As recounted on this blog a few times, my first entrance into the real world job market was one where I didn't come in with the knowledge necessary to appropriately state exactly what I wanted to do or how much I felt I deserved to be paid. Green behind the ears, and not yet holding a college degree, all I knew was that I wanted to work in technology in the Silicon Valley, and hoped I would be paid enough to cover rent, food and transportation.

Even after changing jobs twice, and seeing my salary increase to a level I was happy with, it became apparent that I still wasn't working with a full deck of cheat sheets. No sooner was the ink dry on one contract but I inadvertently learned from the HR manager that I had signed below the range they expected to fill the position, and the range extended a full $30k higher. Before even finishing my first week at the new job, I knew I had undersold myself once again.

As years have passed, the tools available to job seekers have dramatically ballooned, with professional networking sites like LinkedIn, focused job services like MktgLadder (for those of the marketing persuasion), Salary.com, to give the range of salaries for those with similar titles in your zip code, and now, an open search engine from indeed.com that without requiring any paid subscription, returns average salaries for titles and City/State combos.

Now, instead of walking in with a 2-page resume and hope, you can walk into an interview with a 2-page resume, a host of online references and a raft of business connections, and a very precise expectation of what you'll be asking for - based as much on the salaries of your peers as your previous history. Makes the potential for being laid off in a Valley where nothing is guaranteed seem that much less scary.

Listening to ''L.E.F'', by Ferry Corsten (Play Count: 6)

Athletics Nation Game Recap Here: The Long Road Ends... And Another Begins

Listening to ''L.E.F'', by Ferry Corsten (Play Count: 5)

In 1998, when Apple introduced the iMac, they made two major changes to the computing world - besides using colors and a new shape - the company was the first to standardize on USB, and in a big shocker, to dump the ubiquitous floppy disk drive. The world was in pure shock that Apple could have done that - and many were sure that all in Cupertino were daft. But as the years passed, USB itself grew market share by leaps and bounds, and that daring leap Apple took by axing the disk drive looked tame. As the Internet grew in popularity, people learned to e-mail files as attachments and avoid sneakernet, while floppy disks just about disappeared into the vault of antiquity.

With the introduction of the first-generation iBook, and its accompanying partner, AirPort, Apple ushered in the era of wireless networking, and though others, like Intel (Centrino) have capitalized on this trend, Apple was first to the table. Apple's foray into new technologies with Gigabit Ethernet, hybrid CD-R/DVD-R burners (SuperDrive), hard-disk MP3 players (iPod) and even faster wireless (802.11n), continues to be a good indicator as to what will come next from the broader industry.

While the common analyst response is to downplay a new technology, then offer lukewarm acceptance, nodding approval and finally adoption and praise, Apple commonly doesn't look for wide acceptance before taking the leap - and every once in a while, it gets it wrong. But not often enough that Cupertino can be ignored.

For instance, with ThinkSecret's news today that Apple's yet to be released iPhone would be native to Cingular at introduction, speculation has risen that Apple will push GSM standards forward in the US, after the technology has had significant foothold overseas. GigaOM speculates, as we have outlined above, that Apple just might be the standard setter after all. Not bad for a company everyone thought was dead just a decade ago.

Listening to ''Somebody Told Me'', by The Killers (Play Count: 8)

The Oakland A's have been "on the verge" of clinching the AL Western Division title for the last several days now - starting with this last Saturday, when they didn't come through. Following a second loss to the Angels on Sunday, the ballclub headed north to Seattle to take on the Mariners, who had lost 15 straight to their green and gold opponents, expecting a cakewalk against a rookie pitcher making his first major league start.

But it was not meant to be.

Though the A's vaulted to a 9-3 lead early in the game, and expected to pace themselves to victory, the Mariners continued to battle back, reducing the margin to 9-6 by the pivotal 9th inning. A's closer Huston Street, usually infallible, was torched, giving up the three runs needed to tie up the ballgame, and send the contest to extra innings, with the score knotted up at 9-9.

With the Angels having won their ballgame, the A's simply faded away, as the last-place Mariners scored the winning tally in the bottom of the tenth to seal the victory, and keeping the A's on the outside looking in, instead of celebrating in champagne and rock music. For the third consecutive night, we had started the day off expecting to relax and look to the playoffs, and instead, saw our hopes dashed.

Tonight, as this is written, the A's are trying to turn the tide. In Anaheim, the Angels are down 5-0, and the A's, looking to reverse the curse, are up 5-0 in their game. If the scores hold, it's celebration time tonight. If not, more doom and gloom. It's what being a fan is all about - living, and dying, with the team.

Listening to ''Deep Love", by Mandalay (Play Count: 5)