Regular Rambo!

I didn’t get the supervisor position at work, and my hours and bonuses are still being cut.  Money is tight right now, and I really need to trim my expenses and pick up extra hours where I can.  I will also continue my search for a better job, although nothing promising has shown up on Monster lately.

I am also retaking the reigns of my D&D group, because reports have been coming my way that Dave has not been successful as a Dungeon Master thus far.  He has personal and family issues right now, wich I feel are limiting his ability to run the game well.  I will be starting my new campaign on the first Sunday in May, and we shall meet every Sunday thereafter for four hours.

I am using much of the Quietville Material I published here, with a few important changes.  Chiefly, I am changing the pantheon to a dualistic system, with two primary deities, a god of light, and a god of darkness, and also some kind of neutral nature deity who will play a lesser role in the campaign, as this particular campaign will focus primarily on the battle between the gods of light and darkness. I am taking there names from the video game Fable, Avo being the god of light, and Skorm being the god of darkness.  I haven’t yet decided what name I will use for the goddess of nature; possibly something archetypal like “Gia” or “Mother Nature”.  I will post more updates here as the game design progresses.

Yay!  Today marks the 25th anniversary of my birth.  I really stopped looking forward to birthdays within the last couple of years, and today doesn’t feel particularly special to me.  I guess I should take this opportunity to reflect upon my life, and count my blessings, so I don’t feel so down on my birthday.

First and foremost, I am thankful for Rachel, my wonderful fiancee, who is always here for me.  I was in a pretty bad place before she came along, and I really appreciate everything she does for me.  I can’t wait to spend many more birthdays with her.

I am also thankfull for my family, who has always supported me and my crazy career ambitions.  They have always taken me in when no one else will, and believed in me.  They have provided me with words of kindness and wisdom when I need it most.

Finaly, I am thankfull for my freinds, and all the laughs and good times we have together.  I will always remember summer cook outs at Joe & Courtney’s house, late night D&D sessions, and poker nights.  I have so many fond memories with my dear freinds I can’t even to begin to list them all here, but you know who you are.  No matter where you go, I will always be right there with you, and you here with me.

Today I found this Obama cartoon I would like to share with you.

One of my favorite supervisors at work is leaving tomorrow.   This is a little bit of a bitter sweet occasion because, although she will be sorely missed, this does open up an opportunity for one of us peons to become a night shift supervisor.  Needless to say, I applied for the position.

I submitted my resume earlier this week, and I was called into the facility managers office this evening for a preliminary interview.  She will be holding second interviews for select candidates on Monday.  I was nervous as hell, and it showed, but some of the other sales managers in the office told me I made a good impression.

This move is really all about money for me.  If it don’t make dollars,  It don’t make sense.  It would bean about a three dollar pay raise from my current base pay, and about 10-20 hours more per week, as well as benefits, which I need desperately. 

I have decided to create a new page here on my beloved wordpress blog in order to indulge in a little shameless self promotion.  I have posted my resume, for the benefit of all the visitors that I don’t have.  I am always keeping my eyes open for new opportunities.

If you happen to be looking for a good sales or customer service manager, feel free to check out my credentials.  I am willing to relocate, however I am reluctant to accept positions outside of the continental United States, or in cold climate areas, unless sufficiently compensated for my discomfort.

I will also make no secret of the fact that my services will always be available to the highest bidder, so be prepared to pay for my loyalty.  I can asure you however, that my services are well worth the money, and with the results I can produce for you, the costs of hiring me will quickly pay for themselves.

Last week in fantasy racing, I fell from the 87th percentile to the 84th percentile.  I hope to do better this week.  Unfortunately, Hendrick Motor Sport’s intermediate track programme has let me down thus far this evening.  Even crew cheif Chad Knaus has admitted that the Hendrick organization is behind on the intermediat tracks this year, but given the prestigious history of Hendrick Motor Sports, I don’t think this slum will last, so I am once again picking Jimmie Johnson to win this week.  Here are all four of my picks.

Jimmie Johnson
Kyle Busch
Mark Martin
Paul Menard

Good luck fantasy racers!

Once again, the time has come for this weeks fantasy NASCAR picks.  After last weeks exciting race at “the paperclip” in Martensvillle VA, I am now in the 87th percentile overall on Yahoo! Fantasy sports, and in 6th place out of 50 in my league. 

