Wyoming Trip, Finally Posted

29 08 09 - 10:55. Category:

Here's a sampling of the photos I took in and on the way to Wyoming, more can be found in the gallery.

Windmills in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon:

Sunset over a bay in Utah:

My mother's family has a ranch in Wyoming that we visited. Being a family ranch, it's accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. It made for some interesting pictures:

This is the "airport" I flew out of in Laramie:

http://www.never7.net/gallery/d/2625-2/wyoming+048.jpg

Tattoo?

27 08 09 - 12:08. Category:

Every now and then the idea of a tattoo pops into my head, it's been that way since high school. Why I want to incur the pain and modify my body can't be well explained. I think, just maybe, that it ties into carrying something around with you that represents a part of who you are.

The biggest challenge has always been thinking of what would make a good tattoo. What one thing can possibly symbolize me? I've kept coming back to one thing, and now I'm really thinking about it...

My current idea is to do it as either just a black outline on my shoulder blade or as a black outline with red fill, since the logo is originally red. Something like this.

Thoughts? You might notice it from my banner.

Two Down, Two to Go

25 08 09 - 17:59. Category:

I passed REG.

The month leading up to the regulation exam was rough for studying. I lost a week when I attended RYLA and losing Ebony took a lot out of me. Suffice to say I'd accepted the fact that life had won out over the exam, and I figured I'd be taking the Regulation exam again.

Life, on top of content I don't find at all interesting and an exam question I didn't know anything about made me figure I'd fail. Turns out I didn't. I got a 79, you need 75 to pass.

Have to admit that it boosted my ego a confidence a bit. I feel a little better going into my third exam this upcoming Monday.

"Currency"

25 08 09 - 13:59. Category:

You know what is a completely stupid use of the word "currency?" I never even thought of it in this fashion, until CPA exam decided that English was a cheap prostitute that it has the right to man-handle.

"Data currency may not be maintained."

What does that even mean? Data can be monetary values... but the question was regarding database distribution, nothing monitary. This answer made no sense, so I didn't think it could possibly be true.

BUT WAIT! "Currency" can technically mean something like "the essence of being current or up to date." So even though it is entirely uncommon and never the way the word is used in English, the CPA exam has to use it that way. Now the answer "the data will not be current or up to date" makes a hell of a lot more sense.

Thanks CPA exam.

Ring Ring Goes the Telephone

21 08 09 - 12:02. Category:

I was all excited on Wednesday for our new office phone system complete with awesome new phones. The programable buttons were gonna be so sweet. Watching my old, yellowed, disgusting phone hit the trash was going to be quite joyous.

And of course I was going to share this all with you via a picture, I even remembered my camera!.

But alas, there's some phone system integration problem and they couldn't install anything this week. I have the phone, but since it's not working I also have the old phone too. The new one isn't worthy of a picture yet, because the LCD screen is off and it just looks like clutter. It's like an invasive phone species that I'd be more than pleased to watch eradicate the aged technology at my desk.

The new phone is black and silver. My monitors, mose, and keyboard are also black and silver. My 10-key (which you've seen several times) is not terribly old but still beige. Btw, EVERYTHING about this office is beige and it's truly life-sapping sometimes. Anyway, is it terrible that I'm contemplating buying myself my own new shiny black and silver 10-key for aesthetics?

Also, 10 coolness points if you tell me the subject reference.

On Jam, Aliens, and GPS

16 08 09 - 16:47. Category:

Saturday David and I went out to his parents' place to pick blackberries and make freezer jam. It is surprisingly easy to make. It was nice to spend some time with his parents and do something simple. They live out in a woodsy area, so it was quite relaxing. Sadly I didn't think to bring my camera.

Of course, his mom being a mom, we actually came home with home grown lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, beets, and the jam. Oh, she also snuck a bag of babby carrots into it all when we weren't looking.

Saturday night we went and saw District 9. It is a really good movie. Some of it is pretty stereotypical as far as movie styles and plots go, but there is a lot of it that is not at all, and it's just a good story.

Lastly, I took a "relaxing" day to just get some stuff done. Relaxing being going shopping for camping gear and getting that together for this weekend. I also went and picked up a GPS for my car. With David's work and my work we travel to odd places fairly consistantly, and we're taking a trip in November. Plus it's a new toy to play with. :)

So all-in-all it was a very good weekend, and now I get to have a dinner of fresh salad.

Going vs. Being

14 08 09 - 08:56. Category:

"I don't want to go into work tomorrow."

I probably say that to David at least two nights a week as we go to bed. Last night he said something to the effect of "you need to find a job you like." It occurred to me then, that I like my job just fine.

For the most part I like the people I work with, and I definitely like the work I do. There is an 8-10 hour tax return waiting to be done on my desk, and I'm excited to tackle the monstrosity.

I don't like going to work, but I like being at work. Waking up early, getting ready, and driving are the sucky part. That's the part I loathe. Looking nice is great, but I don't like having to make myself look nice start at 6:30am. But I hate working late, Working anything past 5:00 is more aweful than waking up early. Having work eat into my evenings is far far worse than suffering an early morning.

