The past year has been full of work during graveyard, time with the family in the afternoon, and a loss of family friends. It’s been one big roller coaster, and over the past year I’m amazed at what has happened and what has not.

Now that things have settled down, my goal is to have at least one post per week, however this may not come to fruition. Bare in mind, that I am still here, and will try to update this thing as I can.

Thanks for stopping by anyway. :)

The whole story started just a few weeks ago. At times during work, I like to listen to the radio, whether it’s AM or FM, so I started looking at pocket radios. Before I got serious though, we had a nasty storm here, and I didn’t have access to the weather bands, or local stations. The more I looked, the more I wanted to listen to HF as well. I ended up deciding on a VR-500 receiver from Yaesu. It has full receive from about 1kHz to 1GHz, with AM, FM, SSB, etc…a fully mode capable receiver. The more I read, the more folks had good things to say, except for one. This person said that for about 50 bucks more, I could buy a QUAD band transmitter, that has full AM/FM receive from 5kHz to 1GHz. Well, this covered me for all of my shortwave and HF listening (minus code and SSB), aircraft and military UHF/VHF, plus whatever else is up above…AND it gives me transmit abilities for 6m, 2m and 70cm. (1.25 is pretty much dead, and this limits me to 1/3 watt there anyway.)

Since getting this bad boy, I’ve got most of the local 2m and 70cm repeaters saved plus a few other frequencies of notice…weather, police, the local airport tower, etc. But it also did one more thing…it sparked my interest in Ham Radio once again.

I already have plans for my next rig…a mobile HF/VHF/UHF all in one rig that does all modes on all amateur bands, with full 3kHz to 1GHz receive in all modes…Now I just need to upgrade my ticket to General so I can really use the rig. lol

ANDROID WAS HERE!! I’d completely forgotten. They had the Hero, and the Moment. Both were using 1.5, the Hero had Sense UI, but the Moment had a keyboard, an AMOLED display, and a faster processor. I chose the better hardware.

Over the next few months, I played with my device. It seems that Samsung has a hardware issue as this device goes into a CDMA lockup on occasion, warranting a reboot. Lately it’s gotten worse, probably from my constant data use.

About 3 weeks ago, the 2.1 software leaked to the SDX website, and like most nerds I tried it out. Besides having the same CDMA lockups, and losing tons of battery life, the system was really nice. Because of it being a leak, it was nowhere production ready, but the folks at SDX tweaked the ROM to allow somewhat better battery life, root access, and live wallpapers. But because the battery life was still nowhere near par, I decided to go back to a hacked 1.5 ROM that gives me almost a day of juice, root access and more options to play with. Now it runs very smoothly, but when it locks up I have to reboot several times.

2.1 should’ve been out months ago for this phone (after the 2.1 OS was released), but Sprint and Samsung have taken their time compiling it for this device. It will be the last Samsung android phone I buy.

Since I am due for my yearly upgrade, I plan to get the HTC EVO. They seem to take a little bit better care of their customer base, and at least the hardware works like it’s supposed to. More than I can say for Samsung.

I started back in December, 3 months after I lost connection to the outside world via the internet. In January, we moved to a town about an hour away from family and 15 minutes from work. It took about a week to get everything in order because I was on overtime right away…just a few hours, but it was still overtime. Plus it is working on an awesome jet, doing a job I’ve been wanting to do.

After that, we got our tax return, paid some bills, bought some stuff…and have been in a great position since. Benefits, insurance, a home…good stuff.

The only deal, and it’s starting to get a little old, it the amount of overtime I have. Although it seems I am complaining, I really can’t. I don’t have a choice…I work, or I go unemployed again. And since I’ve witnessed first-hand the anxiety, confusion, self-doubt, and annihilation that unemployment brings to one’s soul, I am NOT doing it again. Therefore I accept the job that will be my career for a LONG time. I’m not going to look this gift horse in the mouth. ;) Besides, 30+ hours of overtime leads to quite a big check. However, I don’t get to spend time with the family nearly as much as I want, but the extra pay makes it easier to do things when happen to be together.

Now, if I could figure out how to make my retirement fund work properly. Lol

I’ve had a few changes to my location, computers, tech, games, etc., so over the next few weeks I’ll have MUCH to talk about, so hang around.

