Michael Montez Online

So it’s my last week here at TDP, let the countdown begin. When I arrived at the office today I noticed a smell that was not me (this time). Sort of a rotten egg smell, the kind that smells like eggs area rotting.

About ten minutes ago, our IT manager came up to tell us that there is a “situation” in the battery room and if the fire alarm were to go off, we need to get the hell out of the building ASAP. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Now you might be thinking, a battery can destroy a building. Yes and no. A single battery is very harmless. But we are in one of the largest server facilities on the west coast. We have a cluster of about 2000 car batteries located in one room. That’s a lot of acid.

So if you see that a building burned to the ground and your internet service is suddenly very slow, that was my building.

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UPDATE: They evacuated and then shut down the building at 11:15 am and we were sent home. Here is a slideshow of the time between evac and leaving. Enjoy the show and the song.

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This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and I wanted to point out two movies you might “enjoy”. These movies will get you thinking about this war we are currently involved in. Please take the time to put these in your netflix queue or you can watch online.

No End in Sight
“The first film of its kind to chronicle the reasons behind Iraq’s descent into guerilla war, warlord rule, criminality and anarchy, NO END IN SIGHT is a jaw-dropping, insider’s tale of wholesale incompetence, recklessness and venality. Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling of the events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003…”

Alive Day
“In a war that has left more than 25,000 wounded, ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: HOME FROM IRAQ looks at a new generation of veterans. Executive Producer James Gandolfini interviews ten Soldiers and Marines who reveal their feelings on their future…”

For all you out there who push 50+ hours a week, please take a state mandated 15 min break and read this article from Fortune magazine. I will now tease you with a few pull quotes:

“Consider that for most industries, the U.S. can’t hope to be the low-cost producer in a global economy. With innovation now our main competitive strength, creativity is crucial for anyone who wants to move up.”

“But it’s really, really hard, if not impossible, for the human brain to come up with fresh new ideas when its owner is overworked, overtired, and stressed out.”

“On the organizational level, what you get is, everyone is so focused on running flat-out to meet current goals that the whole company is unable to step back and think.”

Put this article in your bookmarks and read it on the plane or during your next vacation.

I have decided to leave my position at The Design People, Inc. I will be freelancing as well as job hunting.

I also just got back from my first “Free Weekend” in Vegas. Toby, Jung, and I were chilling for a few days. I had a few great sessions at the craps table, vow (once again) to never play cash poker games, and finished 5th and 1st in two poker tournaments.

Here’s the original Peanut Butter Jelly Time link:
http://audiomuffin.com/ohno/

Here is Eva’s interpretation of the same song: