I found this cool site the other day, 43 things. It allows anybody to keep up with 43 goals they'd like to attain in life. Both my wife and I have set up our goals (not yet 43 though), and now we're off! It's pretty cool, and the link to my list is http://www.43things.com/person/Joemoab , some of which will never be attained, and some of which I can never mark off the list, but could be attained.

Stalkers rejoice! In an era when personal privacy is being eroded everywhere we look, and many people are raving mad about it, it's refreshing to see that some people just don't give a damn. Never mind that this could give a mentally unstable ex the information they need track down their prey, it's great that they don't have to sit next to a perfect stranger.

Just testing blogging using Flock with Flickr photos! That's me... in Detroit... after sledding downhill in the snow last month. It was fun, but as you see the hat messed up my hair.

Our memories are such funny things. Why is it that every time I hear "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice, I think of the first time I heard it? I was at my girlfriend's house (well before she became my wife), it was late, and she had fallen asleep in my arms as we watched the Late Show. Damien Rice came on and performed "The Blower's Daughter." His performance was really haunting, and caused me to go out and buy the CD the next day. Why does this song stick out in my memory so much? Possibly Damien Rice's haunting performance? More likely the fact that this is when I realized I was hopelessly in love with the woman in my arms.

I just read about bedbugs in New York. I've read about them before, but I can't remember why or when. This past September when my wife and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week I was slightly worried about them. When we got to the hotel, I remember pulling the sheets back and looking around the bed carefully... although I'm not sure this inspection would have netted any results even if they were present.

Our main problem at our house are mosquitos. I don't know why, but they are ALWAYS hanging around our front door area, and invariably find their way into the house. Each night my wife and I see one in our bedroom while watching TV before going to sleep. Now and again I notice one in the bathroom, and go into mosquito hunt mode. I run around slapping the air like a maniac for a while, and usually kill two or three. I've got to figure out how to reduce the population around the front door.

By the way, I was kind of amused while reading the wikipedia article about mosquitos. I noticed that there was a link to another article labeled tin can. I couldn't believe that there is an entry in the wikipedia about tin cans! I guess when the aliens come, they can just access the wikipedia to learn about anything and everything.

Sculpture on the Malecon

Jen and I just returned from our vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The boardwalk in PV is called the Malecon, and there are quite a few sculptures along it. This one, titled "In Search of Reason" shows two children on a ladder, with the mother calling out to them below. I liked it, but my picture doesn't do it justice. Click here to view most of the photos from our trip.

I work now for a very old and conservative company. It's kind of strange in that they have rules and regulations for everything. Dress codes are stringent and well-defined, as are the consequences if you break the dress code. I kind of like these clear rules and regs, but in one place I think they went a little too far:

You must not park your vehicle in a front-in manner; pulling through the parking spaces is not permitted.

The other day, my wife and I were going through the books on our daughter's bookshelf (in order to get rid of older ones or ones that she had outgrown.) We got to this one set which had a series of books, some about pets, and I started laughing uncontrollably when I noticed this one.

Five things I'd like to accomplish/do before I die:

1. Visit Rome. I think I've always considered Rome as the place I'd most like to visit. There's so much history there, plus it's quite romantic.
2. Learn to speak Italian. If I'm going to Rome, I'd like to be able to speak Italian.
3. Learn to sail/Get a sailboat. Ever since I sailed on a catamaran with friends, I've wanted a small sailboat. It doesn't have to be big, but large enough for two at least.
4. Learn to fly. Ohhhhhh yeah! Since I was a small boy this has been on my list.
5. Climb a rock. Technically, I've already done this in Pisgah National Forest... but it was just a 20 foot tall rock. I'd like to climb something larger.

I just loaded some photo albums to the web. View them here.

$521 billion deficit? Send Treasury Department employees door to door selling those $2 boxes of chocolate covered almonds. That will give us a surplus in no time!

I'm not sure I want a chip in my brain to allow me to control my computer with my thoughts, but it sure is cool when you think about it. Or maybe not... Oops, I just did a search for Hot Women in Bikinis... Oops, I just did a search for Pizza and Beer... Oops, just because a picture of a Donkey showed up doesn't mean I was thinking you are an ass...

What is this world coming to?

And that was how the dirty little secret of Wharram Percy was uncovered after centuries of rumor. Frederick Percy (cousin of the village's namesake) was known as "Mad Percy" because of his dalliances in the occult. He kept slaves and regularly experimented on them in various ways. Sometimes starving them to study the results, sometimes purposely exposing them to diseases, and regularly knocking them on the head in order to practice brain surgery. Soon after he exposed his slaves to the Black Death, Frederick met his end in a bar fight.

Today was historic, we are now in the "commercial space flight" era. I like how the guy made fun of NASA.

Also today, John Kerry spent time kissing babies and children...

It's amazing how one thing can jog your brain into association with another completely different thing. One look at this article: BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Science cracks killer bug's code made my brain launch into remembering all of The Plague by Albert Camus.

One of the employees on my team is going home to Hyderabad, India for a month, and asked me if I would like anything from India. This took my by surprise, and the only thing I could think of was a tiny Ganesh statue. I knew from my college years and religion class that Ganesh was one of the major gods in the Hindu religion, although I couldn't remember for what. Anyway, it turns out that he's the lord of success and is worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom, and wealth.

After some research, it turns out that a statue of Ganesh is quite an appropriate gift from Hyderabad. Hyderabad seems to be a progressive city and is viewed as a center of education. My spur of the moment request seems to have been a good choice.

My wife was somewhat distraught to learn of my choice of gifts from India, however. At first she was concerned about my requesting a statue of a Hindu god. I explained to her that to me it wasn't a god, just a symbol of a culture, and since I wouldn't be praying to it or anything there shouldn't be anything to worry about. I likened it to an action figure, just a conversation piece. At least I hope so... the Christian God was pretty clear when He said "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"... I don't plan to put Ganesh before Him, I just view the trinket as a neat little piece of a culture on the other side of the world. (btw... now that I think of it, Hinduism isn't relegated to "the other side of the world", there's a growing community here in Jackson now as well as all over the world. Also, they don't think there are many gods, they think there are many facets of the same supreme being.)

It's been a while since I last posted. I've been a busy bee... I've gotten more responsibility at work, plus I've gotten more responsibility at home. Despite these changes, I plan to start blogging more again.

At work I have been working in a supervisory position until such time as they deem fit to either promote me for good or hire someone else. I think I'd like the position, but it has so many downsides that I'm not totally sure I really want it. I applied for it, and I'm doing it, but it won't kill me if they decide to keep me in my current position. I'm a techie, and as a supervisor I'd lose some of my mad skilz. ;-)

At home things have changed drastically. I got married. Again, upsides and downsides. But I think the upsides far outweigh the downsides in this case! I married a beautiful woman, and got a cute five-year old daughter as well. It's been an adjustment, but it's worth it.

Basic hits 40 - Computerworld The computer language that I first learned is now 40 years old. It's what got me interested in becoming a programmer.

No IT job, no spot at Home Depot So, so depressing. Makes me wonder if I should start saving every little penny I can.