MySpace sucks!

But.....I have a page anyway. I gave in to the hysteria so I can monitor what my son does in the internet. It's not a Parental Nazi kind of thing, just a watchdog kind of thing to make sure he protects himself and his personal information while surfing and interacting.

Why do I hate MySpace?

because it works on the lowest common denominator. It's kindergarten-like plug and play layouts are an idiot's guide to web design. And what horrid web design it is. The static backgrounds that often times block out the text of a page. The glitter photos and comment graphics hosted on some other site that is making a mint off of each hit to that site. To sound just like someone my age; I grew up learning HTML and can design my own web page. Heck, I'll even give in to all of the drag and drop web design programs out there; at least they allow for some personal creativity. MySpace just presents an endless parade of pre-designed background themed around the latest fad, celebrity or pretty picture floating around on the net.

If you do want to express any creativity you have to stumble around trying to figure out what code goes where. There are no FAQ's, no help files, no tutorials...no help whatsoever on how to "pimp" your site.

I have added a few funny videos to my site and am linked with a few close friends and family. I even have one friend who is the daughter of someone I went to high school with; so, there is the potential for social interaction which is what MySpace was created for in the first place. But to get through all the other drek is too much effort for me.

I have been blogging here for three years now and my friends know it is the best way to keep up on what is happening with me. I have a nicely designed web page for my Starfleet chapter and my friends know that is the best place to see my latest pictures.

Oh, and one more thing.....why are there so many goddamned lesbians on MySpace. MySpace was supposed to be the great singles club of the next millennium. Now THAT'S aggravating!

My pal, Congressman Jim Langevin, won reelection last night. I could not be prouder. I have known Jim for 16 years now and he has been a great friend and confidante even though we now only see each other maybe once per year. He is such a good friend that I had to let him know how proud his friend was of his victory.

His opponent this time around tried running a negative campaign against him; which is near to impossible. I have always said that if Jim told a lie his face would fall off. I say she tried running a negative campaign because Jim mopped the floor with her knocking the snot out of her with 68% of the vote. In the 16 years he has been running for political office, Jim has never won an election with any less that 62% of the vote.

I called his Washington DC office today and left a message for my pal, "Tell the congressman that a 68 is still a "D+" and that I expect better from him next time!"

His receptionist asked if I wanted to leave my name, "No, he'll know who it is."

Sure enough, when I got home from work there was a message on my phone!

Today I HAVE TO be a geek. 40 years ago today Star Trek premiered. If you've read this blog at all you know the influence the show has had on my life. It has brought me hours of entertainment, expanded my imagination, brought some amazing people into my life and done a lot to make me the person I am today.

It is somewhat amazing that something that is "just a TV show" can have that kind of an impact on a person's life. But probably no more amazing than a kid who loves baseball wearing his team jersey to school and playing games in a sand lot was me, in my youth, wearing the cheesy Star Trek windbreaker that looked like a uniform and running around an open field with a toy phaser and communicator imagining I had just beamed down to an alien planet. It is no more amazing that a football fan would know statistics for every team in the NFL and I could name all 79 episodes in order. No more amazing that the Shriners or Elks jam into hotels all around the country for their conventions and we fans do the same thing just as often.

If you'd like to see a neat tribute to the show, a friend of mine in California put one up on YouTube. Enjoy and watch the show sometime today.

On the personal level......thanks George and Robin.

Thanks Nichelle, Majel, Grace, Harlan and David.

I miss you Jimmy, and Angelique.

Oh, yeah! Thanks for everything, Gene!

Sorry for the slack in writing. It was a busy holiday weekend. John was here....well, he was here but spent lots of time with someone else. I'm not complaining. He shows great taste and I'm glad to see him making friends. And that its a super female friend that I happen to think is as good a kid as my son is....BONUS!!!!

Work still sucks. I've been told, in not too many words that my situation is not bound to change soon. A recent slump is only counted as THE slump and not balanced at all with 8 years 357 days. We are told that things should improve in the near future. I am just hoping that my patience can hold out. Being under the microscope is one thing being an ant with the annoying little brat holding the magnifying glass as he focuses sunlight on you like a laser is completely different.

I am sucking it up though. I have been here longer than any member of management and quite possibly will be here after they are gone. It's like my supervisor said before, "I care". Some twisted, demented part of me still likes the company and hopes that management will either gets its collective head out of its ass or be replaced with better management.

Here's a preview of next year's talent show material. (God willing)

Our company always does a great job on the blood drives. Have you ever noticed that none of management ever donates blood? There's a perfectly logical reason.

Well, first you gotta have a heart.......

The hits just keep coming. Today I went back to work and from almost moment one if the door I was under the microscope. Mist of my day was taken up with visits to Human Resources, the in house clinic (my BP is a little but higher than normal but we have a plan to monitor it and I am looking into counseling for stress) and my supervisor. However, each of these moves was carefully watched and questioned by upper management.

After careful consideration and consultation with a few trusted people there I do have a few options I had not considered before. I am looking into all possibilities to keep my job and hope that the place will somehow return to what it once was. If that will happen and if my actions will have an affect on that will remain to be seen, but I do have to try.

I dawned on me the parallel between this and other parts of my life. I just hate letting go. I hate change. It's as plain and simple as that. I have been with this company for 9 years and it should not change. I fall in love with someone and/or marry them and it should not change. I've had earth-shattering change in my life before and survived so I guess I'll make it through as well. It doesn't mean I have to enjoy going through it.