Goodbye 2011

This year hasn't been the worst, nor has it been the best. Still, I will be happy to see it go. I have some hopes that 2012 will be a better year. Not a lot of hope but some.

During 2011 I didn't accomplish anything significant. I didn't go on any exciting vacations, I didn't get promoted at work, and I didn't make any significant progress with my life. Heck, I didn't even go on a date. But I did make some progress with my health. Not a lot but some. And I have streamlined my life a bit further, making things simpler so I can focus on more important things. So while I didn't accomplish anything significant I did make some progress.

In 2012 I hope to continue making progress. Maybe even go on an exciting vacation. Who knows.

More commentary on the news. Some of the motivation behind my rants.

I read an article about how emergency rooms are having to deal with the homeless and mentally ill because of budget cuts eliminating state programs. This is another example of how not doing things right ends up costing you more in the end.

Many of my rants are about how we are not doing things right, doing what is easy or convenient for the short term but ignoring the long term cost. Problems don't just go away because you want them to. People with mental illnesses don't just disappear because you cut funding for a program. They continue to exist and will get their needs met elsewhere, in this case by showing up in emergency rooms where the cost of treating them is much higher both in money terms and in terms of services not rendered to people who really need emergency treatment.

Suppose you had a mental illness. You can't get a job, the state has cut out all programs to help, and your relatives have all disappeared. You can't get the medication you need for treatment so you slip further and further from reality. You have no home and winter is here. You have no food except what you can dig out of trash cans or beg. Showing up in the emergency room for treatment of the various illnesses that appear gets you food, shelter, and medication. Sure it costs a ton but you don't have an address so they can't send you a bill. Can't get into the emergency room? Well breaking a few windows or mugging somebody will get you into jail. That also gets you food and shelter. Maybe even medication. That also costs a ton but the state pays for that. You lose your freedom but you won't starve.

My point here is that doing that there is no free lunch. You can't make a problem go away by ignoring it and trying almost always costs more in the long run than dealing with it properly in the first place. As a society we should deal with the problems we have and strive for the best solution so our society can progress.

I wish I could write

Like many people, I would like to write a book. I have a story, several of them in fact. But every time I sit down to write the story out I get nothing. Although sometimes I get incoherent garbage instead of nothing.

It is odd that something so clear in my head comes out blank or garbled in words. Life I guess. I have heard many times that writing a book is hard work but I had thought I would at least be able to get the story out. Oh well. If I keep trying then maybe some day.

Institutional hoarding

Recently I read about a new dinosaur find. The fossils were not found in the field, they were found in the basement of a museum. The museum had gathered them long ago, put them into boxes, and then hid them away.

Another recent news article spoke of a library which had a huge storage room. A janitor got curious as to what was in a wooden box in the storage room and found a cache of silver coins which the library didn't even know they had. They aren't even sure where or when the coins came from. They were very, very old and collectible yet the library had them stuck in a wooden box in a storage room.

Museums, libraries, colleges, and other types of institutions often hoard items. Tucking them away not so much so that they can be preserved for the future but so nobody else can get them. Rare books that people should have access to are lost in the back rooms of libraries. Fossils that could further our understanding of the past are stuck in boxes in the basement, unstudied and unavailable to be studied. This is a shame because these institutions exist to spread knowledge, not hide it. And yet researchers who try to access these hidden treasures are denied access because they are "them" instead of library/museum/whatever staff.

It is a shame.

Drug users

I just read a news article about a woman walking around inside of a Walmart for six hours taking small amounts of chemicals from various bottles so she could make meth while in the store. She had only been out of jail for three days and didn't have enough money to buy the supplies so she was stealing what she needed and using them to make her drugs.

I understand addiction. One of my brothers (gone now) was an alcoholic. Most of my brothers and sisters were smokers. All of us have eating compulsions. But we never made went down the path of a drug being so important that nothing else in life mattered.

I am more than a bit tired of drug users and the problems they cause so here is my solution. First give them counseling. But if they still want drugs after that then give them the drugs. Free. But in a controlled situation. Build a large city/prison out in the desert somewhere to house 10,000 people. People who want to have free drugs have to live in the city while they are getting the drugs and they have to voluntarily get sterilized so they can't have children. If they are willing to do that then give them their drugs and a small amount of food per day and let them be stoned until they die and make room for the next person.

My point is that there is no curing these people and there is no hope of keeping drugs out of their hands, so if they are so determined to live a short but drug filled life then let them. But make them do it in a way that keeps from harming the rest of the population. After 20 years or so we should have our addict population narrowed down quite a bit, and since they aren't having children we should eliminate those whose genes lead them to such extremes.

