The name and the grade are the same!

I passed my A+, It was a certification that I didn't really need, work wasn't asking for it, I don't think it's ever closed any doors for me. A couple of months ago I got my NSC Defensive Driving Cert but otherwise I haven't added to my resume much in a while.

CompTIA will change their certification policy from lifetime to renewable every three years starting in 2011 so it made sense to get certified before that happened.

I've been studying intermittently since the spring but seriously since Thanksgiving. I had an A+

For Dummies book which was really thick, used a confusing font and was the wrong choice for me as it was written for a dummy, or someone starting from scratch with no experience. I have experience and don't want to be patronized with little jokes. I should have gotten a more advanced book.

The most advantageous resource was a Pearson practice exam. Despite its flaws pictured here, several of the questions were word for word with the actual exam and it was a great resource.

Jessie quizzed me on port numbers, 802.11x standards and the laser printing process and I crushed the exam.

GAFYD pau

Big changes for GAFYD accounts, they're moving to be more like regular Google accounts. Bazuzi.com.com was eligible for the early adopter program and we enlisted. Most of the services I mentioned last time are available now.

Tonight I finally finished sorting all my mail, ~2,500 emails are labeled and archived. I transfered my Voice number (804.3Bazuzi) and my Youtube channel now corresponds. I'm still waiting for Buzz and a few other minor services but for the most part everything is working.

Now to amplify the Bazuzi.com offerings to the family. I'm debating a wiki for recipes, a page for my wedding and a few of the family interviews. Anyone else done something like this?

NDCHGaRC

I don't want to offend anyone, I still want to celebrate a holiday. I've never organized a Secret Santa before, this is what I created and sent out to play Russian Roulette with my good standing at work.

We would like to invite you to participate in a non denominational clandestine holiday gifting and receiving ceremony modeled after a Secret Santa event.

If you would like to participate, please let me know by Friday, November 19th. Friday afternoon we will place the names of everyone who is participating into a fancy hat and each person will select the name of the person who they will buy for.

Please keep all gifts under $10. Gifts can be chosen with the theme of Technology in mind.

By the sword we seek peace

1. The first time they took some quarters and two granola bars and I didn't get angry because they were clearly hungry and didn't break anything.
2. The second time they set the alarm off and I was a little annoyed to have to wake up in the middle of the night.
3. This is the third time someone has broken into the car. Sunday morning brought this little gem and Springfield's ugly war boot crushed our Hawaiian petal.

They took my car's manual, a hair brush and a neck tie, then dumped them 50' away under a street lamp. You can see the rock in the first picture, it took down my rear-view mirror and the windshield-wiper lever. The wipers are now stuck on high.

The cops didn't even get out of their car when filing the report and were more interested in talking to me about Hawai'i than the incident. I had been giving New England the benefit of the doubt. No more.

Now you get nothing.

Neck Ties.

On one extreme they're useless, on the other they try and murder me.

Don't try and bend over to look at something because it'll be there blocking your view saying NO WAY, ME FIRST.

Need to lean forward to pull in your chair to eat? GUESS WHAT, I'M IN YOUR PIZZA

Want to protect IP at work and shred some paper? WATCH OUT, BRO, IMMA MERC YOU.

Massholes

Walking Honey Bear for the last time before bed tonight, we were waiting at the intersection.  There's a No Turn On Red sign and a lit pedestrian walk sign when it's our turn to cross. Both of these were ignored as a lady in an SUV almost ran us over. Fine, I was expecting it and wasn't surprised as I kept HB out of danger.

What I did not expect was what the young man waiting on the other side of the intersection yelled from his window while waiting at the red light:

"Your dog sucks cock!"

I don't even... What? Immediately I went on defense and I got angry and frustrated and wanted to sling up a middle finger or yell a retort, but what would I say, I was too confused. We completed the final block home trying to figure it out.

Entering the house I gave HB a little biscuit and called Wife. She gave me HB's perspective:

oh boy! Some guys yelled from a car. I peed.
I got a treat!

Super interesting

I was in this lady's office working on her computer, she had a metal water bottle that was painted with some pretty flowers.  I complemented her on it.
She said "omg thanks! I drink like a whole one a day!"
In my head I thought "I drank four of those already and it's just about 11am"
Then she went on to tell me how great it is to drink so much water.

The other day I was talking with my coworkers, we were comparing the strangest food we've ever eaten
Him: Squid
Her: Octopus
Other him: Squid
Me: Fermented whale blubber

I won that round.

Making the Amish look like Menonites.

Once a year the Baskin farm shears their alpacas. They invite everyone they know to shear all 15 in one day. They hire out a professional shearer; a soft spoken man named Vic who has worked with them from the beginning. He was thorough, knowledgeable, tolerant of mistakes and quick with encouragement when we got it right and a joke to relieve the tension when we didn't.

The rest of us filled out the crew holding legs, the head, administering shots and weighing them in before and after their haircuts.


I spent the day prior helping clean the space and prep. Day-of about 20 people showed up and saw the whole thing through. To complete the event, I drank a bear with every break and a snus in the afternoon and after the job was done.

Aside from Vic we all went unpaid; a real community coming together and a genuine slice of culture and o'hana.  I got to see my good friend, his wife and their son. I drank their beer, ate their food and took their poison ivy.