Electronic Arts – EA – My New Job

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Updated: April 11, 2023

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I just got excepted for a new position within EA. For those of you who are not into gaming EA stands for Electronic Arts.  They are one of the largest gaming companies in existence.

I’ve been wanting to work for a gaming company for a long while.  One fo the first companies I ever interviewed for was Origin Systems in Austin.  I was so dead set on working for them that, at the time, I was willing to take a paycut from $28,000 a year to $6.00/hr.  (hind site: its probably about the same thing).

But in my excitement, like I usually do, I flubbed the interview.  I kept trying to tell them what they wanted to hear rather than simply tell them how I felt and what I thought.  Simply questions like what your favorite game, I just drew a blank.  At the time my first thought was Wolfenstein 3D, but for some reason I thought that game was cool enough for Origin.

Needless to say I never did get the job.

That was then, This is Now

So, today begins my last day of unemployment.  On Monday I start work for EA.

My position is Sr. Network Engineer working on customer facing online projects. This means I’ll be working with the websites, load balancers, routers and switches for the company.

I’m very excited and hope this is everything I always thought it would be.

Of course it is work. It is a job.  It won’t be ALL fun and games.  but it sure will be a cool place to work.

Death and Life – Theories from a Fever

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Updated: April 11, 2023

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I often think about what is going to happen when death comes for me.

  • Is it a transformation of some sort, a metamorphosis?
  • Will I be reincarnated into some higher being?
  • or will it be a lower being?
  • Is Karma real?
  • Are all of the crazy Christians right?
  • Will I see Jesus?
  • Or will there simply be nothing at all

Heh.

Are the billions of popular religious minions correct in their faith, is there a pearly gate?

The real truth is, right now there is no way for anyone to know what exactly happens when you die.  No one has died and returned to tell us what has happened.  Except possibly Jesus, if you believe the story. And of course there are those that have had what is called a near death experience.

But none of these stories or experiences are exactly the same.  They all vary from person to person. So its really unclear what happens when you die.

Scientist say its all just a natural biological process that creates the lights and images that people who have had near death experiences see. But to those people who have experienced it, is/was very much real.

So since there is REAL no way to know where we are going to go when we die, my thought was that maybe we can get a hint of the future by looking at where we came from?

Now this is my personal theory, and that all it is.   Its not a belief in anyway, or is an implication of my faith in some way. No this is just Joe’s good ole plain logical mind trying to figure it out.

We Are Born

Its hard to think back to your first memory.  To your first thought.  When each of us are born, we just sort of fade in to this reality.  Slowly images we see, sounds we hear become more clear everyday.  Our thoughts coalesce into memories and ideas and eventually become the foundation for who we are.

As we grow we realize our individuality.  The ID forms and we understand we are alive… and eventually we will die someday.

I AM ALIVE – and So Are you!

Right now as I write this, I am Alive.  I know I am Alive.  I am self aware.  I think, therefore I am… I think.

And I know that you the reader is alive. I know this because you tell me you are! You communicate with me and I am a witness to this fact.  My friends and my family are alive, again because I can talk to them and witness that they are.   Of course when I asked them if they were alive, they all laughed at me, but everyone one of them answered unequivocally YES!.

So first fact: We are Alive.

Now if we are alive, where did we come from?  I dont know about you, but I came from my mother.  My mother had sex, incubated a fertilized egg and eventually gave birth to me.  So my mother is alive. (plus I asked her and she said, after she stopped laughing, yes).

Fact two:  My Mother is Alive.

Now where did my Mother come from, well of course her mother.  And where did my grandmother come from?  Well from her mother…  and so on and so on. You get the point.

Rewinding through the EONs

So if you can envision racing backward through time, generation after generation, each person very much alive.  If you keep racing back where do you end up?

(I guess it depends on whether evolution or creation is your belief)

Well, either way… the Earth.  The original Mother. Gaia.  Nature.

So if I am alive, then the Earth has got to be alive!  Not every part of the Earth is alive, just like not every part of our bodies are alive.  But the Earth gave birth to us all, supports us, gives us food, water, air.  It is alive.

So, if the Earth is alive, then the universe must also be alive.  Pulsing, thriving and very much alive.  The universe gave birth to our planet.

If the universe is alive then everything is alive. It may not be able to communicate with us like we do with each other, but it must be alive.  Full of life energy. Source Energy.

It is this source energy that make us who we are. Gives us our consciousness.  Gives us our SOUL!

So where do we go when we die? We go back to the source.  We go back to the Earth.

Life Is A River – Theories from a Fever

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Updated: April 11, 2023

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Ya know I have heard people say they are unhappy with their life, unhappy with this or that.  I mean heck, I’ve said it too from time to time. It seems more prevalent when I have been broke.

The fact is… life is life.  It’s NOT fair.  It is what YOU make of it.  It’s just, well … life.

Several years ago I was sick with a fever and got on a writting spree.  Here was my fever induced take on life…

Have you ever gone tubing down a river(ya know like in an inner tube)??  It is really fun!  No matter how old you are this is one activity that everyone can enjoy.

Life is like this.  Life is like tubing down a river.  For most people they sit in their tube, with drink in hand and just float happily, lazily down the river.  Not really caring where the river takes you.  As long as you’re with your friends (and the beer), you are happy!

Well this is life and how many people live their life.  Of course ever once in a while you use your hands to guide you, just a little.  A little paddle here and there and you can manipulate yourself just a little bit to direct yourself where you’re going.

And occasionally the river may fork.  But which path are YOU going take? Which path is everyone else taking? Which path do you WANT to take?  Well, lets see, all of your friends are going left.  I should go left too, I suppose.  And you make a decision and paddle yourself left to stay with the group, if thats what you want to do.

Sometimes the river throws you opportunity.  Like a store, a pretty girl, or just a nice place to rest.   If you see the opportunity in the river early enough you are able to paddle yourself into a position where you can take advantage of the opportunity.  But if you’re not paying attention, you will get swept away in which ever way the RIVER wants to take you.

And thats life baby.  So pay attention.  Opportunity happens everyday. When you see it, you need to get yourself in a position to take advantage of it.  If not…. You may get swept away to someplace you dont want to be.

100 nosey questions

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Updated: April 11, 2023

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The Basics
Name:

Married or Single:

 Me

Married
Age: A girl never tells
Month of birth: March
Any Siblings?: yes
Parents still married?: no
Occupation: Geek
Do you like your job?: yeah
Any pets?: yup
Hair color: brown
Eye color: brown
Shoe size: 10
Any Tattoos?: yup
Any Piercings?: yup
Current mood: good
Current wardobe choice: jean shorts and a t-shrt
What are you listening to?: Disturbed
Who did you last speak with on the phone?: Grandpa marc
What do you currently smell like?: sweat
Last….
Movie you watched: Shrek – Forever After
Magazine you looked at: Family Handyman
Thing you ate: Deviled Eggs
Book you read: The Singularity is Near
T.v. show you watched: So You Think You can dance
Time you cried: Yesterday
Took a shower: yesterday
Got a real letter (a.k.a Snail Mail): yesterday
Ate at a restaurant (not fast food): Tuesday
CD you bought: What are CD’s?
What is/was….
The best thing to happen to you today?: I got a Job offer at EA
Your most prized possession: He’s not a possession but he’s the most important – My Son
Your first vehicle: Austin Marina
Your current vehicle: Ford F-150
Your favorite quote: Lack of planning on your part does not make it an emergency on my part
Your bedtime (on average): 11:30pm CST
Your best trait/characteristic: upbeat/funny
Your worst trait/characteristic: talk to much
Do You….
Store things under your bed: yeah.. old clothes- someday I’ll fit into them
Daydream: yes, too often
Have a computer at home: uhhh yeah – many
Live in the city, suburbs or country: burbs
Live in a home, apartment, duples or mobile home: home
Own a cell phone: yup
Have a good luck charm: My Wife
Collect anything: yes – everything
Attend high school or college: both
Make good grades: yup
Have You Ever….
Had a surgery?: no
Had teeth pulled?: yup
Broke the law intentionally: yes
Ran away from home?: no
Broke a bone?: yes
Cheated on a test/exam: no
Had a friend pass away: yes
Been issued a citation/traffic ticket: many
Been in an auto accident: no
Lied to someone: yeah 🙁
Been lied to: oh yeah
Your Favorite….
Place to be: Carribean  – Yarrr!!
Place to visit: New Jersey
Place to chill: the pool
Non-Alcoholic drink: chocolate milk shake
Alcoholic drink: Crown Royal
Type of food: phili cheese steaks
Meal/Food dish: Spagetti
Dessert: pumpkin pie
Shampoo & Conditioner: Suave
Toothpaste: whatever – Crest./Colgate
Salad dressing: too many
Ice cream: Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Fast food establishment: Wendy’s
Color: Purple
Season: Autumn
Holiday: Halloween
Perfume/Cologne: Zhir or anything with a clean smell
Video Game: Gauntlet
T.V. show: Firefly
Smells: after the rain
Article of clothing: jeans and t-shirt
Book: Peirs Anthony – Incarnations of Immortality (several)
Children’s Book: Dr. Suess
Candy: 3 muskateers
Car: dont know.. havent driven any lately
Do You Believe….
In Karma: yup
In God: dont know
In Heaven & Hell: dont know
That aliens exist (extraterrestrial variety, not illegal aliens): yes
That ghosts exist: yes
In horoscopes: no- but their fun
In others you know (family, friends, co-workers etc): yeah
In yourself: yes
Your Opinion….
On the death penalty: against.  – too many innocent people are convicted – the law always needs to nail someone even if they didnt do it.
On reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools: it doesnt hurt anything
On homosexuals in the military: it doesnt hurt anything
The war in the Middle East: do get me started
Schwarzeneggar…Governor or Terminator: Terminator
Current gas/fuel prices: again dont get me started

