Bob Dylan one of my favourite songwriters sang about change, about the opinions of the people of the world with the new youth culture and folk movement, i'd like to say alot has changed. But the American government is still controlled by multinationals and big oil (damn i said i wasn't gonna complain about those) America is still controlled by over religious right wing gun nuts. But this blog wasn't meant to be me complaining about my qualms about the global economy and politics, coz i'm sure the 4 or 5 readers would not be interested in that (i'd end up using all these techinical terms) but change is an interesting topic, it happens to all of us, whether we're signing a mortgage or your a shopaholic deciding what clothers your going to buy and leave at the back of your closet without wearing it once!
So i'm sitting on the couch with a glass of whiskey with comedy central in the background writing about change (without using the words Barack Obama in the first paragraph) and this isn't about Barack Obama i mean yeah the first black president is a pretty major change but today when i was thinking about change his name was the last to come to mind.
So i guess to get this into context i guess i'd better talk about my day. Basically i got up late for uni (not really a change i've done that a dozen times before) and luckily my bus wasn't too full and i got two seats to myself which during the bus lockout is a freakin luxury (i say lockout cause i'm a demand side economic, yeah i know more big words this'll be over soon, and will side with the employee over the capitalist pig trying to opress the bus workers) and there we already have a substantial change! Industrial action, it's what you want in a change, juicy consequences (not getting a seat in a goddamn bus!) a bit of drama if you watch the news (which if you're an average New Zealander you don't) and traffic that pissed the hell out of me! Oh! On a side note, i'm sorry i have to vent. But who decided to merge the lanes right after a busy off ramp! Seriously! I sat through traffic which a freakin third lane would fix! The cheap cost cutting moronic son of a freakin (crap i forgot i wasn't swearing on this thing)! I want to find you and cut off a third of your house, because that my friends is justice served bulldozer!
But we're getting beyond ourselves, coz at this point i was still in town (and not in traffic!) Nothing of interest there really. Minor changes like a change of breezes, recieving a grades and it starting to freakin rain! Oh i've skipped something, yeah the Burger King set on fire (yawn not really big news, seriously there was no smoke, cept from the usual smokers on Queen Street, the point is i didn't get my red bull and that annoyed me also) So anyway i bought some shirts (calm down i know it's not more important than a fire, merely a plot decide to keep this story moving) now this is a change in itself as i know have more shirts, but i also saw a another kind of change, a change that has happened and is continuing to happen. I saw a drag queen, now that in itself isn't a major change, but perception and freedom has. Which would work for anything and yes i admit is a bit of a stretch. Now i used to consider myself a liberal, don't get me wrong i believe in equality based on race, religion and creed (as long as you're a man) but liberal, that people have the freedom to do anything with no government regulation! (and once again i'm venting) now with the rise of liberalism you can effectively within the bounds of the law (with a couple of grey areas) do anything you want, and though people don't like it and i makes some uncomfortable they have to respect your freedom to do anything you want.
Now i think i've blagged on long enough about change and my second glass of whiskey looks neglected, i'm sure i had a point but now it's escaped. So to once again quote the great Bob Dylan "Goodbyes too good a word babe, so i just say farelewell."
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Breasts/the AUT computer lab
Hello my pretties, the people that read my blog that expect more regular posts but Rome wasn't build in a day and i'm a bad mix of lazy and very VERY busy. I also have an ego to boost, so i imply that i am some kind of talented writer when i say, i am lowering myself to toilet humor, a very mild form of toilet humour, no this came out of that and the like. But i have pondered in my head this question in my head for a while. Now to put this into some kind of context it is well known that it is considered rude, perverted and sexist to look at a girls breasts, however i pose this question. Why if this is the case to t shirt makers put all the action around the cleavage area? I saw a girl walking down queen street with a monkey and writing around the area in question. (Don't ask me what was written. A monkey and breasts, come on!) I am a 19 year old guy with the attention span and imagination of a 7 year old! A monkey and breasts! My eyes aren't going anywhere else!
