ME thats whats missing in a relationship! Thats why I'm here. Who's in the NY/NJ area and available for a date this weekend!

"Lasik: Just do it"
"Lasik: Whats everyone looking at?"
"Lasik: See what you've been missing."

...and a ton of other related puns.

"...Having your vision restored will restore the pleasure of reading, learning... etc"

I was far more angry than injured. I was REALLY angry - so angry that I threw the bike at the car for nearly killing me. A crowd of ppl stood around yelling at the driver - who wisely stayed in the car until the cops arrived.

The last person's last word will be "wish i had a few more years to enjoy all the quiet and scenery"

Dear friends, DONT use a cellphone while driving. Please! I was riding my bike tonite and a driver made an absent-minded left turn and hit me. Driver was too busy yapping on the phone.

Fortunately, the car was going reasonably slow, so only the bicycle was ruined. I got only bumps and bruises. Another 1/2 second and *I* would have been ruined.

Please - DONT USE THE PHONE WHILE DRIVING - ESPECIALLY ON LOCAL ROADS.

It could have been a kid instead of me (I had the sense to jump off the bike before the worst of it happened).

-Mike

I'm currently a consultant. My current assignment is asking me to consider joining the company as an employee. The salary offer is slightly less than my consulting rate (as would be normally expect), and the benefits suck (gone are the days of good benefits). I like the work, the people, the company. Under normal circumstances it would be a "deal". But, they need a definitive answer this week - because if I dont join, they'll likely lay-me-off during the slow holiday season and hire someone else. Sucky, but thats the breaks...

But...

My previous employer called me. They had to let me go because they were near bankruptcy. They've just been bought out, and would like to have me come on-board there. They're even offering a very attractive salary offer, same-lame-benefits. I liked the ppl there, the job, the work... The building is only 3miles from my ratty apartment. Whats the hitch?

Its a "Probably" offer. Its not on ink as yet. It may take a few weeks for it to become ink, and no garuntee that it will be a real-deal. I know them well enough to accept that they're telling me this in good-faith, and that they're on the level.


So... what would you do?

1. Convert at the current job, wait and see if #2 is reality then jump ship?

2. Dont convert to employee, take the layoff risk as a consultant and see where things go?

3. Convert to current job with no regrets?

I was ignorantly leaning towards #3, and discussed this with my father who is a long time "loyalty" guy. He said 'to heII with loyalty - take the money and jump if its for real'.

I dont like that mentality, but what he says makes practical sense.

What do you think? Anyone with similar situations? Thoughts?

-Mike

Guilty pleasure?

I enjoy having a saturday morning breakfast in peace and quiet - sit at the diner have a big ol' breakfast, sip coffee, and read the paper.

I sound like my father.

The kids are not with me, so, its a "guilt inducing" pleasure.

-Mike

I've gotten a few emails so far - gotta be more ppl with interest/experiences in this area??

I'm generally a skeptic, but, that doesnt matter. I'm not passing judgment on the content, just carrying out the project and having alot of fun with it.

I've been asked to do an audio project for the website "www.StrangeUSA.com". The site is a "WeirdNJ" magazine on-line.

My project is to create pod-casts where I interview ppl who have an interesting "strange" story or life to tell. If you have a compelling "ghost story", or have a serious interest in any of the paranormal, non-mainstream stuff, then you might be a prime candidate for an interview.

If you are interested in being interviewed, or know someone who may be, send me an email with just a little outline of your thoughts and I'll run it by the site's editors, and if all goes well, I'll arrange for an interview.

-Mike

I drive an hour each way to my job. Twice a week I add another hour drive to see my children. I've long grown tired of the corporately-bland radio stations. How much top40 of any music flavor can anyone stand??? DJ Banter is annoying. [Hello Mr DJ?! You're not funny...]

A friend suggested listening to audio books in the car. The idea was great, but $20..$30 per book is too much. I burned through two books a week. Renting books from the library is a hassle. So I found this website "www.Librivox.org" that has HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of audio books for free download as MP3s.