 

Not from me but another Joe

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Posted: July 8, 2011

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Dear Voter,

My name is Joe. I am currently serving in my second deployment to Iraq as an Army officer. The biggest differences between this deployment and my last one are:
The location (within Iraq)
The Job (much busier : less free time/sleep)
The duration (last deployment was 12 months, this one is 15)

I am sure you are wondering why some random soldier in Iraq would write you a letter… there are several reasons, but the primary one will be obvious by the end. The only reason I state my affiliation with the military is so you understand that I have a credible perspective. First I’ll tell you a little about myself.

I’m 26 years old, I’ve been married for almost 7 years, and I have a son and a daughter in elementary school. I grew up in Georgia, but I live in Colorado Springs now. I come from a long line of military officers, so I was sort of “destined” to serve. Although I only have 3 ½ years in the Army, I’ve been wearing the uniform for 12 years (JROTC & ROTC). I have a degree in computer science and I’m a music & movie enthusiast.

Now that you know a little about me, I’d like to inform you on what Iraq is really like.

Iraq is a war-torn country in political and engineering shambles. When the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, the intent was to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Once that was done, the military then targeted all Ba’athists (members of Saddam’s political party) because they were assumed to be loyal to Saddam. The problem with this “eradication” was the Ba’athists were the people who managed Iraq’s infrastructure. So our targeting caused the collapse of all of their water, power, sewage, oil, and transportation capabilities!

Also, because we dismantled their military, there was nobody to guard all of the thousands of artillery rounds and bullets that we stock-piled from Saddam’s Army. Where do you think the insurgents & terrorists got all of their weapons, ammo, and IED material to attack U.S. troops???

These are second-order effects of the U.S. policy to intervene in foreign countries. While our intentions might be good, Americans would be better off minding our own business and using diplomacy and trade to influence other nations.

Considering that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have both stated that Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks on September 11th, 2001, why did we invade Iraq? And why is the number of deployed troops significantly larger in Iraq than any other country??

Iraqis (and most middle-easterners in general) are used to having a dictator. The cultures of that region have a long history of authoritarian rule. Iraq had a dictator before Saddam Hussein, and they will likely resort to a dictatorship when we leave. They don’t care about democracy, they just want peace. (This is not my conclusion, those are the words of the Iraqis I’ve talked to during my time here.) And the truest assessment that nearly all politicians, generals, diplomats and bureaucrats agree on is:

You cannot find a military solution to a diplomatic/political problem.
“The surge is working.” In recent months, attacks have gone down. Many soldiers are shocked at how long it has been since they hit an IED in certain locations, or received incoming mortar rounds hit their camp. While there is a correlation (more troops, less attacks) there is no causation. Also, most of the influx of troops have been placed in Baghdad… this increase in volume simply displaced the “terrorists” and insurgents into areas surrounding Baghdad! Since the surge began, there have been more innocent, non-combatant Iraqis killed and more soldiers have died. We have had 3 suicides in 2 weeks!! Do you think the Army attracts suicidal people? Or perhaps the cost of carrying out U.S. foreign policy is making soldiers suicidal (15 month deployments, deployment extensions, stop-loss program, etc.)…

How can anyone justify the deaths of thousands of people with optimistic predictions based on premature statistics?!?