An interesting problem

I recently found the website of Derek Sivers. He has some interesting things to say both in writing and on video. Nothing earth shattering but interesting anyway. Watching the videos I noticed that he is one of those perpetually happy and upbeat types of people. On his page describing books he likes he indicates this comes from his personal philosophy being related to the stoics and recommends a book on stoicism. For the first time in my life I am afraid to read a book. Not because it might be bad but because it might show that I have been living my life wrong. It is an interesting problem. If I read the book and decide I have wasted my life so far I can attempt to make my life better, but what if I can't? Then my whole life will be a waste. If I don't read the book I will just be hiding my head in the sand, hoping to ignore reality and not improve myself.

I have to decide one way or the other, not deciding is of course by default deciding not to read the book. Should I continue in ignorance or should I learn and maybe be disappointed? I will have to think a bit.

Looks and the beach

Several times I have been in discussions about nude beaches and sooner or later somebody will make a comment that the sort of people who go to nude beaches shouldn't because they aren't good looking. I have always found this an odd comment because from what I hear people who regularly go to nude beaches go to enjoy the beach NOT to be looked at. If you want to see good looking nude people they have bars and such for that. The point of nude beaches is the beach.

The same goes of course for regular beaches. People comment that this person shouldn't be wearing a bikini because they don't look good in it. Well, maybe there intent was to get a tan, not look good.

If your intent in going to the beach is to look as good as possible then maybe you want to cover up some, the average person has physical flaws and covering them makes you look better. However, if your intent is to get a tan then maybe you need to uncover some. If your intent is somewhere in between then you will have to dress or undress appropriately.

If your intent in going to the beach is to see good looking people without clothing then you have failed from the start. Most people aren't good looking. If fact, most people don't go to the beach so you can look at them. They go for the sun, sand, and water.

Having been in several of these discussions I always find it odd how so many people seem to think others should act a certain way simply because it is what they (not the other people) want. I have met many who say only good looking people (and themselves) should go to the beach, because they want to only see good looking people and seem to feel the rest of humanity is here for their entertainment. I have met a couple of people that say only fit people should go to the gym, everybody who isn't fit should exercise at home until they become fit enough to look good and show off their bodies at the gym.

People are crazy. I go to the beach for the beach, not to provide entertainment for others. If you don't like the way I look tough, I am not there for you I am there for me.

Marriage contracts

I just read a news article saying Mexico City is considering time limited marriage contracts with the time being as little as two years. When you start the contract you decide how to split money and children, and if you don't renew the contract you are automatically divorced.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44724855/ns/today-weddings/t/til-do-us-part-mexico-mulls--year-marriage/from/toolbar

I like the idea, mainly because it forces people to make the tough decisions up front instead of arguing and having to spend a lot of money on lawyers. Will it be good for society? Who knows. The fighting and such that goes with a split up will probably continue but at least this would keep it out of the courts. And maybe people would have a more realistic idea of marriage when they are forced to make the tough decisions about children and money up front.

Sending clear signals

I read a lot of science fiction. This year I read two different book series that describe societies where your relationship status, interest in finding someone, what you are looking for, what type of person you are, etc. are clearly shown by what you wear. In the one case it was jewelry and in the other it was clothing style and color. It would be really nice if people could send such clear signals. Knowing that someone was approachable or wanted to be left alone would make life so much easier.

Of course people would abuse it and lie, just like they always do. But I really like the idea of societies that tell the truth and that send clear signals.

Teachers not allowed to have a life?

I just read a news article about a teacher who was fired because several pictures and videos of her having sex were sent to parents and school board members. Note that she wasn't having sex with her students, just sex. Apparently teachers aren't allowed to have sex? Were do all the little teachers come from?

In recent years teachers have been fired for facebook posts showing them drinking alcohol, attending bachelorette parties, etc. The school boards have said that while the teachers weren't doing anything illegal they were being poor role models for the students.

I am really glad I never became a teacher. Given the stupidity of these actions I can't imagine why anybody would want to be a teacher. You get fired for having a life? Well no, they are fired for letting somebody take a picture of them having a life. Stupid.

It has been a rough week

The past week has been rough. The days have been alternating intense pain and extreme sleepiness. The nights have been mostly not sleeping but so tired I can't do anything.

Sometime during the week (I am not sure exactly when) a young paintballer in Serbia killed himself. I don't know the details but I gather he had been homeless and staying with various friends and relatives for over a year, then his fiance left him. He was a happy, energetic, outgoing kind of guy trapped in a mess. There are lots of people like him in the world, all trying to live a decent life and trapped by circumstance in bad times and bad locations. And there is nothing I could have done to make it better even if I had known he existed before his death was posted on a paintball forum I read.

