manincagejackwilson

Well, as you all have probably gathered by now, I’m voting for McCain. I have my reasons for doing so, which can basically be summed up in this article I found today by Neal Boortz…

http://boortz.com/nuze/undecided.html

I also encourage you all to visit Obama’s website and check out your tax “credit”. I used the calculator feature yesterday, which determined I would only get $250 from the government. This is in opposition to McCain’s $5,000 tax credit. Obama has proven to me that although he is smooth with words, the legitimacy behind them is not present.

I watched the debate this evening and something about Obama frightened me a bit. I cannot quite describe what that may have been, but I just do not feel like others my age do about him.

Anyways, did anyone else catch Obama’s argument about his tax plan? Here is a quote from the transcript:

“So let’s be clear about my tax plan and Sen. McCain’s, because we’re not going to be able to deal with entitlements unless we understand the revenues coming in. I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans, 95 percent.

If you make less than a quarter of a million dollars a year, you will not see a single dime of your taxes go up. If you make $200,000 a year or less, your taxes will go down.

Now, Sen. McCain talks about small businesses. Only a few percent of small businesses make more than $250,000 a year. So the vast majority of small businesses would get a tax cut under my plan.”

I guess it depends on how you define a small business, but my dad’s company (Century Manufacturing) makes more than $250,000 a year, yet they are considered a small business. Only 30-some employees, as a matter of fact. His company has struggled since 9/11, and with the state of the economy today, they have had to layoff several members of their workforce. Enforcing companies such as Century Manufacturing to pay more taxes simply because they make more than $250,000 a year would be a travesty to the U.S. economy.

I was undecided going into this debate, despite considering myself a conservative. Obama has some decent beliefs, and I do believe that change is needed in regards to our current administration (not implying that McCain will not succeed in this as well), but his ideas appear to be beyond realistic. He is very charismatic and crafty in speech, but his plans are much more abstract than they are concrete.

Sincerity will serve as the basis for my vote, and I gained a sense of respect for McCain tonight. McCain 2008.

Commentary: Bankruptcy, not bailout, is the right answer

Well, kellykemnitz.com is officially back and in action. Before moving back to Wichita, I had my uncle/roommate sign up for Cox Communications internet. Little did I know that… THEY BLOW! Cox performs filtering on their customer traffic, therefore blocking both ports 80 and 25. In order to get my e-mail functioning again, I signed up for Google Apps and transitioned my e-mail to their Gmail service. Pretty neat.  However, there was no easy way to transition my blog to their Blogger system. I was wanting to export these Wordpress posts, but their is not a tool out there to perform such a task. Regardless, after switching to Hubris Communications (my new employer) for free internet, I now can keep you all updated with my ongoings.

Anyways. School has been going quite alright. I am currently taking four courses (13 hours), which are Exploring Literature, World Music, C Programming, and Introduction to Sociology. Very basic courses, as I still have several general education requirements left. My favorite class thus far is Exploring Literature. I always disliked English growing up, but have become appreciative of such courses. My professor is 74 years old and always makes things interesting. Plus, we have characters in the class that I have nicknamed “Earl the Pearl” and “Bible Guy”. The nicknames can speak for themselves. I have had little homework in my classes and have managed to maintain straight A’s through the first exams in each course.

I began working at Hubris Communications back in August, and really enjoy it so far. Although it is not quite what I was doing at SCTelcom, they are very flexible and encourage me to focus on my studies while I work. I work part time (MW 11am-8pm; TTh 2pm-8pm; & F 11am-5:30pm). Definitely not a bad gig. They are a small company, as most of their tasks are automated by various applications that have been developed by the network administrator. Although it has taken me awhile, hopefully I will begin to get to know everyone here a bit more.

That basically sums up what has been going on in my life lately. From here on out I will just make a list of random thoughts, as I’m not sure I can put together another full paragraph.

• The Kansas City Chiefs blow. 0-16 this year? I think so.
• It has been a little difficult becoming acclimated to the street noise around my uncle’s house. Strange how I became acquainted to the lack of noise in a small town.
• There are way too many good looking ladies on campus. Definitely a much needed change from Medicine Lodge.
• Living close to downtown sure has allowed me to bike to the bars, coffee shops, and such. Very nice.
• Shocker Fall World Series starts next week.
• My company is competing in the annual Wichita Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff this weekend. If you are interested in coming, feel free to stop by. $5 to enter, which includes a free bowl of chili and allows you to try samples at all the booths. I will be there.
• Neil Young hung out at Mort’s Cigar Bar Tuesday night. Crazy. My uncle’s boss offered him a book of matches when his lighter stopped working.
• I’m officially done with Windows. I’m running Ubuntu at home and have had to learn Mac OS X at work.
• I have chosen to stop using Gallery for my online photos and have switched to Picasa. You can view my photo albums at http://picasaweb.google.com/kellygkemnitz.
• Hopefully the Presidential debate Friday will help me sort out my favorite candidate. I’m included in the 18% of American voters that are undecided.

Well, that’s all I have for now. Later.

Currently Listening Greatest Hits By Social Distortion see related

Ten points for whoever knows what movie this blog entry title was quoted from.

Well, if you have not heard, I submitted my letter of resignation to SCTelcom last month. I have decided to resume my education as a full-time student at Wichita State University this fall in order to obtain a degree in Computer Science. Just as choosing to continue my employment with SCTelcom by moving to Medicine Lodge was the best decision I could have made during my life’s rocky stage, this appears to be the next big step.

