The Geek's Classroom

I'm not normally one to bash police officers just for the sake of doing so. Being in public service myself, I know that it is impossible to do everything that the public eye thinks that we should. However, I have had two frustrating experiences in the last week that I think are noteworthy - teachable moments for the kids, that didn't quite work the direction that I would have hoped.

First of all, I am that guy that drives the speed limit. I don't do it in the fast lane because before I was convicted of wanting to obey this law, I remembered how annoying it was when I was in a hurry and some dimwitted knucklehead (that would be me - now) was driving the speed limit in the fast lane. (Please note: I have posted on speed limits before.)

So anyway, the other day when I was driving 8-over with the kids in the back (along a stretch that I don't normally drive - and, as the officer even admitted, down a hill), I had hoped to be let off with just a warning. I was staying with the pace of traffic and not really endangering anybody. So, instead of being able to teach my children about how the athorities are out to catch the bad guys who are out there trying to hurt us, I got to teach them about taking consequences for wrongful acts. (Which kinda makes it so that I can't plea bargin the ticket with a clear conscience.)

I decided to take that one in stride and not whine about it. However, last night I had another potential run-in, again with the hopes of teaching my children that authority is there to help our communities be better for all of us.

Last night I was parked by the side of the road with my family - geocaching if you must know - and ended up with a dead battery. (I had shut the car off while I went on my search and left the radio, lights and heater on for my family who stayed in the car.) So anyway, I decided to open my hood and get out jumper cables so that I nice passer-by might quickly assess the scenario and decide that it would not be a major inconvenience to stop and help. The first car to come by after the stage was set, was a police car. I made eye contact with both the driver and the passenger (in the front seat, not the back) and he drove right on by. Luckily, the truck that followed behind and saw that I was just dis'd by a police officer decided to stop and help.

So, hopefully soon, I will have a run-in with another public servant who can help my children see that they are the good guys. I just hope that it is not due to a crime with a direct, negative effect on me.

Labels: family, frustration, geocaching

ICYC - bubble gum and beards don't mix. Funny what you don't think of after 15 to 20 years of not chewing gum....

Labels: frustration, funny, the mind

In the last 24 hours, I have received 3435 spam emails. I think I might need to make some changes. Only about 20 weren't filtered out. I must say that I do like Outlook 2007.

Labels: frustration

I received a letter today from a local restaurant. I have removed the restaurant's name to protect the stupid.

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Congratulations.....YOU'RE ARE ALWAYS WINNER...at XYZ!
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To redeem this offer, simply present this letter,(not to exceed $3.99) your server when you order at your local XYZ.
.
.
.

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The General Manager of the restaurant even bothered to hand sign it. All in all, it was a very professional looking letter. Do I highlight it when I return it? Do I add proper proof reading notation?

Labels: frustration, funny

So, the other day, I put in a request to buy a few copies of Windows Vista and Office 2007 for my school. I wanted a few people to try running it so that as we get closer to the day the district buys it, I will know some of the ins, outs, and other issues, and will be a lot more effective in training teachers on how to use the new products. I can also test the other software that we have for compatibility. (Keep in mind that these are both huge parts of my job description. Also keep in mind that I have been running the Betas and Release Candidates for both for several months - and love them - I just want to get the official final releases - to see if the RSS issues that I'm having got fixed - among other things. It would also be nice for my entire life not to collapse in April when the Betas expire.)

Of course, my request was turned down.

Now, the reason is the fun part. I was turned down because somebody in ITS (who happened to be me) loaded the Beta for Windows and found an issue that was significant. Well, last week, we upgraded our email software, the main program that I had a conflict with, and so it would be nice to run the new email software on the official release of Windows Vista to see if the problem still exists. But I can't because I previously found an issue and reported it.

Well, I wrote to one of the people whose job is it officially, by the district, to do this testing and reporting, let her know about the hang-up, and she found a way to get me a few copies of both. And my old department chair, who is now her boss, okayed the purchase, so I might be getting back to work soon....

That is, if it ever stops snowing so the shipment can actually get here.... It should all thaw by April. Right?

Labels: frustration, schools, tech support

I used to use cash at the gas station. It doesn't make sense to me that I can't use cash because "some other guy" likes to drive off without paying.

I have used the same gas station for almost a year now because it was the only gas station that would still trust me enough to take cash - but they no longer trust me either. I was a faithful customer. Every Monday after school. But to them, I am no exception. Apparently I was baiting the system so that one day when my tank was EXTREMELY empty, I would just fill it and run.

They think that if I pay first, it is no different than if I pay after. But, if they are not going to trust me with their fuel, why should I trust them with my change? Oh, that's right - I am the villanous customer and they are the upstanding corporate American representatives.

Perhaps I should commit a crime. It seems as though the American Courtroom is the only place where I am innocent until proven guilty. It would be nice to feel trusted once more.

