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As a promotional stunt for her new movie, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” Scarlett Johansson is offering to accompany two people to its screening tomorrow night. This promotion is called “Win a THREESOME* WITH SCARLETT!” You’ll note that there’s an asterisk in that title, and that’s very important. In this case, the term “threesome” refers to the less-than-common usage of the word which is “seeing a movie in the theater together.” (continue reading…)

The slogan Merrill Lynch has written on their internal propaganda has been “A Performance Based Culture” for the last couple of years. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to live by this credo. In the last two years, they have repeatedly shown far more concern about where their people work, then who works for them. While the heads of this company get annual bonuses in excess of seven figures, those who bust their asses to keep things functioning are having their jobs taken away from them to save a few bucks.

The people of whom I speak, are employees in Merrill’s technology group who have given the company more than twenty years of their lives. Fortunately, I was only there for a couple of years. So when the announcement came in that our jobs were moving from New Jersey to Florida, I shrugged and updated my resume thinking it’s no big deal. Of course, the people who just purchased new homes during the previous year’s move from New York to New Jersey weren’t nearly as carefree.

I think Merrill Lynch’s behavior as a company is deplorable. Sure, they offer people who are willing to relocate a small chunk of cash. There’s just no guarantee that you’ll keep your job after going to all the trouble of moving yourself and your family across country. In fact the only thing they do assure you of is that your salary will be adjusted down to match the cost of living in Florida, if you decide to move.

I know folks who were two years away from retirement with full benefits that suddenly had nothing to look forward to but unemployment benefits. Others have worked the night shift for more than a decade, keeping offices all around the world up and running while the US sleeps. They must now return to the daytime and look for work to support their families.

At this point, I know that those who read this might be thinking, “Well, that’s business for you. I’m sure the company has a very good reason for moving offices.” Consider this: the function these people and I performed for Merrill requires a decent computer with an internet connection and a telephone line. That’s all. We monitored and supported remote sites from a number of locations equally well. Sometimes, we work from home, sometimes an office. In the two years I’ve work the overnight shift, I never met my manager face to face.

So what’s more cost efficient, to move an entire office from New Jersey to Florida or allow people to work from home and stay where they are? Is it better to keep those who know the job in place, or move locations then look for competent technicians in an area not known for computer jobs?

My opinion of Merrill Lynch is not very good right now. They have demonstrated to me that they don’t care about people. Their motivations escape logic, in my view. Going forward, I will do everything I can to avoid doing any business with Merrill or companies associated with them. I would also urge anyone who considers morality in business an important characteristic to do likewise.

My birthday is less than a week away. So far, my mother, my wife and my best friend have all asked me what I want for my birthday. It really sucks that I can’t think of anything. Mind you, there are plenty of frivolous things that I’m interested in. I’d love to have a new pair of rollerblades for the summer, some new video games to play, or maybe some new computer parts to tinker with. However, all these things aren’t really necessary. I kinda feel like, if I don’t want to spend money on them, why should anyone else. Besides that, if I were to get them, I’d probably want to research which one was the best for me. So asking someone else to go through that seems excessive as well.

I don’t know. Maybe I’m just getting old and the whole birthday thing has lost its luster for me. Or perhaps I’m just completely content with life and don’t need anything else. NAH! That couldn’t be it

One of the reasons I started this blog is to discuss some of my computer related projects and experiences. Currently the project that I’m focusing the most time and money on is my new computer. If you’d like to look at some pictures of it, check out the “Featured Project” at http://gruntville.com. I call it “Absolut-K0NY.” Basically, it’s a high-end over-clocked, water-cooled Pentium4 computer. Here are the specifics:

Processor: Pentium4 2.4c 800Mhz FSB 478P/512K w/Hyperthreading

Motherboard: Abit IC7-MAX3 i875P

Memory: Corsairs 512MB TWINX512-4000Platinum DDRAM

Video Card: ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB

Hard Drives: 2x SEAGATE 80GB SATA 7200RPM (RAID0), 120GB Maxtor IDE

Removable Media Drives: NEC DVD+/-RW 8X/Black, LITEON CD-R/RW 52X32X52X/Black

Powersupply: Enermax 431 Watt ATX w/adjustable fan

Case: Antec P160

I won’t bother explaining what the purpose of all that stuff is. You can do a Google search on it if you really want to know. What I will tell you is that my processor is currently running at 3Ghz thanks to my high-speed DDRAM. I’m not break any records, but steady operation at a significantly over-clocked speed is still pretty good.

