article

· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

Yesterday, jury selection began in the trial of the now infamous Mary Winkler, the young minister’s wife accused of shooting her husband to death in their parsonage.
According to her lawyers, the couple were arguing over money after having gotten caught up in the Nigerian email scam, also known as the 419 Fraud.
So she killed him, but it wasn’t her fault.
It was the spammers.
Right.
Since when did stupidity become a defense, and, yes, anyone who gets “caught up” in one of these has failed to use their God-given grayware.
When did stupidity and greed become a defense?
Does that mean that I can go off, so something amazingly idiotic, then commit a crime like murder, and then use the original stupid act as my defense?
And let’s discuss the 419 Fraud in and of itself.
It’s not like this kind of thing is new.
It’s been going on since the 1920’s, but back then it was the Spanish Prisoner scam.
The Nigerians picked it up in the 70’s, and since then have turned it into a technological wonder.
But do people actually have to be instructed not to just fork over their life’s savings just because someone says they’ll give you lots of money in return?
I’ve gotten tons of emails like this, and I have yet to be tempted to just hand over my banking information.
Sure.
I’d love a ton of money.
It would make life easy for a while.
But I’m not gullible enough to think that some anonymous twit who comes begging for my information is going to give me any, and noone else should be either.
And how does murdering anyone solve the problem?
It’s not going to bring the money back, and the woman’s likely going to spend a lot of time in prison for this, away from her kids.
Oh well, I suppose if she’s convicted, she’ll have a lot of time to repent for her crime.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I’ve been playing around with the Get_custom plugin to see if I could get it to work a litle better than I did the first time I glanced at it, and I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve been able to do with it.
Now, I can add current mood, reading, and whatever else I want to to the site, just by adding a custom field.
I’m really pleased with this plugin, and I recommend it to anyone who likes to tweak.
And BTW, it looks like the syndication monster didn’t bite me after all.
The feed publisher just doesn’t publish an excerpt.

note

· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I’d like to apologize for all the posts with no info in them that got posted
yesterday.
I’m working on implementing an automation system that will post while I’m
away or unable to post, and there are some bugs still left.
Note to self: Set up a test server!
So anyway, now that we’ve reached Hol HaMo’ed Pesah, it’s back to posting
manually.

  

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I started reading the Diary of Anne Frank this morning.
It’s so sad to realize that the girl who wrote this never made it past sixteen, and died in such a horrible manner, just because she was Jewish.
Every once and a while, some phrase or other makes that especially poignant.
I’ve never read the diary in full, but plan to finish it over Shabbat.
I read somewhere that she was made an honorary citizen this week.
I imagine that rings especially hollow for her surviving relatives, because if she had been allowed to enter the United States while she was alive, she never would have died in a concentration camp.

  

Current Mood: none
note
· · to read

I just spent the longest time talking to my friend Gina, who I haven’t
talked to on the phone for at least a year, and that was the first time I
had talked to her in ages.
The first time I’m referring to was last year.
We got our contact information straightened out, and it turns out that I had
two very wrong email addresses for her.
I’m also trying to get back in touch with my friend Susan, who I haven’t
talked to in years.
I hope I’m successful, because I’d really like to be in touch with all my
old friends, the ones I grew up with and who have remained friends over the
years.
Tomorrow’s the last day for this week regarding work, and I’m glad for that.
I still haven’t heard about the job I’m applying for, but I’ll give that
some more time.
As far as what’s going to happen with my status at the company I’m working
for now, I have no idea.
Tomorrow is the last day of the project I’m currently working on, and when I
left work yesterday, no one had any idea what was going on.
Oh well, I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Everyone have a good night.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I managed to sleep in majorly today, and thus I am not at work. I was
supposed to be at work at 07:00, and didn’t manage to wake up for the first,
groggy time at 06:24. Naturally, I called my ride and told him I overslept
and would be to work later. I laid back down on the bed for a second,
thinking I would wake back up in time to be to work by 09:00 and work until
18:00, but I fell asleep again and didn’t wake up until 10:45, and if I had
gotten to work at any time after 11:00, it would have counted as an absence.
Fortunately I have some paid time off, and put some of that in for today.
The occurrence still stands, (I think they keep changing the rule on that
one, because I know I’m not absent-minded enough to keep forgetting the
policy), but at least I’ll get paid. All around though this was unexpected.
I suppose that’s what happens when you can’t sleep the night before.

  

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I heard the alarm go off this morning, and had resolved to get up at about 06:00.
The next thing I knew, my phone was ringing, and it was 06:20.
My mom was on the other line from Ohio.
I got up, and managed to be ready for work on time, but I’m still tired, and I really wish I didn’t have to be here today.
The application process is going right along, but I can’t discuss it further.
I’ll be glad when today is over.
I don’t have anything that isn’t normally on the schedule to do this weekend, and I get to sleep in.

