• 08Feb

    Sad Pandas

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    Hello, hello and welcome to another fine round of “this is Jason’s blog”. I know it has been ages since I’ve blogged, so I thought I would take some time today to verify I still remember how to do this.

    Over the past however long I’ve been spending most of my online “social networking” over on facebook. Facebook is neat and all, but I don’t get the sense that you can just “blog” there. Most of it seems to be all about “what are you doing right this second”. I am enjoying the ability to privately message friends and catch up without writing on “The Wall” though.

    I’m a bit astounded to learn how many of my former high school classmates have ended up in Southwest Michigan. I swear they are all following me…

    I also have news of the work variety, but I’m not yet awake enough to share the latest round of excitement at Initech. Suffice it to say, I still don’t have my stapler…

    For now go find dangerously low on grog, the whiteboard blog and the coding walrus blog. They are all current or former coworkers and I’d like to think still friends. Mad props to Roger for keeping us all up-to-date on what’s going on in his life.

    Thanks again to Robert for getting me access after I forgot my admin password again.

  • 08May

    Feels like going home

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    I can’t explain it, I know it is a tourist trap, but Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Orlando feels like coming home to me. I could sit on the deck at the Porch of Indecision for hours on end. I could wander the gift shop and drop hundreds if not thousands of dollars if I were made out of money (the fancy Adirondack chairs average $500 a piece I think). OK, I’m off a bit…they average $424 but that’s before shipping.

    What can I tell you? Day two of VSLive! Orlando and we’ve hit Margaritaville for reals. It was a good time, though honestly the food to me is no better than Cheeseburger in Paradise. Which is to say it isn’t bad but it certainly isn’t anything special. You go to Margaritaville for the atmosphere and the drinks, period. The shops fun too, but that’s not a prereq as all that stuff is available online.

    I had me a Marg, a Corona and a BBQ Cheeseburger in Paradise and now I wish I were going to the Kenny Chesney show Friday night. Oh well, maybe next year. I have to say it is fun hangin’ with Bert and Terry in Orlando, but I wish Lori was here. It would be infinitely more fun if it were just she and I and we really WERE on vacation.

    I have to say the conference hotel (NOT where we are staying btw) is really cool. I dig the theme and the atmosphere of the place. Check it out:

    http://www.universalorlando.com/ht_rpr_index.html

    The neat thing is if you WERE staying there it is walking distance, you get free Universal Express Pass and free theme park tickets, not a bad deal considering the price of parking, individual park one day tickets and the fact that normally the Express Pass tacks on an additional $25 per ticket per day I think.

    At any rate it is Tuesday night, tomorrow is the last day of the conference and we’re heading home Thursday. Orlando is almost over, and I wish I could stay a while longer to just enjoy the city. I don’t know why, perhaps it is because this town is a giant tourist trap, but I like it here. The weather is nice (for now) and I am really enjoying all the palm trees and boat drinks. I guess that goes without saying…

    Hi from Orlando…I miss you all…I’ll try to bring some warm weather back with me…

  • 23Apr

    Rockin’ the broadband in Schoolcraft

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    PEOPLE - We HAVE HIGH SPEED INTERNET in Schoolcraft. YES, I said High Speed internet while I house/cat sit. I dig me some Alltel EVDO wireless/cellular broadband. I downloaded 18 MB in six minutes. Over her dialup that would have taken an hour and a half!!!

    So, I might get back to using the internet while I’m hanging out here. The uber cool thing is that it IS NOT a PC Card EVDO modem/card/whatever. It is a USB EVDO so I can use it with my laptop, Lori’s PC, my home PC and any other PC that I install the software on.

    Granted, it will only work on the PC that has the card connected via USB but this is still friggin’ sweet. I’m *hoping* that it will also work Up North. Imagine high speed internet at the travel trailer. It could be a great summer. I wonder if Terry will let me work from my “cabin”? I wonder if VPN will work over cell connection?

    I wonder if I can *share* the connection and get Xbox Live going? Now wouldn’t THAT be cool!!!!

    So welcome back to the Internet. I missed you people. Everybody drop me a note and say Hi.

    Peace Out!

