security cert or two, as well as my CCNA cert. This will require about a workday's worth of time spent watching videos and taking practice tests for about three months. However, once I finish my A+, I'm going to start applying for jobs, but keep working on the certs. Basically they're working as my room and board (and insurance) while I'm living at home, so I gotta get 'em done!
- Read more of the Bible
- Now this may seem religious and old-fashioned, but I am going to do my best to read at least a chapter of Proverbs each day. Eventually I plan to expand to the Psalms and even a 365 plan, but we'll stick with the wisdom for now. Some of that will probably show up here even.
- Set up a wireless N linked router
- Dad's got a decent wireless router in the basement, but spotty reception on the main floor (Duh, it's in the basement!) We got a range expander, but that still doesn't let the TiVO hook up to the internet wirelessly, which is a real bummer when you want to, you know, have an accurate TV schedule for recording. So, we're looking into linking an N router to the one in the basement (not running an ethernet cable around the basement ceiling... the wire hole behind the TV is too crowded already. I'd rather just run the cable, but the four ports downstairs are already used up... more on that later too.
- Get a job with a $40k+ salary
- This one I think is a bit of a lofty goal, though possible depending on where I look. I'll be searching out "government" jobs, because there happens to be a military base near us that is relocating to a bigger base even closer, and they need a ton of tech guys because it's mostly IT stuff that they're moving. But that's another post and a half again.
- Set up a media/backup server (Test FreeNAS, CoreNAS, OpenMediaVault, OpenFiler)
- Going to college and having a job was a blast, because I got to enjoy life and buy a few toys along the way... among those ended up being an awesome tower of a case and more than 6TB of hard-drive space. The eventual goal is to put most of the drives in a box in the (climate-controlled) basement, and have it serve up TV shows and movies or music whenever and wherever in the house I'd like, as well as serve as a central backup for all my other computers (desktop and laptop), though they be few. So I'll be exploring getting a cheapo box to experiment with before moving everything around.
- Set up a media client (MythTV, XBMC, Boxee, LinuxMCE, Enna/GeeXBoX, etc)
- Again, with all that media, I'd kindof like to watch it on the bigger TV screen, so I'd like to have a better solution than plugging in the output from my laptop every time I want to watch a movie from more than two feet away. So, a dedicated/multipurpose box is the solution here. Honestly, it'll probably be both my server and client box for a while, at least until I get my own house.
- Start re-learning Sign Language
- A long time ago, I was taken to a class where we learned some sign language, and even got to ineract with some deaf people to practice our "speech". (Hint: They're normal people like you and me, don't yell at them or think they're dumb just because you can't communicate easily with them.) My best friend also knows a large chunk of ASL (American Sign Language) so I've been interested in it again since college, but haven't really made the time for it. I shall make some goals to get to so I can measure my progress. Starting with memorizing the alphabet forwards, backwards, and inside out.
- Rent or own my own place
- This one is easy, or is it really? It's actually pretty dependant on getting a job, which will allow for and require a lot of things to happen. I'd love to have my own personal network to play with so I'm not accidentally screwing up something with Dad's network or other's computers, even if I did help set it up in the first place, or fix it later when it's broken.
- Get on an insulin pump
- This one is a long story about the rapid progression of my diabetes, which came as a sudden surprise (as opposed to a slow surprise?) to me and the rest of my family. I'm dealing with it pretty well and we have things very nearly under control, so once I get my habits down I can get a pump and go from sticking myself with needles 5-7 times a day to 3 times a day, and then hopefully to just once every 3 days or so. Yippee!
- Write a blog entry a week
- Here's looking at ya! I'm already nearly two weeks behind, so I suppose we'll just count by business weeks, eh? This one I'll just need to keep plodding upon, and some weeks I'll post more, some less, but always at least one, even if it's just before midnight on Saturday!
- Actually put up a decent website for myself
- I currently own two domain names, and my dad got me a third, but right now they're just parked. I'd love to look into a hosting solution (media server multitakser maybe?) and putting up a real, actual website about myself, with resume and other info useful for those interested in hiring someone like myself.
- Move my blog to that site/URL
- Once I get the website up, I'll probably want to attach a blog to it. I haven't decided yet whether I'll simply move this blog over, or start up a new personal blog, or have two blogs, this informal life-related one and another more professional and documentarily focused. Of course, that's definitely a ways down, but hopefully not too far along!
