Time for another interview!!

Well spoke with the manager from another team today...kind of an informal interview. He said afterwards he was excited to see if I would work out for his team and asked if I would like to go through an interview loop for his team.
I would be dumb if I didn't accept...plus it sound like a cool change of pace. It is a similar job in most aspects related to the actual process...but is different in who we support.
Rather than publisher facing it is advertiser facing...there is a possibility I would still over lap with my current team..at least for a while.
I guess the interview will be later this week or early next week. Will try and keep you updated.

The last position went to the other guy I was up against..I don't begrudge him anything as he is a very intelligent guy and some one that I trust to have our backs.

My apologies!!

Those of you who have gone to my new blog that I created strictly for tech tips I apologize for the warning you will be seeing. Apparently a algorithm that blogger uses to minimizes spam blogs (usually these have many links to one site in a post) has flagged by blog, as my description of how to use playlist.coms player and adjust its settings had several links to playlist.com. I of course did this on purpose since I believe that whenever I refer to a product or blog or anything similar that has a web presence it is my duty to link to it.

So...if you have seen the error when going to blootek.blogspot.com just click 'procede' , I will be able to post again once a human agent can preview and approve my blog.

Microsoft interview on the 21st

Well have an interview on the 21st for a full time posistion at Microsoft. The posts below were some testing I was doing for my job where we would go to Digg.com and post articles that we found there to our blogs (if we had one).

Digg is a pretty cool site. Its pretty much a blog type of setting where everyone posts links to articles they found interesting etc...then the users of the site 'Digg' the article and the more 'Diggs' (like votes) the higher up the list the article goes till it is on the front page.

Cheeky bumble-bee smiles for the camera

This amazing picture shows a bumble-bee on his best 'bee-haviour', as he poses with a grin for the camera.Check out the article. http://digg.com/pets_animals/Cheeky_bumble_bee_smiles_for_the_camera

read more | digg story

Microsoft Boss Bill Gates Signals End of The Computer Mouse

Microsoft is developing a new touch screen operating system that could mean the end of the computer mouse, Bill Gates has announced. Windows 7 aims to build on the success of the touch screen systems developed by Microsoft's rival Apple's iPhone. http://digg.com/microsoft/Microsoft_Boss_Bill_Gates_Signals_End_of_The_Computer_Mouse

read more | digg story

Road Rage # 1

I have been inspired by N8 to write up a series on road rage..well really on driving frustrations.
Over the years my rage control has improved..dramatically. I still will rage...but usually just to myself and anyone near enough to hear it.
But over the years I have experienced some pretty entertaining stories (now that they are long past) regarding the idiots that we share our roads with.

First story:
THE RULES OF THE ROUNDABOUT
Now this one happened to me here in WA. Way back when we were living just off a street in the same area we now live in...called Grandview. They had just put a round-a-bout in (probably 98-99 era) and one day I was heading home...driving south on Grandview. At the round-a-bout I had a vehicle coming up on the left...and as I was at the intersection first...and had no vehicles to 'yield' to..I continued on through.
Lo and behold some dumb ass broad (who was in a vehicle approaching from the left) follows me home...(which wasn't more than a mile further) pulls in to my parking lot...and as I get out begins to berate me on 'the rules of the roundabout'....Now..anyone who knows me well.....knows that I do virtually nothing in life without having some very strong opinions to back it...or knowledge...as was this case.
This women tried to tell me that I was supposed to stop....(as if a round-a-bout was a 4way or something) and wait for traffic to take turns.

I laid into her in my classic...'my name is jon and don't you DARE tell me what to do attitude)...but basically covered the ground with...'then why the hell are there yield signs?" to which she had no answer..then I proceeded to explain to her how a round-a-bout truly worked and recommended that she get a drivers handbook before she followed people home again to berate them when she herself had no clue. She really didn't say much after that and drove away...stupid woman.
Now the funnierist part...she was in my ward. I don't think she even recognized me cause the next Sunday I pointed her out to elmoe at church as the women who felt obligated to pass on the rules of the round-a-bout. I have told many friends this..and they now fondly refer to it as the 'rules of the round-a-bout story'
Now..I may choose a rage on my end next time. Be scared..be very scared.

New job!!

Well...I have moved on. Been hired to work at Microsoft. Substantial increase in pay. We are quiet happy. Dont actually work 'for' Microsoft yet...will work through a contracting agency for a time...but...the door is now open!!

Edit:3/05/08
By the way I start on March 17th.

Inculcation...brainwashing...(differences of)

Ok..first off this post is not intended to get anyone all defensive. I am trying to incite some thinking on a certain subject that for some....may be touchy issue.

Now as an intro..
I was having a discussion with a co-worker on some political issues...(mainly historical) and he used the word 'inculcate', I of course stopped him right there to find out what this meant..which he explained...and which I later verified (using the above link).

