I’m really disappointed at the lack of trash-talking surrounding tomorrow’s State vs. UNC game. None of my blogging friends have mentioned a word about it. Come on, guys! Nothing to talk about?

The weakly amusing News and Observer featured a comparison of each football program, claiming they were closer than people think. In the 11 categories they listed, State topped UNC 6 to 4 with one tie. And the categories UNC won were mostly stuff the UNC-School-Of-Journalism sports editors tossed in to prop up Carolina.

The truth is that it’s sad when State is so dominant over Carolina that the UNC fans can’t be found. It’s a lot more fun to smack the Heels around when they are successful. I hope the Heels can put their team back together soon so that the Wolfpack can happily dismantle it again.

By the way, John Bunting is a great coach! He just needs more time. 🙂

On my flight back from Baltimore I had an epiphany of sorts. I had just played a crucial role in closing a deal for my company. I wowed them when they needed to be wowed and enjoyed every minute of it.

As I waited on my celebratory glass of wine to be delivered by the flight attendant, I stared lost in thought into space. “That was pure fun,” I thought, and compared it in my mind to all the time I spent in server rooms.

There was absolutely no comparison. I decided right then that I would never work in a server room again.

System administration is a thankless job even in the best of times. When things are going swimmingly with the computers, everyone thinks you just goof off. Things are different when an outage occurs. Rather than being a hero by repairing the damage, the users tempers flare and you get blamed for everything.

People who have never done the job don’t realize how difficult it can be. Things going well? You don’t get noticed. Things not going so well? It’s your fault, slacker.

For a person who thrives on positive feedback, the job became draining quickly. As I saw on a roadsign somewhere, computers don’t give hugs. When all you hear is griping never balanced with praise, it is time to move on.

Things are quite different in my new position as a sales engineer. I get to travel every once in a while. I play a key role in the sales cycle. My work is laid out for all to see, including total strangers. I have to think on my feet every single day: no two days are the same. I have an outlet for my showbiz side, and each day these skills get a little bit better.

Customers don’t tell me no. They can’t. I won’t let them.

To this, I can bring my 10 years of system administration experience to create a compelling story for the customer. I too am a veteran of the technology trenches. Fought the same battles, too. But like a military veteran, I no longer wear the uniform.

The sysadmin uniform no longer fits me.

I know they aren’t supposed to do this, but I swear the airport security people slipped some ballast into my laptop bag when I wasn’t looking. This thing weighs a dadgum ton! I wondered in amazement this morning how I managed to haul this thing around Maryland without pulling my shoulder out of socket.

If I do much more travelling as part of the ol’ job, I’m gonna need to order up one of the lighter-weight laptops that are made. Otherwise, I might as well be dragging a ball and chain around.
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When I heard that Chris Rix, quarterback for Florida State, was ticketed for parking in a handicapped spot when in a hurry to get to class, I was shocked. I mean, really: there are athletes who actually go to class? Who’da thought it?

If Rix is a little paranoid about missing class, he’s got a reason to be. After sleeping through a final exam, Rix missed playing in the Sugar Bowl, potentially costing FSU a championship. While parking in a handicapped spot is pretty low down, I suppose I can’t blame the kid for not wanting to miss a class.

On the other hand, maybe I’m giving him too much credit. He COULD be just another jock who thinks he can get away with anything. Lord knows there are plenty of those to go around – at any university, not just at FSU. What do the mt.net readers think?

I’m in Baltimore, waiting for my train (and ride) to whisk me to the client site for training today. In spite of some hiccups, I made it here just fine.

I raced to the airport to arrive about 40 minutes before takeoff. Though the guy at security told me “you should take your shoes off,” I brushed him off, mumbling that my shoes have never tripped the alarm before. He told me “you’re gonna have to get screened if you leave them on.” I persisted, and piled everything but my shoes onto the conveyor belt.