Now i've only filled a paragraph with that topic, sooooo here begins my regular shameless complaining about the computer labs at AUT. Now to list, only 10 computers have the computer software that i need for one of my papers, only some computers with excel have data analysis which i need for one of my papers and more recently and more temporarily the printers weren't working one day(not to bad i know i just needed filler) that i need for my course (hmm we're seeing a pattern here)
So in one foul swoop i have killed the integrity of my (cough cough) ethical writing, and for a change i didn't complain about conservitism, liberalism or multinationals. I feel fulfilled!
Now i've only filled a paragraph with that topic, sooooo here begins my regular shameless complaining about the computer labs at AUT. Now to list, only 10 computers have the computer software that i need for one of my papers, only some computers with excel have data analysis which i need for one of my papers and more recently and more temporarily the printers weren't working one day(not to bad i know i just needed filler) that i need for my course (hmm we're seeing a pattern here)
So in one foul swoop i have killed the integrity of my (cough cough) ethical writing, and for a change i didn't complain about conservitism, liberalism or multinationals. I feel fulfilled!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Exams/top 10
I know i haven't updated my blog since May I've been busy. So i thought i'd copy David Letterman and do a top 10 list and as it's around exam time i might as well do it about that.
Top 10 Exam Nightmares
1)You get nervous and vomit over the examiner
2)It's the middle of the exam and you're in your underwear
3)You studied for the wrong exam
4)You break your wrist while writing
5)Your pens explode
6)Your phone goes of in your pocket
7)Your wallet starts ringing
8)Terrorists take over the exam room and take you and the other students hostage
9)You have a brain haemorrage
10)You forget how to write
Peace out!
Top 10 Exam Nightmares
1)You get nervous and vomit over the examiner
2)It's the middle of the exam and you're in your underwear
3)You studied for the wrong exam
4)You break your wrist while writing
5)Your pens explode
6)Your phone goes of in your pocket
7)Your wallet starts ringing
8)Terrorists take over the exam room and take you and the other students hostage
9)You have a brain haemorrage
10)You forget how to write
Peace out!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Logic
In my habit of blogging about obscure concepts i come now too logic, or more like lack of logic. I like to watch television, i consider it a past time, along with sleeping and not being at work it's one of my favourite things to do. If you are thinking that's sad well this is coming from the guy writing a blog about logic, if you followed that thought pattern then well done. That's logic!
Lately i have seen statements on tv that lack logic. Like for example that ad for a program on living (i think it was living) I think he was a Geordie bloke so that might describe the lack off logic. He says that because of the declining property market (i think it's implied that this is because of the recession) that it's a good time to renovate your homes. He fails to consider however another effect of the recession, which is of course the fact that people have less disposable income (either lost from investment or the fact that the value of it has decreased due to inflation) so this statement lacks logic.
I guess a Geordie hosting a program on living could be excused, i'm not going to disregard the skill in being a host of one of these programs and the work they most likely do put in. But you'd expect more from a current events program, giving us an informative look at the events around the globe. So when watching an ad for one of these programs (60 minutes i think it was) and see them say "the reason why Chickens aren't going extinct is because we're eating them. Now i'm not a farmer, but surely when you eat something from a species, there is now one less of that species. Now if everyone around the world is doing this then there would be a declining amount for the number of chickens. Now i didn't watch this program, but i will logically assume that this was a well researched article creating good points for the statement. And i'm sure it would be balanced, balanced for a tv company owned by a multi-national. Like for example chickens aren't dying out because we're breeding them to eat them, i would feel i was being logical in saying that.
As i ease into the end of this blog i will take the logical step in finishing with something appropriate, something Spock would be proud of, i'd ultimately like Spock to read this blog and say, that is very logical Oliver, do you have any vulcan in you and i'll of course say no Spock, not at all and i'll let you make up your own punchline, although i hope the punchline is obvious enough, otherwise it'd be just damn illogical.
Lately i have seen statements on tv that lack logic. Like for example that ad for a program on living (i think it was living) I think he was a Geordie bloke so that might describe the lack off logic. He says that because of the declining property market (i think it's implied that this is because of the recession) that it's a good time to renovate your homes. He fails to consider however another effect of the recession, which is of course the fact that people have less disposable income (either lost from investment or the fact that the value of it has decreased due to inflation) so this statement lacks logic.
