Hackers can be a strange breed of human. Sometimes they are malicious, in that they want to bring either companies or average users like you and I to suffer by wreaking havoc on our computers. Sometimes they just want a website to suffer, either because they have a beef with the website company owner or they just do it for fun. Maybe they are doing it for practice.
Yesterday I went to a website for a moving company, to do some research so that I could write a decent blog article for this company. Imagine my surprise to see that the site had been hacked and the hackers had left behind what they perceived to be a message of peace. I say perceived because, quite frankly, the message was not very good English and was difficult to comprehend.
Being bored, I followed some links that they had left behind on the page by Googling the websites. I did not go directly to the links they left behind because I rather like having my computer work and I don't trust any hackers that leave a trail to follow.
In the Google links I found another site they claimed to have hacked so I went there. Sure enough, there was the exact same "peace" message. I guess these hackers have way too much time on their hands, or they simply need a lot of practice.
The other site that they hacked? A website that specializes in fancily priced woman's clothing. What the heck? A moving company? A woman's clothing site? I guess I am just too dense to see the connection between these two things.
I hope the hackers enjoyed themselves. I have to wonder though how long it will be before the proper authorities catch up to them since they insist on leaving their email addresses on the page.
Whatever their reasoning for hacking, I hope they have fun. I also hope they don't hack my blog. After all, I am all for peace :)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Go East!
It seems like I've spent a lot of time lately talking about jobs. Perhaps it's because employment seems to be on everyone's minds these days, those that have one are wondering for how long and those that don't have one are wondering how to get one. In a previous post I talked about a website that has a lot of sales management jobs that are ripe for the taking. But, what if you found a job and you were in, say, Los Angeles and the job you found was in New York or someplace back East? What to do about moving all your stuff?
Nobody I've ever met likes the hassle of moving, especially long distances. Yes, they may be happier once they are there and settled into the new place, but the getting there is a hassle they try to avoid. This is where great long distance movers come in handy. Clicking on the link will take you to a place where they understand the hassles of moving, they've been Long Distance Moving Specialists Since 1995. And, they offer a price guarantee, stating that: "Our estimators go to great lengths to ensure that you, the customer, know exactly what kind of services and pricing to expect. Our paperwork is designed to be thorough, easy to understand and unambiguous. You are encouraged to compare the level of detail and clarity of our moving quote with those of other long distance movers."
I like companies that are so sure of themselves that they suggest you get a second opinion, instead of just giving you the hype of "we are the best". Price comparisons are the way to go these days, where money is tight enough already. But, what about this company's background?
Here is their history, according to their website: "Originally founded in 1995 as a Los Angeles Moving Company. In 1997 we merged with San Francisco Moving Companies and New York Moving Companies to create California New York Express long distance Movers. Today we are a mid-sized moving company, privately owned and operated, with offices and storage facilities in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles California."
So, as you can see, they've been around a long time and they know what they are doing. So, if you are considering a long distance move, to get a better job or simply to move to a new location, it behooves you to give these folks a chance. You can get a free online quote from their website or you can give them a call at (888)680-7200.
Nobody I've ever met likes the hassle of moving, especially long distances. Yes, they may be happier once they are there and settled into the new place, but the getting there is a hassle they try to avoid. This is where great long distance movers come in handy. Clicking on the link will take you to a place where they understand the hassles of moving, they've been Long Distance Moving Specialists Since 1995. And, they offer a price guarantee, stating that: "Our estimators go to great lengths to ensure that you, the customer, know exactly what kind of services and pricing to expect. Our paperwork is designed to be thorough, easy to understand and unambiguous. You are encouraged to compare the level of detail and clarity of our moving quote with those of other long distance movers."
I like companies that are so sure of themselves that they suggest you get a second opinion, instead of just giving you the hype of "we are the best". Price comparisons are the way to go these days, where money is tight enough already. But, what about this company's background?
Here is their history, according to their website: "Originally founded in 1995 as a Los Angeles Moving Company. In 1997 we merged with San Francisco Moving Companies and New York Moving Companies to create California New York Express long distance Movers. Today we are a mid-sized moving company, privately owned and operated, with offices and storage facilities in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles California."
So, as you can see, they've been around a long time and they know what they are doing. So, if you are considering a long distance move, to get a better job or simply to move to a new location, it behooves you to give these folks a chance. You can get a free online quote from their website or you can give them a call at (888)680-7200.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Honesty Is A Good Thing
My daughter, a recent high school graduate, is taking on the job market and real life. She tries to look her best, even when she is just trying to pick up applications, something that makes me smile. Years ago, as a manager of a convenience store, I was often embarrassed by some of the people that came into my store looking for an application. They were not dressed to impress anyone, they were dressed to hang out with their friends and maybe have a few beers. Not a good way to get a job! So, it pleases me that my daughter, on her own, has decided that the best way to go about this job hunting is to always try to impress.