  • 09Apr

    You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) - Josh Groban

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    Don’t give up
    It’s just the weight of the world
    When your heart’s heavy
    I…I will lift it for you

    Don’t give up
    Because you want to be heard
    If silence keeps you
    I…I will break it for you

    Everybody wants to be understood
    Well I can hear you
    Everybody wants to be loved
    Don’t give up
    Because you are loved

    Don’t give up
    It’s just the hurt that you hide
    When you’re lost inside
    I…I will be there to find you

    Don’t give up
    Because you want to burn bright
    If darkness blinds you
    I…I will shine to guide you

    Everybody wants to be understood
    Well I can hear you
    Everybody wants to be loved
    Don’t give up
    Because you are loved

    You are loved
    Don’t give up
    It’s just the weight of the world
    Don’t give up
    Every one needs to be heard
    You are loved

  • 25Mar

    Ballin’

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    So I’ve discovered the wonderful thing that the Kalamazoo Kingdom Indoor Soccer Complex has wireless internet access. This is an excellent diversion in between paying attention to Z’s practice. I like this a lot, I can sit at a table, watch the practice and still type away. So consider this perhaps my once in a week opportunity to catch up on blogging with a free high speed connection.

    Welcome back to the world jasongaunt.com - I’ve missed you. It just doesn’t work blogging from Lori’s on dialup. Been looking at big screen tvs for Xbox 360. Life in HDTV land is very, very confusing. Plus it is still darn expensive. I’d love to get a Sony, but I can’t support the price premium for the brand name. Perhaps someday when I’m rich and famous I’ll get a Sony 60+ inch XBR LCD TV. Until then I’m torn between a Samsung and a Sharp. Does anyone have any suggestions? Short of save your money and don’t buy anything? :-)

    Well, it is great to be back but I’m running out of time. See you sometime soon.

    Happy Trip Lori, I can’t wait until you get home. We all miss you (Z, Cujo, Belly and I).

  • 14Sep

    Straight Outta Lynnwood - White and Nerdy

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    “Weird Al” Yankovic has a new CD debuting on September 25th. This new CD includes such instant classics as “Don’t download this song” (which he made available for free download) and a parody of Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’”…

    Enjoy the lyrics to “White and Nerdy”:

    White & Nerdy by Al Yankovic
    They see me mowin’
    My front lawn
    I know they’re all thinking I’m so white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Can’t you see I’m white and nerdy?
    Look at me, I’m white and nerdy
    I wanna roll with
    The gangstas
    But so far they all think I’m too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    I’m just too white and nerdy.
    Really really white and nerdy.

    First in my class here at MIT
    Got skills, I’m a champion at D&D
    MC Escher - that’s my favorite MC
    Keep your 40, I’ll just have an Earl Grey tea
    My rims never spin, to the contrary
    You’ll find that they’re quite stationary
    All of my action figures are cherry
    Steven Hawking’s in my library
    My MySpace page is all totally pimped out
    Got people beggin’ for my top eight spaces
    Yo, I know pi to a thousand places
    Ain’t got no grills but I still wear braces
    I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise
    I’m a whiz at Minesweeper - I could play for days
    Once you see my sweet moves you’re gonna stay amazed
    My fingers’ movin’ so fast I’ll set the place ablaze
    There’s no killer app I haven’t run
    At Pascal, well I’m number one
    Do vector calculus just for fun
    I ain’t got a gat but I got a soldering gun
    Happy Days is my favorite theme song
    I could sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
    I’ll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
    I’m fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon

    They see me roll on
    My Segway
    I know in my heart they think I’m white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Can’t you see I’m white and nerdy
    Look at me, I’m white and nerdy
    I’d like to roll with
    The gangstas
    Although it’s apparent I’m too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    I’m just too white and nerdy
    How’d I get so white and nerdy

    I’ve been browsin’, inspectin’
    X-Men comics, you know I collect ‘em
    The pens in my pocket, I must protect ‘em
    My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored
    Shopping online for deals on some writable media
    I edit Wikipedia
    I memorized Holy Grail really well
    I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL
    I got a business doing websites
    When my friends need some code, who do they call?
    I do HTML for ‘em all
    Even made a homepage for my dog
    Yo, I got myself a fanny pack
    They were havin’ a sale down at The Gap
    Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap
    Pop, pop, hope no one sees me
    Gettin’ freaky
    I’m nerdy in the extreme
    And whiter than sour cream
    I was in AV Club and Glee Club and even the Chess Team
    Only question I
    Ever thought was hard
    Was do I like Kirk
    Or do I like Picard
    Spend every weekend at the Renaissance Fair
    Got my name on my underwear

