LancesWorld.com Journal

Schatzi's Christmas Present
Originally uploaded by Lance Johnson.

Posted by Lance at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

+ It Snowz +
Originally uploaded by lyingsaucer.

Posted by Lance at 7:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Life, the Universe and Everything (Hitchhiker's Trilogy (Paperback))

by Douglas Adams

This is another brilliant work by Adams. One of my favorite parts is an encounter between Dent and a creature named Arajag whose various reincarnated forms Arthur has reputedly murdered over and over.

"What have you got against me, Dent?" snarled the creature, advancing on him in a painful waddle.
"Nothing," insisted Arthur, "honestly, nothing."
"Seems a strange way to relate to somebody you've got nothing against, killing them all the time. Very curious piece of social interaction, I would call that. I'd also call it a lie!"

This series of books is one that can be enjoyed by sci-fi lovers and non-sci-fi lovers alike. Layered with a remarkable sci-fi storyline and a hilarious social commentary, this is a story anyone can love.

Posted by Lance at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I arrived back in Utah today. I'll be here for two weeks. It will be nice to be here for Christmas and New Year's. I know I could have spent the holidays in San Jose with Jeanne, but there really is no place like home for the holidays. And no matter how much the Bay Area is becoming my new home, Utah will always have a special place in my heart.

Christmas is fast approaching. It is already Dec. 20! I can hardly believe it. Christmas is this coming Sunday. I'm pretty much ready, though I haven't yet done any of my wrapping. That will happen sometime soon - tomorrow maybe.

Yesterday I had a chance to spend the day with Jeanne's grandson, Jacob. Jacob is 10 years old. He lives in the Santa Cruz area, so I drove up to the horse ranch where his mom works. We started off the day by putting up part of a fench at the ranch. I am not a professional fence builder, but we got the job done and it should keep the horses in line. After we finished the fence, I took Jacob out to do a little geocaching. I knew he would love it, and he did.

Oh, I got a call last night about another possible opportunity at Berkeley. I'll have to look into that and I'll be sure to keep you all posted. It is getting late here in Utah, so I should get to bed. Until next time...

Posted by Lance at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

by Douglas Adams

The pace of this book is never dull, and the writing is so witty that you won't want to put the book down. What will that oaf Arthur Dent do next? And what about Zaphod - can he be any more self-important? While the book is highly enjoyable just as a story, when read as the social and political satire that it is, the story takes on so much additional meaning and even adds to the humor.

Join Arthur, Trillian, Ford Prefect and Zaphod (former President of the Galaxy) and all of the strange beings they encounter on their journeys for a great meal at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Posted by Lance at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Digital Fortress : A Thriller

by Dan Brown

But aside from the end of the story, the rest was pretty good. Taking place at the NSA, the timing couldn't have been better with the recent news that the NSA has been spying on American citizens with the consent of the President. In the classic Dan Brown style, this book pairs two brilliant minds on a cerebral case, with many elements taking place in Europe - Spain in this case. Some of the logic and reasoning is exciting, and the story has several plausible elements, making the reader feel very present in the action.

Ultimately, I rated this 3 of 5. It is not Brown's best work, but if you enjoyed Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code you will probably enjoy this as well.

Posted by Lance at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You will probably notice that I've made some additions to the new Journal. Inspired by my friend, Ryan, I added some new modules to display what I am currently reading, the movies I've recently seen in the theater, and the movies I've recently watched on DVD. I have also added a Reading List which will allow you to see all the books that I've finished reading recently.

I am currently working on a DVD list which will allow you to see all of the DVDs in my personal DVD Library along with the last time I watched each movie. Watch for that in the next week or two.

Posted by Lance at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I've just updated the Journal and am now using MovableType version 3.2. This new version has a new look and many new features that I will start taking advantage of in short order. Or long order... I am pretty slow with the major updates on this site.

Posted by Lance at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Think you can steal from Mr. Lance R. Johnson and get away with it? Think again!

I'm not sure who, but somebody decided that it would be a good idea to steal my Wells Fargo ATM Card and use it to make a purchase at a gas station in Morgan Hill, CA. I keep a close eye on my account activity online and when I noticed a strange check card purchase, I knew right away that it wasn't mine. First off, I can't remember the last time I used my check card to make a purchase. The second clue was that I have never in my life been to Morgan Hill, CA. I know where it is, of course, but I have never been there. Thankfully the unauthorized charge was only $20 and I noticed it immediately so I was able to cancel the card right away.

