Now, hopefully they will convict him and put him away in general population for a long, long time. This guy is really, really sick and twisted in the worst way possible.
Warren Steed Jeffs: Carotid Artery Pulsating During Arrest
Woman Who Escaped Jeffs' Church Reacts To Arrest
Warren Jeffs Las Vegas Ties
Yeah. Life in the general population of a maximum security prison sounds good, doesn't it?
I know this news is a day late, but I had already used up my internet time when I found out about this at the gym. Nothing like some great news to get the blood flowing and the heart pumping.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Lost Angels
I've been offered a job with the company I interviewed with in July, and so I've been busy getting ready to relocate and learning the new lingo, forms, etc. I'm really lucky; the company is completely paying for my relocation and I'm itching to get out of the gate and start.
I finally receive my corporate credit card today (they seem to give me a lot of responsibility right off the bat. . .is that a wise decision?), and I start to fill out the travel request form for my temporary lodging before I move into my new place (which hasn't been determined yet!).
What do I put in as "location" of the hotel? "Lost Angeles".
Because the library computers are dumbed down on the privileges, I couldn't save the form to the desktop with a document I just opened. (Don't ask) So I had to redownload the form directly to the desktop, and then open it, fiddle, and save. What do I type in as "location" of the hotel? "Lost Angeles".
Granted, the last time I was there I was very intimidated about driving there. But I ordered a Rand McNally street guide to Los Angeles county and maybe, just maybe, I'll have somewhat of a clue when I get there. But maybe my typos are a not-so-subtle hint-to-self about how country-mouse I really am.
On a slightly different subject, I was talking to an old college buddy on the phone last night. I mentioned the new job, where I was going, etc. and he asked me, "You're not going to bleach your hair blonde, are you?" The short answer: no.
I finally receive my corporate credit card today (they seem to give me a lot of responsibility right off the bat. . .is that a wise decision?), and I start to fill out the travel request form for my temporary lodging before I move into my new place (which hasn't been determined yet!).
What do I put in as "location" of the hotel? "Lost Angeles".
Because the library computers are dumbed down on the privileges, I couldn't save the form to the desktop with a document I just opened. (Don't ask) So I had to redownload the form directly to the desktop, and then open it, fiddle, and save. What do I type in as "location" of the hotel? "Lost Angeles".
Granted, the last time I was there I was very intimidated about driving there. But I ordered a Rand McNally street guide to Los Angeles county and maybe, just maybe, I'll have somewhat of a clue when I get there. But maybe my typos are a not-so-subtle hint-to-self about how country-mouse I really am.
On a slightly different subject, I was talking to an old college buddy on the phone last night. I mentioned the new job, where I was going, etc. and he asked me, "You're not going to bleach your hair blonde, are you?" The short answer: no.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Observations at the Optometrist's Office
In my experience, most optometrists wear glasses. Why is that?
The obvious reason is that they needed glasses growing up, and were fascinated enough with lenses and the physics of light that they decided to make a career out of it.
I also noticed at my appointment today that all the optometrists who've helped me get fitted for lenses were men. Hmm. I sense a market women need to look into.
The optometrist I had an appointment with today was very cool. Not to mention personal (in a good way). Rarely have I met a doctor who has wanted to get lenses for me that really worked for me.
Maybe I'm not being very clear. All optometrists want to get their patients lenses that will help them see 20/20. But the optometrist I spoke with today wanted to get me contact lenses that were completely comfortable and wouldn't bother me. The current ones I've been using (monthly disposables, even though my old optometrist told me they were good for two months) tend to build up a lot of protein on the lenses (which didn't bother me until about six months ago), so I either have to be uncomfortable or use OptiFree SupraClens to clean the protein off. My optometrist today just gave me warm fuzzies on his ability to help me get lenses that will be better suited for me (I think the ones I'm trying are two-week disposables, which are approved to sleep in, but I don't like sleeping in contacts and the doctor obviously wasn't too keen on that idea either).
By the way, my eyes are completely healthy. And if you're in Twin Falls and need an eye exam, check out Mountain West Optical on North College.