This weeks race, the Samsung 500 will be held at Texas Motor Speedway, as we leave  my beloved short track behind for the 1.5 mile intermediate track.  We can expect high speeds at this track, and an average pit window of 50-55 laps.  The track qualifying record here is held by Brian Vickers (196.235 mph, 27.518 seconds, 11-3-06) , but you won’t see him in my fantasy picks this week.  Instead, I will lead my team with the highest average finish at this track out of any active drivers.  That is Jimmie Johnson, with an average finish of 9.2 over the last 9 races.

Here is my team in it’s entirety:

Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Martin Truex Jr.
Scott Riggs

Wish me luck!

As I said in my previous post, I would follow up with further details on Iraq war strategy, so here is a quote form JohnMcCain.com on Iraq.

Bolster Troops on the Ground

A greater military commitment now is necessary if we are to achieve long-term success in Iraq. John McCain agrees with retired Army General Jack Keane that there are simply not enough American forces in Iraq. More troops are necessary to clear and hold insurgent strongholds; to provide security for rebuilding local institutions and economies; to halt sectarian violence in Baghdad and disarm Sunni and Shia militias; to dismantle al Qaeda; to train the Iraqi Army; and to embed American personnel in Iraqi police units. Accomplishing each of these goals will require more troops and is a crucial prerequisite for needed economic and political development in the country. America’s ultimate strategy is to give Iraqis the capabilities to govern and secure their own country.

Implement New Counterinsurgency Strategy

For most of the occupation, military strategy has focused on securing all of Iraq by establishing bases and conducting short operations from them. Ultimately, this secured only small areas of the country. John McCain believes the current force structure and power vacuum persisting in many areas of the country demands a more robust counterinsurgency strategy. Iraqi and American forces must not only use force to clear areas occupied by insurgents but to stay and hold these areas to deny them as a base for insurgent forces and allow economic and political development to occur in a secure environment. By emphasizing safety of the local population, this strategy will create strongholds in which insurgents find it difficult to operate.
Building a capable Iraqi army is a central requirement for ensuring Iraq’s ability to govern and protect itself long after American forces have withdrawn. The U.S. must accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi armed forces and police to enable them to play a key role in securing Iraq. Only in a secure environment will the development of Iraq’s political and economic institutions have a chance to succeed. Ultimately, Iraq’s future lies in the hands of its people, government, and armed forces, and strengthening them is an essential requirement for bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq. Until Iraqi forces are ready, however, a precipitous U.S. withdrawal would condemn Iraq to civil war and intervention by its neighbors and energize al Qaeda and other jihadists across the globe. This would gravely jeopardize American security.

Create the security necessary for political progress and stability

John McCain believes that only by controlling the violence in Iraq can we pave the way for a political settlement. But once the Iraqi government wields greater authority, it will be incumbent upon Iraqi leaders to take significant steps on their own. These include a commitment to go after the militias, a reconciliation process for insurgents and Baathists, more equitable distribution of government resources, provincial elections that will bring Sunnis into the government, and a large increase in employment-generating economic projects.

Accelerate political and economic reconstruction in a secure environment

While it is crucial to focus military efforts on insurgents, particularly against Sunni fighters using violence to strengthen their political position, John McCain believes there must be a greater emphasis on non-military components promoting economic development and representative, accountable governance.

In territories newly secured by the “clear, hold, and build” counterinsurgency strategy, many of the critical steps to succeeding in Iraq can begin to be implemented. Massive reconstruction can go forward without overwhelming fear of attack and sabotage. A substantial employment program can begin to give hope and opportunity to Iraqi citizens. Political meetings and campaigning can take place more freely. Average Iraqis will be more secure as militias and terrorists are reigned in and violence reduced. All of this will help civil society to emerge and deepen.

“In Iraq our national security interests and our national values converge. Iraq is truly the test of a generation, for America and for our role in the world. Faced with similar challenges, previous generations of Americans have passed such tests with honor. It is now our turn to demonstrate that our power, ennobled by our principles, is the greatest force for good on earth today. Iraq’s transformation into a secure democracy and a force for freedom in the greater Middle East is the calling of our age. We can succeed.”

-Senator John McCain

Iraqis need to see tangible improvements in their daily lives or support for the new government will falter. Sunnis need to know that if they abandon violence they will have a role in the political process, and the Shia need to know that security will be provided by coalition and government forces - not by private militias. Kurds need assurance that their gains will not be jeopardized by sectarian violence. All Iraqis must be able to look forward to a future of growing security and prosperity overseen by a competent, representative government free of corruption and sectarian conflict.

