Year: 2016

Listening to Coldplay and enjoying the music.  Trying to apply HFM patching on Win2K8R2.  Boy, and I thought SAP was bad.  I keep getting a newfound appreciation for SAP as I try and deal with this ORACLE crap.  So many little OS/DOS based quirks that are not really documented that shouldn’t be show stoppers.  DOS based variables that shouldn’t need system restarts, command line stuff that corrupts for no reason that I can think of save bad programming, not packaging patches in groups.

Kind of bummed with SAP – I won’t lie.  We were looking for financial/manufacturing software to carry the company into the future and the contestants were SAP (ECC), Oracle (JDE and HFM), and Infor (the current software vendor).  SAP came in thinking that they were a slam dunk and they completely blew it.  Now I’m stuck supporting JDE and HFM.  JDE looks like it was written by 8th graders.  They put a nice HTML front end on it.  Lipstick on a pig.  After a year of support, It still makes no sense.  The only salvation is that it runs on an iSeries which means that its bulletproof.  I have a great appreciation for IBM and the old AS400 platform, but I digress.  SAP had several things going for it and a couple of things against it.  First, SAP had at least one successful implementation (a proverbial foot in the door) of ERP in a billion dollar company.  I will leave that for a minute.  Second, they had licensing sold that was netting them 350K/year for 1 ECC plant implementation.  We bought SCM/APO – implemented it and let it rot, we bought BW, installed it and let it rot, we bought business objects, installed it and let it rot, we bought master data management and let it rot.  So, 350K free yearly revenue for one ECC plant implementation.  The 2 things that SAP going for them was that – they had their foot in the door of a billion dollar company and 350K in free annual revenue.  Oh, and they were up against vintage 1990 homegrown RPG software.  What did they have going against them?  The CFO hated them because he came from a company with a failed SAP implementation, our last megalomaniac CIO who picked SAP and rammed it down the company’s throat was summarily dismissed and the implementation was deemed a failure, even though it still runs the plant today.  The original SAP implementer made some critical errors, first implementing a custom business solution that was designed for a “similar” industry that was never really similar.  That had the effect of shoehorning in a UOM that made no sense, caused confusion and made reconciling financials challenging.  It had so much custom code that it made upgrades extremely difficult and created a nervous atmosphere to the point that no one wanted to upgrade.  Little documentation was created so that in the event of upgrade there were minimum processes to follow. So against SAP – they were hated, they would have had to re-implement, we were paying large sums of cash on maintenance we didn’t want or need.

I just realized that this is kind of decision therapy for me.  Do I stay with my company or leave?  What are the pros of my current company?  I love and respect my boss.  He gives me autonomy and empowerment.  That is a tough one to top.  I get to constantly learn new things.  That is a prime motivator for me.  I seldom get stuck in a rut and if I do, its really my fault.  I get to manage and do some of the management things that go with that like employee reviews, raises, etc..  I get to keep my skills up by being involved with several hardware platforms – iSeries, Windows.  No UNIX or LINUX though but I could set up an LPAR of UNIX I guess.  But with no reason or software to run, it would be a waste of time.  I get to train and occasionally go to conferences that are aligned with our interests.  I feel like I have the best of both worlds – I get to manage and get to keep my hands in technology.  What are the cons?  The company discounts my experience/expertise outside my department.  I never really feel like I know what direction the company is going.  I don’t like how IT falls under finance, I completely don’t agree with it.  That is a company culture thing though.  Either I have to suck it up and shut up, or move on.  Now that I think of it, my gripes are with my bosses boss.  Hmmm.  Somehow I have to manage that.  I guess I will stay.  I have been disgusted and pissed off. At least I have a direction now and some better understanding.

Did I mention I got a plastic sabre and DVD and am teaching myself the basic techniques of Chinese Sabre?  Should be interesting and amusing.

