One quick question

Just a quick question and then I am finally going to bed for a few hours.

Here is the question:

How can you tell when Hillary Clinton is lying?






Her lips are moving.

The Rookie in Training

Before I get some sleep, I just wanted to note that my brother is almost done with his second week on the job, and the first week in the field. He is seeing firsthand what it is like when important supplies needed as part of the job, such as the machine bases, are not delivered as scheduled. Dave told me today that he feels like he isn't earning his money. I had a little meeting today. I can't go into all of that, of course, but suffice it to say that when my boss asked how the rookie is doing, I told him about how Dave feels like he isn't earning his pay this week so far. My boss just said, "Not to worry... it will get really busy again soon, and then I am calling in that I O U." Then, he will feel like the company is getting its money's worth out of him.

That is how it works in this business. Sometimes you work like crazy, until you are so tired you can hardly concentrate, taking service calls on your days off, and providing telephone support at 3 o'clock in the morning. Then, there are days when you spend hours driving, and very little time doing difficult work in the field. Well, when my brother is knee-deep in the hoopla, troubleshooting a game with an ambiguous heat-related issue, with an assertion failure, or a brain box constantly rebooting, and he has tried every remedy he can think of, to no avail, he will definitely see the flip side of the coin. Sometimes, we don't work that hard for our money, and sometimes, the company reaps the rewards for investing in the techs, rewarding the company in spades. This is time for my brother to learn the ropes, including the hardware, the technical support aspects, the customer service expectations, the importance of face time, quality performance, and the basics of the business.

In no time, Dave will feel like a pro, and he will understand what I mean. By then, he will understand the difference between the days when you are the windshield, and the days that you are the bug. So far, he is the windshield, enjoying the gravy, but what happens tomorrow is anybody's guess. After two weeks of work, seeing not-so-demanding assignments, here is a question for my brother, the rookie in training: Dave, are you a betting man? If so, this is the right business for you (in more ways than one).

Flat Land, No Trees

What does a post with a title like that mean? Well, this will be a quick post, as I have to get to bed and get some rest. The title refers to my working agenda for tomorrow. I am working in North Dakota, beginning the drive from home at 4 a.m. The drive to the location is four hours, so I hope to arrive by 8 a.m. and head home by noon or 2 p.m.

If you haven't ever been to North Dakota, the area where I will be working, a couple hours north of Sioux Falls, is flat as a board, and there really are very few trees in the area. It is always windy (probably due to the flat land and lack of trees, obviously). The people in the area are laid back but when they aren't working, I honestly do not know what a person could do to stay occupied, other than watching TV (or maybe planting trees!) I don't mind the drive. As they say, its a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

Good night. That's all folks.