I like to help people. It depresses me to see so many people who need help. Some have created their own situations but others are in bad situations through no fault of their own. It is those people who deserve help but there are literally millions of them. There is no way I could help them all. Heck, there is no way I could even meet them all.

Life isn't perfect. It is often painful and traumatic. But I have hope that someday society will grow to the point where we can help others. Or better yet prevent the conditions that cause people pain.

Being on time

I am very time oriented when I work. I used to do fixed price contracts and you had to know how long things took to do that. One of the things people don't seem to understand is that if you want to be somewhere on time you have to leave on time. If a meeting runs late it pretty much guarantees you will be late for the next meeting, which may in turn make that meeting run late. If everybody showed up on time and used the meeting time effectively the meeting would end on time. Simple, but lots of people don't seem to get it.

Courage

I have met a lot of people who are lacking in courage. Courage to say no, courage to say what they mean, courage to stand up for what they believe in. It is discouraging to see this but I think is our societies fault. We raise children to do what they are told and not disobey adults. We reward uniformity and discourage independent thought. We need to encourage people to think for themselves and act on what they believe in.

Life

I hate it when people lie to me or put off telling me something because they don't have the courage to say something. It is very annoying. Just tell me the truth. Tell it to me nicely if you think it will hurt my feelings but just tell it to me. Lies and half truths only make things worse.

Cows go moo

I have been busy at work lately so haven't posted much. Which I suppose is okay since only a couple of people actually read this, but I really should try to keep it up. I did have some good ideas for posts but they are gone, I was too busy at work to record them and now they have wandered off and gotten lost. I hope they are okay and haven't been killed by cars or are living as crack addicts in some cheap flop house in the inner city. Poor sad lost ideas. I would pray for them if I believed in that sort of thing. I wonder if all prayers go to heaven or if some wander off and get lost. Poor sad lost prayers. I would pray for them if I didn't think it would just perpetuate the cycle.

I cannot believe how hung up people are on looks

It is amazing how many people make important decisions based on looks along. What is even more amazing is that some of them know they are doing it and try to justify their decisions. It is mind boggling.

I have been working in software development for over 30 years and not once has a computer program run incorrectly because of the way I look. And yet people making hiring decisions are influenced by appearance.

I have worked with or spoken to a bunch of men and women who are unhappy with the people in their lives, yet they chose those people primarily on appearance. And when they go to find a new person they also chose by appearance.

Of course not everybody uses appearance as the primary criteria but lots do. It is amazing.

Communication

Communication is one of those problems that I can't seem to solve, and as a dedicated problem solver that really annoys me. I have worked hard to improve my communication skills, yet the ability to communicate clearly keeps eluding me. I know one of my problems is that I don't explain enough and while I recognize the problem I keep making the same mistake over and over. But there are other problems that I just can't identify. It is very frustrating.

Anybody have any solutions?

My thoughts on the ethical treatment of animals

I am a strong believer in the idea that all people are equal. I have never understood the arguments that skin color, sexual orientation, strength, or even genetics makes one person more important or "better" than another. To me it is fairly obvious that people all have different qualities, some good and some bad, but all come out about the same. There are some people (such as rapists) that I feel the world could certainly live without but that doesn't in my mind conflict with the idea of people being equal.

But what about animals? Are we better than them? No, because technically people are animals. We are just a different class of animal. But to make the wording simpler I am going to refer to people and animals instead of people being a type of animal.

I have met people who treat all animals badly, others that treat animals with indifference, and a few that view them as having equal rights as people. Each philosophy has its points but for myself if I had to choose between an animal dying or a person dying it would be a no brainer. I value people more than I value animals. People have a higher intelligence (at least in general).

But just because I value people more than animals doesn't mean I treat animals badly. I eat animals for food but I want the animal killed as painlessly as possible and raised as painlessly as possible. I do not go out of my way to cause pain in animals. I do not have a pet because I am away from home a lot and they would be very bored sitting inside all day.

I am having trouble with the wording of this post, but here are some of my thoughts so I don't lose them:

Wild animals should be left alone where possible. If they are a pest they should be killed as painlessly as possible but we should in no way try to improve their lives. Feeding or trying to help a wild animal always ends up causing more pain in the long run and not less.

Pets should be treated well. If you can't treat them well give them to somebody who can. If there isn't anybody then they should be killed as painlessly as possible. A painless death if better than a life of pain.