If you’ve been following me at all over the past few months…I’ve been hitting Vista, OSX, and Ubuntu. Well…over the past few weeks I’ve been having issues, and it all came to a head last night.

Unfortunately, I’ve been having some odd problems in each OS, and I didn’t have a good storage partition set up yet. Yes I know…stupid rookie mistake. ALWAYS keep a backup partition, or external hiard drive handy for such an occasion.

Anyway, last night I tried to remove Ubuntu to make space for Vista’s backup files, but I made the mistake of not doing it from within Windows.

The “proper” way to remove a linux installation is to run the Windows disk from CD, and repair the Master Boot Record (mbr) so that the Linux bootloader is overwritten. Afterwards, Log into windows and use the Disk Management panel to remove/rename the linux partition and away you go. I didn’t do this…

I ended up removing the linux partitions and resizing using a LiveCD before fixing the mbr. Fail.

The Vista 32, 64 and Windows 7 disks could NOT find the broken Vista partition. Every bit of data lost. Music, pictures, videos, my scanned military records, VA stuff, resumes…all lost. That will be the LAST time I do crap like that.

If you are thinking of every reloading your computer, or trying a new OS…BACK UP!

From now on, 1/3 of my disk is for my main storage of documents, videos, pics, music, etc. I did this in the past, and for some odd reason I stopped doing it. Why? The world may never know…

If you HAVE seen it…

go HERE and await your destiny. You will NOT be disappointed.

I had the chance to take my blackberry with me on a trip for an interview. Wow!!! I had instant e-mail notification between myself and the company I was being interviewed by, and along the way I also had the chance to use my GPS for fun.

I have 5 GPS programs installed: BBMaps (stock), Sprint Nav (stock), Google Maps, Blackstar, and GPSed.

-BBMaps and Sprint Nav are basically used to the same purpose…navigation.
-Google Maps is a great program like it’s desktop/web equivalent, except it doesn’t recognize my GPS chip (8330m’s have a different chip that Google hasn’t fixed yet), so it only does vague locating for my position, but it’s great for finding stuff.
-Blackstar is a simple program that has Geocaching tools.
-GPSed is a free/pay program that in it’s free form, gives me a nice readout of my speed and coordinate location.

Other than playing with these all week, and browsing/texting/messaging/facebooking/twittering…the week has been pretty uneventful. The device works as advertised. My only problem thus far, has been trying to keep my hands off of it. :)

The only other programs I have installed have been ÜberTwitter and BerryWeather, with the latter being the only paid program so far. Both are excellent programs.

Now…what am I going to do this week….bah…back to the blackberry…

Want to watch the Apollo 11 mission on a minute-by-minute basis? Or would you like to relive the experience?

http://wechoosethemoon.org/

This website was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the mission with an interactive “official re-launch” at 8:02am ET on Thursday, July 16th 2009.

Enjoy!

I’ve had no problems with voice (thanks to the Airave) and no problems with data. The only real issue with the phone has been the signal bar, and my lack of experience with the device itself.

The signal indicator likes to fluctuate around from full signal to nothing, and between 1x (basic voice) and 1xEV (full 3g speed). After doing some research at www.crackberry.com, I’ve found out that my phone, a 8330, is actually an 8330m…an upgraded model with slightly different circuitry than what’s been sold over the past year. With this change, came a new operating system… 4.5.0.131

Another carrier’s model has version 138, and I tried it. It made the signal much more steady, but I had something against running a different OS that is neither stock, nor tested by others. There is a Hybrid OS in the works at Crackberry, but 54 pages of text made me decide against trying it as there are 4 carriers and 2 versions of difference that I have to contend with.

The connection changes between 1xEV are due to Sprint’s network. They say that voice and data cannot be done simultaneously as AT&T does with the iPhone (from what folks have told me), therfore the phone is constantly checking data, then checking voice, checking data, checking voice, and so on. It’s kind of backwards though considering that it’s a Blackberry…a data device that should have access all the time. lol Sprint has said that they are working to improve the way data and voice work to allow both, but there isn’t a time-line on when they will change it.

Other than these issues, I’ve had no problems at all. I’ve downloaded programs, games, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and they all work great. It’s nice when I’m browsing the web and I get a Tweet and Facebook message. I’ve got a Star Trek communicator sound that notifies me, and teh screen shows a red star on the icon of the notifying application.