I guess a Geordie hosting a program on living could be excused, i'm not going to disregard the skill in being a host of one of these programs and the work they most likely do put in. But you'd expect more from a current events program, giving us an informative look at the events around the globe. So when watching an ad for one of these programs (60 minutes i think it was) and see them say "the reason why Chickens aren't going extinct is because we're eating them. Now i'm not a farmer, but surely when you eat something from a species, there is now one less of that species. Now if everyone around the world is doing this then there would be a declining amount for the number of chickens. Now i didn't watch this program, but i will logically assume that this was a well researched article creating good points for the statement. And i'm sure it would be balanced, balanced for a tv company owned by a multi-national. Like for example chickens aren't dying out because we're breeding them to eat them, i would feel i was being logical in saying that.
As i ease into the end of this blog i will take the logical step in finishing with something appropriate, something Spock would be proud of, i'd ultimately like Spock to read this blog and say, that is very logical Oliver, do you have any vulcan in you and i'll of course say no Spock, not at all and i'll let you make up your own punchline, although i hope the punchline is obvious enough, otherwise it'd be just damn illogical.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BK/pointing
I was at two minds about what i was going to write my blob about. As some may notice i spread my blogs far apart as i wait for topics to present themselves. But these topics are different from usually. One is because i had an experience at BK, i use the word loosely as it wasn't significant at all, heck if i didn't for some strange reason find it appropriate for a blob i wouldn't even remember it. It wasn't really an experience with BK itself, but BK was a platform for how i think and my personality.
I went to Burger King last night. That's the experience. Like i said nothing special, but that's merely describing what the experience was and not going into further detail. So i'll continue. I went to Burger King last night, as i was walking down i was thinking about Globalisation (i.e developed economies beating the crap out of economies that are developing) and multi-national corperations, i was thinking about why people willingly ingest things that are bad for them and pay for it, heck there are lawyers in America that it's the fast food companies personal right to sell this unhealthy food, that it represents some kind of liberty, and this liberty and freedom protects their economy (which is anything but liberal and free). Then i thought that anything can kill you, the sun can kill you! But then in my own personal debate i then reasoned that the sun only kills you if you don't take precautions, and the same applies with fast food, it's only significantly negative if you eat to excess instead of taking the precaution of eating in moderation and having it as an occaisional treat, now i could start a whole new debate about this, i.e considering the intention of advertising, the more healthy menus of these fast food resteraunts and the desire of business's to maximise profit.
Now this was before i even entered the door of Burger King. Now when i entered and nothing really interesting happens i ordered a double whopper combo, not particuarly interesting, just mere details that move my little tale along, i then recieved my cup for me to put my drink into, i put Fanta in (again minor detail, but detail none the less. Then i waited. I then continued to wait do you know what i did after that? You're right i waited. And that didn't bother me. My logical mind made me think that there was also a rational explanation. Rationality, that's an interesting word, rational decision usually involves maximising your own satisfation. Along with a dozen other criteria (one model even implicitly states that it is almost impossible to make a rational decision. Where was i? I've actually lost my place, oh yeah waiting for my meal. Oh yeah rationality! The employees made a rational decision to maximise their job security by performing their task adequatly. Sooo not worth the tangent. Any way while i was waiting i made the rational decision to drink my drink (as customers are entitled to free refills) This maximise my satisfaction, but this does not mean the total satisfaction that could have been derived from that situation was not fulfilled. Most economics students will know there are three resources; time, money and skills. (money is property before you say i've missed anything out, anything of some kind of value) Now time is scarcer than money so only by fully utilsing my time will my satisfation be totally fulfilled, but i accept that external forces also affect my satisfaction.
Anyway i finally got my meal. now perhaps to help maximise my satisfaction i could have voiced my displeasure, maybe with complaint or by acting annoyed. But that's not the kind of person i am. I smiled and i said a sincere thank you. I don't really get frustrated that often because i usually expect that the worst thing is a possibility and am realistic about it. I was aware that my chips may have been sitting in a carton for a while as i walked home. And alas when i got home my chips were cold.
Now a friend of mine told me to write a blog about another incident that happened last week, on a wednesday if my memory serves me best. I went to see a comedian called Ed Byrne, i am a fairly big fan, i own one of his dvds and watch alot of his clips on youtube, one of these bits i saw at his show, always the sign of a fanboy.
