So one of my oldest and best friends is moving back to an area within close proximity to me and is therefore capable of being hung out with on a regular basis. Unfortunately, he's coming back because his hours at his job in Portland were slashed down to a microscopic level and he has to move in with his parents. Not exactly how I'd hoped it was gonna go down.
I don't know too much how he feels about it either. He's one of those guys who smiles and chuckles when he's profoundly uncomfortable, (and being once a mormonling that's fairly frequently) so I don't know if he's cool with the whole thing, if he's kinda miffed he has to move back with his parents but he's alright with being back in the area, or if he's just pissed at the whole damn situation. I guess it doesn't matter much because it's happening.
I want to be happy that I'm going to see my friend again on a regular basis, but the circumstances of the move are just so damn depressing that it's hard to be excited for it. I don't want to be all happy that he had to completely uproot his life again and move back with his parents, which I know isn't too big a deal until you start to get closer to 30 years old, but it's still kind of a slap. I have to be more reserved about it, which is something I'm really good at but don't particularly enjoy doing. I'm stoked most for having someone else other than Republicans to play Shadowrun with.
In other news, I've been reading Strunk and White's Elements of Style, and it has clearly helped very little!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The Fair
So I swallowed my pride, made peace with my principles and opinions, truly measured my weight in the world, my responsibilities, and my true desires, and went to the shipyard job fair. And it was almost insultingly unintimidating. There were I believe 17 shops set up, along with a espresso stand and a burger nook. I managed to talk to every single shop at length and get my resume out to every single one and it took me 4 and a half hours. That's with a break sometime in the middle to eat an excellent burger (more on that later) and the amount I spoke with a friend of mine that I recognized. My best shot is probably at the rigger's shop, I knew the guy who was doing the presentations, and I chatted him up real well.
I went into this thinking it was going to be this unscalable wall that I had to be infinitely prepared for lest I fall into the mudpit of customer service below. I was told to dress as if I was going to a high paying job interview, and to make sure that I had a million or so copies of my resume. I was told I would have to chat up each shop as if their work was that of the lord himself, and I would have to lie out of every concievable hole in my body that all I have ever wanted to do in my life was fire a sandblaster at the side of a boat. Most of the people I talked to were very nice themselves, and understood that the draw of the work is the pay, the benefits, and the job security, rather than the work itself. It was a relatively nice experience.
The one guy who stood out as a total dick was actually the guy in charge of giving information on the helper/apprentice program. He really didn't want to talk to me or give me any information about what I should be looking out for, what I should be doing to maximize my hiring potential, etc. He did, however, really want to talk to the lovely lady standing next in line, and frequently glanced behind me to make sure that she was still there. He was a dick, but I have most of that under control anyway.
I had a absolutely wonderful burger. I almost wish I went both days just to eat. It was a griddle burger, left to soak in an onion marinade, which also held sauted onions. The burger came with cheese and those onions I mentioned. It was so juicy it didn't need any other condiments. Honestly, the highlight of the day was that burger. Oh god I wish I could eat it every day until I die which would be soon because the burger is probably very poor for my health.
One thing I did find out was I really like how I clean up. I got a good haircut, I trimmed my beard the way I like it, and I look pretty good in buisnesswear. I imagine my ass didn't look great, because the asses of overweight dudes don't look good in slacks, but it was made up for by the fact that my tie made me look like a used car salesman. I will have to find more opportunities to dress up like a tool.
I went into this thinking it was going to be this unscalable wall that I had to be infinitely prepared for lest I fall into the mudpit of customer service below. I was told to dress as if I was going to a high paying job interview, and to make sure that I had a million or so copies of my resume. I was told I would have to chat up each shop as if their work was that of the lord himself, and I would have to lie out of every concievable hole in my body that all I have ever wanted to do in my life was fire a sandblaster at the side of a boat. Most of the people I talked to were very nice themselves, and understood that the draw of the work is the pay, the benefits, and the job security, rather than the work itself. It was a relatively nice experience.
The one guy who stood out as a total dick was actually the guy in charge of giving information on the helper/apprentice program. He really didn't want to talk to me or give me any information about what I should be looking out for, what I should be doing to maximize my hiring potential, etc. He did, however, really want to talk to the lovely lady standing next in line, and frequently glanced behind me to make sure that she was still there. He was a dick, but I have most of that under control anyway.
