Matt Raible has an interesting discussion going about the differences in full time vs. contract work. Having just started a full time job that I love I can say that the grass can be as green on the other side. Matt has done excellent work and it is a large part of the reason he's so successful as a contractor. It depends, too, on what kind of work one wants to do. When I set out to look for the job I have now I had specific goal of being in the geographic region and my first choice was to move back into the academic arena.

I've been on the phone with Qwest for the last half an hour trying to get the phones fixed. Well, to be more correct I've been working with them for the last 60+ days. Each time I call it's the same routine.... "Yes Mr. Brauer we'll have that done within 3 business days..." Three days come and go and still no changes. Now that we're leaving town and I need to give the cell phone back to my employer it's a bigger deal. Dan in the CARE center said he saw why the orders didn't go through in the past. Why, oh why, would there not be something in the system to tell them to CALL me when the order didn't go through? Everyone has very good customer service skills at the Qwest center (professional, polite, controls the conversation well, listens).

Fast Company has a must-read article for business owners about Wal Mart and how they can manipulate suppliers.

In an interview with Wired DirecTV's Larry Rissler tells the magazine "There's a legal presumption that the purchase of the device implies use, and the burden switches to the defendant to show that it was used in a legitimate manner. We're talking about products that came into existence because of the satellite piracy industry."

He goes on to explain that they determine by where you buy the card from if they should persecute (they would call it prosecution) you. Corporate oligarchies reign supreme.