Now one of the friends i went with (Sean Flannery) had to use the bathroom so he went in and i waited for him. And amazingly enough i saw Ed Byrne! In the flesh! By the lifts. I became star struck, i could not think of a thing to say to him. But when you see a celebrity you don't do nothing do you! So i pointed. Now i know he saw me pointing, but i was also pulling back from pointing when he turned round. Now he lifted his head in acknolwedgment and i bowed my head to acknowledge him. So at least i was acknowledged by Ed Byrne!
Now one of the funny things about this is that in his show he talked about thinking of the best thing to say after the event actually happens. I was walking down Tristram Ave and i thought of a million things i could have said. The obvious one was "hi, i'm oliver. i'm a big fan."
Peace out!
I went to Burger King last night. That's the experience. Like i said nothing special, but that's merely describing what the experience was and not going into further detail. So i'll continue. I went to Burger King last night, as i was walking down i was thinking about Globalisation (i.e developed economies beating the crap out of economies that are developing) and multi-national corperations, i was thinking about why people willingly ingest things that are bad for them and pay for it, heck there are lawyers in America that it's the fast food companies personal right to sell this unhealthy food, that it represents some kind of liberty, and this liberty and freedom protects their economy (which is anything but liberal and free). Then i thought that anything can kill you, the sun can kill you! But then in my own personal debate i then reasoned that the sun only kills you if you don't take precautions, and the same applies with fast food, it's only significantly negative if you eat to excess instead of taking the precaution of eating in moderation and having it as an occaisional treat, now i could start a whole new debate about this, i.e considering the intention of advertising, the more healthy menus of these fast food resteraunts and the desire of business's to maximise profit.
Now this was before i even entered the door of Burger King. Now when i entered and nothing really interesting happens i ordered a double whopper combo, not particuarly interesting, just mere details that move my little tale along, i then recieved my cup for me to put my drink into, i put Fanta in (again minor detail, but detail none the less. Then i waited. I then continued to wait do you know what i did after that? You're right i waited. And that didn't bother me. My logical mind made me think that there was also a rational explanation. Rationality, that's an interesting word, rational decision usually involves maximising your own satisfation. Along with a dozen other criteria (one model even implicitly states that it is almost impossible to make a rational decision. Where was i? I've actually lost my place, oh yeah waiting for my meal. Oh yeah rationality! The employees made a rational decision to maximise their job security by performing their task adequatly. Sooo not worth the tangent. Any way while i was waiting i made the rational decision to drink my drink (as customers are entitled to free refills) This maximise my satisfaction, but this does not mean the total satisfaction that could have been derived from that situation was not fulfilled. Most economics students will know there are three resources; time, money and skills. (money is property before you say i've missed anything out, anything of some kind of value) Now time is scarcer than money so only by fully utilsing my time will my satisfation be totally fulfilled, but i accept that external forces also affect my satisfaction.
Anyway i finally got my meal. now perhaps to help maximise my satisfaction i could have voiced my displeasure, maybe with complaint or by acting annoyed. But that's not the kind of person i am. I smiled and i said a sincere thank you. I don't really get frustrated that often because i usually expect that the worst thing is a possibility and am realistic about it. I was aware that my chips may have been sitting in a carton for a while as i walked home. And alas when i got home my chips were cold.
Now a friend of mine told me to write a blog about another incident that happened last week, on a wednesday if my memory serves me best. I went to see a comedian called Ed Byrne, i am a fairly big fan, i own one of his dvds and watch alot of his clips on youtube, one of these bits i saw at his show, always the sign of a fanboy.
Now one of the friends i went with (Sean Flannery) had to use the bathroom so he went in and i waited for him. And amazingly enough i saw Ed Byrne! In the flesh! By the lifts. I became star struck, i could not think of a thing to say to him. But when you see a celebrity you don't do nothing do you! So i pointed. Now i know he saw me pointing, but i was also pulling back from pointing when he turned round. Now he lifted his head in acknolwedgment and i bowed my head to acknowledge him. So at least i was acknowledged by Ed Byrne!
Now one of the funny things about this is that in his show he talked about thinking of the best thing to say after the event actually happens. I was walking down Tristram Ave and i thought of a million things i could have said. The obvious one was "hi, i'm oliver. i'm a big fan."
