Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the blog readers out there. The presents I got this year that I enjoy the most are all throwbacks to my childhood. First off, there's the GI Joe mini-series DVD set I got from my parents. I didn't ask for it specifically, but they even ended up getting me the one that came with a figure, though I know they didn't realize either. In between watching episodes of that, I have Metroid and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link from GameBoy's Classic NES series thanks to my brothers.
To continue in the spirit of gift-giving, my mom and I have been talking about setting up a Netflix account. I know TLAM uses (and claims to be addicted to) it, so I'm just looking for a little advice and how-to about it. It says you can have up to 3 DVDs at a time, and that when you send one back they send you the next one on your list. How does your list work? Can you have another DVD "on deck" as the one you want next, or what? I really want it for TV shows like Deadwood and DS9, but would a season set be considered one of my 3 rentals or does it count each individual disc? Please comment or e-mail me if you have any feedback for me on the subject.
Well, that's all for now. This coming week will be full of get-togethers and hopefully some good times, so maybe I can say good riddance to 2004 and have some fun in its final days.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The Big Decision
I spent yesterday in Ann Arbor working on The Newsletter Annual with TLAM (it's gonna be awesome - check your mailboxes. If you're not signed up for it and you want it, let me know). While there, I also ran into a lot of the LS&A Academic Advisors I worked with while they were busy with transfer orientation. While relaying to them my current state of unemployment, I talked with various people about the possibility that's been on my mind over the last few months. I like the weather of the Midwest (though I wish it would snow more), and I like the people of the Midwest. Problem is, I don't know if there are going to be any jobs in the midwest.
Given the entire United States to work with, I've narrowed it down to the final contenders. While Michigan will always be my first choice, for the sake of argument we'll assume that the job market here will stay the same, forcing the decision to go elsewhere. I know I am not going to move south of the Mason-Dixon line - they all compete for worst schools in the nation. On the one coast, Malis has been working on me to follow him out to somewhere within an hour of Philadelphia either in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. On the other coast, Joe and Vicki continually lobby for the state of California in general. But as much as I love those of you in LA (I'm not forgetting Steve) I just don't think I could stand living in the state of California.
And in the middle (well, closer to the West, but you get the idea) I have been growing increasingly fond of the idea of moving to Colorado. Somewhere in the greater Denver area up north, where it snows. Two or three years ago I ran into about 4 people from high school that were planning to move to Colorado after college. When I graduated, I knew 3 people from the School of Ed. who were moving out there, and they were telling me how many jobs there were to be had. Apparently it is a booming area, which means the economy and job market are on the rise. I loved it when I spent two weeks out there in high school, and I guess the idea has stuck with me.
Unless I move in with Malis, wherever I end up I'm going to be out there on my own. For a while, part of the reason I wanted to stay in Michigan was that I would know people here. But apparently everyone I know here is ready to get the hell out, so maybe this spring I too will be making the exodus.
Given the entire United States to work with, I've narrowed it down to the final contenders. While Michigan will always be my first choice, for the sake of argument we'll assume that the job market here will stay the same, forcing the decision to go elsewhere. I know I am not going to move south of the Mason-Dixon line - they all compete for worst schools in the nation. On the one coast, Malis has been working on me to follow him out to somewhere within an hour of Philadelphia either in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. On the other coast, Joe and Vicki continually lobby for the state of California in general. But as much as I love those of you in LA (I'm not forgetting Steve) I just don't think I could stand living in the state of California.
And in the middle (well, closer to the West, but you get the idea) I have been growing increasingly fond of the idea of moving to Colorado. Somewhere in the greater Denver area up north, where it snows. Two or three years ago I ran into about 4 people from high school that were planning to move to Colorado after college. When I graduated, I knew 3 people from the School of Ed. who were moving out there, and they were telling me how many jobs there were to be had. Apparently it is a booming area, which means the economy and job market are on the rise. I loved it when I spent two weeks out there in high school, and I guess the idea has stuck with me.
Unless I move in with Malis, wherever I end up I'm going to be out there on my own. For a while, part of the reason I wanted to stay in Michigan was that I would know people here. But apparently everyone I know here is ready to get the hell out, so maybe this spring I too will be making the exodus.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
A Few Random Thoughts
1. I found this while jumping online from the MSN homepage. While I love my Alma Matter, I got a little smile out of the fact that U of M was not mentioned on either list. For all those pricks who just had to go to the B-School and U of M Law School, I just like to laugh at the reality that neither is the end-all-be-all in the universe.
2. While I mean no disrespect, and am sorry for the family's loss, I giggled just a bit when I realized his name was Ed Zachary. If you've never heard the joke, ask about it later.
3. I can vouch for Banky Edwards' (Jason Lee in Chasing Amy) assertion that the inker plays just as valuable, if not more so, a role in a comic than does the artist. I'm just finishing the last panel of the FreshMan comic for The Newsletter Annual, and the process of inking it is almost as time consuming as actually drawing in pencil. Your mother was a tracer!
2. While I mean no disrespect, and am sorry for the family's loss, I giggled just a bit when I realized his name was Ed Zachary. If you've never heard the joke, ask about it later.
3. I can vouch for Banky Edwards' (Jason Lee in Chasing Amy) assertion that the inker plays just as valuable, if not more so, a role in a comic than does the artist. I'm just finishing the last panel of the FreshMan comic for The Newsletter Annual, and the process of inking it is almost as time consuming as actually drawing in pencil. Your mother was a tracer!
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Phoebe Cates where have you gone?
