L and I have been playing alot of City of Heroes lately. In this game you play the part of a Comic Book Super Hero. You pick the costume and the Super Powers. As you gain more experience you get more powers. It's really a fun game.
Current Music: Soul Coughing "White Girl"
We ate dinner at a little hole in the wall deli and grill for dinner tonight... The food in this place is fabulous! They serve mediterranean and american food... greek gyros and lebanese food.
The first time we ate there, I got a chicken sandwich... the BEST I've ever had... anywhere! This time we both tried the lebanese "Shawarma" sandwiches... yum yum yum!!!!
They have a fava bean dish I'm going to have to try some time.
The only problem is, this place never seems busy... so haul you and any one you know over to Ghali's Deli and Grill... it's cheap and oh so good!!
We went to see Kill Bill 2 today. I liked it.
I was just reading over at Wil Wheaton Dot Net that his new book will be in stores soon. I just recently read his first mini-book called Dancing Barefoot. I really enjoyed it and I expect Just a Geek to be as good or better.
Our lunchtime discussions lately have revolved around the concept of balancing our free time with our jobs. I personally value my free time very highly. Our whole lives should not be just about our jobs. The company we work for is pretty good about not over-working us too much, but they do expect more than 40 hours a week as the norm. One of the ideas that we have discussed during lunch has been doing four 10 hour days instead of five 8's. I really like this idea, you have more time in the office for those four days, but you get an extra whole day off.
Now let me say that there is no way this idea would ever be implemented at my office. Its so crazy no one would ever even think to bring it up as a real suggestion.
My company is very conservative when it comes to these kind of things. The concept of Tele-commuting has been brought up repeatably over the last few years and each time its totally shot down. We have VPN access and we have the ability to work from home but that is reserved for when you're sick, for when you have to work late or on the weekend. Oh well, its still fun to dream about these things.
Outsourcing...(Que ominous drum roll) Another topic that comes up everyday is IT outsourcing. My company has embraced this idea completely. However, their current policy is that we are only doing it to grow our development group faster. Indeed we are still hiring locally as well.
Now, I can understand that outsourcing can make very good business sense these days. But, just because it is good for the company does not mean that it's the right thing to do. I don't think the company realizes how unsettled this whole process has made us. We are not afraid that our jobs are going to disappear suddenly, at least not yet, but being treated like a commodity that can be bid on tends to make one question your loyalty. Now I know a lot of people that will fire back with, but you are a commodity, to be traded and bid on like a box of nails or a roll of sheet steel. Bull-Shit! We are people that have an emotional investment in this company. If the company wants us to feel like we are a part of this family, then they need to show us the respect we deserve.
Instead of spending all this time getting a group of cheaper developers up and running, the company could have just hired a couple new local developers and kept the rest of us content.
Current Music: Jane's Addiction "Classic Girl"
Last night we got the First Season of Kung Fu on DVD. When I was a kid I was absolutely enthralled with this show. I think everyone wanted to be a Shaolin monk. I can't wait to get home and start watching it.
Current Music: Stone Temple Pilots "Sour Girl"
Spent this weekend doing pretty much nothing.After a long break from it, I finally got to the last few levels in Super Mario Sunshine I played Everquest most of the weekend. My character added some cool stuff to his ever growing hoard of items this weekend.
Current Music: David Bowie "Win"
Got a great Polymer Clay book Creating Fantasy Polymer Clay Characters by Dinko Tilov . If you are interested in fantasy characters you should check it out.
The Matrix Revolutions comes out today. Gonna pick my copy up on the way home from work.
Hope to see Hellboy tonight or tommorrow. Looks like its going to be a fun movie.
Current Music: Spock's Beard "Revelation"
Time to clear a few random thoughts out of my brain. Because if you don't share what your thinking people will never understand just how crazy you are.
Aztec and Mayan art is so cool. I'm constantly distracted by several wall hangings at a local Mexican restaurant we like. I have been thinking about working on a few Aztec inspired clay figurines and carved wall hangings. Anyone has any good source images?
I have had a really hard time staying focused lately. I get distracted so easily. I'm trying to get into a regular exercise pattern again with the hope that this will help me concentrate better. I'm so out of shape, it's just sad. I think that all the stuff I've been doing with clay lately has helped some. It's good to have a creative outlet, but it's just as important to exercise your body as it is your mind.
At my friends Birthday party the other night there was a discussion about financial planning, wills, and retirement. We are all about the same age, so there is only one conclusion I can make. We are all getting freaking old!
Which do you do, remodel or move? We have been in our house for five years now, and there are things that we would do very different with a new house. No carpet. Two car garage. More storage. A fire place. etc. Moving can be such a hassle that I'm considering replacing the carpet, adding an extension to the driveway, and possibly adding a sunroom. Is it worth it?
Current Music: Jethro Tull "Thick As A Brick"
Current Music: Missing Persons "Words"
As I get older Birthdays make me think more about the past, mistakes I have made, and where I thought I would be at this point in my life. I have never been good at planning for the future and thinking about what I want to do with my time. I guess thats part of the reason we celebrate birthdays in the first place. Sometimes you just need to stop and think about where you are and where you are going.
In general I'm fairly happy with my current job. There are things I would like to change about it, but I always find it hard to complain about getting paid well to write software. I have been lucky over the years with meeting many very cool people through work. My current job is no exception to that pattern. I don't have much in common with most of my co-workers, but there have been a few that I can truly call friends. The problem is that the people I have the most in common with keep leaving. The reasons differ, but often it comes down to feeling like they don't fit in. Now, I'm known for getting along with just about everyone, but I have to ask myself if I fit in here? I'm not sure that I do and I can't decide how to handle it. It probably doesn't even matter. As one of my friends said "No one really likes their job."
Current Music: Alice in Chains "Nutshell"
"The measure of a life is a measure of love and respect. So hard to earn, so easily burned" Rush - The Garden
"I turn sideways to the sun
keep my thoughts from everyone
It's a jungle, I'm a freak
Hear me talk, but never speak" New Order - World