Food animals should be raised in decent, clean environments then killed as painlessly as possible. An animal should be given a decent lifespan, not killed when it is very young. A middle ground needs to be sought over giving an animal a decent lifespan and the quality of the meat.

There are good animals and bad animals, the same as there are good and bad people. A dog that attacks a person should be killed outright even if that causes it pain. We need to balance the pain we cause it with the pain it causes others.

Life

Lately the people I interact with online have been dealing with a lot of crisis and loss. A divorce, a fatal accident, etc. People try but there are really no words of comfort for these situations. Eventually time passes and you accept what has happened but when it is happening there isn't much anybody can do to help. The best thing you can do is simply be there to talk to. Profound words don't help, only time and having somebody to talk to do. The absolutely worst thing you can do is avoid them so that you don't have to deal with their pain.

The world is ending. Again.

So the world is ending tomorrow. Big deal. Every couple of years some wacko decides the world is coming to an end. Sometimes (like in this case) it is a repeat wacko. My only question is where do they keep finding gullible people who believe this nonsense? I would think people who have that level of gullibility would have died off from wandering in front of a bus long ago and yes we do keep making more but still....

I find it appalling that our society has so many gullible people in it. People who will time after time believe utter nonsense blathered by some idiot. Clearly our education system has failed us.

Acceptance

I read a lot of science fiction and as a result I have read a number of books that have touched on the subject of mutation, usually after an atomic war. Most authors seem to agree that while there will be an attempt by people to eliminate mutations we ultimately need to accept mutants into society, not ostracize them. Given how hard it is currently for people to accept people of different skin color or sexual orientation it seems we have a long way to go before we accept people with physical mutations.

We have a long way to go as a society if we are ever to accept such a profound change. What will it take for us to reach this point? I have no idea. Better education? Maybe.

Something readers should be aware of

Readers of this blog (all two of them) should be aware that I am not the worlds greatest communicator. There are many unsaid assumptions in my posts.

If you read any of my posts you should be aware that I believe the world can be and should be a better place than it is. We need to work to make it a better place. We need to plan and fight to make it a better place. When I point out something that I feel is wrong with the world it isn't just to complain, it part of my attempt to understand. The first part of fixing a problem is to recognize that there is a problem. My posts are both an attempt to make people realize there is a problem and to help myself understand the problem. We cannot fix the problems as individuals, but if we all do what we can we will make progress in the right direction. Even if all you can do is not to make things worse it is a move in the right direction.

Scientific studies

I just finished reading another news article based on a seriously flawed scientific study. The supposed scientists found that their study proved exactly what they were expecting. Well duh. When you start a study with expectations you skew the study to match what you expect. True scientists don't start a study with expectations of what the results might be.

Part of the reason for the flawed study is that the people who sponsor these things pretty much dictate the results. Shame on the supposed scientists for using their positions to promote a lie. Another part of the reason is that universities reward their faculty for getting into the news. Shame on the universities for rewarding bad science.

The companies that provide our news are of course at fault because they pounce on anything that they can print to get readership, flawed or not. Their motivation is money and at least they (more or less) honestly admit that. They are at fault for promoting bad science, but they are not the originators of the garbage they print.

I really with one of the scientific groups would start tracking and publishing scorecards for individuals that participate in the creation of this psuedo-science. Then we would have some way of knowing who the major producers of garbage are.

Ignoring problems

People have a habit of not solving problems until they have to. This is rarely a good idea because when the pressure is on the best possible solution is rarely chosen, and yet people continually put problems off to the future. I have never understood why.

Some problems can't be solved until they happen because some factors will be unknown or uncertain until the problem occurs. Some problems are best left without a final solution until they happen because there is a possibility some new fact or solution may occur before the problem happens. But in both cases at least some thought and decisions can be arrived at well before the problem occurs. By totally ignoring a problem until it happens you have given up your chance to do that forward thinking that may mean the difference between a bad solution and a good one.

Sometimes I think peoples desire to ignore problems is simple laziness, other times I think it is because they fear confrontation. I am sure they are many opinions including some that think that ignoring problems is the most efficient way to handle them. I myself disagree. I solve or at least try to solve problems before they happen. Forward thinking has saved me a lot of grief, I don't understand why others have not chosen the same route I have.

Macaroni Grill review

I have eaten at the Macaroni Grill a dozen times, with less and less frequency lately. They have always been pretentious, but the food was good. That has changed in the last year though. Now they are both pretentious and have bad food. The service is still decent, but service isn't a reason to go to a restaurant.

I like good Italian food, even moderately okay Italian food. The food at Macaroni Grill lately isn't either of those. I don't know why they have changed, but the food I have been served lately is poorly cooked.

