Coworker A was talking about the Led Zeppelin song being about LotR.  I told him pretty much the entire album was about LotR, and the influence they had on Led Zep...

Coworker B is almost totally unfamiliar with Led Zeppelin and - true to form, intrepidly gets fully into the conversation anyway.  So while he is talking, Coworker A is calmly ( Read more... )

...On Saturday for about two weeks for business.  Then to Germany for vacation.  My company has known about the vacation since before I came to work here.  I told them about it during the interview.  I'll be in Korea from 10-22 July.  We leave for Germany on the 27th to return on the 11th.  Some of the questions I have been asked at work:

"So, is ( Read more... )

My new business cards just arrived.  That was quick!  Quick in the sense that this is the second batch of 1,000 cards.  I dunno why they give us 1,000.  I'm certainly not that important.

Anyway, this batch came in less than a week.  Why a second batch, you ask?  Good question!  My first ones read:

Victor Anderson
Senior Ingelligence Analyst

That's ( Read more... )

I actually have an office in my new job.  Well, half an office, but that's the same as everyone else here has.  Besides, the person I am sharing it with is at the customer site full-time it seems and hasn't moved in.

I am used to standing a watch and usually sharing a desk, so a desk of my own is a luxury.  In my last job at DHS, I did in fact have ( Read more... )

At the new job.  People are smiling, seem to enjoy their jobs and really want to be there - they don't act like draftees.

And I don't have to drive three hours each way to get there.

Is this allowed?

...at DHS, and at General Dynamics.  Over five years with the company and despite having applied for 35 different positions within the company over that time (with two, one-year mobilizations in there!), not so much as a peep from any hiring manager despite a corporate policy with states they are to at least contact every employee who applies.  It ( Read more... )

OMG, OMG!  Both my managers stopped by today!  Oh, not to see me, of course.  They were in the building for some mandatory training, and stuck their heads in the door to see the other guy in this office.  I just happened to be in the room.

So J, the senior guy, says to A, the junior manager;  "He needs to get his badge too."  motioning to me, 3 ( Read more... )

I love my combat boots - and I miss them.

After wearing them exclusively for almost a year, all day, every day, I knew I could walk forever in them.  And the new ones, especially the Belleville boot they now issue are about the most comfortable things I have ever worn.

Having said all that, I don't like shoes all that much in general.  So when I was ( Read more... )

I should be grateful, I know. It probably even sounds a little whiny. It's not like my pay is cut or anything. I get my full salary while I literally sit on my ass and do nothing. Not even allowed to do anything, since I am not billable on any contract.  So why am I so despondent?

Well, like the last time when I came back from Iraq, I was working 12 ( Read more... )

If you are not familiar with Dirty Jobs or Mike Rowe, I urge you to check out the show.  It's exceptional.  Mike is hilarious and illuminating.  He makes some very interesting points about work, and he would know.  He also has a great new website devoted to the subject.  This video is a little long but definitely worth the watch.  I especially ( Read more... )