Sunday, January 8, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Two steps forward, one step back.
So about this time last month I had finally gotten to where I wanted to be financially speaking. I have my new computer and I'm ready to look for a nicer place to live. Everything was going so well. It was the second I stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop, that it landed square on my ass,
Winter is never easy for me, given that walking is difficult in and of itself. But hell I do well enough most of the time. It's that one time I screw up that kicks my ass so hard I feel it for weeks. To put it in the geekiest way I can think of at the moment, I rolled a critical failure and landed my ass in the hospital. Only to get patched up and checked out. but the doctor recommends the chair for a month or so. I do so hate this thing, but I make it a habit of following a doctors instruction... most of the time.
So that is a little update. Still working on paying off other medical bills while piling more on top. Still. could be worse. I might not update a terrible amount. I am still planning on moving here soon and if all goes well with that I will be very busy.
Winter is never easy for me, given that walking is difficult in and of itself. But hell I do well enough most of the time. It's that one time I screw up that kicks my ass so hard I feel it for weeks. To put it in the geekiest way I can think of at the moment, I rolled a critical failure and landed my ass in the hospital. Only to get patched up and checked out. but the doctor recommends the chair for a month or so. I do so hate this thing, but I make it a habit of following a doctors instruction... most of the time.
So that is a little update. Still working on paying off other medical bills while piling more on top. Still. could be worse. I might not update a terrible amount. I am still planning on moving here soon and if all goes well with that I will be very busy.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Ok, now a new computer
The new computer is set up. I'm still deciding which Linux distro I want to set up on here. I'm torn between Gentoo and Slackware. Debian is still a possibility, but the other two are in the lead for now. I am even wondering which window manager I want to use. I suppose I could experiment with all these variables, but I find research first means the experiments can be much more efficient.
Anyway enough about my new computer and on to a tiny rant. Recently a few people have been making some 'job proposals' to me. These 'jobs' tend to be more like free labor for a doomed project. Now I have no problem working on doomed projects, but not for free. I have heard so many people offer to pay me after the project takes off, or by giving me a percentage of the company itself.
I have said no every single time. It's hard enough getting people with money to pay me what they owe me sometimes. I do not want to deal with people who have no money, but 'the next (youtube, facebook, twitter, digg, etc.)'. Not that I wish for these people ill fortune. If they make it, awesome. I, however, have a desperate urge to eat on a fairly regular basis, and so I prefer to be paid when I am working or when I have finished my work.
If you are wondering what I mean when I say it's hard to get people with money to pay me sometimes, I have had a conversation pretty close to this several times over this past year:
Me: Hello, Kate here.
Employer w/ finished work: Yes hello..
(insert pleasantries and small talk)
Me: (Cutting past the attempt at small talk) So what can I do for you? Is there a problem with (the project)?
Employer: Well yes and no. Everything looks great and works just fine, but there's a small issue...(Pause)
Me: Yes?
Employer: I'm afraid we can't pay you what you're asking.
Now it's at this point I should tell you that any job that this is an issue for, I always give them an exact figure at the start. They have already agreed to pay me the amount in question, signed a contract to that extent, and now wish to cut down the costs. The conversation at this point varies quite a bit. But the jist of it is I try to be somewhat nice. I don't want my reputation to take a nosedive because my employers refused to pay. Still I remain firm on the cost, and if they keep trying to weasel out of it I inform them that they can either pay me in full or they can pay a lawyer to tell them they have to pay me in full, and then go ahead and pay me anyway. But I leave that only for the most stubborn of asshats.
Sometimes it feels good to rant about these things, although doing it at 2:30 am may not be the best time. I am sure my prose has suffered due to how tired I am. Is prose even appropriate there? I feel like it could be, but I'm not sure. Too lazy to look it up.
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Seems unlikely, but who knows.
Have fun!
Anyway enough about my new computer and on to a tiny rant. Recently a few people have been making some 'job proposals' to me. These 'jobs' tend to be more like free labor for a doomed project. Now I have no problem working on doomed projects, but not for free. I have heard so many people offer to pay me after the project takes off, or by giving me a percentage of the company itself.
I have said no every single time. It's hard enough getting people with money to pay me what they owe me sometimes. I do not want to deal with people who have no money, but 'the next (youtube, facebook, twitter, digg, etc.)'. Not that I wish for these people ill fortune. If they make it, awesome. I, however, have a desperate urge to eat on a fairly regular basis, and so I prefer to be paid when I am working or when I have finished my work.