Last evening, after bathing, she came out into the living room and immediately I noticed that she was wearing some green eye shadow. I said nothing, as she and I have not had the most pleasant of words in the past when she wore make-up. My problem is that she often wears too much, and it is not a pleasant look.
Imagine my surprise when, a few minutes later, she came back into the living room, knelt down in front of the chair I was sitting in and asked for my opinion of the eye shadow. Her reasoning being that "you won't lie to me".
It actually looked very lovely on her, it went well with her natural skin color and all and I told her so. She showed me the sampler that she had bought with blues and greens and a purplish eye shadow. I told her, honestly, that I think they should all look good on her. This, of course, made her pretty happy knowing that she had made a good choice, all on her own without any help from Mom or a salesperson.
Looks like my child is growing up :)
Last evening, after bathing, she came out into the living room and immediately I noticed that she was wearing some green eye shadow. I said nothing, as she and I have not had the most pleasant of words in the past when she wore make-up. My problem is that she often wears too much, and it is not a pleasant look.
Imagine my surprise when, a few minutes later, she came back into the living room, knelt down in front of the chair I was sitting in and asked for my opinion of the eye shadow. Her reasoning being that "you won't lie to me".
It actually looked very lovely on her, it went well with her natural skin color and all and I told her so. She showed me the sampler that she had bought with blues and greens and a purplish eye shadow. I told her, honestly, that I think they should all look good on her. This, of course, made her pretty happy knowing that she had made a good choice, all on her own without any help from Mom or a salesperson.
Looks like my child is growing up :)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Jobs Are Available
In these tougher than usual economic times it seems like everywhere you turn there is doom and gloom about the job market and opportunities available. But, there are jobs out there, one just has to know where to look.
If you are looking for sales manager jobs, all you have to do is click on that link. There are companies looking for people. When I clicked on the link just now, in order to find out more about the site I saw that there are 44,290 Available Jobs, 26,037 of these postings came from the past two weeks. That's a lot of job opportunities, folks!
From California to Florida to New Jersey, companies are searching for people to fill their positions. So, if you are a sales manager type person, or maybe you used to be but now are unemployed for whatever reason, you really need to check out this website. There may be something there that is just perfect for you.
Which would you perfer, being unemployed and hungry, maybe even close to foreclosure, or employed with a great income and stability in your life? You owe it to yourself, to your family, to check out this website and see what they have to offer you!
If you are looking for sales manager jobs, all you have to do is click on that link. There are companies looking for people. When I clicked on the link just now, in order to find out more about the site I saw that there are 44,290 Available Jobs, 26,037 of these postings came from the past two weeks. That's a lot of job opportunities, folks!
From California to Florida to New Jersey, companies are searching for people to fill their positions. So, if you are a sales manager type person, or maybe you used to be but now are unemployed for whatever reason, you really need to check out this website. There may be something there that is just perfect for you.
Which would you perfer, being unemployed and hungry, maybe even close to foreclosure, or employed with a great income and stability in your life? You owe it to yourself, to your family, to check out this website and see what they have to offer you!
Wanna Buy A Duck?
Here is the reasoning of the Pirates GM on the recent trade:
June 6, 2009
Dear Pirates Fan,
On the heels of this Wednesday's trade with the Atlanta Braves, I felt it was important that you hear directly from me as to why this move brings us closer to our goal of building a consistent championship organization and providing you a team of which you will be proud.
Neal Huntington
Obviously this was a very difficult decision as Nate is a quality player and person. We knew this move was not going to be popular in the clubhouse with our players or among our fan base who have suffered through a long stretch of losing seasons. Despite recognizing the probable unpopularity of this trade, we believed it to be the right step for our organization and made a sound baseball decision.
The quality and quantity of the players we received in this trade was the crucial component to this trade. We are excited about the three young players we received. We have been interested in and closely monitored all three of these players for some time as they are highly regarded by us and by most within the industry.
Charlie Morton is a power right-handed starting pitcher with upside, who should be ready to help us this year in Pittsburgh. In fact, in his first outing for our Triple-A affiliate, he tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits while striking out seven. Jeff Locke is an intriguing young left handed starter with the frame, athleticism and stuff to become a quality major league starting pitcher. Gorkys Hernandez is a dynamic athlete who has the speed and potential to become an above average everyday major league outfielder. It is worth noting that these three players were rumored to be sought by the Padres when they were talking to the Braves about trading former Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy.