I can't stand shaving. Any weekend I have to shave is a weekend that I feel a little bit cheated. Switching from an electric razor to a conventional one might solve this problem... but that takes more time. Dare I take on the scary though of shaving in the shower w/out a mirror? The one part of my morning I do enjoy is my super-hot shower.

12 of 12, August

12 08 09 - 17:47. Category:

Once again, work life thwarted my ability to do 12 of 12 this month. I was driving too and from a client, and doing audit planning for most of the day.

On top of that, I got a migraine in the afternoon and ended up spending the last hour of the audit planning incapacitated just staring at my laptop and then I slept the entire way home. Such a thrilling day.

Econ Maths Hurt My Brain

11 08 09 - 10:18. Category:

+ Compesation of Employees
+ Rental Income
+ Interest Income
+ Proprietor's Income
+ Corporate Profits
National Income (NI)
+ Indirect Business Taxes
+ Capital Consumption Allowance (depreciation)
+ Net Foreign Factor Income
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- Capital Consumption Allowance
Net Domestic Product (NDP)
- Foregin Factor Income
- Indirect Business Taxes
National Income (NI)
- Social Security Contributions
- Corporate Income Tax
- Undistributed Corporate Profits
+ Transfer Payments
Perosnal Income
- Personal Taxes
Disposable Income (NI)

Resources

10 08 09 - 08:15. Category:

I am unquestionably biased when it comes to politics. The simple fact that Rachel Maddow and Keith Olberman are two of my favorite people in news makes that blatantly obvious.

Regardless, I feel that there are some resources on health care reform that need more publicizing. I'll be the little blog that could for that:

Setting the Record Straight on the Special Interests' Attack on Health Insurance Reform

Healthcare Fact Check

Congressman Anothony Weiner's Site - he has links to the current bill (I wish I had the time to read all of it) as well as committee reports.

Health Care Town Halls Turn Violent

Freedom Works

Thanks to the Rachel Maddow website for the majority of these sources, and Google search for the rest.

UPDATE: The Consumerist has a great little summary article of the current health care reform up for debate right now.

I Feel Old

08 08 09 - 22:55. Category:

This is going to be a linktastic post cause I feel like sharing!

I celebrated my existance for 24 summers on Friday. I'm feeling so old now. I'm sore today from doing nothing yesterday. We went out for drinks, played an awesome board game (that I went out and bought today) called Pandemic, and were all tired and ready for bed by 12:30.

Sarah made me some exceptionally awesome Star Wars Rebel Alliance cupcakes. They're a beat up from transportation, but they totally made my night. David got me a dorktastic Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock t shirt and auto LED to make my car a little more spaceship-esque.

Pretty much I had the best dorkgasm for my birthday yesterday that I really could have asked for.

The cupcakes:

I have no faith in the CPA exam anymore...

04 08 09 - 19:07. Category:

I'm finding it hard to get motivated to study for my Business and Economic Concepts exam, and I have less than a month. I'm just burnt out on stupid exam terminology and overly verbose questions. A few days ago I came across the question that utterly and completely killed it for me:

Some companies have been the target of terrorist attacks in recent years. The best
approach to avoid having a data center be selected as a terrorist's target is to:

A. ensure that the disaster recovery plans are fully tested.
B. harden the electrical and communications systems against attack.
C. maintain as low a profile as possible.

Seriously? Seriously?! Terrorism has worked it's way into a stupid CPA question? When was the last time a major corporation was undermined by a terrorist attack on it? Get this...

The appraoch to avoid having the data center identified as a terrorist's target is
to establish as low a profile as possible for the data center e.g., by refraining
from (1) identifying the building on the outside as a data center, (2) showcasing the
data center through glass windows, of (3) advertisting the important role the data
center plays in operations.

Cause of course forget having secure systems that are hardened against any sort of malicious attack, the important thing is to make sure that the building isn't labeled and doesn't have glass windows! If you're a megacorp that is worth a terrorist attack maintaining a low profile is pretty much not possible. And in today's day and age it's pretty much a no brainer that the data processing centers of companies are pretty damn important.

I seriously think I have lost my faith in the CPA licensing program based on this moronic question.

Wyoming Trip Tidbit - Utah

02 08 09 - 19:05. Category:

This is the sunset on Wilard Bay in Utah, were we camped the second night before heading into Wyoming.

I'm currently sitting in the Denver airport waiting for my flight to Portland. I've got the time and I'm pretty damned bored, so I decided to share this tidbit with you.There will be a few other good pictures to come soon.

The trip was alright, but I didn't really connect with most of the family I've never met and may very well never meet again. It was good to see my uncle and cousin who I hadn't seen in about 10 years.

I was eaten alive by the bugs. My legs are a landmine field of red welts. My arms and forehead are burnt and sensative to the touch. It wasn't a terrible trip, but I am looking forward to being home in a couple of hours.