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Current Mood: melancholy

So I've finally reached my saturation point with listening to people bitch/whine/complain about the economy here in the United States. It seems that everywhere I turn, be it television, radio, or the internet, all I hear are people droning on endlessly about having to take pay cuts, being fired/laid off, or from some people who obviously have a lot of free time on their hands, plans to take on 2-3 jobs to "Make ends meet". Now if bad things have happened to you because of the bubble burst, let it be known right here and now that I am sorry. Hell, I'm sorry as SHIT, and I feel for you, but some of this crap I've heard is ri-goddamned-diculous.

Now why would I say something like this? What makes me think I've got any room/right to talk? Well, I've been out of work now for damn near a year, with no jobs in sight, but I'm still here typing this. I want to reveal some of my secrets, with the hopes that maybe some of this information can help alleviate the pain that some of you are going through.

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My little rant is over. Hopefully this information will be of some use to you. If you choose to ignore it, or to balk at it, then that's your prerogative. Keep it in mind.

As most of you have probably heard, the latest entry in the X-men movie franchise has been "leaked" to the internet. How/why it happened is irrelevant (I'll get to that), what's important is what kind of impact will this have on the scene.

For those who haven't been following the sad tale of X-men Origins: Wolverine, allow me to sum things up:

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Another day, another unprovoked response from Sony to justify
Why their $500 George Foreman grill should be ruled king of
Video games.

I am just so sick to death of seeing people blindly support
This console without stopping to view the facts. That is why
I feel the need to rant a little.

I wrote this article back in late 2007, as a counterpoint
to the Sony Defense Force. Some of the details have changed
since then, but I don't really have the time nor the energy
to re-write it. I did interject some new commentary pieces,
and some updates for the more extreme changes, but otherwise
the article remains unchanged.

Despite the fact that I have been a loyal Xbox user since December, 2002, this is not a "Pro-Xbox, Anti-PS3" article. All of my points are valid, the data is not skewed, and I remain neutral.


*WARNING*

Just like my other opinions on life, this is bound to piss
a lot of people off. I do not believe in holding anything back,
so if you have a quick temper, or are prone to hot-headedness,
then do not read this.

Also, if you have nothing to contribute to the article and
are only looking to pick a fight, then please, do NOT comment.
I won't respond. Oh, and if your response to Sony-bashing is to bring up RROD or E74, I'd like to direct you to this:

http://www.fixya.com/support/p201379-sony_playstation_3_console

That's right Sony Defense Force, fuck you.

( Read more... )

My ranting is done. If, after hearing all of the evidence, you still choose to support Sony's Bullshit, then I sincerely apologize for wasting your time.

Current Mood: angry

So another birthday has passed, with hardly anyone taking notice. Not that I ever make a big deal about getting one year closer to death, mind you, but it would be nice if someone other than my family wished me well. I had a decent tax return this year, and despite the [Insert expletive of choice here] economy, I was determined to invest a large portion of it in a home theater setup. Read on...

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So that's about it. In other news, we've spent about a month doing our spring cleaning. I'm amazed at the sheer voulme of SHIT we threw out. Old clothes, appliances, junk that was simply in the way. I think the final count was 23 trash bags of garbage, 15 bags of clothes, and a lot of old baby toys. Matter of fact, I'm still cleaning now. better get back to it.

I read on GwoP about an interview that John and Kate Gosselin did on CBN this week, so I decided to brave the website to check it out. While I was waiting for the video to load, I began reading some of the other headlines (Stuff like Do you know Jesus? - No douche, and neither do you!) and came across something that surprised, shocked, and angered me:

Generation Hex: Teen Witches

It's a combination op-ed piece/book review about how Paganism will cause teens to cast spells on their parents and teachers to control them, and how they will suddenly morph into homosexuals or bisexuals without the healing powers of Jesus rammed up their assholes.

"But YuSaKu, you went to the website for the CHRISTIAN BROADCAST NETWORK, what did you expect?" - I know, I know, but still, I just can't believe the ignorance and audacity of these people. Here are some related articles:

Confessions of a Teenage witch

Vampires, Romance, and Your Teen

Teens and the Occult: Nothing Innocent About It

Sarah, The Teenage Witch… No Longer

Harry Potter and the 'Hour of the Witch' (This one actually names the 2005 movie "Bewitched", starring Will Farrell and Nicole Kidman as a source of the 'occult' XD


My response to all of this is simple: The Wiccan Crede.