And everything seems to be falling into place…

• My uncle, currently living in Phoenix, placed a bid on a house located near Seneca and McCormick a couple of weeks ago. Not even a day had passed when his bid was accepted. So, I will be living with my uncle at that location while only having to split monthly utilities with him.
• Wichita State University received my FAFSA information late last week (after trouble with my initial FAFSA application) and has offered me $4,500 in subsidized loan money, as well as $4,000 in unsubsidized loan money.
• I have been searching for part-time job opportunities in the Information Technology industry around Wichita. I spent a couple evenings of last week submitting cover letters and my resume to businesses listed in the Wichita Business Directory. Although I have not had much luck, Koch Business Solutions called me today about an interview. Friday I will be interviewing for a CO-OP Workstation Technician position.
• Leaving SCTelcom in a bind was one of my biggest concerns, but even that seems to be working out just fine. Training my replacement, a currently employee, has been productive. Most of my skills at SCTelcom have been honed through on-the-job experiences, rather than the typical training techniques. Sometimes this makes it difficult for me to teach, but thankfully Glen has taken time on his own to figure out things for himself.

Anyways. I am now trying to figure out the next steps to take, but hopefully they will fall into place as the above items have. I maintain hope that they will.

Currently Listening Deftones By Deftones see related

Well, as you may have noticed, my life has come to somewhat of a standstill as of late. Everything has been going well, although I am beginning to feel that a change is in order. My roommate Scott moved out last week without much notice, although it really was not much of a surprise based on how much time he spent at the house. My other roommate Wes has been taking some online courses this summer, and was looking to continue his degree of elementary education through the distance learning program at Fort Hays State. After paying the campus a visit, he discovered that he could not be considered a full-time student by just taking online classes. In August, he will be leaving Medicine Lodge for Hays. He has been in need of a change for quite some time, with much dislike for the various jobs he has taken on over the past year. Although I wish him the best and hope he gets to where he wants to be, I am unfortunately left with some decisions to make.

I was granted a great opportunity here in Medicine Lodge to get away from some bad memories/experiences and gain some valuable work experience, while also developing many great friendships. All that considered, Medicine Lodge is not home. The daily ongoings at SCTelcom have taught me so many things, as I have risen the totem pole from a help desk support technician to a network administrator capable of handling just about any problem/trouble sent my way.

Now, this may sound like some sort of resignation letter, although it is not. I do still enjoy working at SCTelcom, but have noticed my frustration threshold has quickly been degrading lately and I am not sure what to make of it. I have found it harder and harder to keep my opinions to myself, which for lack of a better term makes me a “J to the K”. I have often pondered making an employment change, but the comfortability of my position leaves me no reason to. However, my value to the company has seemingly decreased in the past few months and the chances for advancement are not visible to me.

Due to my predicament, I am considering…

• Option 1: I really enjoy the house I live in at the moment, but with rent and utilities going to be nearly $600/month once Wes moves out, I will need to find another roommate. One would think that this would be an easy task with the low cost of living, but Medicine Lodge does not really have many people my own age that I would trust as a roommate. I could begin the search for another house in Medicine Lodge, but not many decent quality houses are available for rent with the construction of the wind farm. Kiowa may have a few options for housing, although I question whether or not I can find anything for a better price than what I would be paying by staying where I’m at. Regardless, with any of these options I would look into taking some online courses this fall to complete my Computer Science degree.
• Option 2: Relocate to my comfort zone of Wichita, return to school, and find a job that would possibly assist me in continuing my education.
  
• Option 3: Move back to Wichita and find a comparable job to what I have now.

As you can see, I have some thinking to do. Maybe it is just a quarter-life crisis or something, but I feel that I could be making much more of myself than what I am currently. If you have some advice, I’m open to the input.

Currently Listening Electric Ladyland By The Jimi Hendrix Experience see related

I participated in our company sponsored golf tournament to benefit Relay for Life yesterday. Such a frustrating game. Luckily, I did not end up like Bobby Knight. All things considered, I had a good time. Here are some pictures…

Attended a show at the Eagles Lodge last night, where The Sunshine Dreamers played. Good friends making good tunes. Check them out.The cabin my great-grandparents owned until they passed away became a total loss due to fire on Thursday, May 1st. My family would often spend our vacations in Grand Lake near the cabin, and sometimes even stay there if not occupied by other family members. There are a few pictures of the cabin in its glory days scattered around my gallery. You can view the Sky-Hi Daily News article here. Pictures of the scene…

My 25th birthday is next Saturday, and I need some ideas on how to spend my day. Tips? Suggestions? Let me know

Currently Listening The Spirit Of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974-1987 By Rush see related

As I have been listening to the Wichita State/Oklahoma baseball game this evening, I thought I would try and mess with my XBMC a little bit more. I discovered some pretty neat scripts that allow me to listen to XM Radio, view radar information from Accuweather.com, watch YouTube videos, and check sports scores. Bad ass? I think so.

I also spent the evening researching HDTVs, as I am planning on using some of my economic stimulus check to purchase one…

• Plasma or LCD? Plasmas appear to be better when viewing movies and sports, as they contain a deeper black. LCDs are brighter and produce a more “computer-like” image. It has been said that plasma TVs are at risk for burn-in, although from what I understand, the technology has improved so that this rarely happens anymore. So, I think I will go with a plasma.
• 1080p or 720p? 1080p is obviously the better option, although it appears that the difference cannot be detected unless your TV is 50″ or more. After much debate, I think I will be going with a 720p.

Now, on to some products I am looking at…

• http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-viera-th-42pz85u/4505-6482_7-32887122.html
  
• http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/panasonic-viera-th-42px80u/4505-6482_7-32887130.html
  
• http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/samsung-hp-t4264/4505-6482_7-32331279.html
  

Suggestions please?

Currently Listening Straight Outta Compton By N.W.A see related

My website is apparently a hit in Japan. WTF?

http://webalizer.kellykemnitz.com/usage_200804.html

Currently Listening Low Level Owl: Volume 1 By The Appleseed Cast see related