System i Addict

It’s not in my nature to like the company we all call Microsoft. I have been opposed to them for a very long time for what I still think are very good reasons. We all know them and have them. Microsoft has had it’s fair share of issues over the years.

I recently purchased a new XBOX 360, and backtrack a bit, I have owned the following:

NES
SuperNES
PS1
PS2
PSP GenII
Wii

I did not ever consider the XBOX since I have a “thing” with the company behind it, but all the people I work with have one and in order to play with decent and upstanding people I got one, plus they are far cheaper than the PS3 which is still over priced IMHO.

Today while my wife was taking some stuff to the Goodwill, she noticed an XBOX Wireless Racing Wheel in a box and called me and told me the box of stuff which has more than just the wheel was $60. A new Wheel is $90.

When she got it home I noticed it was missing the table clamp, so I started calling the local trade-in places and looking on eBay for it and none were to be found. Then I resorted to the XBOX.com web site and nothing there either. Damn, so I broke down and called the number in the manual that came with the wheel. I was able to talk to a person in Texas, not over seas, and she took all of the information from me about my new XBOX and the wheel and put me on hold.

I expected her to come back and tell me they have one it will be $49 + $15 shipping or something like that, but that didn’t happen. What did happen is she sent me a new one…..for FREE. What? I asked? What? Are you sure? She said it was no problem and they wanted me to be happy? Microsoft wants me to be happy? WOW!

I thanked her a lot and she said it would be there in 3 - 5 days. I then admitted that if I needed to pay I would and she said no, it was all covered.

Today for a short period of time I like Mircosoft. I like the XBOX division and really like the idea that they did in this case take care of me. I am happy with my deccision to purchase an XBOX 360 right now.

Thanks to Microsoft for the Table Mount.

I think all being very fact driven, if x = y then we know what x and y are, and that kind of thing. We don’t live in a land of maybe and guesses. I myself, when I argue use facts and such to respond to arguments, while I have found other people, managers and CIOs who are not technical or in some cases the least bit reliable use emotions and “gut instincts” to make decisions.

Those kinds of people should be driven out of the IT industry and over to fashion and home remodeling. Those are industries where emotions, and colors can help you feel better about your decisions. Not IT where things are very fact based and do not and should not have emotions in the process.

I also see people like CIOs and Managers who hate IBM and Lotus for no reason other than they are not what they grew up with, and would prefer a Microsoft or Sun solution because it makes them feel better. It could go either way. Microsoft like to dazzle the crap out of C level people with fancy colors and hugs, while I think IBM is a thinking company who would rather put it all on the table and respond to people with actual data to solve problems. C level people who run IT with their hearts and biases are doomed to fail because they irritate the smarter more fact driven IT staff they have to manage to the point where they will do anything to keep making choices with their emotions vs. listen to anyone they have hired use reason and logic to make decisions.

I think that is why you and I both get irritated with facts vs. crap.

I am sure you are wondering what I am talking about. The other day I noticed while eating that the crown on my left side upper (number 13) was a little pressure sensitive.  The dentist yesterday referred me a specialist about a root canal. Not that she thought I needed one, but she thought the tooth might have cracked under the crown and a root canal could solve the issue.

I was able to get into the root canal doc yesterday too and he did some digital x-rays, which is way cool, rather than having to developed the film, and it showed that I might need that root canal.

Most people hear the words root canal and think PAIN and SUFFERING! Which at this point, some 12 hours later I am OK. My gums are sore from the injections, but nothing to bad. I had to take a Tylenol last night just to make sure I was not chasing pain later in the night, plus I had a headache.

With that said I am sure there are some ROOT CANAL horror stories out there but so far mine has been pretty good. They showed a video before the procedure that was funny, informative and had a guy in it that I knew in the Navy.

My insurance paid for most of it, not a bad day $800, I would have rather spent that on my Volvo or other crap but teeth are important.

This is not the video they showed me, but it does explain the root canal process a bit and shows it’s nothing to worry about. I did not get a post and the Dr. had a big microscope that he could look into the tooth with which was pretty neat.

JC or Jezza, is an interesting man. He has lived what most of would call a lucky life. Being able to host Top Gear, driving all of those cool cars at any speed he like. I love the Porsches and I do admit they are wrong like he does, engine in the back and all. But I still love them, they are just great cars. I do wish they would just try at least once to put an engine in the front to see what happens?

Link to - Jeremy Clarkson - On Porsches and why he does not want one

So while I am working out tonight I listened to the Taking Notes Pod Cast, thanks guys for doing this for the community, and it was talking about XPages.

I am really interrested in Design work, and while it’s my weakness, it is one of the things I am trying to learn more about. The podcast is a must listen to for anyone talking about 8.5 and the new Domino Designer stuff along with XPages.

Keep up the good work!

Taking Notes Pod Cast Site

I have mostly protein for dinner, hamburger meat and about 1/2 lb of chicken tenders all done on the grill. It was good and just what I needed.  I wanted Salad but figured I had better stay away, I have a tooth that is cold sensitive right now and going to get it looked at tomorrow.

Keep the kind words coming, and let me know what you did today or what your thing is that drives you?

KARTing!