Peace out!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Forced Holiday
As some people may know, i have worked for Wendys for quite a long time, 3 years to be exact. Now during this time i have accumulated alot of paid leave. As a result i have been forced to take a 2 week holiday. Now don't get me wrong i hate multi-national corperations so any excuse to complain about them, the so called "free market." (there is no free market) but that isn't the intention of this blog and spouting my left wing perspective is for another day. But i was thinking, one day i will have to leave Wendys. (sadface..... Not!) due to going onto better things (touch wood). So i thought i'd hook up the webcam express that in interpretive dance! You may see by the lack of media that's not the case, i've misplaced my leapard skin leotard and my room does not provide ample room for me to dance with unpredictable movements and joking aside badly. So i thought i'd use another medium which i am less inadiquate at, through verse;
If i should leave think of me
In the corner of some foriegn grill
To be forever Wendys
Yes that was a shameless parody of Rupurt Brooke (6th form English ftw!)
Now for the real poem
Wendys oh Wendys
I've known you so long
People have left
And people have gone
Memories good and memories bad
And some sources of stress
That i've never had
But i have have been thinking
Of things i will miss
I'd think the things that i won't
Would be a longer list
The Blues however i'll feel i'm sure
When i finally leave
But i think i can cure
The people of course
Friendships i hold dear
Without whose presence
My shifts i would fear
There is also a list however short
Of those i dislike
In tact, i won't report
But it's sad to think
That's all i will miss
Because friendship are fickle and people leave
Leaving me to reminiss
I wonder when long is too long
And i often sit and think
And does that make it wrong
Because i hate when customers are stupid or short
Or when managers are pestering
For us to work faster, or longer or stronger
And the noise from machines make my ears ring
And the kitchens are too hot in the summer
But in the winter at the window it's cold
Which can be a bit of a bummer
So in this hypothetical leaving
Which will happen in some time
And it's also kinda shameless
That i picked an easy ryhme
Ending on a joke, will leave me on a high
How i'd like to leave my job
As well as a sincere and heartfelt goodbye.
Thank you and stay cool!
If i should leave think of me
In the corner of some foriegn grill
To be forever Wendys
Yes that was a shameless parody of Rupurt Brooke (6th form English ftw!)
Now for the real poem
Wendys oh Wendys
I've known you so long
People have left
And people have gone
Memories good and memories bad
And some sources of stress
That i've never had
But i have have been thinking
Of things i will miss
I'd think the things that i won't
Would be a longer list
The Blues however i'll feel i'm sure
When i finally leave
But i think i can cure
The people of course
Friendships i hold dear
Without whose presence
My shifts i would fear
There is also a list however short
Of those i dislike
In tact, i won't report
But it's sad to think
That's all i will miss
Because friendship are fickle and people leave
Leaving me to reminiss
I wonder when long is too long
And i often sit and think
And does that make it wrong
Because i hate when customers are stupid or short
Or when managers are pestering
For us to work faster, or longer or stronger
And the noise from machines make my ears ring
And the kitchens are too hot in the summer
But in the winter at the window it's cold
Which can be a bit of a bummer
So in this hypothetical leaving
Which will happen in some time
And it's also kinda shameless
That i picked an easy ryhme
Ending on a joke, will leave me on a high
How i'd like to leave my job
As well as a sincere and heartfelt goodbye.
Thank you and stay cool!
Friday, April 24, 2009
bad day/frustration
Seneca's Praemeditatio
[The wise] will start each day with the thought....Fortune gives us nothing which we can really own.Nothing, whether public or private, is stable; the destinies of men, no less than those of cities are in a whirl.Whatever structure has been reared by a long sequence of years, at the cost of great toil, and through the great kindness of the gods, is scattered and dispersed in a single day. No, he who has said 'a day' has granted too long a postponement to swift misfortune; an hour, an instant of time, suffices for the overthrow of empires.How often have cities in Asia, how often in Achaia, been laid low by a single shock of earthquake? How many towns in Syria, how many in Macedonia, have been swallowed up? How often has this kind of devastation laid Cyprus in ruins?We live in the middle of things which have all been destined to die. Mortal have you been born, to mortals have you given birth.Reckon on everything, expect everything.