I swear, I just cannot understand the human race anymore. Over the past month, I have been face to face with at least one 'WTF' moment every single day.

Most of you don't know this, but I used to be (And to a smaller extent, still am) a big deal in the internet's 'underworld'. I was one of the few who were on the ground floor when the internet revolution was happening. I can remember being in class way back in 1998, jamming to MP3's during a boring lecture about stuff I already knew. Most people didn't even know what the hell an MP3 was, let alone how to make one. As the years went by, I helped develop new ways to create and deliver content online. Of course nowdays I'm a good boy and stick to things that would never land me in prison (But if only the authorities knew...I'd get the longest sentence in human history, at least a million years ;)

Recently, I decided that I wanted to delve into the world of Fanedits. One of my pet projects was restoring a film and giving it a proper release. For weeks I poured over the work, and finally, when I was satisfied, I declared the project finished, and submitted my work. Most people were gracious, but one person was angry with me. I was attacked for no reason, and it puzzled me. I never thought I would meet someone who didn't like the idea of something for free.

To tell the truth, it scared me. As I said above, for the past three years or so, I've been very good. I've stayed away from new releases, and I don't distribute anything that is going to land me in trouble. Mostly it's things that are rare, and/or are no longer available. I don't wish to open a discussion on moral philosophy, or on my personal stance in the war against online piracy, but have any of you run into one of these 'anti-pirates', or do you share this viewpoint? I am curious to know more about how these people reason.

Another thing that had weighed heavily on me is the Presidential election. Besides books, movies, and music, politics is another of my passions. I have always considered myself a slightly conservative Libertarian. I know that there aren't a lot of people who share this viewpoint, as most are tied to the two-party system. As such, I am aforded the privelidge of being able to step back and watch as this country makes perhaps its greatest mistake.

Electing Barack Obama on November 4th is NOT the answer to our problems. I don't like John McCain or Sarah Palin any more than most of you do, but if you can't see what's wrong with Obama and Biden, then you deserve what's coming. Yes, the United States in on track to not only elect the most Liberal person in the country, they are also going to give him a 60%+ majority in the Congress. Maybe none of you are old enough to remember the last time this happened, but it wasn't that long ago. Yes, I'm talking about good 'ol Jimmy Carter, America's true worst President.

The similarities between Obama and Carter are astounding. Both knew next to nothing about politics before signing up, both served meager terms in other offices before going after the Presidentcy (Barack as a Senator, Carter as a Governor), and both had little or no name recognition before launching their campaigns.

Their policies are also very similar, as are is the state of the economy at the time of their elections. Carter faced an energy crisis, and (when, not if) Obama takes office, he also will face one.

If you people think that this man is going to save you, you are sadly mistaken. He won't make it two years before someone attempts to assassinate him, and goddess help us if they manage to succeed. Joe Biden as President is even scarier.

If there was honestly a way for my family and I to opt out of the human race right now, we'd gladly take it. We have discussed moving away from the US before things get too bad, but where have we to go? Canada is not the haven people make it out to be (You know, those assholes who say "That's it, I'm moving to Canada!"), and Australia is swiftly becoming a Communist nation. Yeah, those were my first two choices, and really the only choices. No offense, but I would opt out the old fashioned way before I would move to Europe or the UK.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/uselections/2008/09/palin-linked-el.html

Since it's okay for the Evangelical right to use 'witchhunters' for inspiration, I'll assume it will be equally right for some of us 'witches' to become BITCHhunters if this scumbag whore makes it into office.

*Sigh*, this is quickly becoming 'Descision 2004' all over again, a choice between the lesser of two evils. Whomever wins, the lying Nazis or the lying Communists, I predict they won't last a year in office before they eat a bullet.

Current Mood: infuriated

Are actually things that I had delved into a couple of years ago, and become impassioned about once again since joining the (Rapidly growing) ranks of the unemployed.


Fair warning, this post is bound to piss people off.

