Friends, if you live in Illinois, get out and vote this Tuesday, February 2nd. These are my candidate picks. Why not print this post and take it with you?

Senator
Don Lowery

Governor
Adam Andrzejewski

Lt Governor
Jason Plummer

Comptroller
William Kelly

photo credit: gregarch2

Hello, blog. Miss me?

It’s late at night and I feel like writing. Not posting a link on Facebook. Not tweeting the twit-erers. Something that takes more than 140 characters to type and a sip of coffee to read.

I feel like waxing nostalgic. I remember visiting the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville as a high school student. Two classmates and I rented a billiards table. As I chalked my cue, the soothing strains of music from the band Chicago blared from a jukebox. Why did this moment mean so much to me? Because I was excited.

Thoughts of the future were racing through my brain. What would college be like? What would I learn? What kind of opportunities would that open up? What would I create? How would I make my mark on a world seems to consciously avoid changes? There was no fear in those thoughts, only awe and wonder.

So I had my college experience. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Computer Science. Now it’s been a decade since my shadow has darkened the hallways of a college campus as a student. Where is the awe and wonder? I can’t help but think if my present self traveled back in time to meet myself at that billiards table if he, er I, would be impressed. Have I lived my life with drive and purpose? Or, have I been too cautious and lacked ambition? Could I have taken more risks? Could I have made few mistakes?

Don’t get me wrong. I am not suffering from regret. Well, America, it’s like this. The only thing that strikes me with awe as of late is the stupidity of our elected politicians. There have been changes in the system. Our country is in the process of getting turned upside down and inside out by nimwits. But I have faith that America can’t be held back for long. I wonder that if my future self came back today would he tell me how I helped elect some folks who made things right again. I wonder.

A meme from Facebook..

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you. Please play along!

1. I don’t usually participate in these things. I’m going to respond but not tag anybody new.
2. I wrote three live action role playing (LARP) games: Kobolds on a Plane, Black Tie Affair and Tabriz School of Magic.
3. My high school mascot was the Orphans.
4. I have a twin brother.
5. I have two computers and two laptops.
6. Growing up we did not have a television in my house.
7. I play the guitar but need more practice.
8. In video games I collect the shiny things.
9. I like the sounds that trains make.
10. I taught myself to play chess when I was eight.
11. I like toast without jelly and butter.
12. I hate needles.
13. I want to visit Europe, maybe parts of Ireland that were once divided as recently as 20 years ago.
14. I want to learn another foreign language, maybe Russian.
15. Televised baseball puts me to sleep.
16. I used to sing in a choir.
17. I work on my social skills.
18. Beets make me sick.
19. I think global warming is a hoax designed to prey on our fears.
20. I like Mary Ann but when I was younger I was seduced by Ginger’s shiny dress.
21. I don’t have any tattoos or piercings. Why mess with perfection?
22. I was in a church play in high school, the beginning and end of my acting career.
23. I have learned to walk around my house without the lights on.
24. In the summer between high school and college I taught nature classes at a Boy Scout camp.
25. I am a Christian who once thought the little fish that folks stick on their cars meant they bought it from a Christian car dealer.

Today is Veteran’s Day. We honor those who served in the military, its auxiliaries and the merchant marines. In my career I have had the privilege to work with many retired veterans. I am humbled by their commitment and inspired by their strength.

Last Tuesday after I cast my ballot I went the local McDonalds restaurant where I met a veteran of the Iraq War. We talked about the election and then about our military. I’ll never forget him showing me the proper technique in “clearing a room” right there amongst the chairs. Friend, you made my day. Pity that you helped elect the wrong guy.

Congrads to Obama for winning the presidency of the greatest country in the world. I am not angry. I am disappointed. The Republicans decided to confront their competition with a mild tone and the promise of compromise. It brought them defeat.

McCain tried to tie Obama to the liberal Congress’ massive mistakes but Obama with assistance from the press was able to spin free of it. “Nope, not me.” he said. “Ok!” responded the adoring media who added, “Isn’t McCain looking a little old?”

I get the feeling that we have been influenced by reality TV shows like American Idol. On them ambition is prized more than talent. Folks root for a contestant because he is an underdog and he wants it badly rather than considering whether or not he has the skills. Of course there is always a clash of personalities where the competitor is demonized.

Obama is already talking about how his plans will require a second term. Heh, Nobama! I wish this were some made-up game show where an announcer would come on and say, “Got ya! We’ve been fooling you this whole time. A liberal inexperienced pro-abortion tax raiser would be crazy for our country. The dude is too full of himself and believes his own inaccurate statements. Oh how we duped you!”

So far there have been no cries of red states v. blue states or a deeply divided country or post election trauma. I guess Republicans are better losers. Now in order to turn this country around we have a river to cross. I hope Republicans push the reset button on their leadership and return to conservative principles. The river is deep and wide, friends, but it can be crossed with faith and courage.

My brother sent me a message today that lightened my mood: “Lets move to the 57th state. It’s called Husseinia!”

A man used the medic training he learned in America’s Army — a video game the Army gives away as a promotional item — to save a life.

It is the same game that the Iraq Veterans Against the War protested last year at the Black Expo in St Louis. There they lined in formation and yelled “War is not a game!”

I am grateful for their service to our country, but in this case, War Saves Lives!

I failed to get a job at Google. I am not angry or sad about it. I have been thinking about it lately because they plan to move me to a different cube at work. The situation reminds me of the scene in the movie Office Space where Milton was talking about formerly having a desk from where he could watch the squirrels play. "And they were merry", he noted. I guess Google seemed like a place where I could have an office from which I could watch merry squirrels while tackling some interesting computer science problems.

Sometime last year I was interviewed by Google. Theirs is a consensus-driven decision-making process involving a multitude of interviews. I made it through a total of two telephone interviews. The first was a screening interview where a recruiter asked me some career oriented questions and finished with a quiz of technical questions. The second interview was conducted by an engineer working in the department in which I most likely would have worked and was a technical interview involving low-level networking and Linux operating system details.

Since they do not have any opportunities in the Midwest — a glaring oversight on their part I might add — I asked for a position at the Googleplex, its Mountain View, California headquarters. I was told that they might not have a position for me there but they did have openings in Zurich and Dublin. I told the Google people I was not interested in working outside the United States.

Just between us, maybe I’d consider it if Hillary Clinton succeeds in her attempt to become our next president. Speaking of politics, Google is too cozy with liberal politicians. Environmentalist crackpot and failed presidential candidate Al Gore serves as Senior Advisor to Google. Also, in the 2004 federal elections a staggering 98% of employee’s campaign contributions went to Democrats. Are they building a culture of innovative engineers or ideological cronies?

According to an article in Forbes magazine Google and its recruiters doubled its head count to 20,000 from 10,000 at the end of last year. The article goes on to say that Google disappointed Wall Street after admitting it overspent on new hires during its latest quarter. So, if you have a copy of your resume online, do not be surprised if you get a phone call from their people. Honestly, I wish you the best of luck. Perhaps you will be a better fit than this conservative computer scientist who loves life in the flyover states.

Is there a job you should have gotten? I would like to hear about it.