I know, I know. Not going to lose any weight in 12 hours. I did check this morning just to make sure I had a good reading and I do.
I have 54 pounds to lose and then some…..I was recalling when I was in the Navy I was told by many people I was fat, and I thought to myself I was doing ok. So if I was fat then and I think I was around 190(-+3), then when I hit 190 I will still not be in the best shape of my life? Then what? Well lets get there first and find out. I am not doing myself any favors by eating at Zaxby’s at lunch, but I was having an urge and they are in fact hard to fight. I feel like crap now. It’s hard to understand why or what drives us to eat crap that makes us feel and look like crap?

I will try harder on Tuesday. I plan to get on the tread mill tonight or go for a long walk. I am in no shape to go running and it would only make things worse as I am to heavy and it kills my knees.

Rock On!

Big news in the IBM i market. Help/Systems acquires PowerTech.

Link to News on The Four Hundred

I am over weight. I am 54 pounds ( I weight 245) according to the doctors in the government say I should weight about 190, and according to Bob Bondurant’s book I am not going to go fast if I am over weight. For every 5 pounds it adds 2% to your time. So 5 pounds is like 60 extra pounds in a NASCAR, which is a lot. So right now I am a Nascar driver who gained 700 pounds in the off season. Not good.

So I have been working at it for a few weeks now and wanted to start posting about it, maybe it will help get the pounds of faster. I need to ge down to a good 190 before the karting season starts in 2009. Going to be getting some Easykarts and taking the family racing.

So Christophe and I know each other, kind of, he is one smart dude. I was looking around his site and found this and thinking I will add it to my collection of commands I need to remember.

windelen.be - Linux Shell tips and tricks

I am a proud Volvo S60R owner. I love that car for so many reasons. First the seats are just way to comfortable. The lines are  very nice and the 5 cylinder tubro charged motor that pushed out over 300HP from the factory is just amazing. It’s so much fun to drive. It will do Zero-60 in about 5.5 or so seconds and loves to run around 100MPH. SO I was doing some reading about what I could do to get even more out of it, because I would like to get about another 50 -70 HP ou to it with as much torque without killing it.

I foud this - Tuners: 2006 Evolve Volvo S60R

I could just call my buddies at iPd and let them chip it, and such and see those gains, but I want to do it right.

I love the fringe stuff like Bigfoot and Nessy. UFO TV shows are always interesting too.

Link to Story

“Two American hunters say they have a bit of a surprise in their freezer: a Bigfoot, or Sasquatch.

The pair, Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, say that they discovered the body of the mythical apeman in a remote forest in northern Georgia - USA not Eastern Europe - about two weeks ago.

They plan to present “DNA evidence and photo evidence of the creature” at a press conference in Palo Alto, California, tomorrow and an associate said that the body would be on show as well.

Mr Whitton is a Georgia police officer currently on leave after being shot in the line of duty while Mr Dyer is a former prison warden. The two men also run a Bigfoot tracking business.”

Could not have asked for a better rain storm to make everything green. It’s been nice a slow all morning long. It might not file the lakes but it’s watering the grass and I like that. Thanks Clouds of Rainy stuff!

I was reading about a performance shop in FL that does amazing things with already amazing cars and noticed that one of the Viper’s tags shows that they live in Savannah. Always like to feature and talk about people from my home town.

So if you see it know you have run up against some a pretty fast Viper. WOW. Thanks Gary Javo for sharing your pictures and your super car. You have to sell a lot of matresses to afford a car like that?

Link to Photos of Viper :: Letter of thanks from Gary the owner :: GaryJavo.com

Link-I hope this links it -LinkedIN’s Links are funky

WOW, this is amazing. I know there are more people out there and I want them all to join up. If you are on LinkedIN and a Lotus person please join up under the groups section. We would love to have you. Thanks to all who have joined. I now need to do soemthing to really make the group special and do something neat? Any ideas?

Someone I am guessing from here decided it was a good idea to sign me up for SocialistWorker.org, I don’t know if it’s to inform me or to get me used to what is coming but I appreciate it. Whom ever it is they may have signed me up for some other things as well. Super.I do find it funny and it’s all very amusing.

http://socialistworker.org/

I need resumes of people who are in the Charlotte/ Rock Hill area who would like to work on a contract basis and eventually go full time. Send me your resume or if you know someone please let them know we are looking for them. You need to be in the or around the area.

david dot vasta @ gmail dot com

I think moving forward I am going to stick to technology on the blog. I am working on a new web site to replace this blog. I  want and need some people to blog from time to time on a new web site. If you want details email me. I don’t care if you have or don’t have a blog I will help you and while it might not pay today, it may pay in the furture.

email me : david dot vasta @ gmail dot com

In the past I have been connected to Burger King via my wife. I got to know some of the owners all over the nation, and while I love a good, messy whopper from time to time I don’t think I will be going to this location in Ohio.

I am sure this is not the kind of press they want, but they could spin it and say, we have the cleanest employees and while we encourage hand washing, sometimes more is needed.

Link :: Video shows Burger King employee bathing in sink

This is not funny, but is funny all at the same time. Seems the Google Street view car captured a gent drunk on the side of the road or maybe he is just doing yard work?

Link to Daily Mail Post