The way it works is simple: People make a recording of themselves reading a famous book (books that have expired copyrights). They post the recordings on this website for anyone else to download. You can add your own too - so long as the copyright is clearly expired [75yrs for American titles], or the item is public domain [Speeches etc].

I just finished Jules Verne "20,000 Leagues Under the Seas", and "From Earth To the Moon" - that was 20hrs of audio!

There's all kinds of stuff from Ghost Stories, Humor, Short Stories, to Poetry, to Speeches... All free, and most importantly,

KEEPS THE KIDS OCCUPIED IN THE CAR!

Enjoy,
Mike

Summerz wrote: "How can he stay in business with all that? All their programs are crap and they get to spend too much on fixing things. How cool! Do they have a west coast office?"

Shhhhh..... trade secret: All these "clients" are military. They have more tax dollars to throw at us than you can possibly pay. You dont even want to know how much cash is being burned up over simple problems. Yes, occasionally VERY complex.

Dear Ladies,

Wait a second... I was about to make the same complaint/posting regarding ladies who simply dont reply. In all my "hello" type emails I'm always polite, direct, and never offensive. I even mention something from their profile to indicate that 'yes, i really did read it, and did find it interesting' I dont "shotgun" blocks of 'hello' messages, I'm respectfully selective [in regards to age/location etc].

To date - only two or three replies.


So either Rudeness Rules at JSH, or, my profile has "stink juice" all over it, OR, something is wrong with the email system? I think "Rudeness Rules" is the correct answer.

If I were to start over, I'd start off by correcting some very simple mistakes.

For one, I'd be much more respectful. I would have buried the body AT LEAST 6 feet under. I realize now that leaving her rolled up in a carpet was neglectful of me...

msveeay: Dont be so sure! If he had listed his salary requirement as something 'reasonable', he would have the job. We've actually hired ppl who honestly tell us "I cant program, but, have been in the technical fields for xx years". And they get a pretty penny at that!

I am a project manager at a small software company in NJ. Most of our projects are "train wrecks" - a company has tried to write a large system and it doesnt work. They come to us and say "help us please!" assuming that there are only a few core problems that simply need identification, and then, once identified, are usually easy to fix. They're usually correct. They assume that they can get back on schedule by by throwing a team of "guns for hire" programmers to help search for the bugs. and again, they're usually correct. Thats what we do - throw programmers at their code simply to identify the bugs. Not even fix them.

That means we hire/fire people depending on the volume of train-wrecks at hand. We often don't plan well, and today we find ourselves with more Wreckage than Bodies. My boss emails a resume to me with a tag: "Interview this guy tomorrow". I review his resume.

Twenty-something guy. Three years programming experience doing light-weight big-fixes. Thats ok, because, we only AUDIT the client's programs, we don't actually "fix" them. So, we don't require hard-core skills.

Previous employment: Manager at the local SuperFresh for 8 years since high-school. Hmmm. Ok, well, if he's got this kind of ambition then I'm happy to give him a break.

Education: High school diploma. Some college. No problem. Same education as yours-truley.

Says he attended some "Learn Java Quick" classes. Doubtful if its worth anything. Still, thats not a deal-breaker, and what the heII, we've hired worse.

Me & the boss interview him on the phone. Quick interview - I ask some basic programmer questions to see where he is at, and plan to increase in complexity to get a sense of his range. He can't answer the simple questions. I coach him towards an answer - on some instances he catches on and comes up with the right answer. He has good attitude. He even has the integrity to answer honestly "I don't have a clue" when appropriate. I like honesty.

Still, he has no confidence. His resume is clearly more hype & fluff than experience. But, if we're going to hire entry-level people, he will be fine. We've hired worse. We conclude the interview. My non-technical boss sums up the call.

"He has good attitude. Reasonable communication. Seems like he's very experienced - he handled your questions. Good interview."

I paused. My boss didn't realize that the guy fumbled nearly all the 'simple' level questions. [I've been interviewed enough times that I know HOW to properly interview - if you can explain/rationalize your answer I'll give you full credit because I'm not looking for a "correct" answer. I'm looking to hear *how* you'd solve a problem]. I was formulating an explanation to my boss, when I realized something...