I had a absolutely wonderful burger. I almost wish I went both days just to eat. It was a griddle burger, left to soak in an onion marinade, which also held sauted onions. The burger came with cheese and those onions I mentioned. It was so juicy it didn't need any other condiments. Honestly, the highlight of the day was that burger. Oh god I wish I could eat it every day until I die which would be soon because the burger is probably very poor for my health.
One thing I did find out was I really like how I clean up. I got a good haircut, I trimmed my beard the way I like it, and I look pretty good in buisnesswear. I imagine my ass didn't look great, because the asses of overweight dudes don't look good in slacks, but it was made up for by the fact that my tie made me look like a used car salesman. I will have to find more opportunities to dress up like a tool.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Busy beaver
I don't really have anything too thought provoking or particularly interesting to say, but I'm pretty dang impressed that Obama has been getting his shit together really damn quick. This either means that he might make good on all those insane, socially progressive things he said, or it means that he'll burn out within months and we'll have to watch him plummet through time like the portrait of Dorian Grey.
I know it's all common-sense stuff, but I'm still happy. The world sees us as a frightening fatass cop who'll give you a cornhole for speeding, so let's close down that powerfully immoral prison that we slapped in someone else's country. Granted, it won't be actually closed for awhile, but it's still SOMEthing. Plus he stopped all those "enhanced interrogation" techniques. I guess it's a hit. It's a single, but it's a hit. Then he halted this wierd ban on funding for abortion clinics that I didn't even know existed, and just today I read that he was closing a shitton of other super-secret CIA prisons. Also I heard he was going to do something about Don't Ask Don't Tell, but that was in passing on Digg, so who the hell knows.
I'm trying to keep a safe distance from all the horn-blowing and angels flying about, but it's difficult when I see my mom watching the inaguration, completely elated with tears in her eyes going on about how "it's about damn time that we vote for a black guy." Everyone's excited about it, and it is a big fatty deal, but I'm more concerned with the fact that he's a politician. Recent events have proven that he's at least got SOME balls on him, so maybe he'll take it the distance and actually enact some of those economic policies that got stupid people from Kentucky looking up the word "Socialist."
No, no. I know. They never looked it up.
I know it's all common-sense stuff, but I'm still happy. The world sees us as a frightening fatass cop who'll give you a cornhole for speeding, so let's close down that powerfully immoral prison that we slapped in someone else's country. Granted, it won't be actually closed for awhile, but it's still SOMEthing. Plus he stopped all those "enhanced interrogation" techniques. I guess it's a hit. It's a single, but it's a hit. Then he halted this wierd ban on funding for abortion clinics that I didn't even know existed, and just today I read that he was closing a shitton of other super-secret CIA prisons. Also I heard he was going to do something about Don't Ask Don't Tell, but that was in passing on Digg, so who the hell knows.
I'm trying to keep a safe distance from all the horn-blowing and angels flying about, but it's difficult when I see my mom watching the inaguration, completely elated with tears in her eyes going on about how "it's about damn time that we vote for a black guy." Everyone's excited about it, and it is a big fatty deal, but I'm more concerned with the fact that he's a politician. Recent events have proven that he's at least got SOME balls on him, so maybe he'll take it the distance and actually enact some of those economic policies that got stupid people from Kentucky looking up the word "Socialist."
No, no. I know. They never looked it up.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Phenominon: Premonitional Hatred
So there's a school levy coming up in February. The last one failed, if I'm not mistaken, and was obviously a great blow to the already MacGuyveresque held-together-with-gum school district. This next one is coming smack dab in the middle of a string of job losses and a sensationalized awareness of how much America eats dick financially, so things aren't looking up.
Not that there's an excuse or anything. Back in November when a mysterious blue aura washed over the nation (except gay people), every single initiative to increase taxes to pay for this or that passed, in Kitsap County at least. Kitsap Transit got some more cash that they goddamn better well use to add more bus routes, Eyman's horrible bill to make traffic worse got shot down, they even decided to set aside tax dollars to pay for better training and wages for orderlies and assisted living nurses. So godDAMN had they better vote to give the school $70 million for a measly quarter increase per $1000 to property taxes.