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Current Mood: pissed off

Yes, I know how long it has been since the last time I have posted in this journal.


Over the past 14 months, my life has been like a funnel cloud, gently rising, and then spiraling back to earth with a crash. I don't think I could write everything that has happened to me in one (Or really, several) posts, so I'll try and summarize.


For those of you who don't remember me, or those who do but wouldn't appreciate my post taking over their friends page, I shall construct a cut.

( Continue reading 'A tale of betrayal' )

So, that's the story.

Now, don't go thinking that I'm depressed, or suicidal, or anything. I'm fine. I'm broke, but I'm fine. Matter of fact, the past two months have given me insight into a lot of things that I had missed, partly due to being overworked and lack of sleep.

In the coming weeks, I plan to revamp this journal and shift its focus away from me, and towards other things.

My hand seems to be on the mend. I can at least use it around the house without my softcast on, but I wouldn't dare try and put on gloves at work just yet. It hurts bad enough whenever I'm cutting steaks or filleting fish.

Dad got mom a decent laptop for their anniversary. I played around with it for a bit, set up Bittorrent for mom (She's downloading Vista Ultimate), and checked out the High-Definition audio function. Makes me want a widescreen laptop now.

Mom showed me some stuff that she found at work a few months ago. She'd been holding onto it in case the people who left it called or came back for it. She had a brand new PSP, with a custom skin on it, a Sony brand 1Gb memory stick, a hard-shell carrying case, and four games (Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, Madden 2007, and 300), AND she had an Obsidian Nintendo DS Lite, with six Stylus pens, a nice carrying case, and three games (Zoo Tycoon, Madden 2007, and The Sims 2). The DS fired right up, but the PSP was dead. The AC adapter was not with it, so we have no way to charge it. We tried using the USB cable that was with the PSP, but I guess it doesn't charge via USB the way my cell phones do.

If anyone knows anything about PSP's, I'm all ears. I'd love to downgrade the firmware and hack it for homebrew. All mom is interested in is how much she can sell the whole lot for on Ebay.


*UPDATE*

Went to Wally World and got a battery charger for the PSP. I tried my hand at Vice City Stories, but the extreme size of the screen vs. the tiny control portion was very awkward for me, and it made my hand hurt. Pretty much the same thing that all Sony controllers do to me. I guess the PSP just isn't for me. Mom wants to use it as an iPod/Digital Media Player. Tomorrow I'll recommend that she sell it and buy a Zune.

I already snapped some photos of it for the auction anyway:

Image #1
Image #2
Image #3

I wish I could be a normal person. It seems that the small things in life that people look forward to each day, I have already experienced, so the event is entirely ruined for me. For the past 10 years, the entire world has been open to me. Nothing has been beyond my reach. I never have to sit in anticipation of a movie, a book, or a video game, because I know I can get them whenever I like. The things that I am blessed with, it seems, some people would kill for: I can watch 2,000 channels on TV whenever I damn well please (But I don't, because there's never anything on), my personal library rivals the public library, my phone service costs me $0.03 a day (I can call China and leave the phone off the hook until it DIES and it's free), and don't get me started on my game collection.

Maybe if I hadn't been present for so many of the events that shaped the online revolution, I would not be so corrupted. I've tried living the "straight" life, but every time I'm faced with a fucking release date (American Doll, Posse, Zeitgeist, Deathly Hallows), I backslide.

*sigh* enough dwelling on things that I know I cannot change, it's time for a little Deathly Hallows discussion


( Don't read this until after you finish the book - You've been warned )

One final note before I retire for the evening: I have a bone to pick with some of you die-hard, overly-obsessed Potter fans.

What's with all this whining? The series is at an end. So? Read the final book and move on (.org).

I don't want to hear this "Oh, but now I have nothing to read" or "There's nothing to look forward to". Grow up. It angers me to no end that *I* know that there are hundreds of fantasy books that are MUCH better than this, some of which are *my* personal favorites, and they all ended. There won't be any movies made about Belgarion of Riva, or a Captain Greldik action figure, but I am content with that, because just to have had the pleasure of knowing these characters was enough.

Just be satisfied with what you have, and use the reading skills you picked up from reading Harry Potter to the other (More deserving) authors on the list in my previous post.

