perfidy

Well, maybe not to that deluxe apartment in the sky. But the Buckethead has secured new and more remunerative employment, and will be leaving the comfortable if unchallenging realm of the government contractor for the fast paced results-oriented world of the commercial sector. I will leave the humid and dank lowlands of the Justice department for the sunny uplands of a small consulting group. My early experience in a small start up several years ago was without question one of the most rewarding and fun times I've ever had at work, and I hope that this job will prove to be the same. And thanks to the extra money, my son won't have to get a summer job. Good for him, because the only jobs available for three year olds are either degrading or not well paid.

One key benefit for me in this new gig is that I will be able to work at home for a good portion of the working week. The reason this is key is that it will allow me to reasonably take on short term and part time gigs that were just not feasible when I had to be at the job site every day during business hours. You can't easily or indeed legally take a conference call for another gig when you're sitting in a government office cubical, and taking off time a couple times a week to tend to your side gigs quickly becomes suspicious. Now though, I can do that sort of thing without interfering with the main job.

While I have some feelers out for those part time and short term writing jobs, I would certainly appreciate any leads that you, my loyal readers, can give me. So you know, I have nearly a decade of experience as a technical writer in the software field, writing manuals, supporting documentation, help systems and web copy. Of course, I also have three years experience as a world class blogger. What I'm looking for is technical writing gigs, and journalism-type gigs in the software industry press. Any help will of course be greatly appreciated, and will certainly merit prominent mention in these pages.

[wik] Thanks to Nicholas for pointing out some word use issues. While you're thanking him for the quality of this post, go encourage him to post more than once a month, on average.

Tigerhawk links to a Forbes article that reveals that, once controlled for hours worked, tenure and other factors, women make 17% more then men. It turns out that there are twenty-five factors that lead to women earning less overall. Men make decisions that result in their making more money. On the other hand, women make decisions that earn them better lives (e.g., more family and friend time). However, when men don't have families - they often make similar choices that make them less money. Interesting stuff, though I sometimes wish my wife made 117% of what I made, so I could stay home and, I don't know, blog or something.

[wik] Tigerhawk also talks about Harvey Mansfield and the firing of Harvard President Larry Summers. More interesting stuff.

Big Daddy 2x4, another milblog alumni, links to something that will, I'm sure, suck hours of my increasingly high billrate time. If I blow an afternoon looking at this, somebody owes me money. A lot of money. But if you work at McDonald's, your opportunity cost will be much lower. So go check out Make Magazine, and learn how to make shit.

Forgot to mention, ArmyWife also has a cool link to Plan 59, the museum (and gift shop) of mid-century illustration.

And to steal Cat's joke, its always a pleasure looking at ArmyWife's can.

Banishing the overwhelming pink to the outer darkness can only be a good thing.

At the Milblog conference a little while back, I met Deborah and Mike from the War Tapes. Deborah had the idea of giving cameras to soldiers, and Mike was one of the soldiers of the New Hampshire Guard who took one to Iraq. I had a great time sitting with Mike at Finn's waiting on his food (for over an hour) and talking old cars and motorcycles. I've watched some of the clips they've released as teasers, and it looks like its going to be a remarkable film. Their movie premiered at the Tibeca film festival to acclaim, and now it will be opening around the country. New York will get it on the 2nd of June, and Washington, Boston and SF on the 30th. You can believe that I will be at the opening here in DC. (Johno, I recommend you see it as well up there in beantown.)

But apparently some people don't get it. Andi of Andi's world reports that some in the mainstream media are less than enthusiastic where the film grates up against their ideological filters.

[wik] On a completely other and rather inconsequential note, I am pleased to finally have a reason to use the "War" and "Entertainment" categories at the same time.

Over at Zoe Brain, I find a country quiz. A surprisingly accurate one, as it turns out:

You're the United States of America!

You were probably a big bully in school, and odds are that you're still a big bully. You make promises that you break, you manipulate everyone around you, and you're awfully materialistic. On the other hand, you're pretty inventive and have a really good sense of justice. You just never get around to applying the idea of justice to yourself. Incredible potential remains yours to take advantage of.

Seeing how good that one was, I just had to see if the state quiz was up to snuff. And, to my undying amazement, it got that right, too:

You're Ohio!

Why-o, why-o, why-o are you so bland? Despite being in a fairly interesting location with a fair amount of potential, most people are struck by how little about you is noteworthy. Of course you know there's nothing wrong with being average, and that's where most folks are anyway! You do have a flair for rock-n-roll, though you mostly prefer the old stuff. You have the unique trait of, at times, experiencing air as a brown solid. One of your names undoubtedly starts with the letter C.

Despite the accuracy of the quiz result, I am less than pleased with the state description offered here.

Taking the other quizzes, the University quiz resulted in a college I was planning to attend before I became drunk for five years; the animal quiz pegged me as human; and if I were a book, apparently I would be 1984. Not bad for a few random interweb quizzes.

[wik] The authors of the state quiz should be aware, however, that the Quaker Oats company was founded in Ohio, and has little to do with Pennsylvania.

Ever get the tight feeling in your chest when you see a woman? A little twist of fear, even though you are a decent husband with no mistresses, drug habits or intent to rape anyone? Well, this is the reason.

Ever get the tight feeling in your chest when you see a police officer? A little twist of fear, even though you are a law-abiding citizen with no drugs, unregistered weapons or ill intent? Well, this is the reason.

Pat Robertson, gadfly and messiah-in-waiting, has announced to the world that God told him that storms and possibly, a tsunami will strike the United States in the coming year. During a prayer retreat this past January, it seems that the almighty interrupted Pat's prayers to deliver this surprisingly vague warning. Maybe the Lord God was mumbling, for as Robertson relates, "If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms, [and] There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest." I know from personal experience that I, at least, make an effort to pay attention and listen attentively when my Savior gives me hot stock tips or warnings of natural disasters. I am surprised that someone as publicly religious as Mr. Robertson was nodding off while the Lord of Hosts gave him knowledge that is of life and death importance to his fellow countrymen.

But then, he has a history of not paying attention. For instance, in his twisty little mind, he managed to translate "Thou shalt not kill" into "Venezuelan President Hugo Chaves shalt be assassinated by agents of the US government."

As it happens, Robertson is wrong on the particulars of his revelation. The Holy Ghost stopped in for a beer the other night, and told me that the Tsunami will hit the east coast as a result of the collapse of the west face of a volcano in the Canary Islands, and it will be in 2008, the day before the election in November. And of course, storms hit the coasts of the United States every year, and 2006 will be no different.

Myself, I have been waiting for God to demand that Robertson be given a 100 million dollars lest he gathered into heaven. That will be must see tv.