Sure enough, I get instantly waved to the screening area. I roll my eyes and step aside. My shoes “have a lot of metal in them,” the screener announced after passing them through the X-ray machine. Though he was cordial, I find it a bit maddening that this whole process can’t be better streamlined. I mean, it’s degrading to have to take off your shoes to travel. Who wants to look at and smell other people’s feet?

Thankfully, there is still some fun to be found in air travel. I took Southwest to get here, as they offer a non-stop. Now, a lot of people I’ve traveled with avoid Southwest like the plague. They can’t stand the cattle-call boarding process. I love it, because it inserts an element of competition to the process. Rather than your fellow passengers taking their own sweet time to park their fannies in their seats, they now break their necks getting to the gate in an effort to pick their own seat. You gotta admit that’s brilliant.

As for me, I don’t know what the attraction is for picking your own seat. Even if you do snag a prime seat, whether it be aisle or window, chances are one of the latecomers is going to plop down next to you in that center seat you were hoping would stay open.

So much for your seat advantage. And everyone still gets there at the same time.

The other great thing about Southwest is the crew’s attitude. Though the snappy jokes they announce over the PA probably get old for the veterans, you can always count on your flight crew loving their jobs. I’ve never, ever had a surly flight attendant on a Southwest flight…because there is no such thing. The crew’s attitude can go a LONG way towards making your trip a pleasant one. You’ll not find better attitudes on any other airline. Period.

I’m finally going to quit being stupid and buy some Southwest stock. They’ve got a good thing going.

Our State Department’s terrorist-screening Consular Lookout And Screening System (CLASS) visa system was shut down completely as a result of a Microsoft virus. When will our 1d10+s in gumint realize that open source is the only way to go?

I suppose the terrorists have already won.

Today marks the first day of fall. From now until the spring, darkness will rule the light.

I saw it firsthand yesterday evening when I took my daughter for a walk after dinner. By the time we were back (around 7:30 PM), it was already dusk. I’ll miss summer, since I didn’t get to do as much sailing as I’d like. But then again, when do I *ever* get to do as much sailing as I’d like?

Fall is beautiful. It’s the season that sparks my imagination, and old friend who reminds me of the circle of life. I look forward to showing my daughter all the spectacular things that fall brings.

Nice for it to be here.

I’m off on a day-trip to Baltimore and then back late. Travel kicks into high gear when the end of the quarter is approaching. I’ll do anything to close a sale, though. Look for more writing tonight, accomplished in the time I’ll be stuck in my airplane seat.

I went to the doctor’s today to get some advice about some stomach surgery I’m considering. I went to him under the impression he could do the surgery. I stated when I made my appointment the reason I was making it: I wanted to explore this surgery.

The staff didn’t mention that the doctor isn’t a surgeon and doesn’t actually PERFORM surgery. No, it wasn’t until I arrived at my appointment that I found that out.

The doctor spent all of ten minutes with me, which consisted of asking me if I had a surgeon in mind and asking if I knew of anyone who’d had the surgery. For this service, I paid the gentleman forty bucks. I honestly learned more in the two minutes I spent Googling info before my appointment.

Ah, health care. At least I tried not to smirk at the two drug company salespeople I just about tripped over as I made my way inside the building. When did medicine stop being a profession and become a business?

On the bright side, my blood pressure is back to normal levels! I measured 112/72 today, much lower than last week. I was mystified by the sudden drop until I recalled that my GP moved me off of Aciphex and on to another drug.

It seems my suspicions of Aciphex being the cause of my high blood pressure were correct. It also gives me confidence that the surgery I’m considering is exactly what I need. Whew!

A post to a “spook” email list to which I subscribe mentioned that Johnny Cash copied morse code when he was an airman stationed in Germany in the 1950’s. Cash could copy CW at over 35 words per minute, and apparently never lost the ability.

A few quotes from his autobiography:

“The Air Force taught me the things every military service imparts to its enlisted men . . . plus one skill that’s pretty unusual: if you ever need to know what one Russian is signaling to another in Morse code, I’m your man.
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