Ah, who am I kidding? The ones that I am bitching at are only reading Harry Potter because it's the 'popular' thing to do.

Time to go nurse my broken hand, and get some sleep.

Who could ever forget one of the greatest spoilers in human history. A carload of idiots, who had all downloaded Harry Potter book six from the internet, decide to cruise over to Books-A-Million and do a "Drive-by" on Potter fans heading in to wait in line. When one of said fans fights back by throwing things and shouting "YOU BITCH!", the gang becomes hysterical, so much in fact that they failed to watch the road...

Thankfully, this time around, hopefully the LAST TIME, things are a bit more complicated. In the past week, I have perused many sites, checking out the metric ton of "fake" Deathly Hallows copies, and reading the fake spoilers. But yesterday, somehow someone got their hands on the real book, and as a member in good standing with Demonoid (Really, I'm a member in a league of my own; 2.25TB uploaded and counting), I was able to snag it.

Does it bother me to read the book early? Not in the least. I've more than enough books on my physical queue as it is, and while I *might* be tempted to forgo Eddings and Salvatore for the last Potter book, really it isn't that big a deal (And besides, Belgarath the Sorcerer owns Harry Potter 24/7/365).

I have managed to skim the last nine chapters of the book, and am satisfied enough at the outcome of the story. I won't bother anyone with any *REAL* spoilers, but here are some of the *FAKE* spoilers that I have run across:

*Harry Potter dies ...what, did you think that was going to happen? No, stfu-kthx.
*Ron dies
*Percy dies
*Harry is a Horcrux
*Neville Kills Bellatrix
*Hermione takes over St. Mungos
*Harry becomes a freelance Auror who lives alone

I could go on, but some of the spoilers are very close to the truth, and I could think of a lot better books to be murdered over...

So how do I *know* I have the real Deathly Hallows and not another fake? The ISDN, SKU, and LoC numbers are all a match. Faking one might be possible, but not all three, unless you had access to a real, physical copy of the book.

Overall, DH isn't a bad ending, a tad predictable, and very cliche, but not bad. Still, I reiterate my belief that all of the stories that Rowlings ripped shreds from are 10,000 times better.

Now that the phenomenon is over, I hope that you die-hard Potter fans don't go jumping on the Eragon bandwagon. Rather, I hope that you will seek out the books that have no need to piggyback on Rowlings success. Here's a (Short) list of recommended post-Potter reading:


The books of the Art (The Great and Secret Show and Everville) by Clive Barker
The books of Abarat by Clive Barker
Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings
Polgara the Sorceress by David Eddings
The Belgariad by David Eddings
The Malloreon by David Eddings
The Rivan Codex by David Eddings
Basically everything ever written by David Eddings
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
The Wheel of Time saga by Robert Jordan
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
Everything ever written by Robert Salvatore
Ditto for J.R.R. Tolkien


Have fun waiting in line tomorrow night.

Current Mood: satisfied

...That remains to be seen.

Sometimes my intelligence tends to be a little more than what is good for me. See, I studied the calendar very closely back in March, and strategically picked some days to request off based on how hard I would have to work. Granted, some of the days I requested were for personal reasons, but most were frivolous, just me, trying to escape paradise.

Said list, which has been in the request folder since March 23rd, contains requested days all the way through December. These days are:

June 29th
July 5-7
July 17th
July 30-31st
August 13th-15th
September 13th-15th
October 30-31st
November 22nd
December 24th

Certainly not a lot of days, and with only 3 of them being holidays, none of which are mandatory work days, there should not have been any problems. But of course there was.

June 29th was set to be our biggest delivery day of the entire year. Every single out-of-stock item in the store was being replenished on this day. Everyone in the store worked on that day - except me. Kevin granted my request, something that I didn't think that he would do.

I was coming off a 6-day stretch, so I was glad for the chance to rest, but I knew as well as anyone that I would pay for it. How much I didn't know.

When I returned to work on the 30th, I didn't rush to get a copy of the schedule. I had every confidence that I would be granted my requested days. After all, it would be AFTER the 4th, with most of the work behind us, and the rest of the summer would be heading downhill after the early peak, and would only rise again leading up to Labor Day. Besides, these three days were the most important, with the 7th being Aiden's birthday. Ashley has been planning for that day for SIX MONTHS, and nothing in this world was going to stand in her way. But Kevin sure tried.