- Read a book a month
- I really want to read more, and times to escape into literature will be harder and harder to come by, I'm sure. I'd love to get up to reading a book a week, but I doubt that'll happen till I retire. For now we'll just say a full fiction or non-fiction novel every month. There are some good books in the library with suggestions on classic literatures to read each month, but I think I'll just find a list of 'must-read's, cross off the 'have-read's, and start from there.
And now we start getting into longer-term goals. I'll get into those next week, when I continue fulfilling my resolutions for the year.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Marriage quotes
I've been enthralled with the idea of marriage lately... and thought that a late night scouring of the internet might bring up some interesting quotes. Turns out I was right. Please comment with your thoughts, good or bad, on any of these.
- If you want to leave your mate simply because there is something about them you don't like, you're going to want to leave every mate you ever get, because there's bound to be something you don't like about each one.
- No matter how orderly a woman is by nature, it is a mistake for her to always be putting her husband in his place.
- The word "engagement" has two meanings: in war it's a battle, in courtship it's surrender.
- Success in marriage is much more than finding the right person!--It is a matter of being the right person!
- People wouldn't get divorced for such trivial reasons if they didn't get married for such trivial reasons.
- Marriage is a sexual relationship, or you could have simple stayed good friends.
- Marriage: Trust is the start of it, joy is a part of it & love is the heart of it.
- The Bible rules for marriage are still the ideal & work very well with God's help & your patience, if given half a chance.
- A woman needs her love expressed in loving care, even more than loving sex.
Except Thou build it, Father,
The house is built in vain;
Except Thou, Saviour, bless it,
The joy will turn to pain;
But none can break the marriage
Of hearts in Thee made one,
And the Love Thy Spirit hallows
Is endless love begun.- If your mate loves you and loves the Lord, then he or she also loves others and wants to help them.
- Ask God for His love for each other, or you'll never make it--as a marriage
Be to her virtues very kind,
Be to her faults a little blind.- Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband; and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
--I Corinthians 7:2-4 - Marriage is the only war where you sleep with the enemy.
--Gary Busey - The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.
--Amy Grant - Marriage is not a word; it is a sentence.
--King Vidor - In marriage, each partner is to be an encourager rather than a critic, a forgiver rather than a collector of hurts, an enabler rather than a reformer.
--H. Norman Wright and Gary J. Oliver - A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' come together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.
--Dave Meurer - Man's best possession is a sympathetic wife.
--Euripedes Antigone - Therefore the Christian heart, since it has been thoroughly persuaded that all things happen by God's plan, and that nothing takes place by chance, will ever look to him as the principal causes of things, yet will give attention to the secondary causes in their proper place.
--John Calvin - The purpose of Christianity is not to avoid difficulty, but to produce a character adequate to meet it when it comes. It does not make life easy; rather it tries to make us great enough for life.
--James L. Christensen - Our life is full of brokenness - broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God's faithful presence in our lives.
--Henri Nouwen from Some Quotable Christian Quotes - Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
--Corinthians: 13:4-8 - To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse. For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.
--The Book of Common Prayer: Solemnization of Matrimony - Love without faith is as bad as faith without love.
--Henry Ward Beecher - My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
--I John 3:18
"It is better to light the candle, than chase away the darkness"
Qualities of a good marriage
So much has been said and written about marriage—much of it rather complicated or seemingly contradictory—that I was curious as to what Jesus would have to say on the subject. He has such a wonderful way of explaining things simply, clearly, and positively that I was sure He could put things in perspective. So I asked Him to summarize some of the main qualities of a good marriage, and He did. Here's the message He gave:
Marriage wasn't meant to be so complicated or difficult that only a few could do it successfully. It's within the reach of nearly everyone. It's also what will make most people happiest and their lives most meaningful, productive, and satisfying, because it's a basic part of God's plan for mankind. No one excels in all of the following areas, of course, so don't be discouraged if you feel you fall short in some. Just do your best and ask Me to help you with the rest.
- Putting Me first.
- It's a spiritual law that when you put your time with Me first, both alone and with your husband or wife, everything else falls into place. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these [other] things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).
- Unselfishness.
- Selfishness is at the root of most marriage problems. For a marriage to work, both partners need to put the happiness of the other before their own. That's real love—the kind that lasts.
I want to see you succeed in marriage and as individuals, and I'm the Answer Man. I can make mountains of problems melt away. - Willingness to recognize and work on problems.