Additionally, Andrew McCutchen has proven that he is ready to take the next step and begin his career at the Major League level. Andrew has done what we have asked of him in Triple-A and showed he was ready for the challenges of the Major League level. Andrew is an intelligent, hard working player that has shown the present ability to play impact defense in centerfield. While we do not expect Andrew to replace Nate's power production immediately, Andrew is an exciting top-of-the-order player who proved this spring that he can be an exciting part of a productive offense.
Ultimately, to become a championship team we need more championship caliber players at all levels. As difficult as these types of trades are to make, they are an important part of the talent acquisition and development process that will position us to be a consistent championship caliber organization sooner rather than later.
I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade. I am grateful that he has the faith in me, our baseball operations staff and the processes we have in place to approve a move like this, despite the risk of public backlash on him personally and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, I am appreciative that he continues to provide us with the resources necessary to build a championship caliber organization. Whether we sought to build our new facilities in Bradenton and the Dominican Republic, sign our young major league players to long-term deals, triple our amateur signing bonus budget in order to be aggressive in acquiring talent both domestically and internationally or significantly increase our scouting and development budgets, Bob was willing to provide the resources necessary to make these fundamental changes.
We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal.
Your understanding of the situation is greatly appreciated by all of us in the organization. Your passion for this team is the driving force behind our motivation to bring winning baseball back to you, the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sincerely,
Neal Huntington
Senior Vice President and General Manager
Pittsburgh Pirates
June 6, 2009
Dear Pirates Fan,
On the heels of this Wednesday's trade with the Atlanta Braves, I felt it was important that you hear directly from me as to why this move brings us closer to our goal of building a consistent championship organization and providing you a team of which you will be proud.
Neal Huntington
Obviously this was a very difficult decision as Nate is a quality player and person. We knew this move was not going to be popular in the clubhouse with our players or among our fan base who have suffered through a long stretch of losing seasons. Despite recognizing the probable unpopularity of this trade, we believed it to be the right step for our organization and made a sound baseball decision.
The quality and quantity of the players we received in this trade was the crucial component to this trade. We are excited about the three young players we received. We have been interested in and closely monitored all three of these players for some time as they are highly regarded by us and by most within the industry.
Charlie Morton is a power right-handed starting pitcher with upside, who should be ready to help us this year in Pittsburgh. In fact, in his first outing for our Triple-A affiliate, he tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits while striking out seven. Jeff Locke is an intriguing young left handed starter with the frame, athleticism and stuff to become a quality major league starting pitcher. Gorkys Hernandez is a dynamic athlete who has the speed and potential to become an above average everyday major league outfielder. It is worth noting that these three players were rumored to be sought by the Padres when they were talking to the Braves about trading former Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy.
Additionally, Andrew McCutchen has proven that he is ready to take the next step and begin his career at the Major League level. Andrew has done what we have asked of him in Triple-A and showed he was ready for the challenges of the Major League level. Andrew is an intelligent, hard working player that has shown the present ability to play impact defense in centerfield. While we do not expect Andrew to replace Nate's power production immediately, Andrew is an exciting top-of-the-order player who proved this spring that he can be an exciting part of a productive offense.
Ultimately, to become a championship team we need more championship caliber players at all levels. As difficult as these types of trades are to make, they are an important part of the talent acquisition and development process that will position us to be a consistent championship caliber organization sooner rather than later.
I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade. I am grateful that he has the faith in me, our baseball operations staff and the processes we have in place to approve a move like this, despite the risk of public backlash on him personally and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, I am appreciative that he continues to provide us with the resources necessary to build a championship caliber organization. Whether we sought to build our new facilities in Bradenton and the Dominican Republic, sign our young major league players to long-term deals, triple our amateur signing bonus budget in order to be aggressive in acquiring talent both domestically and internationally or significantly increase our scouting and development budgets, Bob was willing to provide the resources necessary to make these fundamental changes.
We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal.
Your understanding of the situation is greatly appreciated by all of us in the organization. Your passion for this team is the driving force behind our motivation to bring winning baseball back to you, the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sincerely,
Neal Huntington
Senior Vice President and General Manager
Pittsburgh Pirates
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Screwed the fans again, did ya?
Pirates trade McLouth to Braves
Deal for center fielder nets three players for Pittsburgh
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
06/03/09 7:31 PM ET
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates have traded center fielder Nate McLouth to the Braves in exchange for three players -- outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, left-hander Jeff Locke and right-hander Charlie Morton.
McLouth left PNC Park earlier in the evening after the Pirates' game was postponed due to rain.
The trade sends two of Atlanta's top eight prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, to the Pirates. Hernandez, a center fielder with the Braves' Double-A affiliate, was ranked No. 4 heading into the season. Hernandez has hit .316 through his first 52 games this season.
