Two angels Misty and Karen

I have waited three weeks to write this entry. I believe in angels but where angels come from is another story, manifestation, helpers of God, an alternate reality or aliens. The only thing for sure is i know they exist. They are sensitive to the cry from the soul. I can't help being maudlin about this because i was in distress. To get to Kenya I split my flights. Instead of JFK to Kenya I booked jfk to Dubai. I met so many people on this trip it was amazing the two girls from azerbaijan, a man from Katmandu, a man from Kentucky who shared my love of horses, Jewish (monks) from Brooklyn..  And of course my two angels and the paramedics who fused over me. Anyway at 5am I am checking in to Gulf Air and before i know it my bags are returned to me. Unless I have a ticket out of Kenya they will not let me on the plane they say kenyan law forbids entry without return ticket. Now i have been married twice to Kenyan women have traveled 4 times to Kenya. So i go to buy a new ticket it is only $500 for a $200 ticket. I came with a hundred dollars extra so this was a crushing blow. I was now going to be homeless in Dubai. So i needed the internet to buy a ticket. The man from Thrifty (Katmandu) let me use his computer, they only support wireless at the airport. And of course I had none, computer yes. So I bought the ticket from Nairobi to Kampala for $207. But couldn't remember my password so i couldn't get the details and it was on a no name airlines. I go back to gulfair and the flight has left. I plead with the agent and promising to die in front of her has no effect. But another flight leaves at 10am but must check in at or before 9am i return to thrifty but his internet is down. I go to another ticket counter but everything is setup to force you to buy a high price ticket. I am now going between terminals frustrated as hell. I find a help desk and i plead my case and i admit tears flowed. And before I new it the paramedics were there taking my blood pressure pricking my finger and my blood sugar i think was 343 time to check into a hospital. So knowing that i refused anymore treatment. I lied and said i was fine with my heart condition i knew an ekg would for certain land me in the hospital. Meanwhile my angel has logged into the internet. the time is 8:50  by a miracle my password works and i get  the data for the flight. Karen then personally escorts me to gulf air counter she is determined to stay with me until i am on that plane. My bags are finally checked and Misty joins her and using there employee badges get me on the electric buggies and get me to the gate which is miles away. As i enter the gate waiting area they ask if i am hungry and I admit I am so they disappear and return 10 minutes later with two hamburger a fries and a drink from McDonalds. I offer to pay them but they refuse and I gave them a blessing for the rest of there lives. And so I leave my two angels much wiser as to the forces opposing me and those forces keeping me on my mission to save the world. For as Dana Quijote that is my mission no matter how foolish I seem to be I will struggle on and occasionally angels will take me under their wings and help me to the next gate in life.

How Software Engineering Became a Profession

Dear Mr. Davis,

I tried to read your book referring to the subject of this blog. But the term engineering kept getting in the way. I always have had little respect for engineers as programmers. As the joke goes engineers are ok but i wouldn't want my daughter to marry one. One of the important aspects of being a programmers is the ability to see beyond the forest. Programming is an art. Trying to render it a subset of engineering is like telling a famous artist how to paint. As a programmer i was a whore i did what i was told to do and of course 10 times more to fill in the spaces of the boredom. It is like someone wants me to paint a wheel and on the side i paint the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. I have to laugh at your standards if i were to live by those i would have died long ago in the basement of the Pentagon. I would give you a A for effort but an F for fantasy. Anyway my new profession is as a curmudgeon to you young people who disdain the 1968 programmer who lived the life eclectic and formed the world you live in today. Today I walk the streets of Kisumu Kenya Africa and children run up to me to touch the Muzungo(white man) just like the employers did back in 1968. I have stopped saving those giants from disaster after disaster and now i will try my hand at saving the world. When from nothing you create a program that does something you tend to feel Godlike. In the societies of the Third world the "Engineer is King" now lets see if I can kick some engineering butt. I was there when this technological world was built. And as in the tale of two cities i quote " It was the best of times, it was the worst of times "  

The trip through hell

Well I made it. I am now in my apartment in kisumu just $130.00 per month. 2 bedroom and a pantry turned into a bedroom for the boys. The first thing was arriving in JFK and finding my bag bandaged in Duct tape. The jet blue representatives were hard wired to say all we can do is give you a $30.00 voucher for future trips. Finally Walter surrendered and got my bag wrapped in plastic. Which allowed me to continue after the black women supervisor told me to get out of her face. First time for that. I guess I am a mean old curmudgeon after all. After that she settled in to paying her bills on the phone. Well after an accident in the bathroom and unfriendly Russians i settle down to wait for the flight and while charging my laptop 2 friendly girls from Azerbaijan who were going back home after spending sometime in New York with unhappy thoughts of life at home after experiencing the joys of a free society. Well finally onto the plane for nine hour flight to Moscow. The big girl was the stewardess for first class passenger and the thin heartstoping thin was left for us. They worked hard as there should have been twice the stewardess. Also there were a group of Jewish monks practicing there rituals in the back of the plane and were from Brooklyn.  An interesting flight. After that it was Moscow and then the flight to Dubai. I will do a separate one for Dubai.

notes on russia

well i spent my few hours in Russia and have these reflections. Moscow reminds me more of anchorage Alaska as the pine trees dominate the open horizons. Russians have absolutely no sense of humor so don't even try. The airport is massive but not built for people. Many tv's but no content. Finding my gate was a journey of frustration. After waiting an hour at the gate i was told to go to i find that i have to go to another just part of the unfriendly skies of Moscow. And a soda and cup of cabbage soup cost $11.00 My desire to return to Moscow is zero.