- Most of the problems that sink marriages start small but grow out of hand because the couple fails to deal with the problems soon enough. Often they tell themselves that the problem will go away if they ignore it or when circumstances change, but that passive approach seldom works. Those with the strongest marriages are those who learn to face their problems head-on and take active steps to overcome them together.
- Good communication.
- In order to understand and meet each other's needs, as well as to unite to overcome problems, good communication is a must.
- Forgiveness.
- A readiness to forgive is a key to a solid, secure marriage. Be quick to apologize for any hurtful words or actions you may have directed at your wife or husband.
- Being supportive.
- To make your marriage all it can be, dwell on each other's good qualities and always look for ways to bring out the best in each other, rather than belittle, criticize, or nag.
- Teamwork.
- Discuss and agree on goals and priorities, and learn to tackle problems together. "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).
- Consideration.
- Being considerate of each other's feelings, likes and dislikes, time, and energy not only says "I love you" in a most convincing and endearing way, but it also relieves stress, prevents friction, and keeps lots of little problems from ever happening.
- Affection.
- You'd be surprised at how many marriages fall short because of a lack of outward affection. Vocal expressions of your love for one another are also important, but sometimes touching, kissing, and hugging can convey love and reassurance even better. They are physical manifestations of inward feelings.
- Equality.
- Equality means involving each other in decisions, parenting your children together, and sharing financial and household responsibilities, but it goes deeper than that. It's not just a matter of scheduling or dividing the workload equally, but of valuing and respecting each other so each one's strengths can come to the fore.
- Admiration.
- Few things boost self-esteem or make people want to succeed in the truly important things of life more than hearing that their good qualities are noticed and admired. Sharpen your appreciation of the wonderful person you married, and watch him or her become even more wonderful.
- Reaching out to others.
- Even if you seem to be the most compatible couple in the world and feel completely satisfied and secure in each other's company, in order for your marriage to thrive, you both need other friends. Others can help you grow in ways that your husband or wife can't, so your marriage will actually be strengthened as you each spend time and do things with others.
- A sense of humor.
- "A merry heart does good, like medicine" (Proverbs 17:22). Lighten up a little and you'll find that most of the everyday inconveniences, annoyances, and problems you face aren't so bad after all.
- Optimism.
- Optimism—the tendency to believe and expect the best—linked to faith in Me nearly always pays off big, because I love to reward faith. Conversely, few things can drag down a marriage faster than pessimism—expecting the worst and complaining about the downside of situations.
- Including Me.
- I want to see you succeed in marriage and as individuals, and I'm the Answer Man. I can make mountains of problems melt away, and I can make your dreams come true, but there's one condition: Include Me. You'll be amazed at what the three of us can accomplish together!
- A word of Love for you.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The beginning of the end?
Plans never work out the way you intend them to.
This I have learned. Or at least learned to live with the fact.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
-Proverbs 16:9
It's important to know, to trust in the One who does know where you're headed, or rather where He wants to guide you and how He wants to shape you. Too often I try to forge my own path to satisfy my desires. It seems to be a recurring theme here on this blog. Let me tell you the most recent ways it relates.
The Army vs. diabetes thing is not looking too good right now. I think it's still a matter of eating right and exercising, but I haven't exercised for the past three weeks at least, and have indulged in sweets and desserts way too much before coming back to school. Then, once I get here, all the food is starchy (as in potatoes and breads and pasta and stuffs, not pressed shirts. :-p) and thus loaded with carbs, which is what I need to be avoiding. So, I've checked my sugar a few times since arriving in Texas, and it's been lower each time, but all three were above my "acceptable" threshold, which has me a little concerned. However, I think that once I start running again and continuing to avoid breads and desserts for the most part (60 carbs is not much of a meal when you've got a heaping plate of pizza and pasta in front of you), I'll be back on the road to enlistment. Then comes a lab test in September or October, and that will most likely determine if I decide to pursue them any further.
Ok, enough of the Army. On to another area/era that's coming to a close in my life is my undergrad status. I hesitate to say my college life, because I'd love to stay in school, if it weren't for the school. Getting married is a very appealing option, but not for me at the moment. Maybe if no Army, definitely after Army. Army Army Army. Where was I again? Oh right, College. So this is the first day of classes for the last semester of my current college career. I graduate in December, and then it's world wide open. Oh boy.