The obvious reason is that they needed glasses growing up, and were fascinated enough with lenses and the physics of light that they decided to make a career out of it.
I also noticed at my appointment today that all the optometrists who've helped me get fitted for lenses were men. Hmm. I sense a market women need to look into.
The optometrist I had an appointment with today was very cool. Not to mention personal (in a good way). Rarely have I met a doctor who has wanted to get lenses for me that really worked for me.
Maybe I'm not being very clear. All optometrists want to get their patients lenses that will help them see 20/20. But the optometrist I spoke with today wanted to get me contact lenses that were completely comfortable and wouldn't bother me. The current ones I've been using (monthly disposables, even though my old optometrist told me they were good for two months) tend to build up a lot of protein on the lenses (which didn't bother me until about six months ago), so I either have to be uncomfortable or use OptiFree SupraClens to clean the protein off. My optometrist today just gave me warm fuzzies on his ability to help me get lenses that will be better suited for me (I think the ones I'm trying are two-week disposables, which are approved to sleep in, but I don't like sleeping in contacts and the doctor obviously wasn't too keen on that idea either).
By the way, my eyes are completely healthy. And if you're in Twin Falls and need an eye exam, check out Mountain West Optical on North College.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Book Signing: His Favorite Wife
Today at Barnes & Noble (I should own stock in the store) there was a book signing for His Favorite Wife: Trapped In Polygamy, by Susan Ray Schmidt. Susan was warm, open, and very gracious. We started talking a little bit about polygamy, and I mentioned I was an ex-mormon. She seemed surprised and really opened up about the emotional abuses that face women who are LDS or live in mormon-related splinter groups.
Weirdly enough, she's lived in Cedar City, Utah (where I used to live) and part of her book takes place there.
I've skimmed through her book, and she isn't throwing a pity party or begging for attention. She told me that many people asked her why she wrote the book, which surprised me because you'd think it's a story that needs to be told.
I definitely don't try to focus on mormon issues here, but I do point them out when I feel compelled to. Polygamy, as mormon fundamentalist groups define it, is based on the core doctrines of the LDS religion. I don't care what any mainstream mormon says; "we don't practice it anymore", "they don't practice it the way Joe Smith would have", etc. That's all pure bull shit in the most concentrated form. Spritually practicing polygamy, as mainstream mormons do (just take a look at their rules concerning men and women regarding temple marriage) is just as screwed up as actual polygamy. If you don't practice something anymore, take it off the books. And Joseph Smith was a horny old goat. If you don't think polygamy back then was the same as polygamy now, you're deluding yourself.
As long as polygamy is around, women are going to be physically and emotionally abused. I pray that Utah will wake up to that someday and do something about it.
Weirdly enough, she's lived in Cedar City, Utah (where I used to live) and part of her book takes place there.
I've skimmed through her book, and she isn't throwing a pity party or begging for attention. She told me that many people asked her why she wrote the book, which surprised me because you'd think it's a story that needs to be told.
I definitely don't try to focus on mormon issues here, but I do point them out when I feel compelled to. Polygamy, as mormon fundamentalist groups define it, is based on the core doctrines of the LDS religion. I don't care what any mainstream mormon says; "we don't practice it anymore", "they don't practice it the way Joe Smith would have", etc. That's all pure bull shit in the most concentrated form. Spritually practicing polygamy, as mainstream mormons do (just take a look at their rules concerning men and women regarding temple marriage) is just as screwed up as actual polygamy. If you don't practice something anymore, take it off the books. And Joseph Smith was a horny old goat. If you don't think polygamy back then was the same as polygamy now, you're deluding yourself.
As long as polygamy is around, women are going to be physically and emotionally abused. I pray that Utah will wake up to that someday and do something about it.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Movie Reviews: "Munich" and "V For Vendetta"
Long story short, buy, don't rent these movies. They're great.
Munich is based on the story of a Mossad team who, basically, dealt some payback to the terrorists who killed 11 Israeli athletes during the Olympics in 1972. I think it's the best movie Steven Spielburg has made since Saving Private Ryan. In his introduction on the DVD, Spielburg mentions the idea of using terrorism to combat terrorism, and what would motivate a country to use terrorism as a weapon. Very interesting.