When I finally did see the schedule, I was shocked: Kevin gave me the 5th and 6th off, but not the 7th. It confused me. I figured that the only day that he would have a problem with would be the 6th, because it would mean that I had two friday truck days off in a row. Saturdays are backstock days. The Capt. Alex doesn't run on the weekends, and most of our current backstock levels are way below average, so a night crew of three guys would be more than capable of handling it.

I went to Kevin and told them that I had a problem with the schedule. He glared at me and said "So do I" and started to walk away. I followed him, explaining to his backside that I had requested the 7th off 3 1/2 months ago. He turned around and began yelling at me, telling me that just because I request a day off, I should not expect to get it, ever. I told him that it was my son's birthday, and he said "DO you know what I would have said if you had asked me to my face if you could have the 7th off because it was your son's birthday?" I said "You probably would have said no". Kevin smiles and says "You're damn right I would have said no. DO you think I care if it's your son's birthday or not? That doesn't matter. What matters is that you're working now. If I can't use you in the summer when I'm making money, what makes you think I want you around in the winter when I'm not (making any money)? I tell you what, you do what you think you need to do, but the schedule is staying the way it is".

I spent the rest of my work week avoiding Kevin and not speaking to him. Ashley got very quiet when I told her what Kevin had said. I decided right then that I WOULD do what I needed to do: Be with my son on his very first birthday. My son is 10,000 times more important than making sure some fat fuck from Ohio finds Frosted Flakes on the shelf when he comes to the store on Saturday.

We've spent the past two days (And a large chunk of my money) preparing for the party. I treated us both to ice cream yesterday at the Calabash Creamery. They have these two cow statues out front, named Scoop and Dip. There is a rather large sign out in front of them that says:




Well, this father decided that his army of prostitots just had to climb all over said statues, so while we were in the car enjoying our ice cream, we got a kick out of poking fun at him. When we were pulling out, we glanced over at them. Mom was with them now, and she and dad were trying to figure out how to work a digital camera. Both of them were totally oblivious as to what was going on right behind them though. Two of the little girls were making out.

These kids could not have been more than 7 or 8. One of them had the other pressed up against the cow statue, and she was rubbing the others hair, ears, neck, shoulders, and breasts. The little girl who was being molested had a look of ecstasy on her face. Ashley and I gasped at the same time, paused to condemn the sickness of the act, and then we drove on, howling with laughter. I said to her "Boy, is that father in for a nasty surprise in ten years".

I'll update tomorrow with lots of pictures from the party. Right now, there's a Mojito and a Marlboro calling my name...

This is both hilarious and yet mildly disturbing:


A recent survey of Australian workers has uncovered that more than twenty percent have had a sexual encounter at work, and twenty-five percent have formed a long term relationship with a colleague based on said workplace sex. Eighty-seven percent do not believe that romance in the workplace is unethical.

Responses to the survey suggested that a number of possible reasons behind the results are due to the fact that people are spending more and more time together, because they are forced to work long hours, and that people in similar fields often have similar interests, which leads to base attraction.


Source: www.news.com.au


I think I still have at least one or two aussies on my friends list. Let me know if this is actually true XD

This is the Bald Head Island Passenger Vessel 'Patriot'. It has a seating capacity of 144 passengers. It also has a tendency to get stuck.

I managed to beat traffic today and get to the landing early, even snagged a spot in B lot for the first time in three weeks. I made my way up to Transportation and wait. And wait. Finally at 1:07, I went inside. Mary Lou was on the phone at the kiosk, so I waited for her to finish, and then asked her what was up. She looks at me and says 'The boat is stuck at Deep Point'.

Nothing new, happened to me a few weeks ago (See old post), but the rest of the information I got later made this into an interesting situation.

See, we've got a drought going on here, and the Cape Fear River is suffering badly. It was low tide, and despite the fact that the Transportation crew knew that the pontoons like to get stuck on that sand bar at the mouth of the marina, they decided, in their infinite wisdom, to proceed with their BHI Marina-Deep Point-Indigo Plantation triangle run.