Presently, I'm working at a local gym/recreational outreach center called, unsurprizingly, The ROC. I was hoping to work 16 hours a week in the evenings working on homework, but it looks like that's gonna get cut in half because there's another guy who was here before me that wants to work as well. Drats. So, not making as much as I wanted, but at least I have a guaranteed 8 hours each week. Also trying to get into the Network side of Network Services, but my roommate helped out over the summer and thus has higher priority now. Another closing door.
It's time to start looking at other options. I need to send out feelers all over to see if there's anyone (other than the Army) willing to hire me, and at a wage that will pay rent and other bills. Unless I live at home and get a government job, I'll need to find an apartment. I could live with a friend, but that may not be optimal. We shall see what develops, but I'd really rather not live at home, if only because that would require hauling ALL my stuff ALL the way back to Maryland, and I'm pretty sure it won't all fit in our van and my car. (YAY CAR!)
Not sure what else to put down, so I guess I'll sign off now. If you'd rather hear about something other than the Army or college or relationship whining, please tell me so. Then again, if that's the case, you probably stopped reading my blog long ago. :-p
Adios!
-Gilligan
This I have learned. Or at least learned to live with the fact.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
-Proverbs 16:9
It's important to know, to trust in the One who does know where you're headed, or rather where He wants to guide you and how He wants to shape you. Too often I try to forge my own path to satisfy my desires. It seems to be a recurring theme here on this blog. Let me tell you the most recent ways it relates.
The Army vs. diabetes thing is not looking too good right now. I think it's still a matter of eating right and exercising, but I haven't exercised for the past three weeks at least, and have indulged in sweets and desserts way too much before coming back to school. Then, once I get here, all the food is starchy (as in potatoes and breads and pasta and stuffs, not pressed shirts. :-p) and thus loaded with carbs, which is what I need to be avoiding. So, I've checked my sugar a few times since arriving in Texas, and it's been lower each time, but all three were above my "acceptable" threshold, which has me a little concerned. However, I think that once I start running again and continuing to avoid breads and desserts for the most part (60 carbs is not much of a meal when you've got a heaping plate of pizza and pasta in front of you), I'll be back on the road to enlistment. Then comes a lab test in September or October, and that will most likely determine if I decide to pursue them any further.
Ok, enough of the Army. On to another area/era that's coming to a close in my life is my undergrad status. I hesitate to say my college life, because I'd love to stay in school, if it weren't for the school. Getting married is a very appealing option, but not for me at the moment. Maybe if no Army, definitely after Army. Army Army Army. Where was I again? Oh right, College. So this is the first day of classes for the last semester of my current college career. I graduate in December, and then it's world wide open. Oh boy.
Presently, I'm working at a local gym/recreational outreach center called, unsurprizingly, The ROC. I was hoping to work 16 hours a week in the evenings working on homework, but it looks like that's gonna get cut in half because there's another guy who was here before me that wants to work as well. Drats. So, not making as much as I wanted, but at least I have a guaranteed 8 hours each week. Also trying to get into the Network side of Network Services, but my roommate helped out over the summer and thus has higher priority now. Another closing door.
It's time to start looking at other options. I need to send out feelers all over to see if there's anyone (other than the Army) willing to hire me, and at a wage that will pay rent and other bills. Unless I live at home and get a government job, I'll need to find an apartment. I could live with a friend, but that may not be optimal. We shall see what develops, but I'd really rather not live at home, if only because that would require hauling ALL my stuff ALL the way back to Maryland, and I'm pretty sure it won't all fit in our van and my car. (YAY CAR!)
Not sure what else to put down, so I guess I'll sign off now. If you'd rather hear about something other than the Army or college or relationship whining, please tell me so. Then again, if that's the case, you probably stopped reading my blog long ago. :-p
Adios!
-Gilligan
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Military Progress: Part Deux
So it appears that there may be more complications than I'd originally expected. Turns out my pee is too sweet, or in less crude terms, my initial urinalysis resulted in an abnormally high glucose count. This has resulted in me being sent to various doctors and getting multiple lab works done to make sure I'm not actually diabetic. It's looking like I'm probably pre-diabetic, but that should be remedied by better diet and more exercise. Ugh. But that is necessary anyway if I'm to be a healthy recruit. I've been given a blood-tester-thing to check my sugar every once in a while and have been using it fairly regularly. At least once a day or so. A good healthy reading should be below 100, or below 140 two hours after a meal. My total average has been between 95-105, but I've only gotten about 9 tests in, so we'll see what the latest lab test says. Also, I haven't always waited the full two hours, and have snuck some sweets in here and there, but I have been running almost every other day now.