...my boss has been poking at me to become a full-time employee [currently, I'm a consultant]. I've been cagey about commitment. His view is that my salary requirement would bankrupt the firm, force his children to go hungry, and would set a very bad precedent ...

My boss, sensing my pause, wanted to skip ahead, "Ok Mike, when would be a good start date for him? I think next week."

My eyes were avoiding him. I was absently gazing over the papers on his desk, and they fell on HIS copy of the interviewee's resume. Across the top was a scribbled note "Available Immediately, Great Java Skills, $75/hr".

Holy Sh1t! I just interview a guy who cant answer basic Java questions, doesn't have significant professional experience, and my boss is ALREADY willing to give him $75/hr! Thats MORE than I'm making! And I have over 15 years of experience.

Personal jealousy aside, I was expecting this guy would be getting a comfy $30/hr. Even that would have been "excessive", but we are desperate. Seventy-Five per hour? Thats obscene. We're not THAT desperate. And I'll be dammed, the same guy was suggesting I was going to suck his blood dry for my salary level ! ! !

"Kevin, for what I just heard, this guy can't even answer a $30/hr question. You want to give him $75? You're nuts."

Kevin's eyes darted guiltily towards his note, then he sank with a big "oooops" on his face.

An uncomfortable silence. Then he squirmed, and erupted with a big old grin. "Ah he didn't have enough confidence - I'll keep looking for more candidates"

/*********************************************
For those of you just tuning in, here is part 2
of my visit to India. I'm the bestman for my
friend AJ's wedding.

Quick Back Drop: Ajay-my friend of nearly 10yrs,
Pardeep-His younger brother, Manju-Sister,
Aarti-Youngest Sister

See Part 2 at:
http://www.justsayhi.com/topic/show/42470
**********************************************/

Punjabi Weddings are not even in the category of what we'd call a "wedding". Extravaganza falls short. Its a three day affair.

Day 2 is when the local friends and relatives come to the home. The guys get together and drink whiskey in a room and watch cricket. Drinking whiskey is a particular social rite that is very complex. Firstly, its socially "un-acceptable" to drink any alcohol. It gets a "wink/wink" only on supreme family occasions (such as a wedding). A junior man can't drink. For example, Pardeep, AJ's brother is 22/23. He's not "old enough" to drink. He knows it, and doesnt challenge it. This concept simply flows downhill. The guys who are on the edge of being "old enough" to drink [like Pardeep] eventually self-declare that they are old enough, and will slip away for a polite drink among their peers. They dont let on to anyone that they've made this decision, and damn sure they dont get drunk because they'd get a rash of grief from mothers/wives. AJ is 30s, so he and I are "peers" in the Whiskey game, recently his sister married to a guy in his late 20s. To mark the occasion of my attendance AJ pulled me and the brother-in-law out for a quick drink. The brother in law was visibly nervous and unsure if he should even acknowledge the invite. I made the mistake of inviting Pardeep to join us, and he politely demurred without explaining - it took awhile for me to realize his reasons. Its not like our idea of drinking - there are no bars, and you dont drink to get smashed. Its just a social rite done for the sake of bonding.

I get special treatment though. Partly because I'm knocking on 40, and partly because I'm the foriegn dignitary at the wedding. AJ's uncles are very tight, and its obvious this was the "whiskey peer group" of the previous generation. When I came for Manju's wedding some years ago, the uncles took me to a speak-easy. Yeah, a real speak-easy. You need to know someone to know where to ask. But, they didnt invite AJ because he was too "junior" at the time. They were amused to death at my drinking whiskey straight. Since they dont really "drink", they put an ounce of booze, and then add a glass-full of soda water to make it drinkable. My brazen drinking it straight became the "guy gossip" of the last four years.

On this trip, they were prepared and tried to slip me whiskey at any occasion. They were all too happy to be having a "little more than usual", and amusing themselves watching the Yank drink the stuff straight. Even at a late breakfast they *insisted* that I join them. When in Rome... So I had my polite two shots worth, and one of the uncles had his watered down two shots - and promptly passed out.