One of the HBO movie channels had Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch on back to back tonight. I always liked the second one better, as the first one was a lot darker and more malevolent versus the comic genius of the sequel. Christopher Lee as a mad scientist! Phoebe Cates in all her 1980s beauty! Robert Piccardo with hair! But more importantly, Phoebe Cates!
Really, I had no idea who Phoebe Cates was until reading TLAMs The Copybook Tales. But in realizing who she was, I was just as soon disappointed to see that her film career is quite limited. We can always hope for a comeback.
Really, I had no idea who Phoebe Cates was until reading TLAMs The Copybook Tales. But in realizing who she was, I was just as soon disappointed to see that her film career is quite limited. We can always hope for a comeback.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Fuck the World
Today really wasn't the day to put me into situations with customer service expectations. By any objective standard, today's shift at the Gap was no better or worse than any other. They'll never know it, and nothing dramatic happened, but I hated each and every customer that came to my register today.
"Your total comes to $186.59."
I felt like putting a bullet between the eyes of every Panda that wouldn't screw to save its species.
"Would you like to open a Gap charge account today?"
I wanted to open the dump valves on oil tankers and smother all the French beaches I'd never see.
"Have a great afternoon."
I wanted to breathe smoke.
Before going in to the Gap this morning, I went to the West Ottawa Schools administration building. I had filled out their fucking application with its extra fucking supplemental writing responses, and tailored a new fucking cover letter to their advertised opening. And the old bitch behind the counter told me that it was an old posting that the webmaster should have gotten rid of, and with 5000 people applying to be substitutes there's no way they could accept any more. As far as she was concerned, I could have been hit by an errant school bus on the way out of the parking lot and she would not have given a good God-Damn.
This rejection, followed immediately by my consolation job at the Gap, put into stark focus just how much I hate my life right now.
"Your total comes to $186.59."
I felt like putting a bullet between the eyes of every Panda that wouldn't screw to save its species.
"Would you like to open a Gap charge account today?"
I wanted to open the dump valves on oil tankers and smother all the French beaches I'd never see.
"Have a great afternoon."
I wanted to breathe smoke.
Before going in to the Gap this morning, I went to the West Ottawa Schools administration building. I had filled out their fucking application with its extra fucking supplemental writing responses, and tailored a new fucking cover letter to their advertised opening. And the old bitch behind the counter told me that it was an old posting that the webmaster should have gotten rid of, and with 5000 people applying to be substitutes there's no way they could accept any more. As far as she was concerned, I could have been hit by an errant school bus on the way out of the parking lot and she would not have given a good God-Damn.
This rejection, followed immediately by my consolation job at the Gap, put into stark focus just how much I hate my life right now.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Just Clerkin'
All day today I felt like Dante Hicks. If you read my blog, I'm guessing you know who Dante Hicks is. Though not scheduled at all this weekend at The Gap, one of the managers called this morning and asked me if I could cover for someone. Though not sleeping on the floor in a pile of my clothes, I was nonetheless roused from my bed in order to go into work. I figured I wasn't going to do much before 4:00 anyway, and I could use the extra cash.
I wasn't a bad day, but it was not a slow and easy day either. Today marked the end of our "Friends and Family" weekend, and as such we had a whole lot of people coming in to use their discounts. And of course, all these customers who had the discounts were purchasing like $300 worth of items, which had to be separated into 30% vs 15% off piles before being rang up. Though I tried to resist for the day, about halfway through the busy shift I responded to a co-worker with "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"
Though I can't hold myself to this, I am going to set a goal that after New Years, I will no longer be at The Gap. It's not a bad job or anything, but I just feel like a tool working there. My hope is that by New Year's I will have used my discount to buy everything I could ever buy there, and since schools will once again be open without breaks I can just make money subbing.
Tomorrow I am going to my Alma Matter to look into a potential opening in their Social Studies department. My brother brought home a school newspaper with an article about class sizes, and it said that there were two openings that they were hoping to find new teachers for in order to reduce class sizes, and the job website confirmed this. The only hitch is that the posted deadline for applications was over a month ago, but I'm hoping that maybe they just haven't had anyone apply and I can still get in. It's only a part-time job for the current school year, but it beats middle school subbing and folding pants. If nothing else I am going to try to get myself into the sub-pool so I have added possibilities for subbing jobs.
I wasn't a bad day, but it was not a slow and easy day either. Today marked the end of our "Friends and Family" weekend, and as such we had a whole lot of people coming in to use their discounts. And of course, all these customers who had the discounts were purchasing like $300 worth of items, which had to be separated into 30% vs 15% off piles before being rang up. Though I tried to resist for the day, about halfway through the busy shift I responded to a co-worker with "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"
Though I can't hold myself to this, I am going to set a goal that after New Years, I will no longer be at The Gap. It's not a bad job or anything, but I just feel like a tool working there. My hope is that by New Year's I will have used my discount to buy everything I could ever buy there, and since schools will once again be open without breaks I can just make money subbing.
Tomorrow I am going to my Alma Matter to look into a potential opening in their Social Studies department. My brother brought home a school newspaper with an article about class sizes, and it said that there were two openings that they were hoping to find new teachers for in order to reduce class sizes, and the job website confirmed this. The only hitch is that the posted deadline for applications was over a month ago, but I'm hoping that maybe they just haven't had anyone apply and I can still get in. It's only a part-time job for the current school year, but it beats middle school subbing and folding pants. If nothing else I am going to try to get myself into the sub-pool so I have added possibilities for subbing jobs.
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