It was a fun day at the dojo this afternoon, love Fridays.  Got to play with sticks.  Learning Filipino cob-cob drills with Danny.  Lots of fun.  Apparently, I need to learn the stick drills with my hands inside my shoulders because this training to fight with machetes.  Also learned some seated hand-to-hand fighting techniques with back against the wall.  Was farting around with Jake re-figuring out “long-hand, short-hand” solo forms for the Tai Chi test Tuesday.

Ratpuke7

…in paradise.  I want to leave work, go home and play with my saber.  “Can’t do it, won’t do it…” (to quote Samurai Mike)  Have to patch some FDMEE software, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t remember what the hell I’m even supposed to do.  I have a meeting now and just waiting for the HFM business admin to give me a direction.  On a different note, my buddy’s got a piece in an art show opening at the college tomorrow night and I’m really envious he gets to be in the show.  His artwork is coming along beautifully.  I know he really hated his new teacher and was going to quit but he is rising to the challenge.  I can’t believe how much an under painting sometimes help with the vividness of the colors.  It’s quite amazing.  Yea, his drawing technique needs some work but his painting quality is great.  Ill take a photograph and post it as a banner.  Scum.  (I’m so happy for him, it really validates his talent)  I wish I got to get back into art.  I guess maybe after we sell the current house and I get the new house in some order.  Hopefully, we get an unfinished basement so I have some room for art (martial and regular).  Hey, just thought of something, I still have a “Groupon” for a photography class. Yeah!  And a certificate for 2hrs of glass fusing… w00t!  Still have to finish the bathroom though – first.  Fucking house.  What a time sucker.  My first year of hiatus is almost completed and I still have nothing to show for it.  That kind of sucks.

Ratpuke7

Ok, was just going over my Tai Chi stuff for my test today.  I almost forgot my uniform this morning.  Got to be properly dressed, I guess.  I am starting to become a ball of nerves, which for Tai Chi is the KOD.  Relax, my ass.  Makes me wonder how you are supposed to fight with Tai Chi, adrenalin and all.  Maybe… I don’t know.  The style of Tai Chi I study is called Yang Classic Temple Style.  From what I understand, there are only 2 teachers in the Chicagoland Area that teach this.  Outside of that, there is only one guy I have seen do it (the first section show form) on the internet and he was kind of weird – if I do say so myself.  Two teachers in North America and they both happen to reside within 30 miles of each other.  What are the odds?

Update:  I guess I will get a 1 week reprieve.  It seemed that my teacher forgot that I was doing a test today.  So, I will have one more week to try and memorize the numbering of the sections.  I’m kind of bummed since I was prepared for a test on the second section.  However, she added the first section to the second, so I’m glad for the extension.  I will just keep the uniform in the car.

Ratpuke7

Listening to Edger Winter Group – I forgot just how good the band was.  Funny thing, that memory shit.  Saw “Batman vs. Superman” this weekend.  What a good movie!  Very enjoyable.  Some things I liked that they didn’t forget about – that Earth’s sunlight rejuvenates Superman, that you still don’t know what happened to the ship, that it would have been a very short fight if Superman wanted it to be that way, Oh, and I just LOVE the new Wonder Woman.  Some things I didn’t like or that I was mad about – I really liked the General Zod actor, but they made the Zod character such a whiny bitch, he could have been such a bad ass.  Why did they have to dangle him in front of my face again?  And the new characters could have been better defined.

I have a Tai Chi test tomorrow concerning the second section. I feel like I am ready except for remembering all the numbering of the moves. I know the movements and their position but don’t remember all the numbers. Its not like its a Chinese takeout menu.  Give me the number 53: Right and Left Turn Around.  The other day when I was practicing I really felt like the Chi was flowing.  Some days are like that and other days the chi is just turned off.  Very weird. I guess that’s why it takes decades to cultivate.  I read somewhere that chi flow was inversely proportional to the physical effort involved.  Which was why it was never really practiced by the young and embraced by the old.  “Relax” is the age old word given by the masters.  Just try and relax in todays society with the information glut provided from always being connected and catering to our ADD.  There is no refuge from work when your co-workers don’t honor boundaries. Tai Chi seems like a total throwback art. I guess that is what I love about it.  Most things concerning Tai Chi is about neutralization of your opponent, not destroying them.

