I am not a Starbucks drinker! - ki6amd's Blog - Bakersfield.com

Prop 8 non-sense...

So since I've moved out of California, I've been pretty happy that California's laws haven't effected me, except now, they do. We all know prop 8 is supposed to overturn the law that over turned our vote a few years ago on the subject of same sex marriage.

Many same sex marriage advocates view the "need for same sex marriage" as an equal rights issue. I don't. I do think the government and corporations need to change the wording in their documnets to give equal rights to domestic partnerships. I also think government should get the *&^% out of the marriage business. The "marriage licence" is the biggest problem with this prop 8 issue. Marriage was defined by the church, yet the government insists on having it's hand in it? Anyone heard of seperation of those two?

For those who are pro-prop 8, I tell you this is why the government needs to get it's greedy hand out of church practices. As long as the government has it's hand in religious practices, people will demand those same practices be allowed for them, regardless of belief. GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF MARRIAGE NOW!!!

A complete change... UTAH as I see it.

As many of you know I recently moved to Utah. More specifically I moved to Murray, which is a few miles south of Salt Lake City. I took a job working for a company which is located in downtown Salt Lake City, just 4 blocks from Temple Square.

Having come from Bakersfield, obviously Salt Lake is going to be different. In Bakersfield, youŕe living in a liberal state, but a conservative county. Living here is the exact opposite, a liberal county, in a conservative state. So far Id have to say I like it here much better, but the politics, I know little about. I should talk to my boss, who ran for office here. And as a friend of mine said ¨he lost, but got some good things said¨.

I obviously miss Bakersfield in some ways, but I wont be moving back. The abilty to see the mountains, the friendliness of people here, and the cost of living, all make me proud to live in Utah. It seems to me that the people here are much more relaxed. I havent yet been cut off by some bone-head whoś rushing to the gas station, only to park and sit in his/her car to do nothing. Whatś even funnier is that Im actually getting better gas milage and I cant explain why. I feel MUCH happier here, sure I dont have the close friends here that I had in Bakersfield, but even people I disagree with seem to be friendlier about it.

I will post some pictures, as Ive been promising, of the scenery here as soon as I make it home (right now Im at a coffee shop with my Nokia, and dont have the pictures available).

Road Warrior Ultimate Setup

I thought I'd take a moment to talk about my new mobile setup, since it seems I'm always on the go recently. As I've already shown off before, I have a Nokia N810, which gives me internet access through WiFi, and a bluetooth connection to my phone. It also has GPS with turn by turn directions. I've also added an 8Gb microSD card to it, which goives me plenty of space for up to 11 full length movies, but I've opted for a collection of 20 MP3 Albums and 5 Movies (I still have 3.5Gbs free). Today I went out and bought an Apple wireless (bluetooth) keyboard and paired it to my N810. This new setup is AMAZING!!! I no longer have to remove my N810 from it's cradle on my car's dash in order reply to an email. I just pull over and start typing. If someone calls me, through my GrandCentral number, I have the option of answering it through my cell phone or my Nokia.

Some of you may not understand how cool this is, but some of you just might. For people who like having constant internet access, this is nirvana. Of course the next greatest thing would be to have the Nokia N810 WiMax Edition, but then I'd have to pay subscription fees. I'm sure you're all wondering what this setup cost me, so here goes...

Nokia N810 $420

- GPS add- on $130

Apple Keyboard $80

LG Shine (AT&T) $130

-------------------------------------------

Total $760

Compared to buying an ultra portable laptop and GPS reciever, I've probably saved $1,000. The real benefit though is that battery life in a portable setting is crucial. My bnatteries tend to last 8-12 hours (depending on usage), whereas an ultraportable laptop has around 4 hours of life with a standard battery.

Some people like to spend money on having a super fast gaming computer, some people like to have portability, I am the latter. I'd love to see what everyone else's set up (portable or not) looks like, or at least the specs and modifications.

For those of you waiting to see pictures of Utah, I'm working on it, please be patient while I edit some pics and take more. I'll be posting some very soon.-

Skyler

I should've moved earlier

As I mentioned earlier, in a previous post, I am fed up with California, yesterday I finally did something about it. I moved to a state that has a lower cost of living, cheaper gas, and better paying jobs. I surprised all of my friends with the sudden move, and especially surprised them when they heard who my new employer is.

So I should tell you some of the benifits of living here I've seen so far. (#1) - The nearest gas station's premium gas costs $3.63. (#2) - Of the apartments I've been looking at (1 bedroom, in good neighborhoods, and new within 5 years) , the most expensive goes for about $725, and it includes a washer & dryer, a refrigerator, microwave, and free water & gas, and includes basic cable. I went down the street to a new apartment complex that I saw while looking for my hotel, and it was VERY nice, but too close to the airport for me but they had single bedroom apartments, furnished for $630/mo. I almost was considering it, but they don't accept pets :-( (#4) - It is EXTREMELY easy to get around town, alsmost too easy. Yesterday (with my GPS turned off), I tried getting myself lost. I didn't even come close getting lost. None of the streets I drove down changed names (except north to south, or east to west).

I'll post pictures later (and tell you all where I'm at later), but for now I have to go, I'm a bit tired from running around town all day.

Leaving Bakersfield...

I've made up my mind, I'm planning on leaving Bakersfield and California and moving elsewhere for work. This state has become too expensive. Sure the sun shines here 300+ days a year, but at what cost?

I've always felt that minimum wage was a good thing to have, but there should be limits. California, as many should know is a liberal state. As such, many people here think that minimum wage should be a livable income. It is not meant to be such. It is meant for people who are living at home , going to school, etc. Raising the minimum wage means those people who earn $13-$15 earn less. They usually don't get a raise that reflects the minimum wage increases. When the minimum wage is increased, the costs of living go up as well. Why, well now the gas station attendants have to get paid more, the store clerks too, and where do the owners get the extra money to pay for the increase? The consumer.

I could ramble on and on about minimum wage, but that's not the only reason this state is too expensive. Taxes, insurance, health care, vehicle registration, etc.

Sure I could go on and on how California is bad, but Bakersfield is was special, but for my line of work Bakersfield isn't something that's needed (see my last posting), and I refuse to move to L.A. or S.F. for work, where the jobs pay 20% to 30% more, and the houses and apartments cost 50% to 70% more.

Right now I'm trying to build up some cash and live as cheaply as possible in order to afford to move out of here. I already know where I'm going to move, and I've already been contacted about jobs there, but just can't afford the move right now, and the job market is a little shy of supplying a relocation deal right now.

I'd like to find a job in the oil fields where I can make more money quickly (unfortunately it takes quite a long time before you can even earn a check). I've done 18 hour work days doing heavy lifting, so that line of work doesn't bother me, but if you know of any other ways I can make quite a bit of cash, working long hours (if need be), let me know. I'm trying to move out of here before July. I'm pretty much willing to do any back breaking work, if you know of anything that could help, please let me know.