If you are wondering what I mean when I say it's hard to get people with money to pay me sometimes, I have had a conversation pretty close to this several times over this past year:
Me: Hello, Kate here.
Employer w/ finished work: Yes hello..
(insert pleasantries and small talk)
Me: (Cutting past the attempt at small talk) So what can I do for you? Is there a problem with (the project)?
Employer: Well yes and no. Everything looks great and works just fine, but there's a small issue...(Pause)
Me: Yes?
Employer: I'm afraid we can't pay you what you're asking.
Now it's at this point I should tell you that any job that this is an issue for, I always give them an exact figure at the start. They have already agreed to pay me the amount in question, signed a contract to that extent, and now wish to cut down the costs. The conversation at this point varies quite a bit. But the jist of it is I try to be somewhat nice. I don't want my reputation to take a nosedive because my employers refused to pay. Still I remain firm on the cost, and if they keep trying to weasel out of it I inform them that they can either pay me in full or they can pay a lawyer to tell them they have to pay me in full, and then go ahead and pay me anyway. But I leave that only for the most stubborn of asshats.
Sometimes it feels good to rant about these things, although doing it at 2:30 am may not be the best time. I am sure my prose has suffered due to how tired I am. Is prose even appropriate there? I feel like it could be, but I'm not sure. Too lazy to look it up.
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Seems unlikely, but who knows.
Have fun!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A new computer! Finally!
Well, not yet but soon. I have been a very busy girl lately. I lucked out and got a lot of work over the past month. This sadly meant that I haven't participated in either the /dev/null tournament or NaNoWriMo this month. I wasn't even able to make a costume for Halloween this year! My inner child cried. =(
My computer will be a tower of awesome. It could certainly be better, but I have every intention of upgrading the components as I go on. Naturally I build my own machine. I have build every non-laptop computer of mine since I was 14. (My first computer was an old dos box of unknown origin. Thrown out by someone else.)
Anywho, I'm sure that people have been expecting some scans! Well you shall have some! I promised and here they are:
I hope you all enjoyed those. I have several more, but I don't want to post them all at once.
Thanks for reading and have fun!
My computer will be a tower of awesome. It could certainly be better, but I have every intention of upgrading the components as I go on. Naturally I build my own machine. I have build every non-laptop computer of mine since I was 14. (My first computer was an old dos box of unknown origin. Thrown out by someone else.)
Anywho, I'm sure that people have been expecting some scans! Well you shall have some! I promised and here they are:
I hope you all enjoyed those. I have several more, but I don't want to post them all at once.
Thanks for reading and have fun!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Learning How To Lose
I have yet to meet anyone who likes to lose. Be it an argument, a game of risk, or anything else the appeal of getting the better of your opponent is far greater than letting someone be dominant you. So I would like to appeal to anyone reading, that they learn How To Lose.
Games can be a great example of knowing how to lose being a beneficial thing. I mentioned the game of Risk because I just recently saw a game escalate into an argument and some raised voices. Anger over a board game. The reason the person sat down and began to play the game was that he intended to have some fun with his friends. His anger and yelling are probably good indicators that he has failed to achieve his goal of having fun. So when he began to lose he failed to remember his original goal of having fun and forfeited it for a new goal of winning the game. Thus he lost. Even if he turned it around, and began to win the game, his original goal of having fun has been diminished if not obliterated.
This applies to life as well. I avoid time consuming arguments by letting people win. You might recall me having a brief 'argument' with a co-worker in a sketch a while back. I avoided correcting him, didn't press any issues I had with what he said, I just made my best attempt to move along in order to get the job done. The goal was to repair his computer and get back to work quickly. I achieved that goal far faster than I had hoped, despite the holdup.
I don't think I did this topic the justice it deserves. Sometimes you have to bite your tongue. Hold back that urge to inform people of their own ignorance or even that your opinion differs from theirs. It will usually do very little but waste your time, given the inherent difficulty of changing anyone's opinion. I'd like to try and be more through, but sadly I must return to my work. But look forward to sketches soon, as I have ordered a new scanner out of a necessity. (I took a job that required one. Deductible!)
Games can be a great example of knowing how to lose being a beneficial thing. I mentioned the game of Risk because I just recently saw a game escalate into an argument and some raised voices. Anger over a board game. The reason the person sat down and began to play the game was that he intended to have some fun with his friends. His anger and yelling are probably good indicators that he has failed to achieve his goal of having fun. So when he began to lose he failed to remember his original goal of having fun and forfeited it for a new goal of winning the game. Thus he lost. Even if he turned it around, and began to win the game, his original goal of having fun has been diminished if not obliterated.