Recently I thought I would give them one more try. I ordered Chicken Parmesan, a dish that I though nobody could screw up. They screwed it up. The chicken breast was overcooked, dry on the inside and actually burnt on the edges. The spaghetti sauce contained pieces of garlic so raw I think it was added after the sauce was cooked. They even managed to screw up the appetizer, although that is easier to do.

I will have to try to find a decent Italian place now. Someplace that understands the concept that a restaurant is about food.

Losing control of people's personal information

It seems like every month now I hear of another breach of security that has release people's personal information into the world for crooks to use. Sometimes it is crooks that have broken into a company's computer to steal the information. Sometimes it is a mistake by a company or government agency that allows the information to get published on the internet. Sometimes it is a stolen laptop.

Of all these ways for people's personal information to get released having a laptop stolen is the most preventable. A work laptop should never contain data. Ever. It should contain programs to access the data but the data should never be stored on the laptop. If for some reason it absolutely must be stored on the laptop it should be encrypted.

The next most preventable mistake is allowing crooks to steal the information. A company or government agency should have people protecting their computers. Their software should have the latest security patches and the access of data should be constantly monitored for suspicious activity.

The least preventable is mistakes. These are preventable but will always happen. It doesn't mean they should be tolerated, and certainly all efforts should be made to prevent them.

I think we should have laws to protect people's information. I think a company that loses control of a person's information and reports it immediately should pay the person a huge amount of money. A company that loses control and doesn't report it should pay that same amount for each day it went unreported. Government agencies that lose control should pay the same huge amount but also require firing of all involved up through and including the president of the country if necessary. And if the agency doesn't report the lose then jail terms of one week for every day before the incident was reported should be imposed.

Will it ever happen? No. But that is what should happen.

A bit of insanity

I read a news story today about an 83 year old Wal-Mart greeter who ended his shift, put on a disguise, and went back in to hold up the store. They caught him of course. The real question is why did he do it? After discussing it a bit with someone we came up with a simple truth - it was cheaper than a nursing home and he will probably get better care at a prison than in a privately run nursing home. Of course he probably won't get prison but still it points out a bit of insanity about how our lives our structured. An elderly person who isn't wealthy is better off in prison than "free". Rather sad commentary.

Enough with the snow already!

Stop the snow, I have had enough. You know why retirees move south for the winter? Because they can.

As I am sure I have said before - The older I get the less I like winter. This winter has had lots of snow. Nowhere near what others have gotten but more than enough for me. Stop it. Now.

Politeness seen as lack of interest or as a weakness

Sometimes people mistake politeness as a lack of interest or as a weakness. Just because I don't stare at your breasts does not mean I am not interested, I might just be polite. Just because I don't assert myself at every instance doesn't mean I am afraid of you, I might just be polite.

This is one of those "first impression" type of things that annoy me. You should not make grand assumptions on first impressions. First impressions are often wrong. You should reserve judgement until you know more about a person or situation.

I guess this is one of my shorter posts. I really don't understand why people would make grand assumptions based on little evidence, I just know that they do and that they often mistake politeness for something else.

The difference between negativity and telling the truth

A couple of years ago the IT department where I work was given a software package and told to make it work. The software was garbage. During training at the company's own facilities it would crash with only a couple of people using it. It didn't do what the salespeople said and it couldn't be made to do what the salespeople said.

So the software was garbage and I said so, several times. I was told I was being negative and was taken to task by several managers. Much to my relief I was kicked off the project. After several million dollars were spent the software was quietly canned because it couldn't be made to work.

Many of the classic management books say you must have a positive attitude and instill in your people a positive attitude. I have no real problem with this statement but some managers feel that a positive attitude is more important than recognizing reality and this I have a problem with. A positive attitude will not make garbage software better. A positive attitude will not stop a train wreck.

Keeping a positive attitude does not mean you have to ignore reality. People who say negative things may not have a negative attitude, they might just be aware that the reality of the situation is negative and are willing to point it out. Punishing people who point out reality is counterproductive. You need people who are willing to speak out and not meekly follow the crowd over the cliff.

My points here are:

• There is a difference between being negative and telling the truth.
• A positive attitude will not fix a problem.
• A negative attitude will not fix a problem.
• Recognizing reality and that a problem exists is the first step to fixing a problem.
• Punishing people who try to get you to recognize a problem is counter productive.

Running too close to the edge

I keep a large cash buffer in my bank account for emergencies. It is a practice I recommend to everyone. Having a buffer means you won't have to panic when your car breaks down or several large bills come due at once. Of course you need the income and discipline to create the buffer and maintain it, but once you have it it makes life much better.