Of course the boat got stuck going out of the marina. They managed to get it loose, only to have it get stuck out in the river. You'd think they would give up, but oh NO, they just had to keep going, right into Deep Point, where they got stuck in the entrance, effectively blocking in the Sans Souchi and the Adventure.

Why is that a big deal? I'll explain. The two newest editions to the BHIL fleet, Patriot and Ranger, are both Pontoon boats. They were designed to carry more passengers, crew, and freight, so that means that they weigh a fucking ton. The old boats, however, were actually designed with this river crossing in mind.

These were the best two images I could find. It's hard to see, but the bottom of these two boats are equipped with mud skids, so they are able to slide through the silt on the river bed with virtual ease.

But we couldn't be rescued by the SS or the Adventure, because the Patriot was blocking them in. We had to wait for the night crew to be called in so that they could bring the Ranger into service.

Once we were boarded and under way, we had several close calls with sand bars, but miraculously, we did not get stuck. After we debarked, we searched for the bus, but it was nowhere to be found. We requested a tram, but all of the drivers were busy. Finally, the bus pulls up, and we were (finally) bound for work. We didn't get far. There was an accident right in front of the entrance to the market. A 18-wheeler rear-ended a golf cart. Our bus driver decided that we would be delayed no further, he backs up, jerks the wheel left, drives over the median (Bushes and all), and starts going up the wrong side of the road. He had to drive half a mile up Federal Road, and hang a right onto Edward Teach Wynd. We pull up beside the Chow Wagon, and the bus just...dies. While the driver is trying to revive it, all these people come pouring out of the boatyard, and try and yank the doors open.

At first the driver told them to fuck off, but once he got the bus started again, he let them on. Finally, we made it to work at 2:30. After all of that, we were only an hour late.


In the end, it almost was like the fates were trying to protect us. The workload was never-ending. Everything I did was all in preparation for tomorrow's truck, which will be the last until after the 4th (I *Think*). I feel sorry for those fools...err, I mean my fellow co-workers. I'm the only person in the whole store who has tomorrow off. I had the foresight to request it off a month ago :)

I have to make it count, because I'll have 5 straight days of Kevin Readshaw to pay for it ;_;.




On a separate note: I found a better picture of the Capt. Alex -

And here is a picture to remind myself just what it is that I do all of this life-shortening work for:

When I drop dead at 45, maybe my son will find this, see the seemingly innocent children, and think "My father was a good man to help those rich people", but I'd also like to think that by then, he will know exactly how these people and their fucking demon spawn treated me, and avenge me.

The fact that I am even alive to post this is a testament to just how much punishment my body is able to withstand.

Despite my own *very* accurate predictions about the 2007 tourist season, and the predictions of experts, the mega-elite have decided that, soft market be DAMNED, they are determined to throw away their children's college tuition, and have been showing up in DROVES.

This was resoundingly reflected in my work schedule. Usually I have Monday and Thursday off from work, but for the work week of 6/11-6/17, I had Monday and Wednesday off. When Kevin made the schedule for 6/18-6/24, he gave me Thursday and Sunday off. See the problem yet? Yeah, I had to work a week straight. Not a normal 9-5er's week (5 days), but literally a fucking WEEK, as in 7 DAYS STRAIGHT, with 5 of those being truck days.

By the time I made it to Thursday, I was exhausted. Spent my day off about-town with the Mrs. We stopped into a local shop and spent $100 on some recreational fun, but we had to call it early, because I had to get BACK UP, and go in Friday and Saturday mornings for even more punishment.

Before I left on Friday, Kevin wanted to see me in his office. Now there's only one reason that anybody ever gets called to the upstairs office, and that is for punishment. So I did the sensible thing: I snuck out.

I was hoping that he would forget about it come Saturday, that or leave early, but he did neither. Around 4:00, I got the call on the PA. So upstairs I went.

He started out by giving me his "We're in the busy season" spiel. That one always wants to make me puke. I know more about summer life in North Carolina than that transplanted fucktard ever will. It's when 90% of the state of Ohio decide to drag their white-ass kids, their mini-vans, and their horrible driving skills down to our beaches to sight-see.