You may have noticed that the list above excludes my cooling solution. That’s because the cooling is a completely separate category for me, and the real project behind this machine. Right from the start I build this computer with liquid cooling in mind. My main goal was to have a very quiet computer. My secondary goal was that it be over-clocked. The only practical way to accomplish this is to cool with water. Here’s what’s cooling my computer:

CPU Block: PolarFlo Universal SF

VGA Block: PolarFlo NB/VGA

Pump: Hydor L30

Radiator: D-Tek Customs JR-120

Reservoir: Custom Built from Absolut Bottle

Tubing: Clearflex 60 1/2ID

Fans: 2x 120MM Evercool Aluminum

There’s also a bunch of UV lights and LEDs inside the case. I tried to make it all cool and even cut my own hole and installed a window in the side of the case. After problems with some leaking, some pump noise and then a large amount of algae growth, I recently took my water cooling OUT of that computer. Now, I’m using the following to AIR cool the system:

CPU: Thermalright SK-947u solid copper heatsink, 92MM Evercool Aluminum Fan

VGA: Vantec Iceberq 4 VGA cooler

FANS: 2x 120MM Evercool Aluminum, 1x 120MM Denon exhaust fan

I’ve recently purchased some new tubing and supplies from US Plastics and am planning on reconnecting my water-cooling system. In fact, I believe I’ll begin the leak testing tonight. However, my custom created reservoir, made from a bottle of Absolut Citron that I personally emptied, seems to be worse for the wear and I’m getting nervous about leaving it in the computer. I have an alternative. I can drill holes in a new bottle that I purchase for very little money at US Plastics. It has the same basic shape as an Absolut bottle but is coated in clear plastic, giving it far less likelyhood of breaking. The down side of that, is that the coolness factor is GREATLY diminished with a plain bottle, as opposed to an old vodka bottle. I could also go with a standard Bay-Res reservoir that fits into one of my 5.25″ slots. However, that would make my machine stand out even less. The third and least likely option at this point is to get another liquor bottle to replace the Absolut and use my prior experience to create a new and more impressive tribute to alcohol.

Like I said, I’m not yet sure what I’ll do, but I want to make something unique. The “modding” bug has bitten me and it’s hard to shake it, at this point. The problem is that I don’t have any sort of a workshop where I can do all this stuff. My computer desk is sticking out of a living room closet, for Pete’s sake! When I drilled the Absolut bottle, it was in my bathroom sink. My wife has thus far been very patient when I’ve filled the kitchen table with computer parts, but I know I’d be testing her limits with much more of that stuff. So it comes down to convenience over creativity. The two will be hard to reconcile, but hopefully I’ll be able to find a happy compromise. Stay tuned!

This morning, as I sip a cup of Sencha Kyoto herbal tea, I find myself thinking about the value of things. More importantly perhaps; the importance of things, compared to their value. I spent this past weekend with family and friends. My wife and I watched both volumes of Kill Bill. I helped my son put on pads and ride on a skateboard by himself for the first time. We visited my best friend’s family and played with their new puppy, then saw his new apartment for the first time. I let my mother babysit (something she’s rarely done).

All these things have a value to them that I hardly think about. Going to the movies, buying skateboard equipment, driving out to Long Island, all cost money. While those dollars mean nothing to me, what they have bought in this weekend alone is very important. I’m sure that people make do with what they have and find ways to enjoy themselves without money. However, I don’t think that I could have possibly found as much joy and contentment this weekend without it.