The movie is very personal, right down to the feeling of personal loss in the name of Israel. Avner (Eric Bana) gets ultra paranoid. The bombmaker, Robert, mentions near the end of the movie, "We [Jews] are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul."
On the screen, Munich is fantastic. The feel is definitely 70'sish, without looking or feeling like "That 70's Show". Eric Bana is fantastic. I'm not sure how historically accurate or inaccurate the movie is, but Spielburg usually does a great job on that aspect in his movies. If some of the antics in the movie are true, you definitely feel for the poor Mossad agents when something doesn't quite go according to plan (then you wonder how they got sent on the assignment). My favorite of the assassinations is the one in Athens, from the safe house to when they leave. You'll have to watch the movie to find out what happens.
I screwed up when I was at Hastings and rented the full screen version. Don't make my mistake; the movie would be more spectacular in wide screen.
V For Vendetta. I get the feeling that a graphic novel adaptation probably doesn't get paired with a spy action thriller all that often. However, I think it's a great movie to watch either before or after Munich. No, I promise you I haven't gone off the deep end.
In V For Vendetta, Britain has become a dictatorship, and the U.S. is virtually nonexistant. (Look what we have to look forward to!) The big storyarc is that V, a character that no one can quite trace, pulls some terrorist stunts in London and vows to return the following year, inviting the masses to join him if they agree that there is something vastly wrong with Britain's leadership. V doesn't just wear a mask; he wears a Guy Fawkes mask that renders zero facial expression. Quite the challenge for Hugo Weaving, which he pulls off well (I'd like to see an actor do better).
The big intellectual nibble that I got out of this was the idea that terrorism could be used to accomplish good things, quite the curiousity in the post-9/11 world. While V is morally ambiguous, doing whatever he feels necessary to make his point, you still feel he's a good guy. The worn point of having intangible things that are more important to hold onto than life itself, things that we must save at any price, is brilliantly sharpened in the film.
For those who like to dissect movies, there's also a lot of symbolism, some more obvious than others (the roses and the huge nod to Guy Fawkes).
I haven't even mentioned Natalie Portman! She's radiant in the film.
There you have it: two Hollywood takes on terrorism. And you didn't think the movies had anything in common.
Munich is based on the story of a Mossad team who, basically, dealt some payback to the terrorists who killed 11 Israeli athletes during the Olympics in 1972. I think it's the best movie Steven Spielburg has made since Saving Private Ryan. In his introduction on the DVD, Spielburg mentions the idea of using terrorism to combat terrorism, and what would motivate a country to use terrorism as a weapon. Very interesting.
The movie is very personal, right down to the feeling of personal loss in the name of Israel. Avner (Eric Bana) gets ultra paranoid. The bombmaker, Robert, mentions near the end of the movie, "We [Jews] are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul."
On the screen, Munich is fantastic. The feel is definitely 70'sish, without looking or feeling like "That 70's Show". Eric Bana is fantastic. I'm not sure how historically accurate or inaccurate the movie is, but Spielburg usually does a great job on that aspect in his movies. If some of the antics in the movie are true, you definitely feel for the poor Mossad agents when something doesn't quite go according to plan (then you wonder how they got sent on the assignment). My favorite of the assassinations is the one in Athens, from the safe house to when they leave. You'll have to watch the movie to find out what happens.
I screwed up when I was at Hastings and rented the full screen version. Don't make my mistake; the movie would be more spectacular in wide screen.
V For Vendetta. I get the feeling that a graphic novel adaptation probably doesn't get paired with a spy action thriller all that often. However, I think it's a great movie to watch either before or after Munich. No, I promise you I haven't gone off the deep end.
In V For Vendetta, Britain has become a dictatorship, and the U.S. is virtually nonexistant. (Look what we have to look forward to!) The big storyarc is that V, a character that no one can quite trace, pulls some terrorist stunts in London and vows to return the following year, inviting the masses to join him if they agree that there is something vastly wrong with Britain's leadership. V doesn't just wear a mask; he wears a Guy Fawkes mask that renders zero facial expression. Quite the challenge for Hugo Weaving, which he pulls off well (I'd like to see an actor do better).
