Stephen's Den

Well, I mentioned that my trip back from Portland was “harrowing”, so I thought I should elaborate. It makes for a short but all too familiar story. It all starts with something known as the “puffer” (no, it’s not dirty, well, as far as I know anyway). The puffer is the machine shown on the right.

I was making my way through security, taking off my shoes, my bracelet and glasses and trying to juggle all of that in my hands. For some reason the security guards always seem to pick me for special treatment. Maybe it’s because they can sense that I am reasonably amiable and I’m not in too much of a hurry, so they can afford to mess me around a bit.

Or maybe it’s because I try to do things efficiently and they get annoyed watching me standing there with my shoes in my hand, all metallic things conveniently stuffed into one of them. Maybe they think: “I’ll show that smug bastard what airport security is all about.”

Continue reading Connecting Flights

We had a security briefing on Friday. Basically, explaining to us that most of the stuff we’re working on has been or will be classified and even that stuff which isn’t shouldn’t be bandied about. Not only should we keep information from spies (who look like Russians) but we also have to keep this information from everyone else as well. So basically I can’t talk about anything. Now, if I was the sort of person who likes keeping secrets I would be really chuffed about that, but really, I love talking about my work, so keeping mum is kind of sad, it really is very interesting work…

We started talking about security clearance. My clearance is still being worked on (hopefully will be done by the time I am finished). One of the guys mentioned that back in the day, being a “closet gay” could have caused someone problems when it came to seeking security clearance. I blushed visibly.

Continue reading In Confidence

People have been asking me to post more. The only thing is, I am saving up for my trip to Vegas over Christmas, so I am not really getting up to much in the way of wacky hyjinks. That said, perhaps a little social commentary on food mixed in with the mundane minutiae of my daily life will do. Despite the rather enigmatic title to this post, this post is mostly about food.

One thing I can immediately say about the food here is that Texans don’t really know the meaning of “portion control”. The image on the right is of some nachos I had in Austin. This sort of dish is what’s known as “tex mex“. Mexican food, done the way Texans like it. That is to say, not authentic like mamá used to make. Tex-Mex usually carries with it negative connotations of “lower class” food. To be honest, Tex-Mex ain’t so bad.

The curious thing about this particular dish, though, is that it was the entrée! I specifically asked the waiter how big the entrée was and he said it was “quite small”. I had about half of them then got up to find the waiter.

Continue reading You’re not from around here are you?

Yay! today is my birthday! I turn 27 today!

26 was a watershead year for me, a very important time in my life. It was also one of the most difficult years of my life. Here’s hoping for more difficult and interesting challenges to come!

I haven’t posted much lately, I have been spending much of my energy discussion my faith (or perhaps lack thereof) and whether or not my sexuality should condemn me to hell with soe people very important to me *grins*

Also, my boss quit today which was probably good for him but is going to present a few challenges of itself.

In the meantime, please go have a look at my flickr site. I paid for an account because it is really very cool.

In no particular order, here are some images:

Well, I threatened some time ago that I may make some religions posts. That time has come. This first post is a hodge-podge mixture of my feelings about my own faith. When my friend and colleague Brendon found out I was a Christian, he was fascinated and wanted to hear my views on creationism. I guess it’s kind of like a freak show: “What? You believe in that?” Ok, so let’s talk creationism, I’m game!

Continue reading Creationism and Biblical Literalism

Here’s an interesting thing that happened to me while I was in Austin. It’s a short story but it bears repeating. I was on my way from the governor’s mansion, back to my car. Sadly the mansion was closed but I did get some nice pictures. Anyway, I was walking past a bus stop in front of the capitol building. I stopped to take a photo then carried on walking, as I did, someone walking in the opposite direction shouted: “You know what? You’re now on what’s known as 24 hour TV!”

I raised an eyebrow and carried on walking a few paces, then turned around and lifted my sunglasses inquisitively. The man who had said this was now on the other side of the bus stop, pacing in an irritably. Some young guys near me were chuckling nervously behind their hands.

I turned to go then turned around again. I was curious, I wanted to know what he had meant by that and if he was talking to me, he seemed to be in a great deal of distress and I wondered if I could help. Besides which, the place was littered with police and it was the middle of the day, what could he do? Yell some more?

Continue reading Mind Games

Well, as you may have remembered me mentioning about 100 times, Rockwall county is a dry county. This means that technically, one cannot purchase alchohol anywhere in the county. Guns yes, beer, no. Of course, in reality people find ways to get around these strange laws.

Welcome to Mobile City! Population: 196. That’s right, you heard me: 196 people. What does this have to do with alchohol you ask? Well, as it turns out: everything. Aren’t you just dying to know? Click “more” to find out!

Firstly, the way that bars get around this problem is they call themselves “clubs”. In that way, they are “private houses” (not “public houses” or “pubs”). They serve drinks to their “members”. To become a member, you give them your driver’s license. Often if a group of you are drinking, they only require one of you to be a “member” and technically, they consider you to be the one consuming the alchohol of everyone there.
Continue reading Mobile City

I spent last weekend in Portland, Oregon. For those of you who don’t know, Portland is on the North-West coast of the US, just about as far away from Texas as you can get. People have asked me many times: “why Portland, of all places?” Well, firstly, I wanted to see as many different places in the US as possible, hopefully one a month, so anywhere is good. Secondly, believe it or not, I have a friend (Daniel) who lives in Portland.

He’s a kiwi and is about to return home, so I thought I had better visit him quickly before he disappears and there would be no one to show me around that part of the country. You probably know him as the enigmatic “Kyhwana” who is an unashamedly confirmed atheist (don’t worry. I made a point of hitting him with my Bible). It’s a good thing I had a friend with me too, I don’t think I would have as much of Portland if I didn’t have the advice of a local to go by. More pictures are published in flickr.

Continue reading Stumptown

While in Austin I also got an opportunity to spend time at the President Lyndon B Johnson library. All past presidents have libraries in their honour. The LBJ library is the only one with no entry fee (at LBJ’s request). That should tell immediately you something about this man.

Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ for short) was America’s 36th President. He started off working as a teacher in a rural school in Texas, pretty soon though he was propelled into politics. After a long and successful career in US politics, as a congressman, senator and vice president, he had the difficult and unenviable task of picking up the pieces after JFK was assassinated in 1963.

In many ways he is similar to the incumbent president, George Bush. After all, he was born, raised, died and is buried in Texas. His entire two terms in office were dogged by a very unpopular war he had inherited and didn’t shy away from: the Vietnam War. He will always be remembered for the part he played in that unfortunate time in America’s history.

Continue reading Lyndon B Johnson

While here in Texas I have been collecting pictures of sunsets. It’s easy to see why so many people in the South believe in God. The landscape here is vast and flat. This makes for a a great deal of sky, stretching over you in all directions. When looking at that great expanse of Texas sky, it’s hard not to be in awe of creation and to wonder if there is some design behind it all, all this beauty.
Move your mouse over the thumbnails below to see the larger version!