  

Current Mood: none
note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I was reading through my LJ Friends page, and came across a post by a new ex-Christian.
She says she used to work for the 700 Club’s prayer hotline, which got me thinking about all kinds of humorous things.
Like, what would happen if I called and told them that I’m blind, gay and Jewish, and I’m so ashamed of myself I want to commit suicide, and I need someone to pray for me?
And then, wait a month or two, and write a letter telling my story, and now, thanks to J, everything’s peechy.
Yeah, don’t mind me, I’m sick.

  

Current Mood: none
note
· · to read

This afternoon’s meeting with Phil was quite interesting.
Rumple Stiltskin came back to my desk, and told me that someone from
Division of Services for the Blind was here to see me, and that we were
going to work on the software issues.
He also told me that this was “Phase Two” of our little adventure.
Phase two?
You mean Phase One has lasted since December of 2005, and we’re just now
beginning Phase Two?
And how many phases are there going to be?
So Phil and I sit together, and I demonstrate to Phil all the issues with
the software, and he tells management and HR the same thing I’ve been
telling them all this time.
So my case has been reopened with DSB, and I’m now considered post
employment.
Nice how everyone has some nice buzzword for everything.
I’m hoping the process for this new job continues to go as smoothly as it
has.
I got in touch with my friend Damon
this afternoon, and proceeded to drill him on the kinds of questions he got
asked during his interview process.
That probably wasn’t very fair of me, considering he started working for
Freedom Scientific three or four years ago, but I was still in my neurotic
frame of mind.
Fortunately, he took it in stride, (he probably just considered me to be
just like a psycho caller, and wrote it off), and told me that they were
probably asking the questions they did to find out what cue to put me in if
I’m hired.
It’s nice to know that there are always rational people around when you need
them.
I have to be to work tomorrow at 07:30 again.
Well, at least it’s the same time all week.
It was actually suggested to me by my friend Marques at work this morning
that I look into Christianity.
I wasn’t really sure how to answer that, because I don’t want to hurt
Marques’ feelings, and I know he said that because he cares and he wants the
best for me.
I thought about telling him that he could take Jesus if he wanted to, but
that I would take God, but figured that would be mean.
At least he wasn’t pushy or anything.
It’s getting late according to my schedule, so I’m headed to bed.

note
· · to read

Hey all,

I’ve been browsing my LJ friends after a long while of not stopping by, and it occured to me that it might be nice if I posted every once in a while.
I’ve spent some time trying to catch up with some of the blinks I haven’t talked to in a long while, mainly looking up people who’s email address or messenger contacts I no longer have.
So far, I haven’t found any of the people I’m looking for.
I think I’m going to list a second email address on my LJ account so I can post from there as well as my normal one.
Maybe that will convince me to actually post in something slightly less than three-month intervals.
I’m in the process of interviewing for a new job with Freedom Scientific.
I’m hoping for a contract position.
That way, I can avoid the time and expense of moving.
It’ll be nice to not work for Convergys anymore.
I can’t believe how laid-back they seem to be around there, Freedom Scientific I mean, not Convergys.
I’ll try to remember to post some of the entries from Customerservant.com over here, at least the personal ones.
I’ll end for now, but I promise, posting will be more frequent.

note
· · to read

In attempt to make life easier for myself, I’ve copied the audio lectures I have onto my PacMate, for listening away from the computer.
(Actually, I did this Tuesday before I left work, so I’m not sure if it counts as part of today’s progress report, but anyway).
I plan to edit the files down to smaller size pieces, separating them into sections for easier consumption.
This morning, I listened to the first and second files again, and I also plan to retype the notes from those two files in a better attempt to glean what’s important from them.
Up until now, I’ve been focusing on typing the files verbatum, which has slowed me down.
I also plan to get in touch with Belinda to see about getting together this weekend to compare organization techniques, study together, ETC., since she’s been at this longer than I have.
My goal is to have all of this done by Tuesday of next week.
My files are in complete disarray right now, so among the tasks I’ve set for myself to have completed by Tuesday is imposing organization on them and their contents, which I feel will be accomplished by everything I’ve outlined above.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

When I got to work this morning, and tried to connect to the drive that holds the calls I’m translating, I couldn’t get in.
The system didn’t return any kind of “access denied” error, just a message that the drive could not be found.
I can access every other folder on that drive, (the drive I have mapped isn’t an actual drive, but a folder on a network drive), but I can’t get to the one I need.
That’s very odd, and, if this weren’t going on at work, I’d think nothing of it.
But, since this is the Cube Continuum, one always has to consider what might be lurking around the proverbial corner, (I.E., the ever-present knife).
Obviously, I’ll alert the appropriate people as soon as they get in, but this is just too odd for my liking.
I’d like to just file it in the category of colossal acts of stupidity that pass for normal around here, and award whoever managed to pull this off an Order of Moron, 1st Class, but part of me can’t help but harbor conspiratorial thoughts.
More on this as it develops.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I posted earlier in the week that I had implemented a moods feature for the site.
I now have a much easier way to handle this feature.
Earlier, I had to enter in a custom field for each post, wait for it to update, and then publish the post, which ended up creating a draft for the post that was already published.
Since I’m not a fan of unnecessary work, I felt this needed to change.
So I found a plugin that will allow me to specify current mood, music and what I’m watching on TV, if anything.
It will allow me to select from drop-down lists, at least for the mood, and hopefully won’t require any of the unnecessary work I so loath.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I’ve spent the last several hours implementing some new features for the site, namely the ability to display current mood, reading, music, location, ETC.
It’s been rather frustrating.
I’ve spent most of my time tinkering with the code that effects the display, not the code that allows for the information to be entered in.
My sleep schedule’s all screwed up, thanks to my work hours being like they are.
I’ll probably go to bed for a little while later on, but I don’t want it to be an all-day thing, because I want to be able to sleep later tonight.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I normally try to stay away from making new year’s resolutions, because I usually end up not fulfilling them.
Nonetheless, I thought this would be a good time to look back on how far Customerservant.com has come over the last year, and where I would like it to go in the coming year.

