Tech Support is only good as the training

I am a tech support guy. Not a geek squad, or some other lowly support guy, but one of those guys that is required to do everything with little or no training. There are certain avenues that I fair well with, but then there others that I don’t. If the company releases a new product, they usually give us a basic synopsis of the product but that is where it ends. So we then have our sales reps and marketing agents training the clients on how to use the product, but they neglect to provide us with the same type of training.

For the most part this is ok, because I am not required to log onto our helpdesk phone system, being that I am a higher level support. Occasionally, I am required to fill in when we are short handed. Fine, this gives me a break from projects. Except when I get a call that I have no idea what the product is intended for, how it works. The client expects me to help them troubleshoot the issue, but unfortunately, I have to bs my way through the call until I can escalate to some other team.

Provide some basic training! Going in on something blind is not a smart way to run a business.

My company has decided to go the pay-per-click route. Without proper SEO, they decided that it would be a good idea to dump buckets of cash on web advertisement. The company’s site does not even have proper meta tags. Oh well, when the ship sinks, I’ll probably have jumped ship long before.

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Ten Shekel Shirt

Picked up this gem of a band in the bargain rack. CD cost 1.25! Good worship music that is unique to the plethora of bands out there. I’m inspired to learn some of their songs. Unfortunately, they are no longer around, so I’ll have to enjoy the old stuff for now.

The founder/singer is continuing his career with a solo act Lamont. He founded the Justice for Children International, a group that focuses on ending slavery world-wide. JCFI is a site worth your time learning about the injustice of child slavery in this world. The safe houses provide a practical means to helping these kids escape slavery. Trafficking children for sex is something we should all fight against.

Just got back from a quick walk during lunch. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to do my full rounds, so I may take a 15 minute walk later to finish up.

Long weekends are meant to be longer

This is why I’m taking a couple days off this weekend. 4 day weekends are better. Maybe I’ll go into the city and have a dinner with the wife and kid.

Sox had an easy weekend. Meanwhile, the Yankees are tied for last. The season is starting to get sad. Yankees lost to some unknown pitcher that had a 17.something ERA going into last night’s game. How is the highest pay roll in sports history losing so bad? They are creating ways to lose now.

Just for google kicks, make sure everyone votes for Ron Paul. He is right on the war, right on abortion, and right on legislation. I don’t see anyone else that even remotely comes close to loving America as much as he does. Alas, we’ll never see the greatness of Ronald Reagan again but he’ll come close if he’s given the shot. McPain, Shrillary, and the rest of the goof pack are out there just for a power meal.

Today I’m going to attempt to work a full day of work without spending too much time on the www.

Ugly Game Last Night

Schilling had an off night and the Yanks capitalized on it.  Sox bats were still hitting but they didn’t produce.  If I recall correctly, Petite has not had good outings against the Red Sox in the past.  He had one very good outing tonight.

9.5.  The team is still up by a large margin.  The key now is to keep things going.  There’s a long season.

Gov’ment Sucks at its Job

I’ve gotten into plenty of discussions about the role of the government. Liberals tend to have a blind faith in anything and everything that is government, especially when it comes to the handling of our hard earned dollars. With the obvious, and expected failure of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina, I was hoping that the liberals would start to figure out that the government tends to do lousy humanitarian jobs.

Maybe FEMA is unnecessary. Maybe it shouldn’t be the job of the government to help with that. The Red Cross and plenty of churches did a far better job at caring for the victims of Katrina then the government (both locally and nationally).

Now we have maniacs wishing for national health care. First, I would argue that this already exists through such programs as Medicaid and Medicare. Second, given the results of Katrina, what makes them think that they would have even an ounce of aptitude to accomplish successfully running the vast medical industry? Well, they argue that medical bills are more expensive and prescriptions are costly. Right. They are. Because our system has failed with the onset of outrageous lawsuits against doctor and pharmaceutical companies. I don’t understand how raising our taxes to pay for health care is going to fix that.

The job of the government should be basic and limited. Unfortunately, both democrats, and republicans (neo-cons) love big government. To feel safe, everyone wants biometric IDs. To feel healthy, everyone wants “free” health care (this will prove more costly than private health care). Arguments commonly portray the gun as the killer. Totally ignoring our constitution, we let the president invade countries at the drop of a hat. People get jail time for wishing to smoke up. Smoking up is probably better then “drink up!” happy hour.