Labels: frustration, trust

Have you ever spent three days of your life on a project just to watch it go "poof"? Yeah - that was my last 3 days.... Well, right now it looks like it will take only two days to do the second time.... I did figure out what caused all of the computers to fail.... So, it won't happen the second time.

Labels: frustration, tech support

If you can't set a digital clock, please don't use the self checkout.

If you have trouble discerning 'less than' and 'greater than', please avoid the express checkout lane.

If you have trouble understanding your checkbook register, please don't get a membership card to your grocery store.

(Sorry for the rant but I keep getting stuck behind the same people at the grocery checkout.)

Labels: frustration

when the tech guy's computer's hard drive fails? should his computer be a higher priority?

Labels: frustration, funny, tech support

by Robert Burns (best read with a Scottish accent)

Is there, for honest poverty,
That hings his head, an' a' that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Our toils obscure, an' a' that;
The rank is but the guinea's stamp;
The man's the gowd for a' that,

What tho' on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin-gray, an' a' that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man's a man for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their tinsel show an' a' that;
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, an' a' that,
His riband, star, an' a' that,
The man o' independent mind,
He looks and laughs at a' that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Guid faith he mauna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities, an' a' that,
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.

Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that,
That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree, an' a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's coming yet, for a' that,
That man to man, the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.

My apologies... I just had to post it - Pry 'cause I've delt with a couple o' coof this week m'self.

Labels: frustration

So, a short summary of my life:

1. Our school district is switching student information systems in less than a month. Part of my job description is to support the whole school staff through the whole process. Part of my job description is to train all of the teachers at my school how to use the system - most importantly, how to take attendance on April 3rd. (It's also a personal goal to train a few other people in just a little more than just attendance to make my life easier in the long run.)


2. The staff meeting where I was planning to introduce everyone to the primary concepts of the new system got cancelled today because of a pep assembly.


3. I had a four day training on the new product about three weeks ago - I have yet to recover from taking four days off.


4. On the last day of that training, I received notice that (thanks to decisions at the district) Apple Computer was shipping almost 100 new computers to my school - to arrive within the next week. I don't have storage space for 100 computers.


5. My son had surgery on a dermoid cyst last Wednesday. All went well, but I missed yet another day of work and he seems to only feel the pain at bedtime. He also learned two tricks this week: crawling and pulling up. These are two really fun tricks for a child with eight fresh stitches over his left eye. He likes to practice these at bedtime too...


6. The bookkeeper is ending the budget cycle next week so that purchases have time to amortize by the end of the fiscal year. Suffice it to say that I still have budget money to spend.


7. Today, I got a call from my wife while I was at work saying that she had thrown up and that she would like me to come home as early as possible.

I think that sums up the primary points - there are other points, but they involve that I still have family life, normal job duties, and stuff going on at church - so on to the parable.

Tonight, my son was having trouble falling asleep and, of course, only I could attempt to comfort him. It was obvious that he didn't want me, he wanted mommy. It was obvious that his eye was bothering him. It was obvious that he wanted to be moving around and not lying down.

I found myself saying, "If you would just slow down and rest here with daddy, you would realize that everything is going to be okay!"

hmm...

Labels: children, Christianity, frustration, schools, tech support

In my masters classes right now, we are having huge discussions about how computer mediated learning is student centric. I have pointed out to many people in these discussions that "if a teacher tells a student to go to a particular web site, student obedience is called student initiated; however, if the same teacher tells the same student to open a book, student obedience is called teacher initiated." Why is that?

Labels: frustration, masters program

I am curious as to why driving south is so much more unsafe than driving north. For the section of I25 between exit 191 and Lincoln Ave. northbound has a speed limit of 75 and southbound has a speed limit of 55. The next three miles are 65 north and 55 south. Are the afraid that since "south" is "down" on the map, that gravity might cause people to accelerate and they might fly off when they hit the equator? Is there more wildlife on the west side of the highway? Are people leaving Denver generally worse drivers than those leaving Castle Rock? I wrote to C-DOT about this issue once several months ago and they never posted a new speed limit sign, nor did they reply to my email, so I must believe that "south" is inherently more dangerous...

The section of I25 from Orchard to exit 191 is a joke with speeds anyway. The flow of traffic is 75 for this whole stretch. And so with the new impeding traffic law, it is now actually impossible to drive legally on this stretch (a cop's dream!) - 75 is breaking one law (the more obvious, posted law) - 55 is breaking another law (and risking life and limb). So, if we can get everybody to drive 120 on that stretch, it's "legal" because it is the "flow of traffic"?

We may as well just be honest and take down all of our highway speed limits signs and post "reasonable and prudent" like they do in Montana. If nobody's going to follow them and nobody's going to enforce them, why waste the raw materials on signage?

Labels: frustration, funny