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Monthly Archives: April 2008
Movie Review: SunShine
Last year I saw a couple previews for the movie SunShine, but it never made it to my local theatre. Before I knew it, it was in the DVD rental list on my Netflix account.
I ordered it, and then when it arrived, I watched it expecting it to be a poorly made movie. I mean, why else would it have gone to video so soon after hitting the theatres? That is something that usually only happens to either, a. Really bad movies. b. Movies that make you really think about something or c. Movies that touch on a subject that no one wanted to accept.
So I watched it and I really liked it. The effects were great, the story, while a little improbable, was good. The characters were believable, and the end was very well done.
Granted… there are some of the concepts of the movie that were a little out there. But I will discuss those at the end.
Without giving away the movie to the people that might want to see it, the easiest way I can describe it is that it is about sacrifice. People taking a dangerous journey with the intent of using an experimental device to reignite the sun. Add to this that this is not the first attempt. They are traveling in the wake of a previous attempt, that failed. So the odds are already against them.
This movie is good in the sense that there is a lot to the story that speaks to humans in general. We usually do not give up or give in. We are bound and determined to go up against insurmountable odds to achieve something that may or may not work.
This movie is motivational, with a little horror, and a grand theme. If I were to make comparisons… it is like Red Planet, with a pinch of Event Horizon and a little bit of Core.
My only arguements:
1. The concept that by collecting all the remaining fissionable material on Earth, and taking it to the sun in an attempt to restart it, is like a flea crawling up and elephant’s rear with rape in mind.
2. I am not sure that there is much of anything that we can create that could survive a direct entry into the sun’s coronasphere and live long enough to detonate therein.
Those things aside, this is a great movie to watch!
Education and Experience
For as long as I can recall, there seems to be an argument about which is more important, education or experience. Being that I see the importance in both, I decided that I would address it as much as I can in this article.
In short, I will start by saying, simply, that each is incredibly important by itself, but together they are invaluable. Both are important in both your professional and personal life, and both go a long way to making you a success or failure.
I have been an on-again-off-again college student for some time. I know what I want to do, and I know the degree that I would like to, someday, get. The problem for me is that I cannot afford to take the time off work to attend school as much as I need to get my degree in a timely manner. I know that there are those of you out there that will say, “That is no excuse.” But trust me… it is.
I do not have a degree. I have several cerifications and I have several years of training and experience in computers, network design and network infrastructure. I was lucky enough to have gotten into computers and computer repair in a day when companies offered apprenticeships in such fields. Alas, you can find almost none of these types of training programs these days, unless you are a plumber or welder. I see this a unfortunate, but I will talk about that later in the article.
For the most part, my lack of a degree had not really been a problem until 1999, when there was this sudden push for everyone to have a certification or degree in whatever field they worked. In my case, it hit like a brick wall. Suddenly I was getting turned away from job interviews immediately when they asked that all important question, “are you certified?”
I was able to go and get my MCSE with little or no problem, and was back in the work force. But there was a new problem that I ran into. With the push for people to get their certifications, there was also a sudden influx of people that anyone who has been in the industry, for any length of time, refers to as “Paper MCSEs” or “Paper Engineers.” These are people that go to schools like New Horizons, and have the answers to the questions pumped into their heads, get a brief explanation of the facts, very little lab time, and then get pumped out into the world, and are not always ready for the stuff they find. Places like this are fine if you already have the experience and knowledge, but need a refresh, but they are dangerous for the rest of us when people who are just getting into the field go there, and pass the tests, then get out here and realize that life is not a lab.
The fact that I had been working with the network side of things as long as I had, was a major factor that lead me to go to New Horizons. I knew that the assembly line structure that they used would be fine for me to get the tests out of the way as quickly as I could. So, three months later, I was done, and back in the work force. So I have learned, first hand, the value of experience and how it works in conjunction with education.
There are also examples of the opposite of what I have just explained. There have been many times that I have run into people, who are just out of school, and their heads are filled with facts and numbers, but when you ask them what positions they have held, or if they did any “co-op” work while in school, very often they say that they have not held a job in that field, or they did no co-op work at all. For those that might not know, “co-op” programs are where a business will take a person that is in school (college) and give them a job in a field related to what they are studying, on a part time, temporary basis. This works well for the student, who gains experience, and for the company, who gets a “discount rated” technician, since they will usually only pay the person about minimum wage.