So, you see, the government sucks at its job because it is trying to do things that it will never be qualified to do. I would rather have people in charge of health care that actually love health care, not government bureaucracy.

Oh well, nothing I say will change anything. Americans have grown complacent. Again, the government sucks at its job.

Good Days of Mosh

I came from the New England Hardcore Scene as a youth (yes, it deserves to be capitalized). Western Mass, and Central Connecticut seemed to have a club that would open for a few years, show some of the best bands around, and then close. One club in particular was the Hanover in Meriden, CT. I saw some great bands there before they rose to fame or disappeared to obscurity. Bands like Blood Has Been Shed, Ground Zero, and Hatebreed.

A favorite was the popular Zao. During that late 90’s, they were always rumored to being playing a show that in fact, they didn’t. This most likely the result of an aggressive promoter embellishing a show just to get people to see a two-bit act. One time, a group of us went to Fat Cats in Springfield, Ma to see Zao. As it turns out, they weren’t there. Surprise, surprise. This was actually a legitimate promo, because unfortunately, the band had some health issues or something that caused the show to be canceled. These were the days before Myspace, so communication was limited.

Anyway, we were treated to some good bands. Zao’s replacement was All That Remains. They were awesome! I had heard of them, but never had the chance to see them. They are now a successful band in their own rights. The show wasn’t violent, in fact, there may have only been 70 people in attendance that night. We all knew each other, so it was fun.

The scene that I grew up in spawned some tremendous bands. Killswitch Engage, Shadow’s Fall, Hatebreed, Blood Has Been Shed, and Unearth were all from the area (unearth being from Worcester).

Those were great times. I have a ton of stories. Many of my friends are now in their own bands. My moving around caused me to miss out on being a part of those bands though. More to come later.

Something Promising

Yesterday my pastor indicated to me that they were hiring a worship leader part-time.  This is great news.  This guy is hoping to start a band, and I guess I’m one of the guys he’s considering.

Good news.  I was wondering yesterday if I would ever join a band.

The Beast Inhabiting the Queen Comes Out!

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I think the devil was coming out of her. We finally know the truth.

The Republican Disorder

My life was not always political.  Before I was old enough to care, I considered myself an apolitical person.  Then 9/11 happened.  As I looked out at the smoke filling the air from Washington Rock in Jersey, something changed.  It wasn’t sudden, but the change grew.

I became very political.  I started to listen to the talking heads on the radio.  Rush, Sean, etc.  Without realizing it, I started to become a puppet.  President Bush became a hero of mine.   The man could do no harm.  I spent plenty of energy debating in defense of him especially throughout the 2004 election.

I started reading pro-Bush sites, and pro-war sites to the point that it became a habit.  A bad habit.  This was becoming a sickness.

Now, I am definitely a conservative person.  And that is the problem.  I started to realize that everything that today’s Republican party stands for is contrary to what it used to stand for.  Conservatives historically do not like war.  That is a liberal thing.  Conservatives build up the military, they do not deplete it.  We certainly don’t create a deficit so monstrous and out of control we have to devalue the dollar!

I began to realize that I am not a republican.  I am a libertarian.  I still think abortion is wrong and should be illegal.  Abortion is not a political issue, but a rights issue.  Any living human has a right to have a chance at life.  Even the republican party has gone soft on that.

In some ways, I am still overcoming my mental disorder of being a republican the last few years.  I no longer use the excuse of voting for the lesser of two evils, because I am now convinced that both parties are so evil that it is beyond measure.

I’m voting for Ron Paul.  Despite what Rudy thinks of him, Ron Paul has a clear head on his shoulders.  He deserves a fair chance to debate his goals and objectives.  McCain and the rest of the bunch have had their chance.

God Bless Her

WHEN Anna Radosz, a mother to be, was diagnosed with a potentially fatal form of skin cancer, her first thoughts were for her unborn child.

Six months into the pregnancy, she was told a course of chemotherapy would be needed to successfully tackle the malignant melanoma.

But the 27-year-old refused the potentially life-saving treatment to protect her baby, and she gave birth to a healthy son, Oscar, last November.

But that selfless sacrifice has cost Ms Radosz her life.

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What a selfless mother. I am sad for the father, child, family, and friends. She made the decision a true mother would make. Believing that her unborn child was a true human being with the same rights as herself, she went on with the pregnancy, denying herself the treatment that would have most likely saved her, but killed her baby. She is a true hero.

God bless her.