I’m now listening to the Chris Duarte Group – Lucky 13.  I love all sorts of music – everything except for traditional Country.  I just can’t stomach country music.  I’d rather listen to someone squeezing a cat or a group of frogs like a bag pipe.  Country is like discordant nails on a chalk board.  Better to listen to Christian talk radio.  Anyway, I digress – Chris Duarte is the closest thing to SRV if SRV was reincarnated like The Highlander.  Had to be that way because Duarte was already born when SRV crashed and burned.  Yep, there can be only one…  Call it Texas Rock or whatever but it uses similar guitar rifts and rhythms.  SRV made it his own and Chris just adopted it like he was a flippin’ native.  Anyhoo, Ciao until tomorrow.

Ratpuke7

 

Sitting here listening to the James Gang (Joe Walsh) and wondering what I should talk about.  Upon further thought, I heard something in line at the grocery store last month – that iTunes cannot be passed on to your next of kin.  As I reflected upon that, it bothered me and the more I thought about it, the more angry I got with Apple.  When I got home that day, I looked it up – Bruce Willis was suing Apple for the digital rights to his digital music collection after he passes. So, your digital music collection will probably go to the grave with you.  Which is a boatload of crap because if I owned records, tapes, CD’s, my kids could get those if they wished.  However, if you could read the fine print when you signed up for Amazon or iTunes, you would have undoubtly seen that they grant you “Non-transferable” rights to use the content.  So if, for example you purchase the complete works of Joe Walsh on iTunes, you cannot give “The Smoker you Drink, the Player you Get” to your son and “Yer’ Album” to your daughter.  WTF???  Part of the problem is that with digital content, one doesn’t have the same rights as with print books and CD’s Customers own a license to use the digital files – but they don’t own them.  (Man, I love that song – “Turn to Stone”, sounds sooo 60s-ish).  Now, this is nothing new – it was in court in 2012, however it still bugs me.

The “Range at 355” was a nice treat.  It’s in much better shape than “Article 2” but its also a new building.  They had a nice selection of guns in their gun shop and competitive pricing also.  Their range prices were slightly more than “Article 2” or even “Mr. Cranky Pants” range in Glenwood.  One other nice thing was that they had a range with moving targets.  Neither Article 2 or Glenwood has that.  I think Article 2 has more stalls though.  Glenwood has around 6.  I didn’t buy ammo there since I had plenty of my own.  You can shoot centerfire rifle there up to a .308.  I asked about my AK, and the guy there said that you can – if the bullets don’t have steel cores, which apparently most of the over-seas 7.62×39 ammo has.  He said that PMC’s Bronze line has FMJ rounds with lead cores.  Anyway, It was good to see and connect with my friend, whom I hadn’t seen in at least a year – probably 2.  Man, life’s too short.  Gotta try and keep that up.  Went to B-Dubs for dinner – gawd, their Mango-Habanero sauce was hot!

Got to get 2 things this weekend – for my feathered friends:  4 hooks and bracket extensions for the Hummingbird feeders and an Airsoft gun to pick the Grackles and Starlings off the Suet feeder.  Love to see the birds on the suet, just not the winged pigs.

To explain the picture – last year for Labor Day, my wife and I went up to Traverse City, Michigan.  If you know me, I am a HUGE UOM fan.  Anyhow, we went out for dinner on one of the many peninsula’s on Traverse Bay and ran across this little gem of a bar called “The Jolly Pumpkin” which served its own craft beers.  The beer was sour by design and had a particular taste, which I really didn’t care for.  It was very popular with the locals though.  The Jolly Pumpkin was attached to a beautiful little restaurant called “Mission Table” which served sumptuous food and had a beautiful view of the bay.  Yesterday, I was looking at Ann Arbor via Google Maps, and I saw that the “Jolly Pumpkin” opened a brewery/restaurant there – very cool.  Speaking of Ann Arbor, hopefully we can get to a UOM game this year and the punter won’t fumble the ball for a touchdown!  Yea, I was at game last year – doh!