I see lots of people living too close to the edge of their income. They don't have a buffer and one setback causes them to depend on credit cards or pay late fees which then leads into a downward spiral of more late fees. Living too close to the edge is a bad thing.

It is bad when an individual runs too close to the edge but when a group of people do it in the problem is much worse. In the last few years I have seen state and city governments, businesses, and several types co-operatives spend money without proper consideration for an unusual event. A larger than normal snowfall has caused several groups to spend more money on snow removal than they had budgeted. This level of snowfall isn't unheard of it just hasn't happened recently, and because it hasn't happened recently many groups didn't budget accordingly and will how be short on cash. The floods that will come in the spring will show other groups that have skimped on water pumps and flood prevention, dam repairs and insurance.

When a group runs out of cash because they chose to run too close to the edge the members of the group pay for it but usually the general public pays for it too. The insurance payouts after a flood cause everyones insurance costs to go up, not just those that should have maintained the dam better. The financial bailouts and no-interest loans needed to prop up businesses end up costing the general public because the money has to come from somewhere and it usually means other programs must be cut back.

If I had my way groups would be required to plan for the unusual events that don't happen often but are proven to happen. The leaders of groups that failed to plan would be held criminally accountable for failing to protect the public. But of course I won't get my way, so those that skimp by hoping for the best and demanding rescue when the best doesn't happen will continue to do as they have.

Obama on same sex marriage

The White House announced today that they won't back the Federal ban on same sex marriages any more. I have always found it ironic that a man who was produced by a mixed race marriage, something that was once outlawed for the same arguments given to outlaw same sex marriages, was against same sex marriages. Now apparently he agrees that the ban is an illegal discrimination against marriages legally recognized in various states.

My opinion of course is that all of this arguing is silliness. Discrimination based on race is illegal, we established that a long time ago. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal in most circumstances, why not marriage? I haven't heard one valid argument against same sex marriage yet, just screams that the world will end. It has been fairly well proven that recognizing the existence of gays and lesbians won't cause people to suddenly switch their sexual orientation (and by fairly well proven I mean blatantly obvious).

Silliness. Our government wastes its time arguing silly things while the economy goes down the tubes. Fix the economy then worry about the color of the wallpaper.

An open door is an invitation

I have been awake for about 40 hours now and still can't sleep. I am really bad at this sleep thing.

Some time ago I watched a TV show where one of the characters shouted "An open door is an invitation" just before she did something that may or may not have been stupid. I have wondered about that line ever since. In some ways it would be nice to be that optimistic. In other ways that would be a really stupid and annoying way to live.

Simple phrases like this (aphorisms, yes I know big words even though I don't use them) sound so simple and obvious, yet when you get below the surface they aren't true at all or at least aren't true in all circumstances. When I was young I found these impressive, but as I learned more about life and looked deeper into these sayings I learned to distrust them. Simple, obvious truths that aren't true are logical traps that should be avoided.

Still, is it better in general to consider an open door an invitation to enter? Your life would probably be happier until you got shot by somebody mistaking you for a thief. Getting shot does tend to ruin your day if not your life however so it probably doesn't quite balance out.

Overall, while the phrase still fascinates me I don't believe it is a good way to live. I may have missed out on some opportunities but I haven't been shot yet. Well, lately anyway.

David Weber used to write good books

David Weber used to write good books. The "Prince Roger" series was very good. It had lots of detail about the environment and the challenges the people faced. The "Honor Harrington" series however are just long. Vast amount of page space is spent discussing things that have already been discussed, often several times. We hear about a space battle first hand, from each of the major participants, several after battle rehashes as the battle is discussed by people who weren't there, and then several more times just to be sure. It is clear that the author is getting paid by the word and has absolutely nothing to say. This is unfortunate because he used to be a good author.

Companies with money problems

In the early part of my career I worked for small software development companies. These companies often had money problems. Several of the companies tried (unsuccessfully) to hide their money problems so the employees wouldn't get jobs elsewhere. It didn't work, IT people are quite bright and the warning signs were obvious. People resented being lied to left or stayed, depending on their whims. Almost all of these companies ultimately failed, only one survived.

One of the companies was very open about the money problems. They even went so far as providing the employees with their balance sheets each month so we could see how the company was doing. Nobody left and the company made it through that crisis. They failed later, but not for the same reasons.

It may just have been a coincidence that the company that was open about the problem survived while the majority of the others failed. But I certainly respected the management of the company that was open more the others and they retained their staff while the other companies lost the brightest of theirs. I think the main reason the company retained their staff was due to their openness.

