lizborden

Here's a post for ya:

Now, most of you know that I travel, well, ALL the time. I've been in North Carolina for the last two weeks. And will be for two more. On my way today. Sitting in a "cyberbar" as I write this.

I don't expect ALOT out of TSA agents, because, well, I've learned better. And maybe it's just me, but the Japanese Kanji characters on one of my laptops DO NOT look like Arabic. And even if they were Arabic, does that mean that I need to be brought into the back room, have all my stuff gone through, have to show that both laptops turn on (which, if I hadn't have said, "I won't go past turning them on because there is classified data on both of them" I wouldn't have had the pleasant experience of watching two TSA assholes actually BACK AWAY from two laptops), and basically have everything done to me possible short of an anal probe.

And to the little lady behind me who I heard say "I knew he was trouble. I mean look at him with his piercings and dyed hair and tatoos. You just know he's a disappoint to his family" to the SKINHEAD behind her (how's THAT for ironic?), I'd like to say a big fuck you. And if you are on my flight, I'm going to be REALLY tempted to give up my first class seat to whoever it is that has the unpleasant joy of sitting next to you for the next four hours just to scare the ever living hell out of you.

Hate this fucking state.

In good news, I had all kindsa stuff waiting for me at the house. My new Sidekick II phone came in finally (http://www.danger.com), a birthday package from a NYC friend came in containing the Star Wars trilogy on DVD, and one of my co-workers/friends finally sent me a hat he had made for me, himself, and another friend/co-worker. And birthday cards with money in them is always a good thing too.

The hat is amusing. "Misfit Hacker" on the front, and my handle on the back. Scot had them made because the three of us all work for IBM together as "ethical hackers." That's what we were hired to do. Break into computers for IBM clients. And I'd like to think we're rather good at it too. However, since no one really knows how to deal with us, and we don't exactly "fit" into the rest of the IBM corporate appearance, we got into a conversation on how amusing it is to work with other people in our group and/or company since they're never really sure what to make of us. I made a comment about how it was kinda like being on the Isle of Misfit Toys, from the old Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Christmas show, except it's more like the "Isle of Misfit Hackers." Kinda stuck. So now we're known in our group as not only "arrogant little pricks" (a comment made halfway in jest by a manager), but also as the "Misfit Hackers."

Back to North Carolina tomorrow. Two more weeks there, then back to California to deal with the client from hell. Gotta love when a project has gone south, they pull you in to try and save it (when it is already WELL beyond saving), and so they decide to try to use you as the scapegoat for EVERYTHING going wrong.