However, this was not what Kevin really wanted to discuss. The man looked physically ill, like he was wrestling with a chunk of greasy meat which he must choke back, lest he vomit. Finally, with a sigh, he turns to me in his chair and says "I need you to run seafood".

In that silence, I could hear the mice up in the rafters, farting. Then it hit me.

Davey left yesterday to go back to college, so that left only Stu and Harry (Jamaican international) in meat and seafood. Kevin needed a 3rd man. But that wasn't quite right.

Before Kevin could follow up his initial statement, Davey came upstairs and burst into Kevin's office. The door opens left-to-right, so he didn't see me. He then starts talking to Kevin: "I wouldn't worry too much about it, he should be okay, about the only way he could get a reaction is if it got into his throat. Have you told Shaun yet? *Looks around the door and sees me* Oh... Well, I'll tell Stu not to train him anymore then". He turned, and then he left.

That's when it REALLY hit me. Harry, the Jamaican, Kevin's savior, the ONLY PERSON who offered to fill the vacant meat and seafood position, was ALLERGIC TO SHELLFISH

A million thoughts ran through my head all at once: Kevin's screwed, he' got nobody, he's in a major bind, It's JUNE, and only ONE MAN is in meat and seafood.

Kevin looks at me, and I could tell that he did NOT want me to know that, possibly for the first time in the man's LIFE, circumstances were OUT OF HIS CONTROL. I swear, I wanted to SCREAM.

I said to Kevin, through a slightly bleeding lip (To supress my laughter) "Let me get this straight, the guy you hired for seafood is allergic to shellfish?" Kevin saw my face, and smelled my mirth, so all he said was "Yes", and spun his chair so that his back was to me.

To sum up the rest, like it or not (Don't worry, I DO), I am being transferred to meat and seafood, effective 6/28. This is a full-time position, which is *supposed* to pay more money.

Later, I went by to see Stu, and realized that he set the whole thing up. "Don't disappoint me" was all he would say.

I'll miss the freedom I had working grocery, but I won't miss the hours. I believe there's a nice cold Bacardi in the fridge calling my name.

Current Mood: exhausted

Okay, so I won't be going to see Smashing Pumpkins at the Orange Peel (Which is mostly Aaron's fault), won't be able to go see Goo-Goo Dolls/Lifehouse in Raleigh, and I seriously doubt I will be able to go see Maroon 5. I am NOT PLEASED with my job just now.


Now, for some reason, this time around on her tour, Tori will forgo her usual stop near her hometown of Cary, NC, and instead will be going to the "Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre" (Formally known as the Carowinds Pavilion) in Charlotte. I'm starting to agree with everyone who said that she's starting to buy her own hype.

Anyway, she hasn't *Officially* announced any US tour dates, but anyone who bought ADP over iTunes at release received a voucher for first dibs on concert tickets. Common sense dictates that 90% of them are holding out for a state-side venue. With that being said, I AM GOING TO THAT CONCERT, EVEN IF I HAVE TO MURDER SOMEONE FOR THOSE TICKETS. Also, work be damned, I don't give a shit if occupancy reaches 110% (Which is impossible, and besides, the highest we have ever had in the history of BHIL is 92%), if Kevin, Aaron, and Fred can't do without me for three days, then that's too bad.

Part of what is going on (Wrong) this season is Kevin's own fault; the rest if HR's bullshit Politics. For those of you who are unfamiliar with 'seasonal' work, allow me explain:

For 8 months out of the year, we are like any other place in North Carolina: Dead as dog feces. Don't let other NC residents fool you, even out busiest cities are NOTHING compared to most major cities in other states. But, for the months of June, July, August, and September, we are busy. How busy? Well, in 2005, we broke all records, and despite the fact that last year was down from that by almost half, the store still managed to turn its first profit in 20 years.

In 2006, we had 14 people in our department; this year, we have 7. Somehow, we are expected to handle the same workload as last year, keep the same pace as last year, and by the end of the season, SURPASS last year. Forget that 2007 was forecasted last fall to be an extremely 'lean' year, or that so far, our numbers are down from last year (2006), and WAY down from two years ago (The magical year of 2005).