All that to say, that if I am determined to be officially diabetic (Type II if so), I won't be able to pursue the Army and all of its benefits any longer. BUT if I'm only pre-diabetic (more likely), I'll be able to go ahead with those plans. This has become the only blocking factor for my Army thoughts, and if God doesn't want me in the Army He'll let me know. Of course, I think it's best to be healthy no matter what, both physically and spiritually, so I think I'll go read some Romans again, and do some homework.
Ta ta for now!
!! >> Gilligan
All that to say, that if I am determined to be officially diabetic (Type II if so), I won't be able to pursue the Army and all of its benefits any longer. BUT if I'm only pre-diabetic (more likely), I'll be able to go ahead with those plans. This has become the only blocking factor for my Army thoughts, and if God doesn't want me in the Army He'll let me know. Of course, I think it's best to be healthy no matter what, both physically and spiritually, so I think I'll go read some Romans again, and do some homework.
Ta ta for now!
!! >> Gilligan
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Military Investigation
No, they aren't investigating me, I'm looking into them. My oldest cousin Dave has decided he's going to join the Marines, which is awesome, and I'm happy for and proud of him. He invited me to a pool function (code for recruitee meet, where they run physical tests and give a little bit of instruction, punctuated by fun and games some weekends), and that got me thinking about joining once I've graduated from college. (I've got one semester left, no reason to quit now!) However, I'm interested in a girl, so that's a factor, but I've found out that being married in the military isn't so bad, and she's probably not too interested in me anyways. But even if I have to wait four more years for that chapter to unfold, God's looking out for me no matter what.
I figure being in the military would be a good experience for me, and would give me many benefits, including more self-discipline, self-respect, leadership and authority, as well as giving me a guaranteed job and practice of skills that I've been learning in school to do. (They do have IT in the military, believe it or not!) Well, the Marines will give me all of that, and they are quick to remind me of the "intangibles" that all Marines get, including teamwork, punctuality, leadership skills, and many more that I can't remember right now. But! The army is offering something that's a bit more attractive to me at this point in life: Elimination of debt.
I currently "own" a car and am making payments on that, and I have a cell phone that I pay to use every month, but that's pretty much it. Once I get out of college though, I'll need to pay off my loans, buy and furnish a house, (get married, maybe), and other large expenses that shock many fresh-out-of-college folks. With the Army, they will pay back up to $65,000 of my college loans, and depending on what MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) I choose, there is a small possibility I may get up to $40,000 in sign-up bonuses. (highly unlikely I'll get even $20,000, but it's something to keep in mind) The most important thing though, is the flexibility I have in choosing my MOS. When I sign up, I get to order the available jobs they have in preference, and they have the perfect job for me, an Information Technology Specialist (MOS 25B. Check out this Youtube video.) Now, if I choose to be an Officer, one of my top three has to be combat-related, but that's not too big of a deal for me.
I could also become a Data Communications Specialist in the Marines, but that's about the only job that's close enough to what I want, and since they are a smaller branch, it's less likely I'll be able to get it, and more likely I'll be thrust into the fit of battle. The Army's selection process is performance based, based on how well you do in Basic Training, and in either force I don't find out what MOS I'll get till the end, but if I do well in the Army, I get closer to first pick, as opposed to the Marines, who would pick it for me. Of course, my life is forfeit to whichever branch I'd choose, so choice is limited anyways. There are also Intelligence options, which would be cool and require me to get clearances even above Secret, some even Top Secret clearance.
Also, the Army's website is much more informative than the Marine's, which isn't a total killer, except I have to go to other sources to find out specifics on what's available and the processes behind the Marines. I suppose that's to help keep up the high, mysterious, and honored image that the Marines have, not that they need the website for that. I know that the Marines are tougher, and more unified, so I may consider them again, but after the Army. Which is another thing. The minimum required active duty in the Army is 3 years (again, depending on the MOS), and after that I can move to Inactive Reserves, get an approval to get out of the Army's Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), and enlist in the Marines. I may want to become a Commissioned Officer though, which would extend my stay in whichever branch, but they get paid at least half-again what I'd be making as an enlisted man, until I got into the Non-Commissioned Officer ranks. Anywho, it's a lot of information to take in, and not all of it is relevant to y'all, but I figured I'd be fairly thorough.