My family and I are far from wealthy. We are comfortable with what we have and we tend to favor spending instead of saving. So I’m sure my situation would be different if I was trying to pay off a mortgage or get a business off the ground. I probably wouldn’t buy as much stuff for my son or spend as much on dining out. My wife would have to cut back on her knitting and I on my computer and video game stuff. All this may be materialistic, but I really feel that life would not be as complete without those moments we’ve spent money on.

If you take away our costly hobbies, our frequent restaurant visits, our trips to zoos and parks and far off places, my family might be pretty darn boring. However, we do seem to have fun regardless of where we are or what we are doing. So maybe it’s just me assigning far too much importance to things of value and should instead focus on the intangibles. If I look at the picture of my son standing on the skateboard, the moment seems priceless. But what makes it so is his smile. The look of happiness on his face has no value but is of the greatest importance to me. The truth is, without the board and the pads and the park, I’m sure I could get that look of happiness by acting silly with him and just playing around. The sense I get is that he wasn’t crazy about the board so much as the attention I gave him while he was on it. Thankfully, that much is still free.

One of my colleagues from the West Coast is in town for his honeymoon. Naturally, he’s paid visits to our office in order to claim at least partial write-offs on his taxes. He seems like a good guy, and has never been to New York before. So we’ve helped him out with tourism ideas all week and took him and his lovely new bride out for lunch today.

We enter our local Irish pub expecting some decent food, good service and some fun conversation. By the time we left, most of us were at least slightly aggravated by the service. I should have known it was a bad idea from the moment we were greeted by a surly and unfamiliar face at the door. She led the six of us right past our usual table in the rear of the main floor. We were seated instead on the second floor; a place lacking the dim and cozy atmosphere, multiple television feeds, and friendly wait staff we were used to.

While waiting an unbearably long time for our waiter to make his presence known, at least the conversation was interesting. Eric (the dude from L.A.) and I share a fascination with hot sauces. We previously discussed the “hottest sauce in the universe” called “Dave’s Insanity Sauce” (http://www.insanitysauce.com/). I told him I’ve never tried the stuff, so he located a bottle and presented me with it at the pub today.

Basically it’s a concentrated mixture of habaneros (the hottest peppers in the world) designed to be used in small doses to add a powerful kick to recipes. Right on the bottle, they advise against using it as a dip or spreading it on stuff you’re eating. That however, did not stop us. Unusual as this may seem, I was the sanest among us and actually waited for my food to arrive before tasting the stuff.

Well, needless to say the sauce was incredibly hot. Even the tiniest of dabs caused a mouth full of burning sensation. Some of the guys said they felt their tongues go numb, but I actually handled it very well. Normally when I eat spicy food, my eyes tear, but not this time. By the way, tears are not a bad thing. Similar to some women I know, I feel better after having a good cry over Chicken Vindaloo.

So back to the pub. We waited far too long for the waiter to arrive at our table. Once he did, he was joined by a MILF from our office. The incredibly attractive, older lady announced that one of the head sales guys (with whom she has been carrying on a secret affair that everyone at the office knows about) would like to buy us a round of drinks. Our gracious acceptance was nearly nixed by the waiter who quickly became flummoxed with the payment arrangements, the drink orders and the order in which we ordered.

The wait for our food was only short compared to the wait for the check afterwards. However, the conversation was good. We laughed a lot and enjoyed the mid-day cocktails. The icing on this little cake was that my friend and coworker Rudy picked up the lunch tab.

Eric says he’s enjoyed the week here in the Big Apple and that it’s “Unlike any city I’ve every visited.” It may be a mixed bag of good and bad experiences, but I love it here and can’t imagine living any place else.

Ever hear of “Bawls?” It’s the hardest of the soft-drinks, in my opinion. For the uninitiated, look for the deep blue, ten ounce glass bottle that’s ribbed (for HER pleasure). The potion inside is a sweet and fruity, carbonated mixture of sugar, water, Guarana and caffeine. You can find it at most LAN parties and in the hands of technophiles everywhere, despite being a rarity in local convenience stores. Check out www.bawls.com for more info.

My wife was kind enough to buy me a case of this stuff as an early birthday gift. Ever since it arrived, I’ve made a morning ritual of announcing, “I’m putting a pair of my Bawls in the fridge. No one better lay a hand on them.” And then doing just that. Later in the day, I’ll remove a chilled bottle and wonder aloud, “What’s cold and blue and tasty?” before popping the cap and answering “My Bawls!”