On a related note, the companies that were trying to hide their money problems each switched from annual bonuses to profit sharing as soon as they knew their was a problem. Each announced the switch to profit sharing as being a great benefit to the employee while secretly knowing that their would be no profits to share. As a result of this any time a company I work for switches from annual bonuses to profit sharing I get an itch to move on. It doesn't always mean the company has money problems but for me it is a huge indicator.

To sum this all up - If you run a company and are having money problems tell your employees the truth. They will know the truth anyway and will resent your lying to them. Have some integrity and don't try tricks like switching to profit sharing so you can cheat your people out of the annual bonuses. Try the truth, you might be surprised.

Stupid insomnia

Another sleepless night. This post will be another bunch of miscellaneous thoughts. Sorry, but all I can do at 1AM.

Prostitution - I am not a big fan of prostitution. I have never used the service and really hate the economic realities that cause some people to go into this. On the other hand there are some people that get into it and see no problem with it. They like the money and don't mind the work. I think it is time we legalize this, although I am still not a fan.

Ignorance - I read a recent article that said many adults (including a number of seniors) don't know much about sex. I find this astounding since there are tons of books about the subject and the internet is full of information both good and bad. Given the availability of information I don't understand how people can remain ignorant on a subject they are interested in. But I have always been a reader and have learned how to find the information I wanted even before the internet. Maybe it is something these people never learned, maybe it is a mindset. It still amazes me though.

Communication - I have read a number of articles about how couples don't communicate well. We really need to educate people better. Communication is a basic part of any relationship. These people need to learn how to talk to each other. There should be no taboo subjects in a relationship.

Reading - I read a lot. On Sunday I finally started reading some of the H.P. Lovecraft horror stories. I am not a horror story reader but I have found so many references to Lovecraft's work in science fiction and other books that I felt I had to read it. So I bought a collection of the stories for the kindle and have started reading. The stories are well written and interesting. I am now starting to understand the references I have seen over the years.

Work - I feel I have hit a plateau at work. My skill level is beyond what is generally needed at the company and the work isn't challenging. Unfortunately moving elsewhere isn't easy right now and probably wouldn't make much difference anyway. There just isn't much call for advanced database design in an ordinary business and businesses like Google's massive search database is way beyond my skill (and interest).

Enough for now. Time to try sleeping again.

Miscellaneous thoughts

I am feeling better today. I don't have anything profound to say but will post some miscellaneous thoughts.

I am rereading a story where many of the characters believe in absolute knowledge. They are so certain that what they know is the only way things could be that they are doomed when they can't adapt. I have never understood how people can become convinced that what they know is all there is too know but I have met such people in the past. A very odd thing.

I was reading a (probably fictional) account of an American woman first learning that Canadian women have equal rights with men in that they are allowed to go topless. I have never understood how the laws discriminating against women in this respect have lasted this long in the US.

This years winter has been bad for areas as far south as Texas. We really should do something about winter. Maybe we should outlaw it.

Speaking of outlawing things how is that war on drugs coming? I hear you have to go two whole blocks to be able to buy drugs now. Or you could go to almost any store and buy alcohol, which is a legal drug. Another oddity I don't understand. Surely the government learned something from prohibition. You can outlaw things all you want but if people want something they will find a way to get it.

Enough for now. Maybe I will have a coherent post later.

I have been ill

I should post more but I haven't been feeling well the last few weeks. There are plenty of viruses around work. I am not sure if it has been one of those or complications of my regular health issues.

Today I felt great, the first time in weeks. This afternoon about 2:00 I started to get nauseous. I don't know if it is a virus or food poisoning. Five hours later it hasn't gotten better so I doubt if it is food poisoning. Due to my peculiar illnesses I can't throw up, but today I wish I could.

I am not horribly ill at the moment. Perhaps this will signal the end of the weeks long mild illness I have been feeling. I hope so. I haven't been able to get anything done in weeks. Hopefully soon I will post something reasonable.

Agile development

The current fad in software development is to be "agile". The original intent was that the developers and software company should be able to respond to change quickly, including changes to the design required when something new is learned. The problem I have with this, like most fads, is that many companies and developers are using the term without fully studying the intent. The result is a return to a development style I call "dumb as rocks".

Many developers seem to want to start designing and coding before they have studied and thought through all of the available information. They grab one fact, code, learn something else, code some more, learn more, redesign and rewrite what they have written, etc. This desire to start work before you know what you are trying to do has been ridiculed for ages and many Dilbert cartoons have been dedicated to it. Yet many developers and companies are doing this exact thing thinking that they are now being agile.

