Coopernundrums

   Working in the software industry for the last 10 years means I have had the pleasure of dealing with EVERY level of computer user you can imagine.  I firmly believe that our schools are FAILING our children in one enormous fundamental way.  THEY DO NOT SEEM TO TEACH KIDS ANYTHING ABOUT COMPUTERS!! 

    It seems very clear to me that we spend far more time teachin math and science and other sundry skills and almost nothing useful regarding the lubricant that runs our world.  I have talked to accountants that know nothing about how their PCs work. I have spoken to sofware developers that have no idea that there are other operating systems outside of windows XP.  I have talked to supposed IT administrators that have no idea what a command line code is.

    It is very frustrating to me to see these and other highly intelligent individuals CRIPPLED by their lack of knowledge regarding the very thing that pays their bills.

   I know I am ranting but I really believe that we need to speed a great deal more time educating folks about how PCs work from the inside out, not just what they can do.  PC support and repair should be as much a foundation subject as English and Physical Education.  Its a shame that in this day and age that we have so many people tha can not install simple software or uninstall it.

    Then again..it means I stay in work and will always have a job..

    I am very lucky to have what I consider a true friend for every stage of my life.  I am also very lucky in that I have somehow, through the buzz and blur that is life, always managed to keep in touch with my buddies.  My Wife and constant companion for the last 18 years is of course exempt from this post, since she is my ultimate best friend and confidant.  I felt like this was interesting to share since after I thought about it long enough I came to realize that I seemed to make great friends at almost every key stage of my life.  Maybe you can relate and maybe just maybe you are lucky enough to be one of the folks I am talking about here!

    I don’t suppose too many people can say that they had a friend in kindergarten that they still hang with today.  I am proud to say I have just that.  Although we went through a period of almost 7 years where we lost touch, I am happy to say that we reconnected recently and will try not to let so much time pass between form here on.  Now he has a lovely wife and baby girl that I hope to see more of real soon.

  
  GO VISIT Scott Johnsons 56 Geeks page!

In high school I had several buddies but one in particular kept me laughing and hanging in there.  We shared a love of 80s tunes and a passion for Dungeons & Dragons . After high school graduation we even worked together at local McDonald’s for a while.  We drifted,  as friends tend to do, but once we got settled with our families we reconnected and still talk and hang today.  He now has a wonderful wife and a gaggle of kids that are a hoot to hang out with.

    Speaking of the golden arches, that is where I met my young adult to mid life pal of pals.  We met working a burger prep table laughing at the odd songs of the mid nineties.  I will forever remember the way we first got introduced.  He asked if I knew what the strange chorus of the enigma song return to innocence meant when the old Indian sang.  “I like Sheep big and small he said”.  I laugh my ass off about that even today.  We both work in the same industry today and still hang out often.  He and his Sweetheart of a wife, have a daughter that calls me Uncle Jay.  Its like the Daughter I never had.

  And so we come to my latest job, where I have met a new com padre, someone that I am only starting to really get to know personally after almost 10 years of working together.  He is an accounting and numbers whiz, so I hang out with him mostly hoping that his logic powers will rub off on me.  Just kidding!  Really, he and his Adorable wife have have teenage boys also so we share teenage angst stories all the time.

    As you can see I am an undeservedly lucky human being to be surrounded with such great friends.  I hope you have a circle of friends that you cherish also as I cherish mine.

see ya!

     Here in the good old state of Tennessee it is a rare day to get any amount of significant snow.  The last snow event that amounted to more than about three inches of the white stuff occured in 2003.  That should give you some idea of what I mean.  Now, being a Tech Geek and proud, badge wearing computer Nerd, I decided to make a list of what myself an my buddies did today as we received over 10 inches of the white stuff.  Here goes :

1.  Used Remote Desktop Protocal to connect to our work PCs from our home PCs through our corporate Terminal Services Gateway server.

2.  Helped stranded coworkers stuck in their homes connect to the
Microsoft Outlook Web Access Exchange Portal

3.  Use spare laptop with internal wireless card to connect XBOX 360 to your wireless router.

4.  Tweak DSLR camera ISO speed to take high resolution images of your snowy driveway.

5.   Post numerous FaceBook updates on how much snow is in the general area

6.  Use Google to look up ways to make Ramen Noodles more ”exciting”

7.  Set up a group chatroom for the rest of the office gang that are working from home so it would feel more like everyone is together in the office.

8.  Loaded the Lord of the Rings soundtrack on your kids MP3 players

9.  Pay bills online

and last but surely not least,

10. Two Words MASS EFFECT 2