Until today, I considered myself the worst caffeine junky in my department. As it turns out, a coworker of mine who happens to be about six foot four and close to 300 pounds has gotten used to drinking an average of eight cups of coffee each work day. He confided today that his doctor said the coffee has raised his blood pressure to dangerously high levels. So for the last few days he’s managed to get by with one cup of coffee each morning. Oh, by the way, he told me all of this AFTER he had finished his first bottle of Bawls at my desk.

Have you ever seen a video taped played back at a slightly higher speed? That was how this man began moving ten minutes later. He couldn’t sit or stand still. He began speaking so fast I could no longer comprehend what he was saying. He ran off to do some work and I now fear that I’ll be prosecuted for manslaughter when his head explodes. I just can’t go to jail! When my burly but lonely new cellmate inquires about the reason for my incarceration, I simply won’t have the courage to tell him a man died from having a taste of my Bawls.

As a parent, I like to think I know what’s best for at least one human being besides me. I’m an adult who has spent the last several decades learning from my mistakes and now hope to provide the benefit of that learning to my offspring. However, I also realize that there are things in this world a person has to experience for themselves. Just as there are things that I will never be able to protect my child from.

Last week for instance, we had a scented candle burning on our coffee table during the day. My three and a half year old son was naturally fascinated by it. This made my wife worry. When leaving the room she asked me to make sure Stewie (named after the kid in “Family Guy”) stayed away from the candle.

I watched my son as he hovered around the candle, admiring it. Eventually he glanced up at me for approval to touch it, knowing that I might be more permissive than his mom. I used the best parenting logic I could muster and said. “You shouldn’t touch fire. It’s hot.” To which he whined, “I want to.” knowing full well the meaning of “Hot” from eating soup. So I said, “Okay, but fire is hot.”

As I said, I know it’s best to spare my child pain whenever I can. However, I believe it’s more important for him to learn how to avoid pain on his own. His mind will ultimately be his best defense when I’m not there. So I opt to develop those instincts. When his greedy little finger grabbed for the fire, I tensed and had to make an effort to not interfere. I saw both the shocked look of pain and then understanding flash across his face. He pulled his hand away and I helped him put it under cold water to make the pain stop. I don’t think my wife was too thrilled with my tactic at the time, but the result was far less worry about Stewie playing with fire. He gets the concept now that the pretty yellow thing that dances on top of a candle is hot and he won’t be touching it again.

The moral here is that experience and education are far better, in the long run, than preventive measures. It’s that basic common sense which our elected officials seem to lack. With our votes and inaction, we have given them the idea that the population wants to be protected from all harm rather then being shown how to avoid it themselves.

The truth is, we will never be safe from all harm. What would help though, is information and training on what to do if we do come across a harmful situation. Think about it, what do you do when someone is hurt? Call an ambulance! When someone is breaking the law? Call a cop. When you have an infestation? Call the exterminator. What do these things have in common? They are all people, just like you and I who have been trained on how to handle the situation.

The mentality should not be “Let’s take away all that is harmful.” It should be more along the lines of “Let’s inform people about harmful things so they can avoid them.” Look at guns. They kill people right? So the government makes them illegal. Now, only the criminals have them. Law abiding citizens have a difficult time getting one for protection and certainly aren’t being taught how to use them properly. Cars kill people just as much. Heck, you can load one up with explosives and take a building down. Nobody is making cars illegal. Now, there’s this fear about internet security. Everyone’s crying that there are security issues. Well, that’s going to happen with anything. Teach people how to avoid security problems and they won’t be such a factor. What’s the alternative? Taking the internet away? Maybe we can rid our cities of street gangs by getting rid of the streets?

I guess what I’m saying is that a shift of focus needs to occur. As both a parent and as someone else’s child, I think that a reasonable feeling of safety is not too much to ask from our government. However, I’d feel a whole lot safer if someone was out there explaining what citizens can do to protect their communities instead of just saying “Sit back and relax. The authorities will take care of everything. Just do everything we say and you’ll be alright.” Since we are the ones footing the bill, shouldn’t THEY be doing everything WE say, instead of the other way around?