In the end, I'm leaning more towards the Army, mainly because of the possibilities, but also because of the financial benefits that the Marines don't offer. After that, I may look towards the Marines, but who knows, they might try and shove my time as "Ain't Ready (to be a) Marine Yet" down my throat, which would not be the most pleasant experience. I'll probably just become a civilian again. (IF I choose to go into the military in the first place! ;-p)
I figure being in the military would be a good experience for me, and would give me many benefits, including more self-discipline, self-respect, leadership and authority, as well as giving me a guaranteed job and practice of skills that I've been learning in school to do. (They do have IT in the military, believe it or not!) Well, the Marines will give me all of that, and they are quick to remind me of the "intangibles" that all Marines get, including teamwork, punctuality, leadership skills, and many more that I can't remember right now. But! The army is offering something that's a bit more attractive to me at this point in life: Elimination of debt.
I currently "own" a car and am making payments on that, and I have a cell phone that I pay to use every month, but that's pretty much it. Once I get out of college though, I'll need to pay off my loans, buy and furnish a house, (get married, maybe), and other large expenses that shock many fresh-out-of-college folks. With the Army, they will pay back up to $65,000 of my college loans, and depending on what MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) I choose, there is a small possibility I may get up to $40,000 in sign-up bonuses. (highly unlikely I'll get even $20,000, but it's something to keep in mind) The most important thing though, is the flexibility I have in choosing my MOS. When I sign up, I get to order the available jobs they have in preference, and they have the perfect job for me, an Information Technology Specialist (MOS 25B. Check out this Youtube video.) Now, if I choose to be an Officer, one of my top three has to be combat-related, but that's not too big of a deal for me.
I could also become a Data Communications Specialist in the Marines, but that's about the only job that's close enough to what I want, and since they are a smaller branch, it's less likely I'll be able to get it, and more likely I'll be thrust into the fit of battle. The Army's selection process is performance based, based on how well you do in Basic Training, and in either force I don't find out what MOS I'll get till the end, but if I do well in the Army, I get closer to first pick, as opposed to the Marines, who would pick it for me. Of course, my life is forfeit to whichever branch I'd choose, so choice is limited anyways. There are also Intelligence options, which would be cool and require me to get clearances even above Secret, some even Top Secret clearance.
Also, the Army's website is much more informative than the Marine's, which isn't a total killer, except I have to go to other sources to find out specifics on what's available and the processes behind the Marines. I suppose that's to help keep up the high, mysterious, and honored image that the Marines have, not that they need the website for that. I know that the Marines are tougher, and more unified, so I may consider them again, but after the Army. Which is another thing. The minimum required active duty in the Army is 3 years (again, depending on the MOS), and after that I can move to Inactive Reserves, get an approval to get out of the Army's Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), and enlist in the Marines. I may want to become a Commissioned Officer though, which would extend my stay in whichever branch, but they get paid at least half-again what I'd be making as an enlisted man, until I got into the Non-Commissioned Officer ranks. Anywho, it's a lot of information to take in, and not all of it is relevant to y'all, but I figured I'd be fairly thorough.
In the end, I'm leaning more towards the Army, mainly because of the possibilities, but also because of the financial benefits that the Marines don't offer. After that, I may look towards the Marines, but who knows, they might try and shove my time as "Ain't Ready (to be a) Marine Yet" down my throat, which would not be the most pleasant experience. I'll probably just become a civilian again. (IF I choose to go into the military in the first place! ;-p)
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Summer plans?
This post idea stolen from Rachelskirts and gRegorLove:
Most of these ideas aren't original, but they're still fun, and I won't get to all of them this summer, but they're still nice goals. What are yours?
Most of these ideas aren't original, but they're still fun, and I won't get to all of them this summer, but they're still nice goals. What are yours?
- Fly a kite.
- Make s'mores.
- Go to a water park.
- Eat corn on the cob.
- Finish 4 Certification exams.
- Watch movies at the drive-in.
- Read a book from the library every month.
- Finish cleaning/re-arranging my desk/room.
- Eat a funnel cake made at home with my brother.
- Finish reading all the books I've started over the years.
- Spend an evening looking at stars through the telescope with my sister.
- Scan in all mom's picture albums and organize them in a Flickr account for posterity.
- Read some other good books (recommendations welcome).
- Work up to 75 crunches in 2 minutes, and 20 pullups.