The big intellectual nibble that I got out of this was the idea that terrorism could be used to accomplish good things, quite the curiousity in the post-9/11 world. While V is morally ambiguous, doing whatever he feels necessary to make his point, you still feel he's a good guy. The worn point of having intangible things that are more important to hold onto than life itself, things that we must save at any price, is brilliantly sharpened in the film.
For those who like to dissect movies, there's also a lot of symbolism, some more obvious than others (the roses and the huge nod to Guy Fawkes).
I haven't even mentioned Natalie Portman! She's radiant in the film.
There you have it: two Hollywood takes on terrorism. And you didn't think the movies had anything in common.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Spinning Against Glass
Today, I decided to take the advice of my physician from last November and get serious about losing a few pounds. Actually, according to the personal trainer I spoke with yesterday, 20 pounds is not an unrealistic goal for me. (And I thought I was so svelte)
So I decided to take a spinning class, since the hip hop class I wanted to take last night was cancelled. Spinning, for those who don't know, involves a variable resistance stationary bike. The instructor tells the class to raise or lower the resistance to simulate hills. Some say you can burn upwards of 900 calories (which in my limited research is almost a pound of fat - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). Not a bad way to drop the weight. Not to mention biking is a complementary exercise to running; it helps balance the leg muscles out.
Let's say intense is a mild word for the exercise.
About half-way through, my head kicked in with the mental games I'm so used to getting when I run (which is why I haven't been able to complete - or compete - in a 5k yet).
"This is too hard"
"I can't do this"
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Stop! Please stop! I'll feel better if you do!"
Et cetera.
Since the instructor was yelling at me (at the entire class, really, but it feels personal) to get up off my seat and turn the resistance up, I decided I was more afraid of the instructor than of falling off the bike.
And then the (simple) realization hit me in that darkened room when lactic acid coursed through my muscles: of all the things I've done, of all the things I've completed, of the glass ceilings I've broken, the biggest glass ceiling of all was the one in my own head.
Hopefully, today I chipped at that ceiling in a big way.
So I decided to take a spinning class, since the hip hop class I wanted to take last night was cancelled. Spinning, for those who don't know, involves a variable resistance stationary bike. The instructor tells the class to raise or lower the resistance to simulate hills. Some say you can burn upwards of 900 calories (which in my limited research is almost a pound of fat - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). Not a bad way to drop the weight. Not to mention biking is a complementary exercise to running; it helps balance the leg muscles out.
Let's say intense is a mild word for the exercise.
About half-way through, my head kicked in with the mental games I'm so used to getting when I run (which is why I haven't been able to complete - or compete - in a 5k yet).
"This is too hard"
"I can't do this"
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Stop! Please stop! I'll feel better if you do!"
Et cetera.
Since the instructor was yelling at me (at the entire class, really, but it feels personal) to get up off my seat and turn the resistance up, I decided I was more afraid of the instructor than of falling off the bike.
And then the (simple) realization hit me in that darkened room when lactic acid coursed through my muscles: of all the things I've done, of all the things I've completed, of the glass ceilings I've broken, the biggest glass ceiling of all was the one in my own head.
Hopefully, today I chipped at that ceiling in a big way.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Carnival of the Veil - Week 13
I thought I'd try my hand at hosting the Carnival this week. (Is it week 13 already?) For my readers who aren't in the know, the Carnival of the Veil is a weekly list of ex-mormon blog posts. Most posts are mormon related, others are not. I may or may not agree with the content in said blogs; check them out at your own risk.
Matt writes about mormons and MLM schemes. Why do mormons get into projects like Amway, Quixtar, etc? I quote Matt's hypothetical ex-Mormon answer, and part of his solution the next time someone mentions the mormon-MLM connection:
The Sinister Porpoise posts on the search for truth and the search for self.
