So I did it. I work for someone else again. We finished shutting down Main10 for the most part a few months ago and this week I started my job as the Director of Technical and Design Services for the Reverse Logistics Association.

It's a challenging fast paced environment. I like it. They have a lot of the same philosophies that we did at Main10. The biggest difference is that they have enough revenue and reserves to implement them. It's neat. I also get a company laptop and phone. Yeah, big deal eh? The computer is actually what I would replace my 17in lappy with. It's a 15 in version of almost the exact same model so I'm happy there. The phone however... Well it's a Blackberry.

I have always had a dislike for them even though I have never owned/used one. I am not an Apple fan either by any means but I do LOVE the iPhone. So I thought I'd try to take my prejudices out of the picture and do a real comparison of the two phones.

Day 1:
I got the blackberry setup successfully, entered a few contacts, made a few calls to test it out with the Motorolla bluetooth headset. I actually like the "real" keyboard. I have to say as much as I like the dynamic keyboard on the iPhone there's times when the real keyboard is just really really nice. However, when I got home, the screen went black on the Blackberry. And without a hard reset, it wouldn't come back to life. Over and over and over again. It was on and it would ring, but I couldn't answer it without the help of the trusty buetooth headset.

Day 2:
I was awakened by my iPhone with its ever-trusty alarm clock. Then as I am headed out the door, I get a call on the iPhone, it's the office. There's some emergency with some of the Blackberries failing during an important conference call. So I got here and tried to address the BB problems, half T-mobles fault, half BB's fault. Mine was still having its issues with the B2SOD (that's the BLACK screen of death BTW) so I traded it in this morning for another exactly like it. No B2SOD yet. We'll see.

Scoring for day 1 and 2:
Blackberry; 3 points for "real" keyboard, -1 points for the stupid key combinations to type an "@" or a ".", 1 point for the button that activates voice dialing, -5 points for B2SOD, -1 point for failing on co-workers
iPhone; 1 point for intuitiveness, 1 point for the fantastic alarm clock. 1 point for working when the Blackberries were failing.

Running score: Blackberry -3. iPhone: 3.

So grant threatened me if I didn't add a new post by two days ago, he would delete my site. I didn't think he could/would. Well, I guess he's become quite the little hacker. Or maybe he just knows someone.

[11:01] frauhauf: How did you do that?
[11:02] javamonkeyhead: do what?
[11:02] javamonkeyhead: bring yoru site down
[11:02] javamonkeyhead: I told you!
[11:02] frauhauf: yes
[11:02] javamonkeyhead: :)
[11:02] frauhauf: no. really, how did you do it? did you hack my new server?
[11:03] javamonkeyhead: :)
[11:03] frauhauf: fix it please
[11:03] javamonkeyhead: are you kidding?
[11:03] frauhauf: I have a new post ready. But my files are missing
[11:04] javamonkeyhead: lol
[11:04] javamonkeyhead: pretty funny
[11:04] frauhauf: yeah, except not very funny
[11:04] javamonkeyhead: I can't tell if you are being serious or not
[11:04] frauhauf: www.zutroy.net
[11:04] javamonkeyhead: I didn't hack your box
[11:04] frauhauf: who did?
[11:04] javamonkeyhead: yeah, I see that its down... I thought you did it just now as a joke
[11:04] frauhauf: who did you "put the order into"
[11:04] javamonkeyhead: :)
[11:05] javamonkeyhead: joke over
[11:05] javamonkeyhead: you are starting to worry me
[11:05] frauhauf: you fixed it?
[11:05] javamonkeyhead: honestly
[11:05] javamonkeyhead: are you being serious?
[11:05] frauhauf: I knew I should host anything on a windows server
[11:05] javamonkeyhead: you took it down, right?
[11:06] frauhauf: and you changed my ftp login? how did you do that?
[11:06] javamonkeyhead: stop
[11:07] frauhauf: did you have Jon do it?
[11:07] frauhauf: I'm asking him...
[11:07] javamonkeyhead: troy, seriously.. I didn't do anything
[11:07] javamonkeyhead: I hope you did it as a joke
[11:07] frauhauf: yeah, ok
[11:08] frauhauf: yes, I have a split personality and the mr. hyde half of me went and messed everything up last night while dr. jeckle was sleeping...
[11:08] javamonkeyhead: well, hurry and fix it
[11:08] javamonkeyhead: and then post your new entry
[11:08] javamonkeyhead: or I will delete it
[11:08] frauhauf: ha ha ha
[11:08] frauhauf: come on
[11:09] frauhauf: just tell me what you changed the password to
[11:09] frauhauf: I'll restore from backup
[11:09] javamonkeyhead: password is
[11:09] frauhauf: you probably just chaqnged the vhosts files or something
[11:09] javamonkeyhead: l3@veMe@lon3
[11:09] frauhauf: really?
[11:09] javamonkeyhead: no
[11:11] frauhauf: Jon is playing innocent
[11:11] javamonkeyhead: press him harder
[11:11] frauhauf: was it him?
[11:11] javamonkeyhead: can't say
[11:11] frauhauf: come on, I might have some people going to check my portfolio today. I need it up
[11:12] javamonkeyhead: jon did it
[11:15] frauhauf: Thank you
[11:16] javamonkeyhead: your welcome
[11:16] frauhauf: did you reset my ftp password?
[11:16] javamonkeyhead: yes
[11:17] frauhauf: k, now tell me how you got into the box
[11:17] frauhauf: Jon says it wasn't him
[11:17] javamonkeyhead: it was
[11:22] frauhauf: so are you going to tell me how you did it?
[11:22] javamonkeyhead: no
[11:22] frauhauf: well, I'll just have to find a new host I guess. something without redhat backdoors

I'm not really one for following the current blogging trends but my wife has inspired me. And I found this tag on the Barkermeister's site and thought it looked fun. So here goes.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags
Wrapping paper. Gift bags are for sissies

2. Real tree or artificial?
Is this really a question? Real. Duh. Just like everything else where real vs. fake is an issue.

3. When do you put up the tree?
We cut it down usually the day after Thanksgiving and it goes up right away.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Usually right around new years.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Hold the eggnog, Wassail please.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Criss Cross Crash Hotwheels track.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My parents

8. Easiest person to buy for?
Me, Then my wife

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
We did, I don't know where it has gotten off to. I'll have to make a new one I think.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?
e-mail Christmas cards are the scourge of the Earth.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
A stinky cigarette scarred stuffed animal that had been rescued from a dumpster. No really. It was from my aunt who didn't even play cards. Bless her heart.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
It's a Wonderful Life. I have a ban on Santa Clause movies in my house. I don't hate Santa, just all the movies I have ever seen of him.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
No regular time. But I always leave some things for the last minute.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No. Not that I can remember.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Pumpkin Cheesecake. Hands down.

16. Favorite Christmas tradition?
Getting our Christmas Tree

17. Favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home?
Home

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
Not if I don't have to.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
One Christmas Eve, The rest in the morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
Commercialization of something sacred.

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
My wifes turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, spiral cut honey ham, funeral potatoes, fresh rolls, deviled eggs, crackers and crab cheese balls, mixed nuts, stuffed mushrooms, Dominican cabbage salad, spit roasted pig (when I can get it), interesting salads I have never tried before, pumpkin Cheesecake, black forest cheesecake, strawberry cheesecake, pumpkin pie, my mom's wassail, Martinelli's

24. What do you want for Christmas this year?
a shotgun, dress shoes, bullets, a night stand (already got it), a cooking torch, a golf hat

25. How many days left until Christmas?
3

So Grant, Jon, Yanilza, and Joel. You are hereby tagged.