Whether it’s crossing the street or an ocean, using guns or drugs, riding in a car or a plane, I feel that the task of government is to give us all the information we need to make our own choices about how to stay safe. Nobody should ever pay the government money because a cop caught them driving without a seatbelt, or crossing the street against a light, or smoking somewhere or something they shouldn’t', or falling asleep on a train. That would be like me punishing my child for wanting to touch the candle because it has the potential to be dangerous.

The more observant among my readers will not need me to point out that a “Comments” option has been added to my blog. As for the rest of you, consider this notice. Part of my motivation for posting these thoughts on a website is to get feedback. So please let me know what you think.

For instance, you could ask “Why is your blog called ‘PUSHING BUTTONS’?” And that would be an excellent question. One I probably should have answered in my opening entry instead of ranting on about the term ‘Geek.’

Truth is, everyone is good at something and I’m good at pushing buttons. My first job was in a dental supply warehouse near Maspeth, NY. My mom had convinced her boss to give me summer employment as one of the grunts that handled stocking shelves and dragging stuff around. I quickly discovered that pushing the buttons and working the knobs on the forklift (the guys called it a “Hi-Lo”) was far more fun than dragging stuff around by hand. I was fifteen years old and neither licensed nor old enough to operating a car, much less a loading vehicle. That didn’t stop me from becoming a Hi-Lo master within weeks. Before the summer ended, I also learned the ins and outs of working an automated packing and shipping machine. And so it went. My next official job was at a local public access television studio. As I figured out the function of each button in the control room, I was also working as on-air talent and production manager of my college radio station “B-91.”

Anyway, the point is that my life has been filled with buttons from an early age. At some point I came to realize that I had a talent for pushing people’s buttons as well as those on machines. As a licensed stock broker in the early 90’s I could usually read a secretary by the way she answered the phone and push her buttons in just the right way to get through to her boss. Luckily, I figured out that sales wasn’t for me, just in time to get out of the business before all the smaller firms started drying up. Who knew that my career path would find me a few years later on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, but in a completely different capacity?

At the brokerage firm, I had a mild epiphany. I was always the one being asked to fix the computers in the office, even though I was a broker and we had an IT guy. So I figured, maybe I should be getting paid for it. I’ve been pushing computers’ buttons every since. My return to Wall Street was to help build the new “High Tech” expansion of the NYSE trading floor. After that project was over, I took the job I’m currently at. Which is pushing buttons at AOLTW.

So there’s my resume. I guess now that I’m all caught up, I can go back to commenting on current events. Thanks for reading this, by the way. I’d hate to think I wrote it all for nothing.

Movies are a very important part of my life. I love watching them; soaking them in. I learn from films as they entertain me. At one point, I even thought that I would become a film maker. My camera and editing skills were both formidable. Yet at some point I realized that it’s far more fun to sit back and either appreciate or criticize someone else’s work than to actually put my own out there.

Quinten Tarantino makes me glad I chose to watch movies rather than create them. I say this at two in the morning after viewing Kill Bill Volume 2 for the first time yesterday evening. Since this blog is about me, I’ll refrain from talking about the film. Rather, here’s the effect it had on me: In the course of a couple of hours, I believe I experience almost every emotion a human being is capable of. I laughed, cringed, sympathized, became excited, then angry. I cried. I held my breath. I sat staring at a screen that was black for what seemed like a second short of eternity and still I was captivated.

Had I been a film maker, I’d have been a hack. The level of influence that Tarantino has had on my entertainment would have surely rubbed off on my work. I would have been rightfully accused of stealing from him. To view Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms or Kill Bill is to be effected. That these films touch people so deeply is a testament to their creator.

…and with that last line, it become obvious to me that I am not only swooning, but rambling. I’ll blame the late hour and end this entry. If my dreams are as incredible as the film I watched last night, I may well sleep through until Thursday just to see how they turn out.