Keep Senior Officers in Place

The Pentagon has adopted a policy of rotating our generals in and out of Iraq almost as frequently as the rotating of troops. John McCain believes this to be a deeply flawed practice. If these are, in fact, the best leaders for the task, they should remain on the job as long as possible. These generals and other senior officers with experience possess critical situational awareness and expertise necessary to prevail.

Call for International Pressure on Syria and Iran

John McCain believes Syria and Iran have aided and abetted the violence in Iraq for too long. Syria has refused to crack down on Iraqi insurgents and foreign terrorists operating from within its territory. Iran has aided the most extreme and violent Shia militias, providing them with training, weapons, and technology that they have used to kill American troops.

The answer is not to enter into unconditional dialogues with these two dictatorships from a position of weakness. The answer is for the international community to apply real pressure to Syria and Iran to change their behavior. The United States must also bolster its regional military posture to make clear to Iran our determination to protect our forces in Iraq and to deter Iranian intervention in that country.

Win the Home-front

If efforts in Iraq do not retain the support of the American people, the war will be lost as soundly as if our forces were defeated in battle. A renewed effort at home starts with explaining precisely what is at stake in this war to ensure that Americans fully understand the high cost of a military defeat. The war in Iraq is at a crossroads and the future of the entire region is at stake - a region that produced the terrorists who attacked America on 9/11 and where much of the world’s energy supplies are located. Success is essential to creating peace in the region, and failure would expose the United States to national security threats for generations. Defeat in the war would lead to much more violence in Iraq, greatly embolden Iran, undermine U.S. allies such as Israel, likely lead to wider conflict, result in a terrorist safe haven in the heart of the Middle East, and gravely damage U.S. credibility throughout the world.

The American people also deserve to know that the path ahead will be long and difficult. They have heard many times that the violence in Iraq will subside soon - when a transitional government is in place, when Saddam is captured, when elections are held, when a constitution is in place. John McCain believes it is far better to describe the situation just as it is - difficult right now, but not without hope. The stakes for America could not be higher.

John McCain on Leadership

“Increasing U.S. troop levels will expose more brave Americans to danger and increase the number of American casualties. When Congress authorized this war, we committed America to a mission that entails the greatest sacrifice a country can make, one that falls disproportionately on those Americans who love their country so much that they volunteer to risk their lives to accomplish that mission. And when we authorized this war, we accepted the responsibility to make sure those men and women could prevail. Extending combat tours and accelerating the deployment of additional troops is a terrible sacrifice to impose on the best patriots among us, and they will understandably be disappointed when they are given that order. Then they will shoulder their weapons and do everything they can to protect our country’s vital interests in Iraq.”

- Senator John McCain

Up until this point, I have avoided the subject of politics in this blog.  Not because the subject is taboo in my eyes, but because there are simply to many political blogs already, and I feel that I couldn’t possibly have anything to say on the subject that hasn’t already been said better by someone else.  However, the time has come for me to endorse a candidate for this years presidential election.

All of the major candidates have merits to be considered, so before I chose a candidate, I first had to take a careful, introspective, look at myself.  I had to examine the way I feel on various political issues, and why I feel that way.  Only after a careful inventory of how I really feel about things, could I begin the process of choosing a candidate I felt best represents my own views.

This candidate is John McCain.  I feel that John McCain, first and foremost, is a true patriot, who has served this country well in a time of need.  He is also an experienced combat veteran, and military officer, who will make a strong commander in chief in this time of danger.  He has the respect of this nations military, and he will look after the interests of our men and women in uniform as well.

I also feel he has the experience to be an effective president.  He knows Washington.  He knows the people there.  He knows who he can trust, and who he can go to to get things done, and how to make things happen in our government.

John McCain represents fiscal responsibility on the part of the government.  He will not tax us into oblivion, nor will he spend our hard earned dollars wastefully.  He will not use my tax dollars to bail out irresponsible lenders and borrowers.

Above all thees other reasons, the primary reason why I am voting for John McCain is, I simply cannot support a candidate who wants to pull out of Iraq at this critical juncture.  I feel this would be a tragic mistake, causing irreparable harm to this nation, and the world as a whole.  I know this is an unpopular war, but we need to win it.  Now is not the time to turn tail and run.   I would love to go on, and get into more detail about this critical subject, but I am afraid I must save that for my next post.  Let me just say that those of you who are crying for us to leave Iraq immediately need to take a long hard look at the facts.  More on that tomorrow…