I think that all schools should adopt mandatory “co-op” programs for certain fields. I think that giving a person the education, and a degree, with little or no real-life experience, is unfair and unrealistic.
Education is important… there is no way that you can put a value on the benefits of a good education. Statisically a graduate will make a lot more over his or her lifetime than will a non college graduate. There is no disputing that. But education without experience is almost pointless. Why do you think that medical students need to spend almost four years of their studies actually working in hospital.
If you have the option of going to school and furthering your education, then by all means, DO! I cannot express enough how important it is to have that piece of paper. But do not knock experience, there is an equal amount I can say good about getting out there, getting your hands dirty and learning by doing. Nothing teaches you to do a job, and do it right, more than going out and busting your butt. And if you have the chance to combine the two, then not only will others respect you more, but you will respect you more.
Both a good education and good experience are hard work and both are filled with ups and downs. You may not always be a success at both, but every time you fail or make a mistake, just remember that it is all part of learning. It has happened to many before you, and it will happen to many after you.
Lastly, I would like to revisit the comment I made in the first part of this article. Apprenticeships. These are something that should be taken more seriously by employers. The Department of Labor has a very good web site dedicated to Apprenticeships and On the job training, but you still do not see many companies that use this service.
In reality, I would like to see the schools, namely at a High School level, implement a program to select people that look like they are not bound for college. People that are not scoring high enough or that just are not interested in attending college. Take those students and put them in High School apprenticeship programs where they will learn two or three trades. They will still be required to get their basic education out of the way, but they will be prepared for a job once they leave High School. Because it would be an apprenticeship, they will probably even get hired by the company that they apprenticed for in school, or could be referred by them. This would give some kids, especially in poorer areas, a chance to do more with themselves than they might have been able to do before.
Apprenticeships are not gone, but I think they are under-utilized. If a company or school really wants to make a difference, then they should look into offering this option to potential employees or students.
Belching in public
Alright… I am open minded. I can tolerate quite a bit, even if I find it repulsive.
That being said, when did it start becoming the norm for people to belch or fart in public and it be connsidered something to laugh at, encourage or otherwise support?
My wife and I where at California Pizza Kitchen a few days ago, when some people a few seats from us all laughed because there kid belched. I could excuse this if the kid was, oh, say… five years old. Even then I would expect the parents to explain that this was not proper behavior. But the kid in question was obviously between thirteen and fifteen years old, and appeared to be mentally capable (i.e. not mentally challenged.)
This was not the first time I have seen this happen. In fact there are a couple of my friends who have done similar… luckily they, at least, waited until they were outside the restaurant before doing this, but I still see this as being extremely rude.
To be fair, I am referring to the loud, intentional belches that one releases for the sake of releasing them. I am not talking about the little ones that you cannot always control, and you release them making every effort to keep them quiet and suppressed. Those are excusable, and should still be followed up by a polite, “Pardon me.” or “Excuse me.” The fact is that your body still needs to function, and part of that is the production of gases that need to be expelled. But you have a pretty good idea of how much force is coming up before you releaser it, so rarely should you be surprised by one.
So… do I belch? Of course… When I am sitting at home, and need arises… I do let a couple noisy ones go. But then again, it is me, my wife, the dogs and the cats. There have been a couple that I would proudly say are award winners. But I still excuse myself when I do it! If we have guest over, I will not do this.
Now that I have put all this out… I have had a few accidental ones slip out and I can tell you that they are rather embarrassing. They usually come out in the middle of a conversation with someone, too. Not something that pleases me, or the person I am talking to. But I hope that my profuse apologies and reddened face can attest to the fact that it was entirely unintentional.
A story comes to mind about a guy I used to work with. He was at a job interview where part of the interview was to display how he could save the company money. About half way through the powerpoint presentation, in front of about six people, he leaned over to adjust the focus on the projector, when he let out a fart. As he tells the story, it was not a quiet one… it was a “ripper”. Add to that that it was a small room, and this one reeked. He told me that he cleared the room in a heartbeat. The good news was that he did get the job. However he would never tell me the nickname they gave him… I can only imagine.
Maybe I am being too prudish about things like this. But we really need to get back into the habit of telling our kids when something is just not cute or funny. The kid I mentioned in the start of this piece… if he had done that at home, with just his family… I am sure it would have been hysterical to them all. But in a restaurant or in a public place? I think not.