Been Awhile, and I'm Probably Bitter

As the world turns and progress of the insane and blissfully ignorant marches forward I see I haven't posted in awhile.  As I look around my environment I realize I have gotten older, but I am still the same.  I don't know if I haven't seen it before, or if I am just noticing it, but it seems the world has gotten dumber.  I don't know what to think of this.  Have we tried to make everything so easy and user friendly that we have lost our ability to reinvent the wheel if need be?

It feels like the whole world is being run by the weak.  No one remembers how to dig a hole anymore with a shovel.  As if physical labor is below them.  Maybe this world needs a reset.  I wonder what would happen if an apocalyptic event should ever happen and the ability to code in Basic is no longer a necessity, or a viable skill.  That knowing how to grow your own food will be the only thing left of importance.  Will the smiths, farmers, and carpenters make their rightful comeback as those who thought they were better wither away to death falling prey to societal leeches that should have died off from starvation without the handouts of the government?

There seems there is no more personal responsibility in today's world.  Fear has swayed the political vote where too many people feel they are entitled to take from others they think are more well off than themselves.  They vote away their freedom, prosperity, safety, and upward mobility for the illusion of safety.

My grandparents and parents have always told me there is no such thing as a free lunch.  Sacrifice will always be made in order to attain something.  Let's take food stamps for instance.  When on food stamps not only are others who have worked hard for their earnings being robbed to pay for your meal, but the meals you are receiving as a food stamp recipient are never as good or nutritious as if you had earned the meal yourself.

If you don't believe me, let's look at the larger picture of American Society.  An individual is more than likely to be grossly obese while poor than someone above the poverty line.  I'm starting to think those that are below the poverty line are there because they are incapable of making wise decisions that look at the future instead of the here and now.  The whole killing of the golden goose, thing.

I've been back overseas for over a year now, and I read in the news that fast food workers were striking for a "living wage".  Life is full of choices.  To grow up and work in the service industry was always laughed at when I was a child. All of a sudden being a fast food server is a career?  When did this happen?  Jobs like that were reserved for teenagers as an after school part time job to help pay for gas and car insurance with, in hopes, a bit left over to pay for prom at the end of the year.  We all make life decisions.  If your life decisions have you flipping burgers there is no one to blame but yourself.

I try not to dwell on it.  I try to just make myself better at whatever I am trying to teach myself.  Somethings I love learning because I just want to know more about it.  Other things I learn because I have to.  Either way, I try to learn as much as I can about whatever subject I can so I can be more self sufficient at it.  I keep doing this and I am finding out that of my co-workers I become the subject matter expert.  I keep trying to encourage my co-workers as if they are children.  I find myself saying things like, "You're doing a good job, keep it up."  "Keep at it, you'll get it."  "I'm so glad you are here."

In truth I want to say, "I paid attention in life, I'm sorry you are unable to cope."  "No one led me by the hand to learn this task.  I opened the manual and taught myself."  "Google search, they have a 'How To' for everything."

There have been a few people I have met in my life that are knowledgeable and capable.  However, they are far and few between.  It's like there aren't people out there that want to excel in anything anymore.  Even their hobbies are just the celebration of mediocrity.  Even knowing every episode of a TV program has become something to acknowledge as a worthwhile achievement.

I'm not saying I know everything about everything.  I am far from that.  If I was perfect I could walk on water and would have been crucified.  It just amazes me that just how far people will go to not put forth any effort.  

Steam has Issues

When I purchase a game title on disc, I don't want your software messing up the install, then having to "download" what can be installed from the disc. I finally got Fallout New Vegas to install from the disc by reinstalling the Steam client then reinstalling New Vegas, but it won't let me launch New Vegas without updating the game first. I wouldn't mind, but for some reason, and it's only Steam servers that do this, I only get at best 12 KB/S at a burst on a good day. And I have tried every one of your servers on the server list. I let Steam run one night all night to get 200 MB of the 300+ MB download for Fallout New Vegas and Steam crashes, and I have to start the whole download over again. This is on a clean install of Windows 7 64 Bit with nothing installed on your list of software that interrupts or messes with Steam. I bought Metro 2033 not knowing I'd have to register and update it through your software. Steam crashed during the install of the game and now instead of reinstalling from disc, it wants to download the whole game from one of your servers at 3 KB/S, at burst. If I update my games that use Windows Live I get 60-150KB/s depending on the time of day. I have tried every troubleshooting suggestion from your website with no avail.

I work in Afghanistan and have VSAT service through Bentley Walker, and it's only your servers I have issues with. Only yours. You understand? The rest of the entire internet can get it together, but the whole Valve Steam Team must be either lazy or incompetent. I provide 4 networks to include physical infrastructure and provided software services to include client software and firmware installs and updates, not to mention phone services to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their allies with a team of 3 people in a remote area of the world. If I gave the level of service you provide just for updates to that of my clients, I would be replaced.

Every service member and civilian out here has not only expressed their distaste for Steam, but has let their friends and family know so that they will boycott your product and any software company that forces anyone to use your product for registration and updates.

I will be sending a copy of this statement to every software company I can email so they are aware of what is going on. I will also be emailing this to online retailers such as GameStop and EBGames so they can properly label products for sale so no one accidentally buys a Steam enabled game.

UPS and Clean Power

UPS are the best thing since sliced bread. Out here in Afghanistan power is less than reliable, and the power you do have is as clean as Courtney Love's blood stream. Even though I'm out in the middle of nowhere, I still have my electronics with me. Before I just had a Sager notebook, but for the price I paid for that I knew I could build a killer AMD system for a thousand dollars less with twice the memory and twelve times the hard drive space. So I did. While waiting on the delivery of my tower I had experienced a massive power surge that even my power supply and laptop battery couldn't handle. Goodbye data. This disturbed me. If a power surge can do that to a simple laptop, what would it do to my tower? Not to mention my Xbox 360, dual monitors, speakers, and everything else I wish to plug into the power? I acted quickly and ordered UPS systems off of NewEgg. I couldn't be happier. Now I have the most reliable power on the FOB, and none of my stuff is mission essential. It's all for my personal stuff. I highly recommend CyberPower UPS. You won't regret it.

“Take care of your equipment and tools. If PMCSed properly they will always take care of you when you need them.” SFC Stubblefield.