For missed calls, messages (SMS and MMS) and e-mail, the star shows on a general Messaging icon that has everything under one “hood”. I open the app and there is a list of each item: an envelope for e-mail, an italicized envelope for texts, and a little phone for missed calls.

As a Blackberry exclusive, they include the Blackberry Messenger. Think of it as an IM client for Blackberry-only communication. Each blackberry has a unique PIN number. When someone gives you this number, you put it in here and you can contact them at any time (with delivery and read notification.) It works just like AIM or Yahoo. Any messages also show in the Messaging icon, but as a smiley that includes the entire conversation.

It’s really a unique device, and after being with mine for less than a week, I think I will have one from now on…it really is addicting. Now I know why Obama didn’t want to let his go. LOL

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On the other front…I haven’t been able to sleep very well.

Right now, it’s 2am and I’m not even sleepy. I took Tylenol PM. It usually takes about an hour for it to start affecting me, so I should be ready for bed by the time I’m done here.

I’ve started to realize that without a job, Life sucks. lol For the past 11 years (23 including school), my days have been spend either at school, or working. My time has been worth something. But now, nothing.

I have spent the past few weeks putting in job applications, sending correspondence to the VA, doing chores around the house, and playing with the blackberry. Up until now, I’ve spent my days trying to keep myself occupied. But at night, that is when my mind has been free to wander. And wander it has…

I’ve thought about my future. The future of my family. Where will we be in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? What will happen if the VA shafts me as the military had? What if I keep getting rejected for jobs? I know that I have a skill-set that is useful for military contractors and/or the government. The problem I run into is this:

I have 11 years experience as an aviation electrician. I can’t get a low-paying job because the potential employer thinks I’ll run away. I’m over-qualified to them. I can’t get a job doing what I did in the military, because I don’t have a degree. I’m stuck between a rock, and a hard place. On one hand they are afraid to hire me even though they want me, and on the other hand I’m not qualified.

Right now I have an accepted application as a “Helper/Support-Trainee” at Tinker AFB. They haven’t done interviews yet for any of the accepted, so we are all waiting for them to call. This is an entry-level job that can place me anywhere as a full-time employee where they will train me in the job they select for me…just like a brand-new military recruit. They could also place me in a position that is suited to my qualifications too, so I’m hoping for that.

I was contacted by a company in Greenville, TX this week. Once that I found at the career fair a couple of weeks ago. They have me set for an interview on Monday, and are assisting my financial needs to get me there for it. They sound interested, and after my research in the company and the area down there, I’m actually optimistic. The company does research/development for new military and civilian avionics systems, and that is what I am looking for.

My early years as an airman were spent working in a cage on new and innovative systems for C-130s, and MH-53s. It was mainly for the new satellite communication systems, but I also worked on normal communication and navigation units as well. I spent 2 weeks in Las Vegas for the testing of a glass-cockpit and satellite upgrade, and was also involved in the upgrade of the satellite system on the 53. the latter was supposed to be a 1 week ordeal, but problems arose in the first week and they called me in during the second week. I volunteered to do the troubleshooting of the system, and after 1 day I found the problem (with the help of my coworkers experience of course). I resolved it, made a checklist for it and explained it to the civilian company that owned the system. They pretty much let me have my way in repairing it and writing the checklist. After the fix was verified, we took the resolution to the base commander and he signed my application to have it installed in the entire MH-53 fleet. I got the Commander’s COin and an Achievement Medal for that one. I loved that job.

OK…I made it sound like I was the only one that could fix this thing, but honestly if it weren’t for my coworkers and my civilian counterparts, the problem would probably still be an issue. They all gave me a lot of latitude, and I owe it to my boss for trusting me to get the job done. I’m glad he did. He gave me a chance, and I wasn’t going to let him down. He knew my experience, but he knew what I was capable of.

Because of Jerry Smith, I was a more confident airman…a better team-worker…a better person. That week I learned that I was capable of anything.

Now, I sit here, typing this blog wondering what I will be doing next. Sweeping floors, passing out hamburgers, or just being a dead-end blue-collar worker doing the same job for days on end for the next 30 years. I could be doing these things, but I have higher standards for myself.

It is correct that beggars can’t be choosers, but I’m not begging yet, and I’m still choosing. I choose to get the job I want, and choose to enjoy it. It’s just a matter of time until I find that job, that employer, who is willing to trust me and give me a chance to not let them down.