A little morbid i know, Seneca was talking about death and i just had a bad day, but the words still mean something to me.
You see my day started at about midnight while i was still at work (not a great start i know) and it was about that time i managed to burn my hand on an oil cover basket as i was pushing it so it would submerge into the sink, not my finest hour i know. It didn't help that i was dishwashing and now putting my right hand into the sink was pure agony leaving me with only one hand. Luckily there was cream in the first aid box which helped a bit but it was still quite painful.
Not only that the EFPOS kept screwing up, which was annoying, because there are so many times you can say to the customer, i'm sorry it'll only be a minute before the words lose all meaning and you're the smiling bringer of bad news with bubbles all over your apron, if someone had said i'd look like that 5 years ago, well, i dunno actually, i suppose i wouldn't have really cared, i might have found it funny.
Now the thing about closing at Wendys on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night is, that the support office are a bunch of bastards (pardon my french) as a multi-national corperation (do not get me started on multi-nationals) They try to make as much profit as possible (i.e by making more sales) Now the jerks at Mcdonalds have gone 24 hours, which i will then get the reply "surely that's a good thing." and you'd be slightly right for the consumer in me. But the worker in me wants to go home as quick as bloody possible, unfortanatly because of mcdonalds there is now a market for late night fast food. So if the Manager deems it necessary then the store closes a whole hour later than usual (i.e 2am)
Now it was about 1:30am when the EFPOS decided too stop working, and not start working again, this was just after we were soon going to close aswell.
Now my day didn't end there, after work at about 2:30am i went with some work mates to dominion road (as you do) for some chinese food (which was really nice, no real complaints, sweet and sour pork yum yum) It was enjoyable except for the fact that one of my managers (which was there with us) said that i was to go on another forced holiday (you got it! Support office again!) Now my hard earned holiday pay, which i wanted there for when i quit is too be used while i sit at home on my ass. I'll go out and have fun with mates, so maybe that not so bad.
Now you would expect i then went home and got a good nights sleep. But no! The person who was driving took the wrong exit! And we were on our way to Hamilton and the Gillies ave exit was closed! So we got off at Epsom expecting that we should be able to get on the moterway fairly easy. That's if whoever designed Epsom had half a brain cell. So we drove around and eventually! Got onto the moterway.
I got my meagre 6 hours sleep as i got up at 11 for my shift at 12. Now dealing with customers who are irratable and sometimes quite stupid with a sub par speaker system is tolerable. But after 6 hours sleep, it does tend to take it's toll. Especially with one dickhead i had to deal with, although to be fair it wasn't technically his fault, but his lack of patience didn't help with dealing with the situation. You see i take orders on the drive thru, so obviously i start by saying "hi, may i take your order." Now i don't think he heard me, so said nothing till finally he said "hello." to which i replied of the same fashion. He then said "are you there." which seems a fairly redundant sentence and i thought he was probably just another moron. He then asked if he could place an order, i didn't reply sarcastically of course, maybe if we were in better economic times i may have, i said he could too which he replied "well then, welcome to wendys may i take your order." He antagonised me! Now i was getting pissed off, after this moron taking my time not order he was now telling me what to do! So i said, "can you just place your order please." he replied "that's better." and started ordering, i unfortunatly didn't hear him and asked him to repeat, he said he'd just order at the window.
He was not unfortanatly the worst customer i had to deal with. The F word came up several times when describing them and the C word. But i shall keep my discretion while i put it into text. They weren't stupid or irratable, the were obnoxious and straight out taking the goddamn piss! At the speaker they asked for a product that we no longer do (i.e the chocolate frosty) so the person taking the order told them that, they kept asking after the order taker and the manager said that we don't do it. They paid at the 1st window and at the 2nd window where i was serving the order they asked where their chocolate frosty was, i gave them no doubt that we didn't do it by saying that there was no chocolate frosty in the building i said we only do chocolate frosty shakes, they then gave me cash for one and i then made it, while this was happening a line of orders was forming for me to prepare, after giving them the shake they asked to see the manager, the manager went to talk to them, he ended up refunding the shake! And a few minutes later while putting fries into the fryer a bit of oil splashed into my eye.