We lost our two best workers to other departments last month, and now have to rely on Chris and Montrel, which wouldn't have been so bad if they weren't both in college. Montrel has to leave shortly after the 4th festival to attend NCAA training camp, and Chris wasn't even supposed to be back this year, as he has a mandatory summer semester class, so his departure is eminent.

That tosses the burden back on ME. Somehow they expect me to just accept this, to pretend that I have no life outside of work, and to double my efforts to kill myself for the company dime.

Obviously Kevin can't fire me. He has no one left to work during the off-season, so I'll use this to my advantage as often as I can. It's my own way of 'Paying it forward'.


On a separate note: The 13th Annual Fishing Rodeo wrapped up Saturday evening. This glorified prick-measuring contest for the rich has gotten even worse this year: They lowered the cash prize from $20,000 to just $10,000, and threw in a 2007 Hummer H2 for the grand prize winner.
I didn't get to see who won, but as I was waiting for the boat in the rains from Tropical Storm Barry, I *did* hear what the biggest catch was: a 37.6Lb. Dolphin. Flipper would not be pleased...

Current Mood: annoyed

Sometime Tuesday morning, the tranny in the barge fell out. That means that all incoming freight for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday has to be carried over on the passenger ferry.

We're prepared for cases such as this, of course. We have our own trucks, and with a little grunting and sweating (And a lot of slamming and cursing), the freight makes it back to the store (Mostly) intact.

However, this says nothing about the ammount of excruciating labor involved. I had about 5 minutes warning before we pulled into the marina as to what I would be facing for the remainder of the day. Aaron, Geoff, and Bob were already hard at work loading up Sysco, so I disembarked, and jumped in to help.

We had to keep making trips back and forth, and by 2:00, we finally had everything unloaded and run. My left ankle took a real beating, and I nearly collapsed from exhaustion and the heat waves. Aaron did compliment me for 'busting ass' today, and let me leave early. He even signed my time sheet, which had me listed as leaving at 7:00, which was also great.

Supposedly, the company is renting a barge (To the tune of $10,000-$20,000 a day) for Friday, Monday, and Tuesday, but it remains to be seen if the deal will go through.

It amazes me that a multi-billion dollar company will go to such great lengths to save a little cash. The Capt. Alex (Seen in the blurry photo above - It's the only one I could find) is almost 30 years old, and in a sad state of disrepair.

It *used* to be called the U.S.S. Brandon, before being employed in the company's fleet. I just wonder how much longer they plan to run the decrepit junkheap before they drop the cash to purchase a much-needed upgrade.

I mean seriously, if they can spend $8.5 Million dollars on the "Ranger", you'd figure that they could come up with a better way to get our freight to us.


On a seperate note: Today is Ashley's 24th birthday. We're getting the entire family together to go out to eat dinner at Dale's. She wanted me to get her a Zune or and iPod Gen 6, but I told her that it would be better to wait. I think I'm going to get her one of the new Pokemon games instead. She needs a reason to play her DS, else my purchase will go to waste.

Well, it's late, better go see if she wants some birthday sex. Now that's a unique present, one you can only give/get once a year :)

I know, it's been a year since I've posted anything, but I've been busy. I think I'm allowed a moratorium.

Now, where to start...

In the past year I've:


Gotten married (May 27th 2006)

Went back to work on the island (June 13th, 2006)

Broken my first bone (Part(s) of my foot, namely toes, June 26th, 2006)

Welcomed my son into the world (Aiden Kian Milliken, born July 7th, 2006)

Gotten into my first automobile accident (August 2006)

Gotten into my SECOND automobile accident (August 2006)

Been laid off from the island AGAIN (November 27th, 2006)

Become a department manager at Wal-mart (February, 2007)

Left Wal-mart to (Once again) return to the island (March 21st, 2007)

Become Proficient at operating a manual-transmission vehicle (April, 2007)

and finally,

Earned myself a PERMANANT position on the island, for as long as I choose to work there.


As much as I would like to elaborate on all of this, I am very tired. We're understaffed ATM, and (I, at least) are having to double our efforts to keep the billionaires happy, and well-fed.

I'm too tired to sleep, however, and being that time of the month, I don't think I'll be doing anything constructive tonight, so I'm off to read (The Belgariad, for the fourth time).

Current Mood: tired