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A good friend and a terrific bondage "artist" asked me to join him and his gang in two stage shows in L.A. for LA Leather Weekend. I have to pass this time, but there's always next year. And of course, there's always Folsom Street Weekend. Check out LA Leather Weekend's events HERE.
San Francisco's weather sucked today: If you ever wanted to see San Francisco when it's all wet and muddy, today would have been a good day.
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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My housemate returns tomorrow from his grand voyage around the world. Since he hit Israel, Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, the stories he will tell should be quite interesting. With his permission I'll pass a few of them to my readers in the next entry.
Everything seems to be going well this week. My discrimination cases are moving forward slowly, but at least it's progress. I have begun my compalints with the Department of Labor as well. These cases regarding overtime and contractor/employee status should move far more quickly than the other cases.
As I mentioned before, if ever you may find yourself fighting one of your ex-employers, do not be afraid to be forthcoming about it during interviews/applications for full-time work. As I quickly learned, the truthfulness will be appreciated and will help you in the long run. The only companies or HR managers that would have a problem with it would be the slimy bigots and sweatshop pigs. Unless you really look foward to these types of conditions, you can see that the truth will weed out this muck.
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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It looks like there's a chance that I'll start promoting myself as a piano tutor. Although I will always continue along my career path in IT and software engineering, everyone knows that stuff can get pretty dry. I have always loved offering private piano instruction to aspiring musicians. In the Bay Area, I have tutored three student pianists, all of which are now pursuing music in school. I will never forget how rewarding it was for me as well as these few students. I want to continue to help people of all ages to realize their natural flair for music, so I will most likely offer instruction for instruments I know well: piano, organ, xylophone, glockenspiel, and possibly carillon (if there are any open carillon slots in the local cathedrals).
Carillons
I will try to concentrate on piano instruction, but I hope to interest a few students in playing the carillon (church bells). Playing the carillon is an intriguing course of study that I began in high school, as my academy's church happened to have a 51-bell carillon and a music director to teach it to students. It is also a complicated form of expression, since almost no two carillons are alike. Depending upon the church, the carillon tower may house anywhere from 23 to 78 bells. My favorite carillon in San Francisco, inside Grace Catheral, consists of 44 bronze bells. The more bells in the carillon, the more pumphandles needed, and all the more skill required to play them. But unless you plan to be a church musician or music director for a big congregation, that skill is nearly useless other than to recall the pleasant memories of playing them. And considering that I've turned atheist over the years, I have almost precluded myself from any carillon playing. But who knows. Someday I might be able to charm the locals in a non-denominational church or in my retirement or something.
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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I'm taking on a small venture into my family's surname. I am tracking down some Culveyhouses across the world, and so far, the few families I’ve found are in the U.S., Ireland, and Germany. I’ve been offering free email accounts to these people, and slowly they are starting to reply and band together with the rest of us already on the web. Eventually, Culveyhouse.com will be a website devoted to personal and professional websites of the whole clan.” I may invite all Culvey families as well, as this surname is essentially the same.
There have been hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who have asked our family, “What kind of name is Culveyhouse?” Finally, after years of research, I have the answer: There are references to the Culveyhouses, or more appropriately, the Culvyhouses, which date back to both medieval Bavaria (Germany) and Ireland. The family’s presence in America dates back to colonial times. During the Civil War, our Yankee ancestors were largely wiped out during several of the battles. From what I could find, as many as 40 Culvyhouses were killed, leaving a few family survivors scattered throughout Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. This accounts for the scarcity of our name, not to mention that over the years, descendants further coined several variants to the name, including Culvy, Culvey, and our name (Culveyhouse), and many surviving widows married into Ackley families.
The presence of the word “house” in our name bears significance as well. In nearly all countries of medieval Europe, a “House” was a designation often given to a principal house of a district, usually that of a large proprietor. To preserve that distinction, our ancestors tagged our surname with the word “house.” If this is genuinely the case with our surname, I should be able to locate our house’s official coat of arms. This is turning into quite an exciting research project, and I’ll publish the results as soon as I have them.
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | See the 1 comment | comment here)
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Here come the hundreds of familiar scents of spring, now just a few days away. This Saturday marks the first day of spring, and a San Francisco spring is my favorite. Many parts of the U.S. still put up with snow into their early spring days. It’s a time to meet new faces, take on a new hobby, and explore facets of your life that you’ve neglected. If you’re wondering what kind of new hobby to take up but can’t decide upon one, leave it to me… I recommend starting an online BLOG like this one! The world wants to hear what you have to say. I honestly cannot believe the attention that daily blog entries receive. I did this way back in 1997-1998, and I was receiving hundreds of hits per day, and now that I’ve taken up the blog again, I’m getting even more visitors! If you need help getting started (and getting the word out), then just let me know.
I’ve been stretching extensively before my workouts. Lately, I am spending nearly 15 minutes on a pre-workout stretch, mostly concentrating on the muscle groups that I intend to target. Still, in each warm-up, I stretch all groups in some way. As we age, it becomes more and more important to stretch before physical exertion, and there are so many benefits to doing this, many of which we don’t even understand or realize until later in life. A word to the wise: If you’re a gym rat, but you’re not stretching each time you work out, you’re just asking for an injury-- an injury that could impede your fitness activities for a very long time.