And then i jizzed in my pants
[The wise] will start each day with the thought....Fortune gives us nothing which we can really own.Nothing, whether public or private, is stable; the destinies of men, no less than those of cities are in a whirl.Whatever structure has been reared by a long sequence of years, at the cost of great toil, and through the great kindness of the gods, is scattered and dispersed in a single day. No, he who has said 'a day' has granted too long a postponement to swift misfortune; an hour, an instant of time, suffices for the overthrow of empires.How often have cities in Asia, how often in Achaia, been laid low by a single shock of earthquake? How many towns in Syria, how many in Macedonia, have been swallowed up? How often has this kind of devastation laid Cyprus in ruins?We live in the middle of things which have all been destined to die. Mortal have you been born, to mortals have you given birth.Reckon on everything, expect everything.
A little morbid i know, Seneca was talking about death and i just had a bad day, but the words still mean something to me.
You see my day started at about midnight while i was still at work (not a great start i know) and it was about that time i managed to burn my hand on an oil cover basket as i was pushing it so it would submerge into the sink, not my finest hour i know. It didn't help that i was dishwashing and now putting my right hand into the sink was pure agony leaving me with only one hand. Luckily there was cream in the first aid box which helped a bit but it was still quite painful.
Not only that the EFPOS kept screwing up, which was annoying, because there are so many times you can say to the customer, i'm sorry it'll only be a minute before the words lose all meaning and you're the smiling bringer of bad news with bubbles all over your apron, if someone had said i'd look like that 5 years ago, well, i dunno actually, i suppose i wouldn't have really cared, i might have found it funny.
Now the thing about closing at Wendys on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night is, that the support office are a bunch of bastards (pardon my french) as a multi-national corperation (do not get me started on multi-nationals) They try to make as much profit as possible (i.e by making more sales) Now the jerks at Mcdonalds have gone 24 hours, which i will then get the reply "surely that's a good thing." and you'd be slightly right for the consumer in me. But the worker in me wants to go home as quick as bloody possible, unfortanatly because of mcdonalds there is now a market for late night fast food. So if the Manager deems it necessary then the store closes a whole hour later than usual (i.e 2am)
Now it was about 1:30am when the EFPOS decided too stop working, and not start working again, this was just after we were soon going to close aswell.
Now my day didn't end there, after work at about 2:30am i went with some work mates to dominion road (as you do) for some chinese food (which was really nice, no real complaints, sweet and sour pork yum yum) It was enjoyable except for the fact that one of my managers (which was there with us) said that i was to go on another forced holiday (you got it! Support office again!) Now my hard earned holiday pay, which i wanted there for when i quit is too be used while i sit at home on my ass. I'll go out and have fun with mates, so maybe that not so bad.
Now you would expect i then went home and got a good nights sleep. But no! The person who was driving took the wrong exit! And we were on our way to Hamilton and the Gillies ave exit was closed! So we got off at Epsom expecting that we should be able to get on the moterway fairly easy. That's if whoever designed Epsom had half a brain cell. So we drove around and eventually! Got onto the moterway.
I got my meagre 6 hours sleep as i got up at 11 for my shift at 12. Now dealing with customers who are irratable and sometimes quite stupid with a sub par speaker system is tolerable. But after 6 hours sleep, it does tend to take it's toll. Especially with one dickhead i had to deal with, although to be fair it wasn't technically his fault, but his lack of patience didn't help with dealing with the situation. You see i take orders on the drive thru, so obviously i start by saying "hi, may i take your order." Now i don't think he heard me, so said nothing till finally he said "hello." to which i replied of the same fashion. He then said "are you there." which seems a fairly redundant sentence and i thought he was probably just another moron. He then asked if he could place an order, i didn't reply sarcastically of course, maybe if we were in better economic times i may have, i said he could too which he replied "well then, welcome to wendys may i take your order." He antagonised me! Now i was getting pissed off, after this moron taking my time not order he was now telling me what to do! So i said, "can you just place your order please." he replied "that's better." and started ordering, i unfortunatly didn't hear him and asked him to repeat, he said he'd just order at the window.