- Challenge my little brother to a game of HORSE.
- Finish reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
- Eat at at least two barbecues.
- Run 3 miles every other day.
- Take French lessons.
- Blog more regularly.
- Dance in the rain.
- Catch fireflies.
- ???
- PROFIT!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Long Distance? Don't.
Every body says the same thing. . . and everybody is wrong. There are only a FEW exceptions that I know of. I can only think of one off the top of my head, and they were excellent, upstanding, Christian people as far as I know. I think I may even try and get some man-school lessons from the Boy this coming semester.
However, this does bring up a good point. As long as there is consistent, good, honest, open communication between the parties, there is a chance the "Long distance thing" will work.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Irony. At it's best.
Oddly enough, as I'm reading this comic, I'm sitting on a couch, READING A WEB-COMIC when I should be sleeping or studying/working. Hm.
*Taken without permission, linked for blah blah...zzzzzzzzz*
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
ADDicted
And this one just made me think. And go to bed. It's freaking 2 in the morning!
*Courtesy: Piled Higher & Deeper. Taken without permission, but linked for attribution*
*Courtesy: Piled Higher & Deeper. Taken without permission, but linked for attribution*
Proper posture
This comic strip immediately made me sit up straight.
*Courtesy: Piled Higher & Deeper. Taken without permission, but linked for attribution*
*Courtesy: Piled Higher & Deeper. Taken without permission, but linked for attribution*
Monday, May 18, 2009
Life and choices
Well, this summer has been a bit of a disappointment lately, as there aren't that many jobs on the horizon (read: 0) and I'm behind in my online course material. So today I will be stopping by Denny's and a local Temp Agency or two. Maybe I can find some work somewhere. Dad's got a website he wants put together, so I may be able to gain some income from that. I need money more than ever this summer because my parents got me that new car I mentioned, but with the stipulation that if I can't pay for insurance through the school year, I won't be taking it out with me. Plus, I need to pay back the back-debt that Dad has kept for me with my insurance and cell phone bills. And while I don't need that car, it'd be very excellent for getting an off-campus job that I have a chance at next semester.
Also, there are friends going through some tough times, some making good decisions, others not so much, but mostly there's a bunch of confusion and waiting. So I'm praying for them, that things will work out for the best, and that I don't get in the way of anything important, as I tend to do it seems.
In other news, I'm getting dangerously close to the real world, as I'll be graduating in December. I need to brush up my networking skills and find some place that's willing to take a fresh CIS grad for a few years or more. I may even be able to do some consulting on the side, but first I need to grab some certifications, which are mad expensive, but worth it I'm sure.
And now for the predictable song lyrics, this time from Carrie Underwood and her song "Lessons Learned". Enjoy:
There's some things that I regret
Some words I wish had gone unsaid
Some starts that had some better endings
Been some bad times I've been through
Damage I could not undo
Some things I wish I could do all all over again
But it don't really matter
When life gets that much harder
It makes you that much stronger
Oh, some pages turned
Some bridges burned
But there were
Lessons learned
. . .
There's mistakes that I have made
Some chances I just threw away
Some roads I never should've taken
Been some signs I didn't see
Hearts that I hurt needlessly
Some wounds that I wish I could have one more chance to mend
But it don't make no difference
The past can't be rewritten
You get the life you're given
Oh, Some pages turned
Some bridges burned
But there were
Lessons learned
. . .
And all the things that break you,
Are the things that make you strong!
You can't change the past,
Cause it's gone.
And you just gotta move on,
Because it's all
Lessons learned.
Also, there are friends going through some tough times, some making good decisions, others not so much, but mostly there's a bunch of confusion and waiting. So I'm praying for them, that things will work out for the best, and that I don't get in the way of anything important, as I tend to do it seems.
In other news, I'm getting dangerously close to the real world, as I'll be graduating in December. I need to brush up my networking skills and find some place that's willing to take a fresh CIS grad for a few years or more. I may even be able to do some consulting on the side, but first I need to grab some certifications, which are mad expensive, but worth it I'm sure.
And now for the predictable song lyrics, this time from Carrie Underwood and her song "Lessons Learned". Enjoy:
There's some things that I regret
Some words I wish had gone unsaid
Some starts that had some better endings
Been some bad times I've been through
Damage I could not undo
Some things I wish I could do all all over again
But it don't really matter
When life gets that much harder
It makes you that much stronger
Oh, some pages turned
Some bridges burned
But there were
Lessons learned
. . .
