Ripp

I've tried to keep up with this journaling thing several times over the years, but I guess I suck at it. I still use this ID to comment to friends and such, but I probably won't be journaling here at any point in the future.

If you want to drop me a line feel free to comment on this post.

My wife took the day off today so we could spend some time together on my birthday, and now I can't figure out what to do. If she hadn't taken off I'd have come up with a laundry list of things.

Anyway, here's hoping all of you have a good day too.

You scored as New Democrat. New Democrats emphasize fiscal conservatism, and have a strong preference for the free market. They believe in small-scale programs that provide targetted help to those in need, while working with the business community. </td> New Democrat 80% Old School Democrat 75% Green 65% Libertarian 55% Foreign Policy Hawk 40% Pro Business Republican 40% Socially Conservative Republican 25% What's Your Political Philosophy? created with QuizFarm.com

I disagree with the "Democrat" label, because I'm not a party guy, but the description is pretty accurate. Generally, but with a few big exceptions, I think Clinton had the right idea.

Yes, yes I am. Though this test is highly suspect, the questions defined evil with a pretty broad stroke.

You Are 92% Evil

You're the most evil person you know. The devil is even a little scared of you!

I wouldn't really call it evil to kill a bug, but that's just me.

You scored as Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica). You are leery of your surroundings, and with good reason. Anyone could be a cylon. But you have close friends and you know they would never hurt you. Now if only the damn XO would stop drinking. </td> Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 100% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 100% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 94% Serenity (Firefly) 81% SG-1 (Stargate) 81% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 75% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 69% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 69% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 69% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 56% Moya (Farscape) 56% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 38% Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

I'm having a crappy day, kinda. I'm at work on a saturday, which really stinks to begin with, but I also just don't want to be here anymore. So the feelings of angst and boredom are magnified.

But the one good point to this day was recieving my AutoAssault Beta invite from PlayNC. I've yet to enjoy any of their MMOs, but I still appreciate their support.

It's nice to feel wanted, I guess. :)

About this article:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/20/wiretaps/index.html

Is this:

"President Bush confirmed Saturday that he had authorized the National Security Agency to intercept calls to or from people inside the country with known ties to al Qaeda or its affiliates, when the other party on the call is outside the United States."

Warrants only take hours, or minutes, to get. If you have PROBABLE CAUSE, as you claim to, then why not do it by the book?

I think we all know the real reason for the wiretaps, and we shouldn't stand for it. Call your congressman!

The patriot act extension was blocked today, due in large part to the efforts of Russ Feingold. The wisconsin senator was the only dissenting voice in the senate when the Patriot act passed after the 9/11 attacks, and he'd vowed to oppose the renewal.

The bill was shot down by both democrats and republicans, marking a shift in both parties.

more here: http://www.jsonline.com/news/nat/dec05/378274.asp

Go get 'em, Russ!

No, not that way.

We adopted a dog last friday. A three-legged dog named Tipper.

Pictures here.

No, I don't know any Spanish. I needed a title, and that popped into my head.

Today marks the first day of a new Journey. Effective yesterday I resigned my current position within U.S. Cellular to accept a position at a lower level.

I know, I know, it sounds crazy. But there's a good reason for it. The tunnel I was in previously had no light - which meant that no only was I not going anywhere, but there was no way I'd ever get fired. I was one of only three people in the organization that knew my job, and that made us somewhat untouchable, both in terms of termination and promotion.

So the look on my boss' face when I told him of my decision was priceless. That alone was worth the cost of admission for this new position. :)

So the new job takes me out of the leadership team, and puts me back on the phones with all the other yahoos. that's the downside - I'm back in with the unwashed masses. The good news is that this position is only temporary. I took the step back because I was told in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't advance in the company unless I could demonstrate affinity with the systems and technology we provide. This was the best way to learn these tools - by jumping in with both feet, if you will.

Within 6 months this department will be adding 50 new folks, which will necessitate the addition of 5 new managers. That's the job I'm after, and I think it's a realistic goal.

So here goes nothin, eh?

Cut for brevity's sake...
( Read more... )

Terrence: thats pretty dumb
i dont know a better word than dumb right now
Ripp: yeah, I'd say so
Terrence: but ill find one
Ripp: Retarded?
Terrence: its a start
Ripp: I aim to please


No idea why this amuses me so, but it does.

( Political test thingy stolen from g3k )

In other news, tomorrow's my 1 year wedding anniversary. We'll be spending it doing romantic things, like putting new locks in the house and touch-up painting. :)

We closed and got the keys today! I lost the damn check on the way to the Attorney's office, which made me very grumpy for a few hours, but luckily the bank had a branch just down the road and we were able to get it replaced.

Painting and garage-work began today, with more for tomorrow. If you see this and you'd like to stop by, give me a call on my cell. 262-424-9540.

I'll edit this post sunday to pull the number out, so write it down if you want it. That's my cell, always on, so use it if you need it.
Now I'm heading to bed.

John Wayne You scored 71% Tough, 4% Roguish, 23% Friendly, and 4% Charming!

You, my friend, are a man's man, the original true grit, one tough talking, swaggering son of a bitch. You're not a bad guy, on the contrary, you're the ultimate good guy, but you're one tough character, rough and tumble, ready for anything. You call the shots and go your own way, and if some screwy dame is willing to accept your terms, that's just fine by you. Otherwise, you'll just hit the open trail and stay true to yourself. You stand up for what you believe and can handle any situation, usually by rushing into the thick of the action. You're not polished and you're not overly warm, but you're a straight shooter and a real stand up guy. Co-stars include Lauren Bacall and Maureen O'Hara, tough broads who can take care of themselves. Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the Classic Dames Test.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on Tough You scored higher than 6% on Roguish You scored higher than 27% on Friendly You scored higher than 1% on Charming

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid Free Online Dating

Shamelessly stolen from MercuryEric.

Our offer was accepted. So, barring any huge finds in the inspection, radon and mold tests, we're going to be homeowners.

Weird.

Their agent told our agent (who also happens to be my uncle) that the owners were "insulted" by our offer. I'll be honest, that makes me giggle like a little girl. Did they expect us to offer them the asking price?

That's why this is called negotiation, boys and girls. If you're unhappy with the original offer, you make a counter-offer or decline.

But I digress. Insulted or not, they accepted. And I'm ecstatic!

As of this very moment, my wife and I are making an offer on this house.


Pictures of the interior found here.

Our relationship with the new owner of our apartment kept getting worse, so we resorted to drastic measures. We'll show him, eh? :)

Wish us luck!

Oh Rummy, what have you gotten yourself into this time?

 

In other news, water is still wet and the sky is still blue.  Film at 11.

 

For those of you that wished me well over the work situation - thanks for the good thoughts.  In the past month things have gotten better, and I'm somewhat glad I stayed here for now.  Funny how time changes perspective, eh?

Inspired by g3k, I made my own list-o-babes.  These are in no particular order.

This is what boredom brings you.

Is anyone else annoyed that "White Girl from Alabama goes missing in heathen land" has been front page news for 11 days now?

I don't want to seem too jaded, but come on - she's obviously not still with us, all that's left is to find the body.

And I think you could make a strong argument that if this were a person of color we'd have no idea it happened.

I don't really have a point, it's just annoying me.