Voodoo, Power Brokers, and Me

It has been suggested that I write about the strange life I live, one degree away from high profile news intrigues, and players who have become household names. Someday I may do that.

More than likely, you wouldn't believe the number of times in my life when I was one degree away from the real deal, in varying contexts. It's probably the same karma that once caused my brother to note that if there was a weirdo within a hundred miles, chances are I'd met him. I attract the bizarre. A bizzarro magnet. But I'm just mild mannered, run of the mill, an average Jose doing my best to make enough sense of things to get by.

Legend has it that much of the work I do is the result of a curse placed on a particular facility by an angry ex spouse of the owner. I'm not so sure that explains why everything continually breaks. I'd say the wrong contractors have been brought in to do the major work, but you never know. It seems one man's curse is another man's blessing. It puts money in my pocket. Actually in the pockets of those I owe for monthly bills. It has pretty much paid the rent, and made me lazy. I think it is time to cultivate a bit more ambition and look to future, etc. Not my forte--planning well for my future.

One thing I've learned in the last year, witnessing the different ways people live who have the means to choose lifestyle, is that not everyone is into the Zenness of their work. Menial or not, I tend to get a kind of peace out of doing a job, enjoying the process more than thinking of it as something which has to get done with the least amount of work in the least amount of time. That is a goal, but I tend to like the work itself even when it is not fun, or when it is tedious.

I'm more interested in being satisfied with the quality and if I have to take more time and do more work to be satisfied I gave it my best shot, then that's the way of it. Of course, there is that balance which has to be maintained so that overkill does not yield negative results. You can get things done quickly and still receive the benefit of the zen like space the doing provides.

The biggest hurdle is getting started. The second biggest hurdle is assuring observers that, even though the initial aspect of a project make seem slow, and my way of going about it may seem peculiar or slow, when I reach the final stage it will fall together quickly. In short, there is method to my madness.

Maybe it comes from the period when I worked on a prototype system. Any design of even minimal complexity involves anticipating possible snafus if you want to limit the trial and error, and redoing process. Sometimes I may carry that too far, but I think I mostly have it contained to proper context these days.

Just thinking out loud. That's enough about me. The Chargers have won 9 straight games, and I find I have a ittle Southern pride I had not suspected was there. It gives me a degree of satisfaction to know that my favorite quarterbacks, Rivers, Favre, Payton Manning, are all southern boys, and Rivers comes from NC State. The head of their textile science department once tried to talk me into going back to school to pursue a doctorate in the field. That sort of flattery wins loyalty and friends. I did not do it, obviously, but that university di work with me very well on a project once, hooking me up with a doctoral candidate who conducted some testing I helped design using equipment I made.

Oops. That was about me, again. I'd write about you, but you're more of an authority on you. Besides, it is not polite to write about someone, crossing the line of confidentiality and common courtesy which demands one doesn't put the business of others out there, innocuous or not.

That was one of the positive events in a process that left me wiser, and very disappointed in the nature of government-business partnerships, lobbyist activity and the ignorant approval of such corruption by the public. End result, I dropped out and decided I was not of the nature required to play that game. I may have over reacted, but I was young and knew I was way too naive to know how to swim with sharks without getting eaten. I did not think it could be done unless I wanted to be a shark, too. Now, I believe differently, but I'm less confused now. Less motivated as well.