The Life and Times of Jim
Hi, there. I'm Jim. Welcome to my phlog!
This site was written for Las Vegas, then LouisVille. Now, it seems to be about anywhere. In these phlogs, you'll see a lot of my personal notes and pictures. I like to post my observations here to remember life and celebrate it. I'm not religious. I don't pray for good fortune. I'm ecstatically grateful for the gift of life and I think our time should be remembered and not taken for granted. I'm not a writer. I think pictures tell stories so much better than words. I love just about everything in this life, and, I guess that would have to include you. So, if you've seen me, don't be surprised if your picture is in here somewhere. Of all the critters, people are absolutely the most interesting. 
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Tue 
09/07/2010 18:33:34
 jim  Clearwater Rainbow-20100907
Sun 
09/05/2010 03:47:20
 jim  Fun with math
I always tell people that we're travelling at 80k miles an hour around the sun,
but if the earth is 94.5 million miles from the sun, then are we travelling at 34k miles an hour, aren't we?
Happy Labor Day Weekend to you all.

BTW-This is Labor Day, not Memorial Day, right? And Labor is spelled Labor and not Laber or Labre. haha
 
Circumference = Diameter x 3.14. (That sounds about right).
The Earths distance from the sun = 94,500,000 miles, but that could be debated.
Its circumference of travel = 94,500,000 * 3.14 = 296,730,000 miles. (Sort of, discounting any wobble).
Days to circle the sun = 365.4, or 8770 hours (you can prove this by calibrating a sticks shadow to a watch).
Miles per hour = 296,730,000 mile / 8770 hours = 33,834 miles per hour.
Add to that,
The Earth has a circumference of 24,901 miles (at the equator, maybe), (once again with sticks, 2 stick's shadows a mile apart can prove this out)
and there are 24 hours in a day (or something close to that), 
Then we are spinning at 1,000 miles an hour (roughly).

Sat 
08/28/2010 21:16:40
 jim  Epcot Fireworks
Sat 
08/28/2010 18:07:30
 jim  Epcot Germany
Sat 
08/28/2010 17:16:16
 jim  Epcot China
Sat 
08/28/2010 16:31:16
 jim  Epcot Norway
Sat 
08/28/2010 16:07:28
 jim  Epcot Mexico
Sat 
08/28/2010 16:06:06
 jim  Epcot Lake
Sat 
08/28/2010 15:34:00
 jim  Epcot World-Us
Sat 
08/28/2010 15:15:13
 jim  Epcot People
Sat 
08/28/2010 15:15:12
 jim  Epcot - Fountains
Thu 
08/26/2010 07:09:36
 jim  Computer Consultants are a strange group
Travelling computer consultants are a strange group.
We all have two places we call home.

We're broke between contracts, and rich during contracts.
Most people don't want to see us when we're broke, and that's usually when we are hiding in our real homes.

We've done things or are doing things that are outside the realm of normality.
One buddy is walking across the country, another has programmed the Space Shuttle, and another is bartending.
Some flourished with their own companies during the dot com boom, just to fall back into consulting.

You never hear about us, but we do change the world.
I've done some world-first, including adding some stuff to the ATM screens that you see all over the country.

Usually, we come in, do incredible projects, make it work and leave.
If it fails - We are responsible because we are idiots. Fortunately, I've never failed.
If it works - Others are responsible. They almost always get promoted. 
The consultants either move on, go full time, or become managers and never code again.
Rarely, if ever, our names get mentioned anywhere. We almost never get CC'd on the "Job well done" email from the CEO.

But still, it gets into the blood.
We know what we've done. Our abilities to work either independantly or in a group, has molded our ways of thinking.
The travelling is great, the money is good, and we've gotten used to saying "Hello" and "Goodbye".
At night, we either go insane with thought, or we're happy and we do things most locals would never even consider doing.
Its an emotional roller coaster, and the adrenalene rush is addictive.
And it would be hard for me to stop.

(Spoken after 15 years of consulting, 5 years on the road, and 27 years in the business)
Thu 
08/26/2010 07:08:59
 jim  Our second airbed has gone flat in just one week.
Airbeds - Our second airbed has gone flat in just one week.
It turned out our cot had a sharp edge. I wonder if there are other professionals out there who have had this problem. BTW - I'm not sure when or how I got so strange. Its happened slowly after 15 years of consulting.
Mon 
08/23/2010 04:15:06
 jim  Jennifer left Saturday
It's 3am on a Monday, and as usual, I can't wait to go to work.

Jennifer went back to Vegas last Saturday, and I already miss her.
So now, when I say we, I mean Becky and I.
On the flip side, instead of doing just teenage things, we can do adult things too. I'm thinking Concerts!
Fri 
08/20/2010 19:23:44
 jim  Treasure Island, FL - Gators Cafe
Thu 
08/19/2010 07:23:13
 jim  Jennifer is taking off Saturday
She has been so much fun!
We've done a lot of travelling and beach combing in this Tampa Bay Area.
But this is probably the worst time of the year to be here. It's hot and extemely humid.
Tuesday, she gave quite the scare.
She had an asthma attack. Here's my take on that:
Medical care is such nightmare these days. 
Jennifer had an asthma attack and she's on Nevada Medicaid. Medicaid is only covered out-of-state in Emergency rooms.
We found one, and after 2 hours they put her in one of those little rooms where she waited for 2 hours.
Finally after they gave her an XRay, a breathing treatment and a prescription. The whole thing took 5 hours.
It makes me wonder how many people don't survive in those little rooms.
This makes me think
If she didn't have any kind of insurance, I'm sure that visit would have cost $1,000.
For $1,000, she could have flown her to Mexico or Canada, where she could stayed in a nice motel, and she could have bought Albuterol over the counter for $12.
Of course, she could have had a bird flu, in which case, everyone in the Emergency Room might have caught it.
Scary!
Tue 
08/17/2010 20:13:35
 jim  Tampa Bay Skies
Mon 
08/16/2010 20:25:11
 jim  ClearwaterBeach Sunset
Mon 
08/16/2010 20:25:07
 jim  ClearwaterBeach - The Girls
Mon 
08/16/2010 05:14:42
 jim  Lots of Gulls
Sun 
08/15/2010 20:08:47
 jim  ClearwaterBeach-Extras
Wed 
08/11/2010 19:18:20
 jim  Clearwater Beach
Mon 
08/09/2010 03:49:19
 jim  The Only Living Boy in Tampa
It was pouring sheets of rain and I was listening to "The Only Living Boy in New York" in the Westshore Mall parking lot.
Lightening was all around me.
And I was feeling alone, smiling, thinking I was the Only Living Boy who has ever really listened to that song.
It was a good day to have the blues.
I'd heard some things said that took me there
I probably shouldn't listen or care.
Listening attempts to add thought to what is being said, and most of what is said is without thought.
Caring hurts, when what is heard malicious or cold, either through mindlessnes, or out of lack of empathy.
Sometimes I feel like the world is trampling flowers while I'm walking around them.
And I wonder, what is the point.
Sun 
08/08/2010 22:54:30
 jim  Are the flowers natural?
Sun 
08/08/2010 18:36:42
 jim  Apt Birds
Sun 
08/08/2010 17:48:02
 jim  Clearwater - Rt 60 Bridge
Fri 
08/06/2010 20:21:29
 jim  All fame lies in your name.
 I knew a girl who made a fortune and fame in clothing lines way back in the 80's, only to fall grace.
She named her clothing lines after herself.
Her name was, Polly Ester.

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