Frühlingsfeuer? Today's title, a German word meaning "Spring Fire," possibly coined by several musical composers who chose this title for their works. The meaning of "Spring Fire" is open to interpretation, so have fun interpreting!
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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The community forum that I built for Porter Township of Cass County, Michigan is attracting visitors. This forum allows residents to discuss the pros and cons of building a large sewer system to which all houses and buildings must connect. It looks like most residents oppose this project, and they have just voted several of the township commissioners out of office! Talk about power to the people! The voice of the townsfolk will meet its real test when it comes to defeating/reversing the order to install the sewer system.
My intake interview with the state agency called the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) happened today. This discrimination complaint is against my former employer (we’ll call them “iBigots” for now). Because considerable time has passed since the discrimination took place at “iBigots,” and since DFEH only accepts a percentage of complaints for investigation, I was apprehensive that my case may not be considered. During the long interview, I divulged every possible detail I could, and at the end of the interview, I was happy to hear that DFEH chose to accept my case! I produced a sufficient amount of events, evidence and witness names to warrant a case. The DFEH issued and filed three charges against my former employer… one against the company and two against the bigots that created this mess to begin with.
As many of you know, I also have another active discrimination case against “iBigots” with the Human Rights Commission of San Francisco. As with my HRC case, there is a significant chance for arbitration/settlement with my DFEH case, and because of that prospect, I will wait to see if there is a no-disclosure clause before I go fully public with the company.
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | See the 1 comment | comment here)
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Today was quite relaxing with a few new contracting leads. I’d say that there’s enough work in the Bay Area now to sustain any techie or dot-commer. If only more people would try their hand at contracting for a while! Office drones confined to one company (and one cubicle) would be so lucky to learn what it’s like to float freely from opportunity to opportunity, to sample the techie world, the corporate life, the ma-and-pa atmosphere, and everything in-between! I have visited and experienced so many forms and faces of business, and the knowledge I’ve gained is far more potent than the so-called “growth” that full-timers hope for and often never achieve.
Despite promotions, raises, political wrangling, and climbing on top of “friends” to get the next promotion, and all of the other familiar office antics, the truth is that in a corporate environment, professionals (and non-professionals) are playing a game that they will never win. Eventually, any office worker tires of a particular setting, and in a final hour of resentment and perhaps even disgust, the person resigns. This does not happen with freelancers. In fact, with the closure of each contract, freelancers feel their professional self grow and their personal self flourish, time and time again. Human nature may partly be responsible for this, perhaps since humans instinctively seek adventure, the thrill of a hunt, and self-sufficiency.
Although it should be obvious by reading my blog that I deplore the stereotypical corporate environment, in no way am I saying that all workers should join my ranks and become freelancers. After all, without full-timers, how could large corporations become a reality and compete with other industry giants, and foreign companies? Corporations are counting on masses of people to be attracted to the numb security and superficial prestige of a full-time job with benefits, even if it means being grossly overworked, throwing a worker’s personal life out of balance, and pushing the worker to nerve’s end. But this very phenomenon has persisted since the industrial age began, and office “submissionism” seems to be embedded right into our DNA. Well, I must be some kind of mutant if this is true, because I defy this corny and murky office environment of corporate America, as I will to the end of my days.
I have finished my personal bio, and I’m sure you’ll find it interesting. I included my favorite quote in my bio, but I’d also like to include it here. It’s a very powerful excerpt from Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, a passage that I reflect upon daily. My nephew's recent battle with cancer has also put this passage into perfect context.
To suffer woes which Hope thinks infinite;
To forgive wrongs darker than death or night;
To defy Power, which seems omnipotent;
To love, and bear; to Hope till Hope creates
From its own wreck the thing it contemplates;
Neither to change, nor falter, nor repent;
This, like thy glory, Titan, is to be
Good, great and joyous, beautiful and free;
This is alone Life, Joy, Empire, and Victory.
-from Prometheus Unbound,
Percy Bysshe Shelley
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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As of this week, I’m in high gear fighting discrimination in San Francisco. Particularly, I am in the midst of several discrimination cases against one of my former employers. I’ll elaborate below, and hopefully this will serve as inspiration to the masses of repressed employees who may be intimidated by taking a stand against bigotry. Discrimination is still a problem in California, even in San Francisco, and I still hear of dozens of new cases each month.
I worked for a company that was nothing more than a mini-sweatshop stuffed with sketchy bigots. I will delay disclosing the name of the company, because there is a good chance for several monetary settlements. Keeping the whole thing out of the media, including the name of the company, might be a condition of the settlement. For now, let’s call them “iBigots,” or “iPigs.” After enduring a year of snide anti-gay remarks and office homophobia, I finally resigned, planning to forget about the antics and nonsense. But retaliation set in as soon as I began filing for unemployment. The spineless boss concocted a grandiose retaliation plan designed to intimidate me from filing the complaints that I threatened him with the day I left “iBigots”.
