Several years ago, I had a boss that scolded me for replacing a faulty cat5 network cable between an expensive server and a switch without shutting the server down first. He yelled at me saying "You never unplug ANYTHING from my servers without shutting them down first!!"... then I laughed at him which made him even more furious =). How he got it in his head that it was necessary is beyond me, but it still cracks me up every time I think about it... hee hee... what a knuckle-head. Nonetheless, from that point on, I turned of his computers every time I needed to plug in a mouse, or some USB device, or anything, and then

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When you work for a large company like I do, inevitably, there are going to be at least a few people that march to the beat of a different drummer. Over the years of my professional career, I have worked with "Not-Funny Comedian" guy, "Tries Too Hard to be Everyone's Friend" guy, "Tucks His T-shirts Into His Underwear" guy, "Idiot that Thinks He's a Genius" guy, and various people of that nature (and yes I have used those nick names in actual conversations with my fellow employees). But over the last few months, a new champion has risen to the top of my "Strangest Co-Workers Ever" list. He is known, by many here at the office, as: "Trench Coat Mafia" Guy.

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Today is my birthday. I'm 0011001000111000 binary years old, but I don't feel like I'm a day over 28. Of course, tomorrow that may change, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I was just reading a post on ColdFusion Muse on what Mark Kruger's motivations for blogging are, and it got me thinking. Why did I really start blogging? Sure I have noble intentions of sharing the knowledge and experience I have accumulated over the many years I have been developing with other ColdFusion developers. Sure I may find myself referring back to my blog entries to remember how I did something from time to time. And it may even bring me a little bit of business once people start to recognize who I am. All those things are reasons why I wanted to start blogging years ago, but they never really pushed me over the edge and motivated me to write my first blog entry.

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I just went on to cast my CFEmmy votes and was a bit suprised to see my blog listed under the best newcomer! Thank you for the nomination, it gives a little validation to know that I'm not just talking to myself and other people are finding what I am writing useful.

Right after work last night, I went to my son's ice hockey practice, and I left my laptop bag on the floor in the back seat of my car. After the practice, I came out and found my window smashed in and my laptop bag missing. Fortunately there really aren't any documents or files on that laptop that I don't have backups of. Aside from the obvious, hassle of replacing the window in my car, and having to all the police report paperwork, and insurance claims.... I really, really, really hate having to set up a new laptop. It will be days before I once again have all my software installed and all my shortcuts, and personalization back to the way I like it.

Right now I am using and old, slow, relic of a laptop until I get a new one. It really sucks.

Not only did they take my good laptop, my blue tooth headset, all my laptop accessories, my really nice leather laptop bag, my asthma and allergy medication, my "Spaceballs" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" DVDs, my organizer with all the business cards of my professional contacts, and my copy of the latest internet retailer magazine.... but the bastard took my favorite pen!!!

This is the first time anyone has ever done anything like this to me, and I feel really violated and creeped out. Last night I was in shock, today I am just pissed off as I am realizing that it's not just my stuff that was taken, but it's a lot of time that I am going to have to spend dealing with the aftermath, and the insurance deductible. Not to mention the emotional trauma. My 7 year old son had a hard time going to bed last night, because he was afraid that someone was going to break into our house while he was asleep.

All in all, it sucks being a victim and hope I never have to go through this again.