Gunner at Talking to God challenges mormon thought processes with an exercise concerning the terms "free agency" and "obedience". Here's his big morsel for thought:
Darque at Heart of Darqueness posts some links to video clips regarding the Book of Abraham. Someone please tell me where they got Scarlett's panties for that shot. The girl's got guts for wearing those.
Author Natalie R. Collins shares her views on a mormon's letter to the USA Today editor regarding Mel Gibson's recent anti-semetic drunken statement. She writes:
Matt writes about mormons and MLM schemes. Why do mormons get into projects like Amway, Quixtar, etc? I quote Matt's hypothetical ex-Mormon answer, and part of his solution the next time someone mentions the mormon-MLM connection:
Now, some ex-Mormons say that this is because Mormons are stupid. This must mean that either they, the ex-Mormon, is also stupid, or somehow when they became an ex-Mormon miraculously became non-stupid and magically intelligent. . . .Ask them when (or if!) THEY stopped being stupid. Or point out that Mormons are not necessarily stupid, but are kept in the Mormon poverty trap.Joseph's Left One addresses the feelings most ex-mormons have regarding missionaries. He writes:
I wasn't sure which one I felt worse for: the one who clearly believed everything, or the one who obviously didn't want to be there. . . .Here they were, two young men who could have been anywhere in the world doing anything they chose.Doug at Eight Hour Lunch shares some of his fictional work he's currently developing. He mentions:
If you enjoy it, please share it with your friends. For that matter, share it with your enemies. As they say, there's no such thing as bad publicity.Agreed. I actually like commenting on blogs, I just don't do enough of it. For those lurkers out there: Comment! Comment! You won't believe how helpful feedback is.
The Sinister Porpoise posts on the search for truth and the search for self.
The fact is, I did lose a couple things in my life when I left the Mormon church. . . . The first thing I think I've stated before. I lost the comforting feeling of having all the answers. The second I lost was the deep sense of community that existed.Personally, I think what we gain from leaving that religion more than makes up for what we lost or felt we lost.
Gunner at Talking to God challenges mormon thought processes with an exercise concerning the terms "free agency" and "obedience". Here's his big morsel for thought:
Lack of obedience is not rebellion. Lack of obedience to an institute can be obedience to G-d.Hmm.
Darque at Heart of Darqueness posts some links to video clips regarding the Book of Abraham. Someone please tell me where they got Scarlett's panties for that shot. The girl's got guts for wearing those.
Author Natalie R. Collins shares her views on a mormon's letter to the USA Today editor regarding Mel Gibson's recent anti-semetic drunken statement. She writes:
In Jeff Byrd’s world view, Mormons are as picked on as Jews. In fact, Jeff Byrd compares early Mormons to the millions of Jews killed in the Holocaust.Cynthia at Mormon2Catholic shares a surreal experience, and reflects on being an ex-mormon and the good things that exist outside mormon limits. This quote from her reminds me of the scene in American Beauty when Kevin Spacey argues with Annette Benning and says, "I didn't lose my job; it wasn't like, oops, where'd my job go? I QUIT!":
It's so confusing being an exMormon. I've been getting a lot of random out-of-the-blue comments about my blog from what I assume are God-Fearing active Mormons. Most of the comments are like, "If you'd just feel the spirit, you'd still be Mormon" and "why do you criticize the church, you don't know what you're talking about!" Things like that. What is the point of criticism like this? Do they think they're going to guilt me back into the church? "Oh my Gosh, I was lost, but then this person said I was making false assumptions about the church and all I need to do is pray and I'll come back. Why didn't I think of that?? I'll go pray right now!"
My submission for the week is the trouble a little skirt causes.
That's the Carnival for this week. I think next week's carnival is back at Gunner's Talking To God. If this taste of ex-mormon rants and ideas have piqued your interest, more ex-mormon blogs are listed at Recovery From Mormonism, The Mormon Curtain, and the Serenity Bloglist.An Impromptu, Unexpected Sociology Experiment
Yesterday, I wore a short, flouncy skirt (for those who know better, it was an above-the-knee circle skirt) because I wanted to. The real reason was that my mom had just made it for me from some really pretty material. I was fairly amused with the amount of attention I was getting from male salespeople, and I think it was the skirt's fault.