The year didn’t get off to a good start as far as the blog was concerned, due to a major upgrading disaster.
Lesson learned: never try to do major blog platform upgrades while you have the flu.
I was honored to host the New Blog Showcase for 7 May of 2006, and would like to do that again in 2007.
It gave me the opportunity to spread the word about new blogs, as well as find some new ones to add to the blogroll.
I participated in this year’s CSS Reboot in the spring, and hope to do so again in 2007, this time with a little more theme work.
As far as site statistics go, I’ve doubled my traffic from last year’s numbers, and I’m grateful for everyone who stops by.
I’ve also been able to bring in a little advertising, and I hope to fine-tune that in 2007.
I’ve also met a lot of interesting bloggers, at least as far as online is concerned.
For 2007, I’d like to look into coming up with a Customerservant.com logo as well, and I’d like to include more images within posts.
I’d also like to offer a sincere thanks to my readers.
Without you guys, I’d just be talking to myself.
Come to think of it, maybe this blog reflection stuff isn’t such a bad idea after all.
This post is part of Problogger’s latest group writing project.
He’s still taking submissions, and there are some cool prizes being offered, plus links, so consider participating.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I actually get to come into work tomorrow at 07:30 instead of 06:00.
That’s so great.
I’m writing this post using Firefox, and things seem to be loading/working a whole lot faster.
We’ll see how the app handles all the windows I need to keep open throughout the day, and if it handles it all well, I just might switch.
I like being able to browse via tabs, and I’m not going to pay the $200 it will take to upgrade my Jaws license just so I can use IE7’s new tabbed browsing feature.
Now, the only thing I need to figure out is how to close a tab.
If I can do that, then I can use Firefox to read all the blogs I normally do.

note
· · to read

I have to start getting ready for work in about a half-hour, because I have
to be to work at 06:00 this morning.
Yes, it puts me off by 15:00, but that’s a very early start for the day.
It’s supposed to be in the 70’s today, which is odd for December.
It’ll probably be like this for Christmas Day too.
Oh well, at least it means I don’t need to run the heat.
L-J-ers, I’m surry I haven’t updated in a while, but the crosspost plugin
isn’t functioning correctly, and so far, there hasn’t been a fix.
You might want to add the Customerservant.com RSS feed to your feed readers,
if you’re using one.
The feed address is http://customerservant.com/feed/.
If you’re not using an RSS reader, I recommend that you do, because it will
give you a place to organize all the blogs/journals you read, and if you use
a web-based reader like Bloglines, Newsgator, or MyYahoo, you can access it
from anywhere.
I hope you’re all doing well.
A good week to all.

note
· · to read

Originally published at Customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

I got a message from the DA’s office this afternoon, letting me know that the two trials I was supposed to be tesstifying at this week have been continued until 22 January.
I didn’t get this information until I made it a point to contact the DA’s office again to try to see what has been going on since I was never served.
It’s amazing to me how they can get away with doing their job like that.
If I were that incompetent, I’d have been fired long ago, and rightfully so.
Oh well, at least I have someone’s personal office number, so I know where to direct my hounding.

note
· · to read

It’s been raining all day, ever since I first woke up this morning.
God, I think I could go right back to sleep, even though it’s almost five in
the evening.
I have to get up at O’Dark:30 all this week, because I’m working from 07:00
to 15:30.
Admittedly, getting up will be difficult, but I’ll like the fact that I’ll
be getting home early enough to watch a couple of episodes of Star Trek TNG
in the afternoon.
I love that show.
It’s the best of the Star Trek series.

note
· · to read

Originally published at customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

Today will be a light blogging day, because, (shock), I actually have work to do that will keep me busy for most of the day.
I’m hoping we can continue this trend, so I can call myself productive, and so I can save the blogging for when it’s supposed to be done, either at home, on a break, or in reaction to something actually happening at work.
It’s just weird to be sitting at work, blogging about everything else but.
I’d rather be sitting at home.
Speaking of work conditions, it’s 800 degrees back here.
I’ve gone up front to have a service request put in so the heat can be turned down.
I’ve also asked for AOLIM access, since that’s what everyone on the floor uses, and it would save me from having to go up front to ask a question.
I could just IM the appropriate person instead.
More later.