The intent of agile development isn't that you charge off with no knowledge. You still need to think and plan. You should only redesign or recode if something unexpected comes up, not something you just didn't bother to think through the first time.

Agile development may be the way of the future or it may be a passing fad, I have no idea which. What I do know is that a lot of what people think is "agile" is really "dumb as rocks".

The older I get the less I like winter

Winter hurts. My joints hurt just walking out into the cold. My legs and back hurt just from using the snowblower and cleaning up the snow. My eyes hurt from the blinding light on those rare occasions when the sun is shining and my soul hurts from the gloom and dark the rest of the time.

Beyond that things are going okay.

Public services

There are several public services that are seriously lacking and need improving in the U.S.

Public transportation - In many places even basic public transportation is absent, and where it is available it is poorly maintained and run. We really could use some decent public transportation.

Mental health care - Long ago the government ran facilities for the mentally ill. These were okay to horrible but at least they existed. Now we don't have the facilities and the mentally ill live as homeless people in the inner cities or as prisoners in the larger prisons.

Care for the elderly - In the past families took care of the elderly. It wasn't always great but it worked. Now that care is lacking. The elderly should not be ignored the way they are. We should have treatment and care facilities available, and services available for those that are independent but need help.

These aren't going to be fixed any time soon nor do I have a solution. I wish I did.

Cheap sex and expensive promises

The title of this entry is a line in a book I am reading. It reminded me it was time to say something.

It may seem odd coming from a man, but I have no interest in sex with a woman I don't care about. To me sex and caring go together. Many men disagree, but I rarely concern myself with what others believe.

If two people who don't care for each other want to have sex that is fine with me. I don't think that sex without emotion is evil or wrong, just wrong for me. To me it is about intimacy and sharing with someone you care about. If it was just about exercise I would go for a walk.

As you can imagine this attitude is somewhat inconvenient. There are times when I regret that I feel the way I do. I see others hooking up for one night stands and it looks like they are having fun. But then again I see people on roller coasters having fun and you couldn't get me on one of those things. We are the way we are. This is the way I am.

Of course some pay a price for their moments of fun. Social diseases, unwanted pregnancies, and such are sometimes a consequence. But we are the way we are and as long as people are aware of the dangers we shouldn't stand in the way of their happiness.

Still, there are times when I regret the way I am. I suppose we all sometimes regret the way we are.

Almost

I thought I had finally found a way to get off my main painkiller. I went two nights and almost two days without it, but late this afternoon the muscle spasms started again and the pain skyrocketed. So I had to start back on it. I am not a big fan of painkillers but I am even less of a fan of pain. I can control most pain but muscle spasms and the pain the comes with them is too much.

It was a good try though and hopefully some day I will be able to dump this painkiller.

A sleepy weekend

I am not good at sleeping, but when I do manage to sleep it can last a long time. This weekend was a sleepy one. I managed to get a couple of things done but mostly I slept. It felt good.

The only major thing I got done this weekend was to go to a fundraiser for a cancer patient. Cancer is a nasty disease. Attending was a bit uncomfortable since I don't like crowds or noise, but it was a worthwhile event so I did it.

Hopefully in the coming week I will have something more exciting to post. Right now I am wondering how long until bed time.

A bit of a rant about police and guns

When you take a job you plan on doing it to the best of your abilities. If you lack abilities then you should hurry up and fix that, or work on the ones you have but are deficient at.

One minute after I posted my last blog entry I read an article about a police shooting in which the police were quoted as saying many, many shots were exchanged. This is absurd. If the police can't hit what they are aiming at then they shouldn't be allowed to carry guns, and if they are shooting without aiming then they shouldn't be allowed to even touch guns.

This particular shooting was in a trailer park, so there are bound to be bullet holes in several houses in the area. Police should be protecting people not putting them in danger. If they can't hit what they are aiming at don't give them guns!

I take pride in my work and my abilities to do it. Every police shooting I read about involves many shots fired and few hits. The police should take more pride in their work and get better at it. Shooting a person may not be a fun job but it is one they agreed to do. Do it right.

Organizing my work shop

Now that I am starting to feel better I am finally cleaning up my garage and organizing my work shop. Due to the freezing weather I can only work for 15 minutes at a time, but still it is nice to be able to work.

One problem with organizing is trying to figure out which things go with which. Should the wood screws get tucked in with the other woodworking tools or should they be up front for standard household maintenance? Should I put the liquids in the house where they won't freeze or should I keep them outside where a spill won't cost so much to fix? Not soul searching problems, which is nice for a change. I do most of my soul searching when I can't sleep anyway.