| I'm done |
[Dec. 18th, 2008|11:36 pm] |
Despite my premature celebration in May, it feels good to be done for real this time. I finished the last final exam of my college career this morning and assuming I didn't completely bomb it, I should officially be able to put the letters M.S. after my name if I ever feel pretentious to do it :). |
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| Boredom... |
[Nov. 23rd, 2008|06:00 pm] |
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In a new testament to the powers of boredom, I just did 148 wpm on typeracer.com. Now I need to go take some ibuprofen and get an ice pack. |
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| My top 5 issues and why I support Obama |
[Sep. 9th, 2008|01:29 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
I am not easily swayed to throw my support behind a politician. I have to feel that whatever politician I choose to support will provide distinct advantages over any other, and usually I'm not convinced enough to actively support one. I do always pay enough attention and think through my points of view carefully enough to know when I do like what I see.
While I am sorely disappointed that Ron Paul did not make it farther, ( in the 2008 election, I will be supporting Barack Obama, and here is why: )
I welcome any comments, thoughts and disagreements you all might have with me. I love a good debate. For me, this election season is very exciting. It is the first election I have experienced that has reflected the possibility of entering a distinctly new phase for our country. |
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| Outsourcing schmoutsourcing |
[Apr. 30th, 2008|09:37 am] |
In the wake of the dot com bubble crash, you would be hard-pressed to avoid hearing from some disgruntled IT worker how horrible the technology market in the US was. Outsourcing steals our jobs, they say, technology has no future in the US. This is despite the fact that technology jobs have grown year-over-year in every year except 2001. I have a not-so-sneaking suspicion that the folks you hear this from are the ones who simply went into the field because they heard it was a hot field where you could make lots of money.
Meanwhile, those of us who went into technology because it fascinates us are doing just fine. In a report just released by Investor's Business Daily, they say:
"Tech employment rose in 47 states, with California leading the way with 21,400 jobs, followed by Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, and New Mexico. AeA, which used government data to compile the report, also found that the average tech industry wage was 87 percent higher than the average private sector wage. "We added ... well-paying jobs with wage growth that is twice as fast as the private sector," says AeA's Matthew Kazmierczak."
It is mind-boggling to me that so many youngsters are being discouraged from entering technology because of false rumors spread during the bubble correction. Computer science enrollments are down, as are computer engineering and electrical engineering enrollments. This is a truly tragic fact, given that tech employment is one of the brightest spots in our economy right now. |
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| Salida |
[Mar. 4th, 2008|08:00 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  relaxed | ] |
This past weekend, Sara and I went down to Salida to celebrate my birthday early. It's about as cheap as a ski vacation gets. We stayed at the (crappy) Travelodge down there for $120 for two nights and we had coupons that got us 4 lift tickets for $98. It was exactly what I needed after all the stress I've been dealing with. We got there Friday night, relaxed, had a few beers and went to bed. Saturday we got up at our leisure and got to Monarch ski area about 10 AM. It was a gorgeous spring day and even with minimal ski clothes we were still hot. I even got a tan (err.. sunburn, depending on how you look at it). That night we went and had a nice dinner and then retired to the hot (lukewarm) tub at the hotel.
Sunday my brother and my dad came to meet us up there. What a contrast! Where Saturday was warm, almost hot, Sunday was a raging winter storm and being outside for even an hour or two meant risking frostbite. Still, the snow was great and we had a terrific time.
Check out the contrast between the two days:
Saturday:
Sunday:
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| The declining dollar |
[Nov. 13th, 2007|07:55 am] |
| [ | mood |
| | contemplative | ] |
It is a true tragedy that the average American does not understand more about global economics. It makes sense, though - all of us are so distracted by YouTube and the next workweek and the next thing we want to buy that some boring yammering about deficits and tariffs isn't exactly going to grab our attention. I don't claim to be an expert on economics, but I do pay attention to it.
Through 1980, the United States was a next exporter, that is, we produced more than we consumed. Since then, however, we have consumed more than we produce, and it is accelerating. What we don't realize is that if this trend continues, there is going to be no time left for YouTube, our next workweek is going to increase just to get the same pay, and we're going to be able to afford fewer and fewer things. What has essentially happened is that the Baby Boomers have been selling off our national wealth and several generations following the boomers are either going to have to solve the problem they created or suffer the consequences of decisions made not by us but by the generation preceding us.
Unfair? Probably, but sparking a generational conflict isn't exactly going to solve anything. I am very interested in the import certificate idea proposed by Warren Buffett (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2003/11/10/352872/index.htm). I would be suspicious of anything sounding like a tariff coming from anyone else, but Warren Buffett has proven time and time again that he is a voice of reason in a sea of madness. It would be to our great detriment to us if his idea were not even discussed at a national level. |
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| Ron Paul |
[Nov. 6th, 2007|12:25 pm] |
http://www.news.com/2100-1028_3-6200893.html
I would ask that you at least take a look at Dr. Paul's ideas, especially if you don't normally vote. Even if you don't agree 100% with his viewpoints, I think most of us would agree that having someone in a position of power who is clearly unafraid of big money and big politics would be a good thing for the country. |
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| The extra large super bowl |
[Feb. 5th, 2006|08:44 pm] |
Just FYI --
If you ever hear me say I'm rooting for a team in a sporting event, make sure you wager large sums of money on the other team. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 17th, 2004|09:00 pm] |
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This journal is friends only now. |
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