At Big 5 Sporting Goods, a short gentleman asked me multiple times if I needed help before and after he helped me find some weightlifting gloves (which I did purchase).
The next stop was Barnes & Noble, where a taller book stocker asked me if I needed help when I was already browsing through a book. That was when I started getting suspicious.
Finally I went to Gold's Gym to get a membership (gotta get those glutes in gear!), where the sales rep constantly complimented on how good I looked, and if I would like to go out dancing sometime. After asking some deeply personal questions (Do I have a boyfriend? Would he mind it if I went out dancing? Does he mind if I go to the gym on my own?), I decided that the sales rep really should mind his own business and that I would only wear the skirt if I wanted male attention.
Someone please tell me what's so hard about, "Hi, I'm ______ and I think you're cute. Are you available for coffee/lunch/a chat sometime?"? Maybe I'm not used to being overly helped, but being direct is always more impressive to me.
Or maybe they were really just being helpful and I'm just arrogant and paranoid.
At Big 5 Sporting Goods, a short gentleman asked me multiple times if I needed help before and after he helped me find some weightlifting gloves (which I did purchase).
The next stop was Barnes & Noble, where a taller book stocker asked me if I needed help when I was already browsing through a book. That was when I started getting suspicious.
Finally I went to Gold's Gym to get a membership (gotta get those glutes in gear!), where the sales rep constantly complimented on how good I looked, and if I would like to go out dancing sometime. After asking some deeply personal questions (Do I have a boyfriend? Would he mind it if I went out dancing? Does he mind if I go to the gym on my own?), I decided that the sales rep really should mind his own business and that I would only wear the skirt if I wanted male attention.
Someone please tell me what's so hard about, "Hi, I'm ______ and I think you're cute. Are you available for coffee/lunch/a chat sometime?"? Maybe I'm not used to being overly helped, but being direct is always more impressive to me.
Or maybe they were really just being helpful and I'm just arrogant and paranoid.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Rumors Of My Disappearance Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
I went to Washington D.C. last weekend, which explains why I've been gone for so long.
I went to the National Zoo on Monday morning, and was able to see Tai Shan and his parents. I've only been to the Hogle Zoo once, and Sea World a couple of times, but it was truly a treat to go to a "real" zoo. My favorites (besides the Giant Pandas) were the Mexican Wolves and the Red Panda. I definitely recommend showing up early; by 10:30 AM (when we left) it was starting to get really hot and sticky, and all the groups of schoolkids had arrived. We got there around 7:30 AM, and it was relatively cool and there were very few people wandering around. The animals were a little more active too. I guess they don't care for the heat either.
I also saw a cardinal (my first!) and an oriole. They weren't in cages or pens, so that was kind of exciting for me. (Maybe I just excited with seeing new stuff)
I did take lots of photos, but I'm still technologically impaired so I apologize.
My little foray into the big city proved just how much of a country mouse I am; going onto the metro was a challenging experience. You go up to the SmartCard vending machine and buy a card for $10. $5 for the card, $5 metro fare. OK, that was easy enough. Until you get to the gates where you actually pay for your ride. There are slots to insert the paper metro tickets (which I'm familiar with after my 1999 Europe visit), but no place that I can tell to swipe the card. I stood there for a couple of minutes until my travelling buddy pointed out that there's a light with the shape and markings of the SmartCard on the gate; turns out you just hold the SmartCard over the light and some "electronic magic" happens and opens the gate so you can walk through.
And we all thought that college educated meant something.
I went to the National Zoo on Monday morning, and was able to see Tai Shan and his parents. I've only been to the Hogle Zoo once, and Sea World a couple of times, but it was truly a treat to go to a "real" zoo. My favorites (besides the Giant Pandas) were the Mexican Wolves and the Red Panda. I definitely recommend showing up early; by 10:30 AM (when we left) it was starting to get really hot and sticky, and all the groups of schoolkids had arrived. We got there around 7:30 AM, and it was relatively cool and there were very few people wandering around. The animals were a little more active too. I guess they don't care for the heat either.
