Keith’s Amusing Musings

Today, I have officially changed jobs from a Lead Software Design Engineer/Test for Visual Web Developer (VWD) to a Product Manager for VWD & ASP.NET. Basically, I am moving from software engineering into product marketing.

It has been a fun and crazy ride on the product development side of the business for the past 7 ½ years and I am very excited about my new role. My new responsibilities will enable me to stay actively involved in certain strategic aspects of product development while focusing more intensely on making those products and technologies a success in the marketplace.

Tidbit
Click here to read all about how & why I got started at Microsoft.

As if you didn’t already have enough blogs to read, I have pitched my technical/work blog tent over at http://blogs.msdn.com/keiths/. Stop by from time to time to stay current on the products I hold near and dear and activities in which I’m involved. If for no other reason, it may help you doze off for a quick nap. My new technical blog is pretty bare right now but I’m sure my new boss, Brian, will help me fix that.

If you’re a frequent visitor, don’t worry, lesia.com is not going away. Where else would you read about many of the high- and lowlights as I make the transition?

Wish me luck!

Keith

P.S. Happy Birthday, JS!

I came across this article about the 10 worst holiday gifts on the MSN Dating & Personals site. Before you ask: It was a link off the main MSN page. The author splits the 10 dont’s equally between women and men.

As is usually the case with articles of this ilk, 8 of the 10 are fairly obvious for anyone who has been in a relationship with someone of the opposite sex for an extended period of time. However, I was surprised by two of the entries. Particularly:

1. For women: Anything she needs instead of wants
2. For men: Clothes for a better version of him

Maybe TB is unlike these other “real” women as she’s usually very ecstatic whenever I surprise her with things that she really needs or has run out of but seems to never go out and buy for herself. This includes those scented body lotions, house shoes, socks, etc. Of course I sprinkle in a few wants and likes to occasionally throw her for a complete loop.

As for #2, I overhauled my wardrobe due, in large part, to direct & indirect prodding from TB who effortlessly makes casual seem so elegant. It started shortly after our wedding and, if memory serves, included phrases like “dressing more fashionably” and “you’ve been out of college for some time now”. Along those lines, I’m ecstatic whenever she buys me clothes that make me look sharp.

We don’t typically exchange gifts on “couple’s holidays” — Christmas, in particular — so maybe the rules don’t apply to us.

Keith

I’m neither a vegetarian nor PETA sympathizer but…

I came across a PETA video hosted on www.meat.org that I found truly disturbing. The narrator takes the viewer through the horrific living conditions and graphic slaughter of three groups of animals farmed to be consumed by humans. It begins with chickens/turkeys, goes on to cows and ends with pigs.

Be forewarned, viewing this video may cause you to rethink your eating habits.

I wonder how many people lack the stomach to force themselves to witness how animals are treated in videos like this but continue to put the meat from these animals into their stomachs each day.

Having viewed the video, I will continue to eat poultry and continue not eating beef and pork which I gave up over a decade ago. It’s certainly not because chickens/turkeys are treated any better.

Keith

I received a pointer to an ESPN.com article entitled “The meaning of patriotism”. The basis of the article is R. Kelly’s recent rendition of the Star Spangled Banner during the Hopkins/Taylor fight.

Reading the first part of the article made be laugh aloud as it referenced and conjured up images of this season’s first episode of The Boondocks, “The Trial of R. Kelly”. In that episode, Huey Freeman espoused on R. Kelly’s shenanigans and how he has still managed to endear himself to Black America. Team McGruder’s treatise via Huey was almost prophetic in light of this recent development.

The thrust of the ESPN article is around the subset of people who are offended by R. Kelly’s performance because of who he is and what he represents not really for what he did. In the end, I would like to believe the majority of people who were offended were likely also offended by Roseanne Barr’s rendition — assuming they were old enough to know of Roseanne. It is difficult for me to dissect the “who he is and what he represents” element because Mr. Kelly has been accused of some pretty deplorable acts and has yet to stand trial so certain aspects of his infamy are well-deserved.

Race & cultural differences (still) matter in the U.S. but I wonder if the reaction would be the same if Michael Jackson put his Thriller/Moonwalker stamp on a performance of the national anthem. Jackson still receives the support of an even larger audience despite being accused (and subsequently found not guilty) of some pretty deplorable acts as well. An analysis of the similarities and differences between Michael Jackson and R. Kelly could take up a lot of print on its own.

Frankly, I’m surprised the promoters/producers of the fight booked R. Kelly. I’m sure Ruben Studdard could use the work. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised as this is the same sport that has the trainwreck known as Mike Tyson as its biggest draw. Time for some math:

Keith

Checkraise/Stank drops a bombshell of a post.

I had to pause several times to question its veracity. My respect for the long list of women who raised, nurtured and sacrificed for me made me want…no need…to believe the post is highly fictionalized.

All I could say is “Dayum!”

Keith