Locke, Atlanta's seventh-best prospect, was a second-round Draft pick in 2006 and has pitched for the Braves' high Class A affiliate this season. He is 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts.
Morton, who went 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts (16 appearances) for the Braves last season, was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett this season.
McLouth, a first-time All-Star in 2008, was in his second season as the Pirates' everyday center fielder. He had signed a multi-year contract with the Pirates this offseason.
The trade clears the way for the promotion of center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who is batting .303 with four home runs and 20 RBIs at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
MLB.com Comments
Ya know, it can really difficult at times to be a Pirates fan. I wish they'd hire someone for the front office that really gave a damn about THIS season, you know the one we are playing now? The one where, if we have a losing season we'll set the record for the most losing seasons in a row? I wonder how these folks sleep at night, knowing how they consistently screw things up? Maybe it would be better if the people in charge knew absolutely nothing about baseball or sports, then when they made bonehead moves like this one it would make sense. THIS SUCKS BIG TIME!!!!!
Deal for center fielder nets three players for Pittsburgh
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
06/03/09 7:31 PM ET
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates have traded center fielder Nate McLouth to the Braves in exchange for three players -- outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, left-hander Jeff Locke and right-hander Charlie Morton.
McLouth left PNC Park earlier in the evening after the Pirates' game was postponed due to rain.
The trade sends two of Atlanta's top eight prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, to the Pirates. Hernandez, a center fielder with the Braves' Double-A affiliate, was ranked No. 4 heading into the season. Hernandez has hit .316 through his first 52 games this season.
Locke, Atlanta's seventh-best prospect, was a second-round Draft pick in 2006 and has pitched for the Braves' high Class A affiliate this season. He is 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts.
Morton, who went 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts (16 appearances) for the Braves last season, was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett this season.
McLouth, a first-time All-Star in 2008, was in his second season as the Pirates' everyday center fielder. He had signed a multi-year contract with the Pirates this offseason.
The trade clears the way for the promotion of center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who is batting .303 with four home runs and 20 RBIs at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
MLB.com Comments
Ya know, it can really difficult at times to be a Pirates fan. I wish they'd hire someone for the front office that really gave a damn about THIS season, you know the one we are playing now? The one where, if we have a losing season we'll set the record for the most losing seasons in a row? I wonder how these folks sleep at night, knowing how they consistently screw things up? Maybe it would be better if the people in charge knew absolutely nothing about baseball or sports, then when they made bonehead moves like this one it would make sense. THIS SUCKS BIG TIME!!!!!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Things That Make Me Wonder
Why do pitchers still throw a pitch in the dirt when, normally, no batter is going to swing at it (Vlad Guerrero excepted) and the damn pitch often gets by the catcher, advancing the runners that you didn't want to advance?
What is CBS thinking, moving The Mentalist to Thursdays when it did so well on Tuesdays. And worse, why are they putting it up against what will most likely be the Jay Leno show? Seems like a bad programming move to me.
Wonder if someone would get punished for slowly torturing the idiot who invented that stupid box that says "Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?". Of course I want to, idiot, that is why I tried to close the window in the first place!
I wonder if all software developers would be better at their jobs if they actually (a) had a life, (b) had any real sense or (c) even had a clue or (d) actually were forced to use the crap they develop without the benefit of a server?
Why do people get so huffy whenever there is a nomination made to the Supreme Court? No matter who they are, these people are not going to please every special interest group out there, nor would I want them to. They are judges, for crying out loud. I don't want them to please anyone, I want them to judge each and every case by its merits and nothing else. Isn't that what judges are supposed to do??
Okay, enough wondering. I am off... and no, not in the head, thank you very much!
What is CBS thinking, moving The Mentalist to Thursdays when it did so well on Tuesdays. And worse, why are they putting it up against what will most likely be the Jay Leno show? Seems like a bad programming move to me.
Wonder if someone would get punished for slowly torturing the idiot who invented that stupid box that says "Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?". Of course I want to, idiot, that is why I tried to close the window in the first place!
I wonder if all software developers would be better at their jobs if they actually (a) had a life, (b) had any real sense or (c) even had a clue or (d) actually were forced to use the crap they develop without the benefit of a server?
Why do people get so huffy whenever there is a nomination made to the Supreme Court? No matter who they are, these people are not going to please every special interest group out there, nor would I want them to. They are judges, for crying out loud. I don't want them to please anyone, I want them to judge each and every case by its merits and nothing else. Isn't that what judges are supposed to do??
Okay, enough wondering. I am off... and no, not in the head, thank you very much!
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