Thanks to everyone who wrote in. Your support means a lot.

So, how did it happen?

Basically, I was in a firm where the engineering partner (the guy who was supposed to "show me the ropes" basically does all the work without any delegation, preventing me from being productive and preventing himself the time to train me, thus I had no opportunity to develop any new talents or skills. In the end, what happened is for the best.

As to what to do next? I'm going to relax for the next few weeks, weigh my options, and then put all my plans into motion at once. First things though? I'm turning 24 next week, and after 5 years of school and work and no summers off, I'm going to do the things I love best; read, write, and continue my martial arts training.

My options are many, even in the relatively small community I live in (80,000 isn't small, but the mindset of the community is). I'm probably going to tutor for the first little while to pay for internet and such, and I will be selling a HUGE chunk of my comic collection on eBay (I'll keep you posted). I have friends in the local engineering community who will be going to bat for me, and it's been suggested that I consider some type of further education/job training at one of the local universities/colleges (probably AutoCAD, or some such). If all else fails, I have the financial resources necessary to get a post grad degree of some sort, and that's hardly a bad thing.

Anyway, on to some thoughtful/thoughtless commentary

1) Limbaugh - Go figure, the very same people that Rush claims to support (middle class, 'average Joe Patriot' type) finally give him a symbolic ass-kicking. This goes a long way to restoring my faith in America.
2) The Bush/Rove/CIA 'scandal' - God, if you're reading this, please don't let the Bush/republicans spin this one away. Let's get the facts straight; Someone in the White House at the highest level leaked information to the press about a classified CIA agent/analyst (remember kids, in the CIA, the fictional character of Jack Ryan is an "analyst") whom happens to be the wife of an ambassador who spoke out against Bush's policies. THIS IS TREASON. Why? Because now THE BAD GUYS (like, I don't know, Al Queda, remember them?) now know that any organization this woman claimed to affiliate with could very well be a CIA front. It would be difficult to determine how much of VICTORY THE TERRORISTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY THE US GOVERNMENT. Someone big is going down for this, and by rights, should and must face the maximum punishment for endangering America.
3) The Ontario Election - Good.

More later folks,

Michael Paciocco