This applies to life as well. I avoid time consuming arguments by letting people win. You might recall me having a brief 'argument' with a co-worker in a sketch a while back. I avoided correcting him, didn't press any issues I had with what he said, I just made my best attempt to move along in order to get the job done. The goal was to repair his computer and get back to work quickly. I achieved that goal far faster than I had hoped, despite the holdup.
I don't think I did this topic the justice it deserves. Sometimes you have to bite your tongue. Hold back that urge to inform people of their own ignorance or even that your opinion differs from theirs. It will usually do very little but waste your time, given the inherent difficulty of changing anyone's opinion. I'd like to try and be more through, but sadly I must return to my work. But look forward to sketches soon, as I have ordered a new scanner out of a necessity. (I took a job that required one. Deductible!)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
On Dwarf Fortress
I admit,to pass the time I have been considering returning to Dwarf Fortress. The game sucked me in completely in years past. I had planned on playing it as soon as it was available for linux. Sadly, this did not happen. Several factors pushed me away from that time sink.
Recently, I decided to take a look back and see what bug fixes were in since my last peek. In doing so I had sealed my fate. So many things had been changed, it sounded amazing. I now feel like I've fallen behind. My knowledge of the game is outdated. So I'm taking a weekend to play it once again. I also decided that since I have time I might as well update this blog.
I plan to update this every so often, but it will continue to be irregular until likely January. When my financial situation will hopefully look a bit brighter.
Recently, I decided to take a look back and see what bug fixes were in since my last peek. In doing so I had sealed my fate. So many things had been changed, it sounded amazing. I now feel like I've fallen behind. My knowledge of the game is outdated. So I'm taking a weekend to play it once again. I also decided that since I have time I might as well update this blog.
I plan to update this every so often, but it will continue to be irregular until likely January. When my financial situation will hopefully look a bit brighter.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
More blogging
Well I was recently reminded of this blog, and so I thought I would share what has been going on.
I've been working, sleeping, eating, playing D&D, reading, drawing, and writing. There's a lot of work to do before my financial situation is completely stable, but medical bills always suck.
I suppose I could go into more detail about the individual things I've been doing, and I suppose I will later, along with a greater accounting of the past few months. For now, just know, I'm still alive, still planning to update this blog. Just not for a few more months. See you then.
I've been working, sleeping, eating, playing D&D, reading, drawing, and writing. There's a lot of work to do before my financial situation is completely stable, but medical bills always suck.
I suppose I could go into more detail about the individual things I've been doing, and I suppose I will later, along with a greater accounting of the past few months. For now, just know, I'm still alive, still planning to update this blog. Just not for a few more months. See you then.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The ACTA
A treaty in the works called ACTA had a small portion of it leaked a while back. The treaty itself is confidential, but these things have a way of getting out there. Thankfully it did.
To make a long story short I am rather unhappy with it. I am no news reporter, nor am I a lawyer. So rather than muddle through and tell you all about it I figured I would give you an appropriate link or two.
This is an inconvenience to all, not just pirates. After all it seems that mere accusations can cause you some trouble. So in truth I would like to see it fail horribly, or at least change dramatically. I doubt either one will come to pass. So I make preparations for the laws of the world to change again.
I have made plans to use this for evil. The irony that few realize is that the law applies to everyone. If you dislike a group or organization? Accuse them of infringement! 'The CEO of the RIAA seems to have recently downloaded (insert copyrighted material). Please take action against this individual immediately!" "The members of Congress seems to have recently downloaded..." You get the picture. Accuse everyone. It costs you practically nothing.
Yes, this presents a problem for everyone. Just remember that EVERYONE includes people you would like to get a point across to and/or dislike. =)
(Insert Maniacal Laughter Here)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Doomsday Book
Still no scanner sadly, so no art up for this month.
In other news I have been rereading a book, I wanted to share with you. I read the book due to hearing a filk song about it. The song, 'In a Gown Too Blue' by Brenda Sutton and performed by Three Weird Sisters, was good enough to pick up my interest. The song is about "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis. Both the song and the book are worth picking up. If you don't want spoilers, read the book before listening to the song. For me I still enjoyed the book with what spoilers I had already heard. The fact that I am rereading a book means that I give it a very high recommendation. I'm looking into getting the other books from Connie Willis that run in the book's continuity.
I've rambled on long enough. Have fun everyone. I'll be reading. =)
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