The family also has a good number of young males 19-22. They were all over me like flies to a barnyard. Asking so many questions about the US. Whats the fastest car? How much does this/that cost? What is a good career choice? Should we apply to study in the US or Australia? I remembered them from the last occasion, and it was fun to hang with them. For a little while. For three days, I have been badgered about the US. Its nice, and they LOVE having the occasion to speak english. I noticed a real difference in skill from 4yrs ago.

While the men are sneaking their whiskey, the women gather in the foyer and sing folk-songs for hours. Saying it this way sounds like some African Discovery gawk-fest. Its not. They're having a good ol' time joking, jabbing, and singing. Just good ol' "tradition". Eventually, the singing turns to dancing. Old and young - from 2yrs old to 80, every woman gets into it.

I've lost track of what day this is. The wedding was last night. It started at 6pm. When I arrived, the first thing AJ said to me was "What happened to you? You lost so much weight and your hair went white?!?!" Now that the wedding day is here, he says to me on the sly, "hey why dont you get your hair dyed? it will be better for pictures, and for the ladies of course". Wise ass. I flip-flopped back and forth. What the hell, why not give into vanity and insecurity. I agreed. "Good, tommorow you and I will goto the salon for these things". Only after saying "yes" did the reality of things come to mind. Simple things like "what if my hair turns wine-red? ACK! what if it falls out!" Somehow the chaos of a wedding blocked any such luxury. I think I'm glad for it. The family gave me a traditional punjabi wedding party gown to wear. Very nice. Its good too because I didnt actually pack a proper wedding "suit".

Oh boy did I cause heads to turn being the only white-guy in a full punjabi wedding party get-up. Truely people stopped in mid-sentance to gawk at me as I walked by. It was great fun for the first 20 minutes. Got old quickly as I started to feel more like the black-faced-negro-immitator of the 1930s. Punjabi weddings are, "different"

FROM: http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=4665

Syrian Civil Defense Services Placed on the Ready
October 12, 2007, 12:50 AM (GMT+02:00)

Our military sources report exclusively that Thursday night, Oct. 11, Syria placed its civil defense services on a state of preparedness and mobilized their reservists.

Government and military hospitals across Syria have also been alerted.

These measures were ordered Tuesday, Oct. 9, and were in place within three days. In contrast, there is no change in the deployment of Syrian forces along the border with Israel on Golan and Mt. Hermon.

Thursday, Syrian defense minister Gen. Hassan Turkmani published a message to the armed forces calling for “readiness to withstand all aggression.”

A day earlier, the Syrian chief of staff, Gen. Ali Habib, said at an officers’ passing-out parade: “Syria is capable of beating off any conspiracies” against the country.

All these measures and this rhetoric strongly indicate the Syrian regime is convinced that either an American or Israeli assault, or attacks by both against Syria and Iran are due shortly.

Syrian president Bashar Assad articulated this fear in an interview published by the Tunisian daily Al-Shorouk Thursday. He said: I am working on the premise that the Americans will attack Iran,” explaining that this was the answer he received when he asked the Iranians how they evaluated the situation.

DEBKAfile’s sources note that the only two Iranian personalities he would have talked to would be supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Assad went on to say to the Tunisian interviewer: This means we are facing a force (the Americans) which has no respect for international laws and values, exactly as in Iraq. The United States,” he continued,” backs the enemy Israel absolutely which prevents us from perceiving the US in any other light that an enemy.”

An attack on Iran will harm the whole world but as we have seen in the Iraq War, the Americans do not enter into such calculations. “I cannot play games of anticipation,” said the Syrian ruler. “I must be ready for any US or Israeli operation against Iran or Syria.”

If so can I bother you for general questions? Me and a friend want to try a business idea and are getting overwhelmed by all the duties/custom-issues etc.

Thanks,
Mike

Hmmm lots of ppl commenting on the food! No shortage of tasty food . (no shortage of less-than-tasty food too...)


More to come gentle-readers!