Cancelling the card only took a brief 40 minutes. Yes, 40 minutes. The people I talked to apparently didn't know much about what they were doing. I had to talk to four different people to get everything taken care of. The first person I talked to was able to cancel the current card, but couldn't issue me a new one, so I was transferred to someone else. He took all the information and then said that his computer "froze up" and wouldn't let him continue. It turns out that, since I am Private Banking customer, he couldn't issue me a new card since he was not a Private Banker. So he transferred me to someone else who also decided he couldn't help me. Finally, after 35 minutes, I finally got on the line with a Private Banker! My Private Banker was not pleased that anyone else had done anything at all to my account. He said that the first guy should have transferred me to Private Client Services immediately and that would have saved all the other trouble. Long story short, the Private Banker was able to order me a new card, but because someone else had cancelled the card, he also had to order a new PIN number, meaning that it will take 2-3 weeks for me to get a working replacement instead of 7 days. Oh well...

I've decided that I need to stop spending money. I'm unemployed, but I've been spending money like it's my job. Partly that has to do with the fact that it is the holiday season, but there are definitely some things that I've bought that I could have lived without. Did I really need that original 1956-57 Boston Celtics vs. St. Louis Hawks Championship Game basketball net? Or how about that giant inflatable pizza? To be fair, the inflatable pizza DOES makes a great addition to Jeanne's outdoor holiday decor, so maybe that was a good buy afterall.

On the job front, I have received two offers. I am not at all surprised to have received offers from both Northwestern Mutual and Ameriprise Financial. Despite having the offers, though, I feel I am going to turn both down. There are several reasons. First, they are both located in the South Bay. While the South Bay is a very nice area, it is 100 miles round trip every time I drive into San Francisco, and I just don't think I can tolerate that. Second, both jobs rely very heavily on sales instead of analysis. I feel that my strengths are more analysis than sales oriented. It isn't that I don't think I could be a good salesperson, it is just that I don't feel passionate about it, and sales is the type of thing you have to be passionate about. If you aren't, every day is a chore.

Posted by Lance at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't even think of exceeding this - it could spell disaster for you cruising along Santana Row in San Jose.

I could hardly believe this when I saw it, to be honest. The people behind me on the sidewalk probably though I was crazy to be taking a picture of a speed limit sign, but I saw it and knew I had to have a picture to prove it was true. The only other time I can recall seeing such a strange speed limit is a speed limit I saw posted at Disneyland once. I can't even recall what it was exactly, but for some reason "8" is sticking out in my mind.

Last night I went to a great Holiday Harp concert with Jeanne. I wasn't planning on going. In fact, I had planned on not going, but it just so happened that I got back to Jeanne's house about 6 minutes before she was set to walk out the door for the concert, so I decided to go along. It was excellent. It was put on by one of Jeanne's friends who runs a Harp School in the area. She and her partner played along with their students, for a total of 20 harps playing simultaneously. It was a very ethereal concert, to be sure.

Tonight I am going to another Holiday concert with Jeanne, this one professionally performed at the California Theater for the Arts or something like that - it is a posh event, apparently, so I bought a nice Christmas tie to wear. It isn't like a hokey snowman of Santa tie; rather, it is just a pure Christmas-red silk tie. It will look very good, I think. If you can't tell, Jeanne is a big music lover. She plays French Horn in several ensembles and enjoys going to as many musically related events as possible. I enjoy the artistic exposure.

Tomorrow I have a final interview with Northwestern Mutual. I have to be there at 7:30 a.m. It is actually more than just an interview - it is a 5 hour marathon event. I will sit in on a meeting, then visit with a whole barrage of people - training coordinators, financial representatives, compensation specialists, and so on. It will be a great chance to really get a feel for the company and to decide if it the type of place I could work. My first choice is still UC Berekely, but until I have an offer from them, I really can't stop looking for other work, can I?

Monday night I will be attending a Holiday Party with Jeanne. It is for one of the groups she plays with, the Saratoga Community Band, I believe.

Tuesday I will spend most of the day in the city. I am going to meet up with Brad Carr for lunch. I haven't seen him for several months, so it will be nice to catch up with him. After that, I am hoping to meet up with Ron, the man who is in charge of the Sunset Youth Services center where I am hoping to volunteer as a Digital Film Instructor. I don't know yet if I will meet with him - I am still waiting for a response from him about his availability that afternoon. Then in the evening I am meeting up with Mike, Megan and Elisabeth for some dinner. It should be a good day.

