The Angry Fat Man

In looking at my site, I am realizing that it is dying slowly.

I'll be the first to admit that I have not been updating this site as often as I have wanted. I have just been way too busy. I know, I have made that excuse before, but it is true.

Now, there is a new reason that may cause The Angry Fat Man to die. The company that makes the software that I use to run this site has decided to make some changes in how they license their software. Up until last week sometime, their software was free. If you wanted to make a donation to their cause, then you could. And I have. Then, last week, they released a new version of the software and decided to make you pay for it. This site would require an investment of $70.00. Not all that much in the grand scheme, but the way that they have written the license terms, they reserve the right to force you to pay for any future upgrades. This really frustrates me. They are going against one of the rules of commerce... You can charge for something today that you were giving away for free.

I'm not sure if, or what, this means for the site. Hopefully, I'll figure it out in the near future.

"It's not that I'm afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen

Posted by The Angry Fat Man at 09:27 PM | Permalink

Where is the international tribunal when someone from the United States does morally reprehensible things during war time? Is it that everyone is so scared to say anything to the playground bully that is the United States to call for a War Crimes hearing?

Now, I love witnessing all of the effrontery we feel about these actions and I think it's hilarious to listen to people at work talk about these issues. It seems that everyone thinks we are the squeeky clean angels of mercy and a few bad apples make us look bad?!?! What kind of insanity is this? You mean to tell me that US soldiers haven't done crap like this in every single conflict? BULL! I'll be the first to tell you that probably a good 25% of the guys I knew going into ROTC or signing up after 9/11 were out for a little sadistic, pulling the wings off of flies type of pleasure. Now, my family has some military background and I know that not everyone who joins up is in it to humiliate or kill their enemy, but you can't tell me the sort of depraved individuals seen on these tapes and pictures haven't been joining up for years.

Look at the training and recruiting. You call out for the weaklings and misfits to join up and get a little responsibility and self-esteem, then you take these now empowered people and put them in places of responsibility beyond holding a gun and guarding a door and expect it not to go to their heads? You also have guys who play pranks and dare each other to do things when they are really bored during an "occupation" like Iraq and expect them to not screw around? They've already been programmed to think that the enemy is not human, so that it makes it easier to kill, why not screw with them if you are holding them prisoner?

Like I said, pulling the wings off of flies....just multiplied by a million.

Posted by The Younger (slightly less angry) Fat Man at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm tired of the old man's world I live and work in. The people around me infuriate me when we have an argument or "heated conversation" and the next words out of their mouth are "How old are you anyway?" Or you hear people talking and saying that I belong on the other side of the building. That's where the twenty-somethings or recent grads are pursuing their lucrative careers in sales!!! Woohoo.

To give an idea of the environment, I am the youngest (25) technical, full-time, non-contractor in this building. My closest "contemporary" is 34, and he's had 6 years in with the company. Technically speaking, my job is more visible, and more technically inclined. Usually this position, in this company, is reserved for people moving from the switch (TCOM) (you know, after 5+ years of service) into a more Headquarters/Area business role. It's not my fault I used to work for a company that would take just about anyone in their Translations group! I swear that some of the folks there came fresh off of the grill or the fry vat....but some of us learned and became engineer equivalents...

Oh well, I guess I'll just sit here and finish up my MBA and then we'll see what happens when I become these people's boss....at least then I won't hear the age argument straight to my face. Kinda reminds me of the crap you hear about the military, when the fresh faced punks came in as Lieutenants, because of college, and the lifers were pissed because some greenhorn was telling them what to do.

The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom.
--H. L. Mencken

Posted by The Younger (slightly less angry) Fat Man at 10:54 AM | Permalink