Yup, it's official.

I hate my new assignment. Imagine if you will being taken from a cubicle and being put into an area that's approximately the size of 4 regular cubes big.
Now stick desks in there, one right next to another.
Each "desk" space is large enough to hold a computer, a monitor, a keyboard & mouse, and maybe, if you're lucky, a pad of paper.

Populate this area with 11 people. You're #12.
Every single thing you do is noticed, and likely commented on. Go to the restroom? Someone comments on it. Need a drink? Someone notices. Go to lunch? Hey, wait up and we'll ALL go. Check your email? Gee, that's a really pretty background you have set for your Gmail. Itchy nose? Someone asks you if you're going to sneeze, for crying out loud.

I don't like people that much. I especially don't like them enough to be surrounded by chattering, noticing people for 8-10 hours every single flipping day.

God, I swear, whatever You want from me that will GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE, I will do. If your grand plan is entitled "Kim's Having a Nervous Breakdown", then I'm right on track for it, but if it's that SOMETHING BETTER THAN I EVER IMAGINED that I keep getting told about, then you better hurry up and make that SOMETHING BETTER happen before something BAD happens.

I'm pretty sure that it's really bad when I start fantasizing about getting a serious case of H1N1 because "well, at least THEN I wouldn't have to go into That Place for a while." Please God...it's not that I'm ungrateful to have a job...it's just that I don't know how much more of this one I can take anymore. And "God's got a plan, just you wait" is starting to sound a lot more like random noise than anything meaningful to me.

God, I don't want to be a bad witness to people. I want to show Your love, and how great it is that we have Hope because of Your Son. But God...I keep getting more and more miserable, and I'm having a harder and harder time finding Hope. Please God...at least give me that. Hope and Peace in You.

And Satan, if you're the one behind all this, I say this with all sincerity:
SCREW YOU. GO BACK TO HELL. STAY THERE. YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE OF THE FIRST WATER, AND YOU CAN JUST GO BACK TO YOUR HELLHOLE AND STAY THERE FOREVER. I AM NOT ABANDONING MY FAITH BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID MACHINATIONS, SO JUST PISS OFF.

Weekly Webness - Jim Butcher online

In my opinion, Jim Butcher is one of the best writers in existence today. He writes excellent stories, with a good overarching "story arc" - while still providing entertaining "resolved in one book" stories. His books are filled with action, adventure, and heavily leavened with humor.

His Dresden Files series features Harry Dresden, a PI and practicing Wizard who lives in Chicago. He works as a consultant for the Chicago PD, and also takes on projects of his own.

The Codex Alera series features a different world altogether: Swords and Sorcery (or, as Jim himself apparently put it: "Roman Legions meets Pokemon".) The story revolves around Tavi, a boy without any Elementals (called "furies") at his command, in a world where everyone can command at least one Elemental. Horses, bad guys, external threats and giant talking magic-wielding wolves all help to make this series a fabulous ride.

Jim Butcher has an online presence at http://www.jim-butcher.com/
There you can read more about his books, check out a calendar of events, listen to his podcast, or join the discussion forums.

Weekly Webness - The Straight Dope

Oh sure, ask.com and Google can give you answers to your normal questions, such as "how long did the Hundred Years War last" (116 years, from 1337 to 1453) and "why did anyone fight over roses, anyway?" (they didn't; the Roses in question were the badges associated with the royal houses of Lancaster and York). But where do you turn when you want to find out answers to questions such as What is "American Pie" really about? and "Was Captain Bligh really the jerk he was made out to be?"? Where can one go for answers to these burning questions?

You go to Cecil Adams for the Straight Dope, of course! Acerbic, witty, intelligent and always entertaining, Cecil answers questions you never even thought existed (and some that you think, "WHY would anyone want to know that????")

Komets Win!

Congratulations to the Komets! Back To Back Turner Cup CHAMPIONS!!!

How NOT to be creative

Well, yeah, I'll give 'em that much. I bet Mom won't ever forget THIS Mother's Day Cake.
From the Cake Wrecks Blog:

Descartes' Monday

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Weekly Webness - Thunderbird

Last weeks' Webness brought you Firefox. Now here's the email client from Mozilla - Thunderbird. It's easy to install, the connection wizards walk you through setting it up to download your mail from the server - even if you have webmail, such as Gmail or Yahoo! All your mail is saved locally so you can access past emails without having to connect to the internet.
It has a "look and feel" similar to the common email client programs, such as Outlook, so it's easy to understand and easy to use.

Go here to download and give it a try!