There's mistakes that I have made
Some chances I just threw away
Some roads I never should've taken
Been some signs I didn't see
Hearts that I hurt needlessly
Some wounds that I wish I could have one more chance to mend
But it don't make no difference
The past can't be rewritten
You get the life you're given
Oh, Some pages turned
Some bridges burned
But there were
Lessons learned
. . .
And all the things that break you,
Are the things that make you strong!
You can't change the past,
Cause it's gone.
And you just gotta move on,
Because it's all
Lessons learned.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Major events summary - Spring '09
SO. There's a lot going on, and I'm not quite sure what's gonna happen this summer. Here's a brief recap:
I've gotten through another semester of school, though I'm not really sure that I got C's or better in all my classes. I've got a B for sure in at least two of my classes, but currently carrying a D in two others before the final, and no idea about the fifth. Won't find about those until tomorrow, so here's hoping.
I've got two summer courses, Intertestamental Period and Romans, so we'll see how those go. I'm interested in the information presented, and they are online so it might be a bit easier, but I don't know how the quizzes will be.
I still need to find a job for the summer, and the options range from driving cars back and forth to dealerships for my dad to working at the IT department of a local hospital, to being a fitness guy at the new YMCA by my house. I may even look around for waitering jobs if nothing else comes through.
Also, and this is really exciting... I HAVE A NEW CAR! My parents bought me a 2001 Corolla LE. It's silver/grey/"Mica" So we'll be driving that out as well as the van when I go back to school in the Fall.
Speaking of school, I need to not get any D's (unlikely), or else I'm on my own for college next semester, as per my agreement with Dad. I'm already set up with responsibilities and maybe even a job next semester at LETU, so I'll be alright as long as I find enough work to pay for most of it, like my roommate did. (Un)fortunately that means I'll have to step up the responsibility a bit more, but I only need 13 more credits, so keeping up with the schoolwork shouldn't be too bad. I've finally got a schedule that will allow me to work non-stop during the day, have half an hour for breakfast, and hour for lunch, and a 2-hour dinner, then studying afterwards. I finally also realized that I CAN break up big assignments into 20 or 30 minute chunks, and NOT have to have a certain thing done before I can move on to the next assignment. That's what's killed me before. Big assignment = "ACK! What do I do? It's too big for right now, so I guess I'll put it off till later when I have more time... oh wait. It's due tomorrow! OK, late night it is!"
So, yeah... the summer is moving on... and now I'm off to the Y to ask about that job.
I've gotten through another semester of school, though I'm not really sure that I got C's or better in all my classes. I've got a B for sure in at least two of my classes, but currently carrying a D in two others before the final, and no idea about the fifth. Won't find about those until tomorrow, so here's hoping.
I've got two summer courses, Intertestamental Period and Romans, so we'll see how those go. I'm interested in the information presented, and they are online so it might be a bit easier, but I don't know how the quizzes will be.
I still need to find a job for the summer, and the options range from driving cars back and forth to dealerships for my dad to working at the IT department of a local hospital, to being a fitness guy at the new YMCA by my house. I may even look around for waitering jobs if nothing else comes through.
Also, and this is really exciting... I HAVE A NEW CAR! My parents bought me a 2001 Corolla LE. It's silver/grey/"Mica" So we'll be driving that out as well as the van when I go back to school in the Fall.
Speaking of school, I need to not get any D's (unlikely), or else I'm on my own for college next semester, as per my agreement with Dad. I'm already set up with responsibilities and maybe even a job next semester at LETU, so I'll be alright as long as I find enough work to pay for most of it, like my roommate did. (Un)fortunately that means I'll have to step up the responsibility a bit more, but I only need 13 more credits, so keeping up with the schoolwork shouldn't be too bad. I've finally got a schedule that will allow me to work non-stop during the day, have half an hour for breakfast, and hour for lunch, and a 2-hour dinner, then studying afterwards. I finally also realized that I CAN break up big assignments into 20 or 30 minute chunks, and NOT have to have a certain thing done before I can move on to the next assignment. That's what's killed me before. Big assignment = "ACK! What do I do? It's too big for right now, so I guess I'll put it off till later when I have more time... oh wait. It's due tomorrow! OK, late night it is!"
So, yeah... the summer is moving on... and now I'm off to the Y to ask about that job.
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