My complaints consisted of two discrimination cases, a CAL-OSHA (job hazard) complaint, a complaint citing Senate Bill 796 (the “sue-your-boss” law), a Dept. of Labor complaint based on contractor/employee status, and a Dept. of Industrial Relations case for the thousands of dollars of overtime pay that I never received. As rash as this sounds, each complaint is highly valid, and I would not act upon these unless there was substantial cause for each case. Further, I have never found it necessary to lodge any employer-related complaints until good old “iBigots” came along. This tiny company has committed more employment law violations than the giant Cal Fed across the street!
I won’t go into detail on the type of things that this company has attempted, but every one of their lynching techniques have failed, and I have now successfully filed all of my complaints. The HRC (Human Rights Commission) of SF is handling my municipal case, and the DFEH (Department of Fair Employment and Housing) is handling my state intake. There are also some local and state associations who have risen to protect me as well, including the Civil Liberties Union and a few labor law groups in the city.
The wisdom I have to offer to the rest of the community is this: If you have been driven out of a job due to repression, fight for your rights. Yes, it does take a LOT of effort and energy, but the personal growth, the people you will meet, and the potential for monetary settlements will all make it worth your efforts. Not to mention that you will emerge a wiser, stronger person. If you know of someone who has been the victim of discrimination but lacks the motivation to fight it, help that person and give him/her plenty of support. Legislative action in California tends to protect its population from these injustices, and it is our privilege to use the recourse that we are given.
Once per week or so, I’ll give updates on these cases, including the results of any settlement. If settlements fall through, you can bet that I will immediately disclose the name of the company and everyone involved in these illegal activities.
My advice on going to the press about acts such as this should now be obvious: Don’t go public right away, but rather use all the legal recourse available to you for your particular situation. A majority of employers are now willing to settle to avoid the repercussions of expensive lawsuits, public exposure/humiliation, and a damaged corporate reputation. If your settlement includes a confidentiality / gag order, then keep everything silent and enjoy your victory. There are some business owners that will be pigheaded enough to refuse settlement. When it becomes obvious that your employer won’t settle, then go public with your cases. Most all local and state publications, newsletters, magazines, etc. will jump at the chance to expose the continuing problem of discrimination in California.
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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I spent a week promoting my internet services, and so far it looks like my efforts have been mildly effective. I have a few new customers, but it’s certainly been a week of pulling teeth. Web hosting is NOT very lucrative right now. I’m finding that Java (J2EE) programming is very hot for contractors and freelancers in the bay area. If you don’t know Java yet, I recommend grabbing a “Beginning Java” book or “Java for Jaggoffs” or something like that. To practice and build your skills, you’ll need a server capable of running java servlets and compiler. Click “Read more…” if you need more info.
A word on the atrocities that took place in Spain yesterday. I’ll spare you the regular spiel of grief for the victims and anger toward those responsible. Instead, I’ll offer a different perspective. Spain is a beautiful country and still a cultural center of the world, despite centuries of military waxing and waning, political strife, and civil war. Spain and its people are proud, yet gentle. Attacks upon its people, whether the work of Basque Fatherland / Liberty terrorists or the Al-Qaeda, will not deject Spaniards nor force them into a state of fear. Like Americans, they are quick to defend their way of life. Rest assured, the Spanish government will vindicate its people in a swift but respectable manner.
And one last note on the Basque people and their culture: For those who aren’t very familiar with the background of the Basques, be reassured that even though many are blaming the Basque group, ETA, for the terrorist attacks, this is NOT indicative of the rich and impressive culture of the Basques. Learn about Basque history, the people, and the food! Buber.net is probably a good place to start.
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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I am having much better luck this year finding freelance work. I think I can now report that for techie freelancers, work is steadily increasing in the bay. I can’t vouch for full-time employment, but nonetheless, unemployed pros should be able to find plenty of short-term work, as I have.
If you’re unemployed and need some quick cash from short gigs, go to the following websites: hotjobs.com, careerbuilder.com, elance.com, and monster.com. These four sites alone should keep anyone busy. It’s great if you have additional means to find work, but if not, concentrate on these four sites, and you will be sure to stay above water until you find stable work.
I am going to post a full bio page in the next few days and add it as a link to the nav bar. I have been asked by several friends whether it is wise to publicly expose their bio on their blog site or elsewhere. My answer is simple. Except for your innermost secrets, it builds character to reveal your history and details to the rest of the world. It can only help you and strengthen you. Ask any well-known professional who has published a bio or autobio of themselves. It is such a release to deliver the experiences, wisdom, and quirkiness of your character to all who wish to read! Some individuals are terrified at the thought of foes and malicious people who might try to dig into their past and churn up some dirt. Nothing could be further from the truth. The world truly doesn’t care what these SCUMBAGS might do to damage you. Do not fear these lowlifes, stalkers, tabloid creeps, spineless ex-bosses, etc. You, and only you, own your past, present, and future. Be proud of it and publish yourself!
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(By Daniel Culveyhouse | No comments yet | comment here)
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