Ok..now to relate this to something which I have discussed with others in the past. Raising children, specifically relating religion and making sure that you (or others) in 'a church' (not necessarily LDS) force/coerce..etc...these young ones into believing what YOU and the OTHERS think they should. (click here for what I believe to be a worse case scenario..click on videos link..top right).

I have battled at times in the past with how as a child we sang songs...etc...etc...that 'guided' us (for lack of a better word at this point) to live a life as our elders/superiors...etc would have us live. I have discussed before how it (to me) seems almost to the point of brainwashing (scroll down to find definition) and I wonder to what extent we believe based on a song we sang over and over and over. I have been torn on the issue because although it usually isn't 'forced' on the children...it seemed to skirt that line...(kids like to sing, participate in activities etc.....) like I said it seems to 'skirt' the issue.

Now that this new word has been inducted into my vocabulary I feel that really what is happening is 'inculcation'. But...due to the nature of some parents it can come real close to brainwashing. Now..if you have read the dictionary description of these words..you will see that there is a very slight difference.....

Just because you believe that something is right/wrong... does this mean your children should too? Like I said it is a difficult topic because so much of the 'belief' here is in regions of faith and belief...not physical hard evidence. A child will do what the parents do because that is what they know. Many of us know such children who's parents raised them into lives of crime and drugs..now whether these parents believed they were right in this case...isn't up for discussion..as we don't really know...but you see my point?

Again do not post a 'defensive' comment. I am looking inspire you to think...and let me know your thoughts on the matter. More than anything I believe our children need guidance but at some point we have to let them choose..and help them reason things out for themselves. IF they so choose to not agree with our position...I believe we should allow them leniency to find their own way...and not force them to oblige because 'while your under my roof you will do what I say' mentality. I feel this stagnates spiritual and intellectual growth.

If you do your job right...giving them that rein when young...(realize I used the word rein..not run) and helping them reason through their decisions, your children 'should' have less issue's when older because they learned the lesson on a much smaller scale. (kinda like letting your kid crawl off the couch..knowing it will hurt them...rather than not being able to stop them from falling off a cliff because they didn't understand that a fall could hurt/kill them).

I believe that are society is going down the tube partly because they are doing one of two things...

• basically 'babysitting' their own children till they can be rid of them at 18
• forcing their child (through various methods) to do what they have decided is best for their child.

Parenting should be an active role where you 'work' with your child as they grow. It takes more effort..and vigilance. But this is what we were meant to do.

• How do you know when you have crossed that line and have taken that choice away from your child?
• What choices should NOT be left to a child...
  
• At what age would you feel your child should be allowed to choose for themselves to NOT participate in what YOU believe in?
• Would you be willing to let your child choose another route when they are still under your roof (with some restrictions of course...I am not talking deep end here...more along the lines of ... I don't want to go to church).

Keep it simple...stick with religion related...as this topic goes into many aspects of life.
feel free to come up with other questions. We'll see were this goes..
Bloo out....

Are we so bored in the media we make a deal about this?

Ok...so I hear on the radio this morning that Miley Cyrus has pics out there of her and a friend at a sleepover 'rollicking' in their undies...so I go check the pics out to see if it really is anything to even worth reporting ....(as you all know I verify most everything I hear, read etc.)
Anyways...as you can tell if you weren't 'afraid' to look at the pics...looks all normal to me. Albeit the sharing candy thing is odd..but really its a girl thing.
Now on another note but somewhat related...if we saw a boy of the same age rollicking in his undies with his friend...that WOULD be a problem.

Interesting how society is..it also gets me to think on why women an men do not get each other. Think on it. If a girl can behave this way at 15 and its socially acceptable...I don't care what the news reports...I have seen several sleepovers (I have sisters...I am not a peeping tom or anything) and girls of this age and older are closer than guys would be at this age.
Sooo as a guy I don't understand this...NOR could I or would I be able to participate in such antics...but women do and can.....hmmm...

Could this apply in some fashion to how we as adults are unable...unwilling...unknowing of how to treat our significant other?
Hmmm..what think ye?

Wow...people are stupid

I was listening to a podcast for a local radio station here in the northwest...(BJ Shea KISW) and they had a guest who is the creator for a website on criminal acts by those in the sport industry (not the typical stuff you see on the news..usually its more obscure unless you live where the crime occured). Most seem to me highschool related. I am amazed how stupid people are. Check it out if interested badjocks.com .

Along the lines of dumb people...checkout the Darwin Awards or Dumbthings websites. You think after 35yrs I would know that there are some real dumb people out there...mabye I'm one for continuing to be suprised.

My favorite one was off the Dumthings site under the 'Next time you think your having a bad day read this:' section
Swedish business consultant Ulf af Trolle labored 13 years on a book about Swedish economic solutions. He took the 250-page manuscript to be copied, only to have it reduced to 50,000 strips of paper in seconds when a worker confused the copier with the shredder.

EDIT:
Wow...go to the Darwin awards and read the one on "The Enema within"...WOW!! Stupid people