The truth is: the country is still war-torn, people are still attacking U.S. troops and our military is still occupying their country. Studies have proven that the primary reason for suicide (terrorist) attacks is occupation. The U.S. grows a lot of corn and wheat – What would Americans do if a foreign country that clearly consumes massive amounts of corn & wheat invaded the United States to free Americans from the tyrannical regime of President Bush, and set up bases around America??! Would you believe that they only invaded to remove Bush from power? Wouldn’t We Fight THEM?!?!

Most American Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen signed their contract because they wanted to defend the United States. We all swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. How can we defend America and protect her Constitution from the other side of the world?!

We can’t.

That is why I implore you to help keep America worth fighting for…

Even if it is something as simple as voting in your state’s primary election, calling your senator to voice your opposition to a bill, or telling your friends and family to vote and contact their senators.

There is a candidate who is running for President that breaks the typical mold of a corrupt politician. Not one single time, in his 17 years in Congress, has he voted to raise taxes. He served his country as a flight surgeon on the Air Force, he is a medical doctor who has been married for ever 50 years, and he never votes “yes” on legislation unless it is expressly permitted by the Constitution.

There is a candidate who is running for President that backs up his words with actions. Every stance he takes is backed by legislation he has proposed in Congress. He opposed invading Iraq because the method Congress wanted to use was unconstitutional. Even though he did not want to invade a country that posed no threat to the U.S., he still proposed a Declaration of War on Iraq just so the invasion would be Constitutional.

He has the largest following of real people across the world, yet he is selectively marginalized by main-stream media. He recently broke the record for most donations received in a single day (over $6 Million!), and somehow he is still proclaimed to be “a long shot.”

Most importantly: He is the only candidate running for President who voices genuine, consistent concern for the Constitution, the economy, foreign policy, and Liberty.

That candidate is RON PAUL.

The facts I’ve mentioned are the reasons that Ron Paul has more campaign donations from Active Duty Military and Veterans than any other candidate. The current conditions in Iraq are the unpredicted effects of a flawed foreign policy. The most likely (and noticeable) result of a Ron Paul presidency will be a more secure and prosperous America, because the military would defend the U.S. instead of being used as a world police force, and the money not spent overseas would dramatically improve America’s economy.

The reason that I hold Ron Paul in such high esteem is not because he is experienced, or eloquent, or because he seems “like he can beat Hillary.” I support Ron Paul because I swore an oath to defend the Constitution, and Ron Paul is the only one running for President who cares about it. (It’s also likely he is the only one who reads it!)

It is Ron Paul’s message of freedom that draws thousands of people to hear him speak and donate their time & money to his campaign.

Ron Paul is a proven man of principle who doesn’t cater to special interest groups. His number one concern is the very thing that made America such a desired place to live:

FREEDOM

I am open to answer any questions you may have about Iraq, Ron Paul, my life, history, politics, religion, philosophy, quantum theory, or whatever else you’d like to know.

I will vote for Ron Paul in Colorado’s primary election this February. I hope you will find out when your state primary election is and vote in it. When you cast your vote, please consider how it will effect the soldiers who implement the foreign policy. And if you choose to vote for someone other than Ron Paul, I will still respect you for choosing to vote… it’s more than many Americans do. I just hope that you are prepared to live with the second and third-order effects of your decision.

But please Do Something to help keep Americans free, so that soldiers like me have something worth fighting for.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

In Liberty,

Captain Joe

“Government that is big enough to supply you with everything you need, is big enough to take everything you have.” – Thomas Jefferson

Sourced From:
http://captainj0e.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/day-11-open-letter-to-americans/