I also saw a cardinal (my first!) and an oriole. They weren't in cages or pens, so that was kind of exciting for me. (Maybe I just excited with seeing new stuff)
I did take lots of photos, but I'm still technologically impaired so I apologize.
My little foray into the big city proved just how much of a country mouse I am; going onto the metro was a challenging experience. You go up to the SmartCard vending machine and buy a card for $10. $5 for the card, $5 metro fare. OK, that was easy enough. Until you get to the gates where you actually pay for your ride. There are slots to insert the paper metro tickets (which I'm familiar with after my 1999 Europe visit), but no place that I can tell to swipe the card. I stood there for a couple of minutes until my travelling buddy pointed out that there's a light with the shape and markings of the SmartCard on the gate; turns out you just hold the SmartCard over the light and some "electronic magic" happens and opens the gate so you can walk through.
And we all thought that college educated meant something.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Finished And Unemployed
Sometimes I panic that I've been out of school for almost three months and I haven't found a job yet. It's not the idea of not being gainfully employed that bothers me, but rather that, when I do land a job, I won't know how to do it because I would have forgotten everything I've learned in my five years at Montana Tech. Sheer paranoia has already got me thinking about the C++ in Linux (or Unix) argv, argc thing. If someone would be so kind as to remind me which is which, I would be most obliged.
My dad tells me not to worry, because "the company" will train me how to do my job. This does little to help me sleep at night.
I picked up a copy of Michael Crichton's Travels today. He said something how going someplace completely remote helps him find himself. He also said something about how an author needs to write down experiences to make them one's own and eventually using those writings to spawn more writing. It was all very interesting to me. I haven't read any of Crichton's work after Airframe because I thought it was stupid that the pilot let his kid fly the plane, which caused the "accident" (sorry if I spoiled it for you, but I thought I would save you the trouble of reading the book to get to the anticlimatic ending).
The idea of writing for a living really attracts me. Lots of people like my writing, including my Intermediate Writing professor (who also happened to be the head of the liberal studies department) and my favorite literature professor (who is really, really hard to please). I suppose my problem is that I don't exactly have the best background for an author. But then again, Crichton was a surgeon, so he didn't either, and look at him.
If I was to write for a living, there are lots of things I'd like to write about. War corresponding would be an interesting (if potentially dangerous) occupation. I'd like to write a novel. Maybe it's my new-found love of Raymond Chandler's work that inspires me to write a mystery. I like writing about a lot of things, which is why I think this blog is a good outlet for me. I know I'm not necessarily very creative, and that I do tend to ramble on about anything and everything, but I get something out of it anyway.
So, what does an unemployed software engineer do when she's not travelling (which these days is almost never)? She reads. A lot. And occassionally applies for a job.
My dad tells me not to worry, because "the company" will train me how to do my job. This does little to help me sleep at night.
I picked up a copy of Michael Crichton's Travels today. He said something how going someplace completely remote helps him find himself. He also said something about how an author needs to write down experiences to make them one's own and eventually using those writings to spawn more writing. It was all very interesting to me. I haven't read any of Crichton's work after Airframe because I thought it was stupid that the pilot let his kid fly the plane, which caused the "accident" (sorry if I spoiled it for you, but I thought I would save you the trouble of reading the book to get to the anticlimatic ending).
The idea of writing for a living really attracts me. Lots of people like my writing, including my Intermediate Writing professor (who also happened to be the head of the liberal studies department) and my favorite literature professor (who is really, really hard to please). I suppose my problem is that I don't exactly have the best background for an author. But then again, Crichton was a surgeon, so he didn't either, and look at him.
If I was to write for a living, there are lots of things I'd like to write about. War corresponding would be an interesting (if potentially dangerous) occupation. I'd like to write a novel. Maybe it's my new-found love of Raymond Chandler's work that inspires me to write a mystery. I like writing about a lot of things, which is why I think this blog is a good outlet for me. I know I'm not necessarily very creative, and that I do tend to ramble on about anything and everything, but I get something out of it anyway.
So, what does an unemployed software engineer do when she's not travelling (which these days is almost never)? She reads. A lot. And occassionally applies for a job.
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