2003-03-20 - 9:52 a.m.

So here is a really quick and dirty intro to my journal. I started this blog after a friend/co-worker (who you'll hear about soon) suggested it. This blog is all about my work life and the ways in which it mostly pisses me off. I'm a web developer. For those not in the know I write code for web software, not to be confused with a web designer. I don't make pretty images, I don't spend all day hammering out HTML, I write code. Since what I do is pretty technical entries at times may be hard to follow for non-techies. If you aren't a techie this journal may at times make no sense to you at all. Sorry about that but this journal is mostly for my amusement so I'm mostly just concerned with whether or not I know what I'm talking about. Here's a cast of characters:

The Heroes:

Warrior Geek - That's me. I work hard and take pride in a job well done, the naieve might mistake those traits as a recipe for success in the corporate world, in reality being a perfectionist mostly just leads to a lot of frustration. Super powers include the ability to meet impossible deadlines and resolve complex technical issues. I'm also capable of not losing my temper and strangling people at work, which may not sound like a super power yet but you'll see later why it is.

Visio Princess - A comrade in the fight against evil, also the one who suggested I start the journal to begin with. Super powers include x-ray vision and superior organization abilities. (Hmm perhaps a house call to Warrior Geek's pad wouldn't be a bad idea. I'll have to see if she freelances.)

Wonderwidget - Another ally in the battle of good versus evil. Wonderwidget and Visio Princess pretty much find all the same things annoying that I find annoying so we spend a lot of time commisserating. Wonderwidget's super powers include lightning fast speech and a garbage disposal-like appetite.

North Carolina - A fellow developer, fighting for truth justice and coding standards. He's got a tyke on the way so he's occasionally prone to chatter about kid stuff (ew) but he's also prone to chatter about cool things like Hip Hop. As somewhat of a side note here, I'm a big music geek so I'm favorably pre-disposed to other music geeks, even they're into a genre that isn't really my thing. North Carolina's greatest super power is his ability to develop fanstastic coding standards for residents of Officeville to abide by.

The Villains

Mr Pink - so named for the eerily pink complexion. Mr Pink's two favorite dastardly antics include stopping by my desk for no real reason and calling me for no real reason. Perhaps he's just lonely -- haha, just kidding, he's annoying! The only defense against an invasion from Mr Pink when he comes strutting up to my desk and says Lumburgian things like "How's it going" is to say "fine" and stare back with a polite smile and expectant look. Eventually the silence will lure Mr Pink into telling me what he's really doing at my desk.

The DBA Legion of Doom - This nameless faceless nemesis is battled through middlemen so it is hard to assign too many personal traits to these individual foes but collectively they appear from time to time to stir up trouble. It is hard to say if their antics are motivated by laziness or incompetence, but either way they are pretty much evil.

Ms Psycho - By far the most menacing of the office villains. Psycho is equal parts lazy, incompetent, shameless, irritating, and downright insane. Prone to fits, appallingly crappy quality of work and attempts at humor that fail miserably. You'll hear a lot about my skirmishes with this miscreant.

Other Citizens of Officeville

The Patron Saint of Deadlines - Mostly an ally of the office heroes. TPSoD often acts as a go-between for the heroes and villains. Her goal is to get work out on time and to client specifications. The villains often try to thwart this effort so TPSoD has to be extra crafty to help foil their evil plans.

Mr Erratic - Seldom makes appearances in my part of Officeville. In theory he is supposed to be an overseer. I'm not sure what it is he does all day but he always seems busy. He's been known to serve both the forces of good and evil so he is one to be handled with caution when he puts in an appearance.

Dancing L - A friend in the office and out. We go way back. We are seldom interact in a work-related manner in Officeville but he often stops by to say hello and listen to me bitch.

Sorority Life - Formerly thought to be a villain, Sorority Life spends many hours on the phone talking about weddings and drinking. She was recently taken off the villains list for being somewhat helpful on this project I'm stuck with. Sorority Life is definitely not the kinda gal I'd hang out with after hours but she's prooven to be reasonably smart, cooperative and easy to work with so her tendency towards excessive inane telephone babble can be forgiven.

Indie Rock - A cool hipster chick that hangs around with Visio Princess sometimes. Indie Rock has recently promoted to some kind of manager gig but she has vowed to not become evil and continue to mock the entire concept of middle management with the rest of us.

The Muddler - So named for his muddled speech. The muddler is a programmer on the project with Psycho and Mr. Pink. The Muddler can be a nuissance to deal with in person and on the phone because figuring out what he is saying is a real strain. He doesn't seem to be nearly as stupid or annoying as Psycho (once you figure out what it is he is trying to say) so he is probably one of the lesser evils on the team.

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