Rudolph the Bastard Reindeer

2009-12-27 21:52:43 by jdixon

I'm probably not treading into undiscovered territory, but having re-watched a number of my favorite Christmas specials as an adult, I couldn't help but notice the influences of an earlier, simpler, uglier life in America. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had an especially hellish upbringing in the shadow of Claus and his elven slave-drivers, according to the storytellers at Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.

Overtones of discrimination and the Old South start from the very beginning. The comforting tone of Burl Ives as the friendly, banjo-toting, Good 'ol boy snowman-narrator help to lighten the apocalyptic mood of newsreel footage foreshadowing the storm that inevitably vindicates Rudolph's hapless existence.

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Managing Expectations

2009-12-17 14:47:35 by jdixon

If you're unaware, there's an Advent calendar for Systems Administrators. Strangely enough, they accepted my submission and published it this past weekend. I believe these philosophies will benefit anyone who has "internal customers", but they are especially well-suited for IT professionals. If you have other suggestions please let me know.