Wednesday I have no plans until the evening when I will be going to the St. Dominic's YAG final event of the year. It is the Home Mass & Potluck dinner. We will be celebrating mass at Priory West (the home of three YAG members, so named because it is the building just west of the St. Dominic's Priory) followed by a potluck dinner.

Thursday I will have my final interview with Ameriprise Financial. I have just been whizzing through their interview process.

I'm not particularly sure why I felt it necessary to post my schedule for the next few days - perhaps I am just inviting a stalker?

Posted by Lance at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are probably signs posted everywhere that people never read. Take, for example, the sign posted almost on the ceiling of the men's restroom at the Westgate Mall here in San Jose. I don't know how many times I was in there before I ever bothered to look at it. I mean, I don't live at the mall, so it was probably only two or three times that I was in there before I bothered to read it, but still, if you only go in once, you aren't likely to pay it any attention.

I can't remember the entire text of the sign, but the part that sticks out in my mind is, "NO REASONABLE EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY SHOULD BE ASSUMED." Yes, this on a sign in a mall restroom. I can't say whether the same sign is posted in the women's room, but it wouldn't surprise me. It makes me wonder if I should go in there anymore.

Things are going well here in San Jose. I have been enjoying the community at St. Dominic's, though it is a 100 mile round trip every time I go up to the city. I imagine if won't be long before I finally make the move up north. I'm not 100% sure where I'll end up living. I would love to live in the city, of course, but it is so expensive and in the event that I end up working in the East Bay, I might well elect to live over there. But I imagine I should be making enough to pay the high city rent... we'll see what develops.

I went to a concert tonight. Jeanne, the long-time family friend I am staying with in San Jose, plays French Horn and is in several performance groups locally. One of the groups she plays with is the Saratoga Community Band and they had their annual Winter Concert tonight. It was pretty good for a volunteer community band. They actually have quite a large group of musicians - I would estimate at least 50 people. I was keeping my eye out for a possible date, but I discovered that all of the females there were either under 13 or over 30. Not that there is anything particularly wrong with either population, but they are just not in my current dating pool.

Tomorrow I have nothing scheduled. I interviewed today, have a career presentation on Wednesday and another interview on Thursday, but tomorrow is a free day. I'll spend it sleeping in, reading, tracking down some additional job references and maybe doing some Christmas shopping.

Alright, well I've run out of things to say.

Posted by Lance at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Terrorist. You are winning, it would seem.

In a recent announcement, the TSA said that scissors shorter than 4 inches (sewing scissors, basically) and tools less than 7 inches would be permitted in carry on luggage. TSA felt they were spending too much time screening for items such as these, and instead of wasting their time confiscating these items, they decided instead to permit them. When I heard this news, I thought it was great. I felt that it was ridiculous that items such as these had been banned in the first place. They were banned just after 9/11 when restrictions and security measures were outrageous. It seems, though, that I am in the minority when it comes to the approval of the newly relaxed security measures. A poll of Bay Area residents today overwhelmingly said that they believed these relaxed measures were "an invitation to terrorists."

COME ON PEOPLE! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE GOAL OF TERRORISM IS - to scare common people with everyday things. Terrorism isn't about scaring people with only major things like nuclear holocaust - it is about making people scared to do everyday things like drive a car, fly across the country or go to work. If over 70% of people really think that a pair of sewing scissors makes an airplane more dangerous, then the terrorists are clearly winning. They have successfully convinced the American public that it is unsafe to do everyday things.

A terrorist is not going to be dissuaded by a simple sewing scissor restriction, OK? Let me tell you a story. A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, mistakenly packed a large switchblade in his/her carry-on luggage. This was within a year or 2 after 9/11 when security restrictions were at their height. This wasn't a boxcutter, or a pair of sewing scissors, it was a dangerous weapon. Airport security didn't even see it. It wasn't until he/she was unpacking that he/she realized that he/she had mistakenly packed it. Which is more dangerous, allowing sewing scissors or being so preoccupied with finding the sewing scissors that you overlook a switchblade?

Average Joe America, you are stupid. I'm sorry, but it is true.

Posted by Lance at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)