Goals

As I move through my life I have always been told that goals are important. This has occasionally perturbed me. As far as I remember, I have NEVER set a goal that hasn't been forced on me by an external force like an employer. I have read at least a dozen books or long-form articles about setting goals and I still don't really understand them.

In most of them, the author writes of deciding what you want/need or what would make you happy. My issue is that I am happy; at least as happy as I can imagine being. Also, most things I want are just ephemeral "toys" or gadgets.

Of course, the whole process is fairly moot since I doubt I would have the self-discipline to accomplish a goal anyway.

Conquest again

We had planned on going to Holland/Belgium for a vacation this September, but Daniel and Kalyn told us last night that we are going to be grandparents (come April). Nancy immediately started planning all the stuff we need to buy. This made the trip to Europe too expensive so we are going on the same cruise again.

This doesn't phase me, cruises are quite relaxing. Maybe I'll do the karaoke again.

Prayer for your Wife

My wife had a prayer card for our married son "A Month of Prayers for your Wife from Psalm 119." While I pray for her daily, I thought this sounded like a good framework, so I scarfed up a copy for myself. The idea came from Bryce Bouchard, and was in Pray! Magazine.

1. That she will learn the Word (119:7).
2. That she will hide the Word in her heart and not sin against God (119:11).
3. That she will declare the Word before others (119:13).
4. That she will meditate on the Word and learn the ways of God (119:15).
5. That she will delight in the Word and not neglect it (119:16).
6. That her eyes will be opened to see wonderful things in the Word (119:18).
7. That her soul will be consumed with a longing for the Word at all times (119:20).
8. That the Word will be her counsel in all things (119:24).
9. That when she is discouraged, the Word will be her life and strength and delight (119:25, 28, 143).
10. That the Lord will give her understanding and discernment of the Word (119:27).
11. That God will be gracious to her and keep her from deceitful ways through the Word (119:29).
12. That her heart will be turned to the Word and away from selfish gain and worthless things (119:36, 37).
13. That as she grasps the goodness of the Word, God will take away any dread or fear that may have a hold on her (119:39).
14. That she will trust in the Word, and use it to answer the enemy who taunts her (119:42).
15. That the Word of truth will not be snatched from her mouth (119:43).
16. That she will seek out the Word and find in it freedom for daily living (119:45).
17. That she will have opportunity to speak the Word to people of influence, and that she will do it boldly and without shame(119:46).
18. That her love and longing for the Word will grow, and that it will be sweeter and more valuable to her with each passing day (119:47, 72, 103, 131).
19. That the Word will come to her during times of trial and bring her comfort (119:52, 61, 83).
20. That she will be grieved when the Word is forsaken (119:53,136).
21. That the Word will be her song regardless of her outward surroundings (119:54).
22. That she will have friends who follow the Word (119:63).
23. That the LORD will do good to her according to His Word (119:65).
24. That she will learn knowledge and good judgment through the Word (119:66).
25. That she will meditate long and often on the Word, gleaning much insight from it (119:97, 99).
26. That she will stay far from evil paths so she can obey the Word (119:101).
27. That the Word will be a lamp to her feet and a light to her path, bringing her delight (119:105).
28. That she will stand in awe of the Word (119:120).
29. That the meaning of the Word will unfold to her, and that it will give her light and understanding (119:130).
30. That she will be convinced that the Word is righteous and fully trustworthy (119:138).
31. That when she strays, she will seek the Word and that it will woo and shepherd her back to God (119:176).

Résumés

Today I'm trying to get my résumé done. According to my class this morning from Right Management things have changed quite a bit in the past 9+ years.

The idiocy of the "objective" seems to be gone now; I never understood why any potential employer could have taken that section seriously. Résumé layout seems to have shifted away from a strict chronological format too. I had seen this style while reviewing potential employees for Baker, but had no idea how predominate this had become.

Still conflicted about what additional certification to get. I've narrowed the search down to four things; Forensics, Penetration Testing, Privacy, or a more technical straight security path. There are positives to each of them. The decision may come down to money, since things are obviously going to be tight for a while.

Laid Off

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010; "A day which will live in infamy". I was laid off from my job at Baker Hughes (right before Labor Day, how ironic). Oddly enough, I'm not as disturbed as I thought I would be. I guess it's because of the fact that Baker had three lay-offs last year and with the economy not recovering too well, we were expecting the shoe to drop again. The release of a known stress is better (so far) than the unknown stress of a job search.

Baker did provide a severance package which includes time with a "career transition" company, Right Management. I already have a resume class scheduled for next Tuesday.

The other thing to do is figure out what Certification I'm going to get to go along with my CISSP. The CISSP is very nice, but a little too high level; I need something a bit more technical. The GIAC tracks look nice, but while they don't need SANS attendance, it does help. I also might choose to focus a little more on pen testing...

Running

Since last here I've taken up running again. A couple of years ago I read an article in Men's Health by Christopher McDougall. Since, he has released Born to Run, and excellent book about a tribe of runners in Mexico. I bought both the Nike+ and a pair of VFFs (Vibram Five Fingers). I had bought a pair of Fila running shoes back in 2007, but hardly used them since I was running on a treadmill; I have no discipline, so it is too easy to hop off when I get a little tired.

Since it has been since 1986 since I've run with any regularity, I'm easing into this. I bought the VFFs because I've always preferred being barefoot and think that the barefoot running movement is looking the correct direction. The first day I ran with them on, I went to a local park and ran too far since it was so easy. I had read/heard that I needed to be careful not to go too far, but figured since I was so out-of-shape that I wouldn't be able to go far. Two days later I was hobbling around like an old man with stiff calves.

Now I run most days in the Filas since I can use the Nike+ with them (My VFF Sprints don't have a good place to put the sensor). I've found though, that I can run farther on the days I wear the VFFs. The stuff I hear about ChiRunning may be true. I'll have to get that book and read it too.

HDTV and Surround Sound

Yesterday we bought a new TV. Our old rear projection 55" Mitsubishi gave up the ghost and moving the old 32" Sanyo CRT from the exercise room would have not been fun (to get it out of the room I have to remove the door). We ended up buying a Panasonic TC-P46U1 (46" plasma).

Now to my question, why is "everyone" obsessed with HD and surround sound. I have watched HDTV at my son's, my sister's and my wife's brother's houses (with surround sound) and, while I can see/hear and enjoy the difference, I utterly stop noticing any difference at 5-10 minutes. You see, I'm watching a show/movie/game, not a TV screen. I don't spend my time watching something on the television and thinking, "Wow! I bet that woman has 100,000 hairs on her head and I can count every one of them." The sound issue is the similar; why do I need to hear the footsteps behind me of someone walking on to a screen in front of me.

Now, don't get me wrong. I can see certain uses for HDTV where I would enjoy the sharpness. Rewinding sporting events or shows to see something you missed does work very well in HD (especially an official's missed call). Concerts obviously would sound better with Surround Sound. I just can't justify the money.

Now don't get me started on Blu-ray.

Oh yeah, the TV rocks, even without an HD signal. The colors are fantastic and you can see the picture well from any angle.