    They see me strollin’
    They laughin’
    And rollin’ their eyes ‘cause I’m so white and nerdy
    Just because I’m white and nerdy
    Just because I’m white and nerdy
    All because I’m white and nerdy
    Holy cow, I’m white and nerdy
    I wanna bowl with
    The gangstas
    But, oh well, it’s obvious I’m white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    I’m just too white and nerdy
    Look at me, I’m white and nerdy

  • 09Aug

    Image of Hope

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    I am passing along SPAM, only because I enjoyed it so very much…

    Hope

    I believe in these difficult and mean-spirited times in which we live there needs to be a message of hope. Just a single image that speaks to us of love, harmony, peace and joy. An image that suggests the universal brotherhood of man. I have found that image, and I ask that all of you take a moment to be inspired by it.

  • 09Aug

    Rage Against the Machine

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    For reasons which I can’t completely explain I am currently nearly consumed with rage. The stupid thing is I can trace the origins of this rage and logically say “that’s dumb, why am I so mad”. It started because I didn’t have a lunch destination in mind, and grew larger when my ATM of choice was out of service. I then began simply *driving* to where I was not sure. Of course at each turn I perceived stupid drivers, people being slow, cutting me off, etc. I’m sure I was and am in the middle of road rage on top of everything else.

    Then I returned to the stupid Sub shop I visit just about every day when I’m too lame to think of something good to eat. Was the sub good? Yeah, it was OK. Does it take *forever* to get through the line, well it sure seems that way to me. So here I sit, typing having just finally finished my sub. It is 12 minutes to 1:00 PM and I am just now done with running around and eating. And my lunch is basically over. I hope I lose this anger soon, I’m afraid of what may happen if it continues growing today. Time for a deep breath and some nice, cold Raspberry Ice Tea. Have a pleasant day, and avoid broken ATMs while in a rush!

  • 08Aug

    Where you at Rock where you At?

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    Over here to the rear with my girls and a forty of beer…

    Where am I at? What an amazingly simple and yet terribly complex question. I got hit with an interesting email today. It came from an old friend at Initech who I hadn’t heard from in several years. Her departure was the result of Initech’s Ms. Fake America Rose Colored Glasses department.

    At any rate, your pal and mine Shannon emailed and asked the simple question “Do you still exist?” I think I know what she meant, I think this was her way of testing to see if the email to an Initech account bounced back. However I found myself wondering if I still exist.

    Before any of you get too concerned or read too much into this, I was pondering this question directly as it relates to the “I” that is the peon at Initech. At Initech, Do I still exist? Or have I simply become a cog in the machine? A Ghost in the Shell (not the Standalone Complex)? Who am I today and is that individual (at Initech - the “Job” Jason or “Worker” Jason if you will) still around? The sad thing is that the me I was way back when doesn’t exist. He was ground into a powder and spit out into a mold of Corporate Apathy.

    I have no fire. I have no drive. I have no more need to excel or prove myself as a “rising star” because the organization I now exist in simply surrounds stars with solar batteries and sucks them dry.

    You’ve heard it all before though, or at the very least you’ve read it all before. Jason’s on the warpath again. Jason types big, but he doesn’t carry a stick. Jason makes grand plans, but he never executes. Perhaps that is simply because I don’t exist. I’m merely a ghost in the collective consciousness of corporate America (how’s that for alliteration?).

    If someone fails to think of me at Initech tomorrow, will I really be there? In the end, I think I’ll just wind up on my Yacht built by CIM shipyards (that’s probably C.I.M. but I don’t care) sailing through the Carribbean looking for that elusive Cheeseburger in Paradise.

    So long as I have my lady, my boat and some cold boat drinks I don’t really care…

    If you need me, I’ll be on the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful…Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning.

  • 24Jul

    Dentyne-ism #1

    The Voices in my Head No Comments

    Take the path less traveled (but bring plenty of underwear).

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