Community activism and the outcome of the general election in November tell me that the levy is in good shape, and will likely be renewed for the next four years. However, I also happen to talk to a lot of crochety old bastards who seem to have a potent hate for young people and wish for nothing more than the population of whatever town they live in to be as ignorant and depressed as they are. The "fuck you got mine" mentality is strong in a military retirement town, and no matter how many picket signs you wave, and no matter how many people may honk, or wave, or even stand beside you and yell, once they get that ballot in the mail (we do mail ballots because we're also lazy), they're going to look at it, make a gut reaction, and give education a good fisting.
It's still three weeks away. I've already got an outline for my massive furious rant that I plan on sending as letters to the editor.
Ugh, I had a whole thing here about how I get angry about stuff before it happens, but when I pulled up a couple of sites to check numbers, all the comments attached to the articles about the levy were insane sociopaths screaming to keep taxes down and to not vote for the levy. So fuck it. Fuck every single person who votes no for the school levy. ESPECIALLY all the people who don't own property and don't read about their taxes and just vote because they're scared the government is going to come directly to their house and rob them. Fuck you, I hope you all suffer for the rest of your lives. Even if the levy passes, if you vote no on it then you're pure garbage.
Here's a good one to end everything with:
Quoted from the comments on the Kitsap Sun newspaper's website, here.
"2.4 million for 2180 computers? Thats over $1100 a pop. Where the heck are they buying them. I can buy a pretty good laptop most anywhere for 500-600 bucks. They are selling desktops at wal-mart for $400. What special needs do the school computers have that I am not aware of."
BUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'M SO GODDAMN DUMB I CAN'T TIE MY SHOES I WANT EVERY CHILD TO BE USELESS AND A BURDEN ON SOCIETY JUST LIKE ME BUHHHHHH
Not that there's an excuse or anything. Back in November when a mysterious blue aura washed over the nation (except gay people), every single initiative to increase taxes to pay for this or that passed, in Kitsap County at least. Kitsap Transit got some more cash that they goddamn better well use to add more bus routes, Eyman's horrible bill to make traffic worse got shot down, they even decided to set aside tax dollars to pay for better training and wages for orderlies and assisted living nurses. So godDAMN had they better vote to give the school $70 million for a measly quarter increase per $1000 to property taxes.
Community activism and the outcome of the general election in November tell me that the levy is in good shape, and will likely be renewed for the next four years. However, I also happen to talk to a lot of crochety old bastards who seem to have a potent hate for young people and wish for nothing more than the population of whatever town they live in to be as ignorant and depressed as they are. The "fuck you got mine" mentality is strong in a military retirement town, and no matter how many picket signs you wave, and no matter how many people may honk, or wave, or even stand beside you and yell, once they get that ballot in the mail (we do mail ballots because we're also lazy), they're going to look at it, make a gut reaction, and give education a good fisting.
It's still three weeks away. I've already got an outline for my massive furious rant that I plan on sending as letters to the editor.
Ugh, I had a whole thing here about how I get angry about stuff before it happens, but when I pulled up a couple of sites to check numbers, all the comments attached to the articles about the levy were insane sociopaths screaming to keep taxes down and to not vote for the levy. So fuck it. Fuck every single person who votes no for the school levy. ESPECIALLY all the people who don't own property and don't read about their taxes and just vote because they're scared the government is going to come directly to their house and rob them. Fuck you, I hope you all suffer for the rest of your lives. Even if the levy passes, if you vote no on it then you're pure garbage.
Here's a good one to end everything with:
Quoted from the comments on the Kitsap Sun newspaper's website, here.
"2.4 million for 2180 computers? Thats over $1100 a pop. Where the heck are they buying them. I can buy a pretty good laptop most anywhere for 500-600 bucks. They are selling desktops at wal-mart for $400. What special needs do the school computers have that I am not aware of."
BUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'M SO GODDAMN DUMB I CAN'T TIE MY SHOES I WANT EVERY CHILD TO BE USELESS AND A BURDEN ON SOCIETY JUST LIKE ME BUHHHHHH
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