I think I may change the picture on a whim, so the above paragraph may not make sense come Monday.  Also, I was thinking that I may go back to albums.  Fuck Apple – especially when it comes to music.  Music is timeless, video is not.  My uncle and my mom had given me records from the 50s, I wouldn’t want video from the 50’s.  I can’t think of a medium that would eternally keep video.  Yea, sometimes I do things out of principle – just because.

 

 

Hi All, listening to Hans Zimmer on iTunes here – Interstellar Soundtrack and getting frustrated, trying to figure out how to use this blog thingy. What a cool movie (Interstellar) .  Especially liked the robots (very original) and the flow of the plot.  I thought that the “Mountains” on the one extraterrestrial world was a cool twist and really added a element of drama that made the viewer have to change their train of logic and review their Earthly intuitions.

I think I am going to use this blog as a rambling journal for a while.  For me, this is a tool to gather some blog experience and vent.  At some point, I ultimately want to utilize this to further my career but as of the present, I haven’t figured out how to do that.

Who am I?  My alias “Ratpuke7” is a throwback to the 90’s when creating an online screen name for AOL, I couldn’t think of a name.  My friend was “Ratfart7” and he said, “Who the hell would think of Ratfart as a name and I couldn’t  imagine 6 prior screen names of the same name”.  I thought that his logic was infallible so I chose Ratpuke7 with the same logic.  It has stuck ever since.

I am a Software Administrator for a major Steel Fabrication company in the “Greater Chicagoland” area.  I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and hold a pseudo Physics degree in Materials Science (ill explain that in a minute). In no particular order, I love math, electronics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, drawing, painting, reading, fishing, shooting, martial arts, watching sports, music, photography, and art glass.  I would include computers in that list but that is so interwoven into our lives anymore (at least for a software admin) that it just makes me sound old.

When I say a “pseudo degree” in Physics, I mean that I did all the work for my degree at a major Illinois University but apparently never received my grades for 2 of my last senior classes, and hence – a diploma.  Now, I found about this little issue during a buyout of a company I worked for during the dot-com bubble where everyone needed to reapply for their job.  A background check gets done and I’m called into HR.  Ok, so I go to the school to talk to the department chair.  He says, that if I can get my teachers to go back and look at my grades, they can apply them and I can get my diploma.  As it turns out, he was just placating me.  I go see my one professor who remembers me and my work, he goes to his file cabinet pulls out my grades and apologizes.  Put in my grade changes immediately.  Looking for the second teacher, I find out that she passed away several years ago.  Go back to the chair – nothing can be done.  Sorry.  Now as it turns out, if I would have never taken the class, they would just waive the class for me.  However, because I received an “I” (incomplete) in the class which defaulted to an F after 1 year, they cannot waive the class.  I have to take another senior level physics class.  Now I don’t know about you, but for me – “if you don’t use it, you lose it”.  Other than doing some basic regression analysis at my first job, I don’t remember jack about differential equations, much less calculus and charge theory in different coordinate systems. My Physics degree was sacked.  So you may ask, why didn’t you ever go after that piece of paper (diploma)?  I moved around quite a bit after college and figured that it would be there at my parents house when I thought it important.

So, I chose a different school and went for my BSIT degree, which at this point was my career direction.  Most of the classes I never used since it was really geared towards programming and infrastructure both of which were almost outdated or retired by the time I finished.  As it turns out, it really didn’t matter since almost everything I have done since school has been replaced from a technological standpoint except TCP/IPv4 which will be retiring soon and replaced by TCP/IPv6, and DNS.  Whoda thunk?  Remnants from UNIX and the 60’s would still be alive today?  I’m not saying that it was a waste, I was learning current technologies but the equivalent of Moore’s law applies to technology – technology doubles every 18 months.  Everything I learned was an excellent foundation for my job.

Looking forward to meeting an old friend at the range tonight to blow off some steam in the form of a Para Expert 14.45 1911 – w00t!