He was not unfortanatly the worst customer i had to deal with. The F word came up several times when describing them and the C word. But i shall keep my discretion while i put it into text. They weren't stupid or irratable, the were obnoxious and straight out taking the goddamn piss! At the speaker they asked for a product that we no longer do (i.e the chocolate frosty) so the person taking the order told them that, they kept asking after the order taker and the manager said that we don't do it. They paid at the 1st window and at the 2nd window where i was serving the order they asked where their chocolate frosty was, i gave them no doubt that we didn't do it by saying that there was no chocolate frosty in the building i said we only do chocolate frosty shakes, they then gave me cash for one and i then made it, while this was happening a line of orders was forming for me to prepare, after giving them the shake they asked to see the manager, the manager went to talk to them, he ended up refunding the shake! And a few minutes later while putting fries into the fryer a bit of oil splashed into my eye.
And then i jizzed in my pants
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Obligation
I hope i'm not breaking some blogging rule by writing about an obscure concept, but this is a what's on my mind blog and when i start thinking away my imagination goes to some pretty strange and sometimes dark places.
To do justice to this thought i'm obligated to write it down as soon as possible, unfortunatly i have broken this obligation. I've broken two obligations in a blog about obligation, not only that but alot of the aspects of obligation i was thinking about have gone from my mind, so not the best of starts there really.
But as i've stated this blog i'm obligated to continue to the very bitter end and damn well enjoy the process of doing it.
Now in my opinion obligation comes into two catagories, social obligations and legal obligations, people tend to fulfill their legal obligations as the big bad government will hunt you down and give you a damn good talking to. On the other hand people not priorities and even ignore their social obligations (well like me)
As an example say your picking up someone from a bus station and you're going to be more than ten minutes in arriving, you're obligated not not say you'll be there soon. however loose the meaning of soon is i think anything over the 10 minutes falls out of juristiction of soon!
I also saw some g units as my bus drove past Akoranga station and as g's are obligated to be g's they made g signs at the bus, although it wasn't in a douchy way, it was a more funny, fun loving way. (although i was in a rare optimistic mood that day)
I guess the vandals that smashed my wing mirror, felt obligated as vandals to vandalise my car, while ignoring their social obligation to respect my propery and their legal obligation to not commit a crime. Now i'm not bitter, but from now i have a high powered hydrolic crossbow, i'll show how unbitter i am from the soon to be built turret on top of my house next time someone goes near my car.
Now as per my usual blogging style, i end with a C grade version of something i call a punchline or a one liner (is it a or an, i'm sure it should be an but i'm sounding it out and it doesn't sound right) You would almost say i'm obligated to, i guess that's another obligation broken.
To do justice to this thought i'm obligated to write it down as soon as possible, unfortunatly i have broken this obligation. I've broken two obligations in a blog about obligation, not only that but alot of the aspects of obligation i was thinking about have gone from my mind, so not the best of starts there really.
But as i've stated this blog i'm obligated to continue to the very bitter end and damn well enjoy the process of doing it.
Now in my opinion obligation comes into two catagories, social obligations and legal obligations, people tend to fulfill their legal obligations as the big bad government will hunt you down and give you a damn good talking to. On the other hand people not priorities and even ignore their social obligations (well like me)
As an example say your picking up someone from a bus station and you're going to be more than ten minutes in arriving, you're obligated not not say you'll be there soon. however loose the meaning of soon is i think anything over the 10 minutes falls out of juristiction of soon!
I also saw some g units as my bus drove past Akoranga station and as g's are obligated to be g's they made g signs at the bus, although it wasn't in a douchy way, it was a more funny, fun loving way. (although i was in a rare optimistic mood that day)
I guess the vandals that smashed my wing mirror, felt obligated as vandals to vandalise my car, while ignoring their social obligation to respect my propery and their legal obligation to not commit a crime. Now i'm not bitter, but from now i have a high powered hydrolic crossbow, i'll show how unbitter i am from the soon to be built turret on top of my house next time someone goes near my car.
Now as per my usual blogging style, i end with a C grade version of something i call a punchline or a one liner (is it a or an, i'm sure it should be an but i'm sounding it out and it doesn't sound right) You would almost say i'm obligated to, i guess that's another obligation broken.
Monday, March 30, 2009
The bus
The best part of the days i'm at uni is either the walk down queen street or the bus ride home. Don't worry it's not as sad as it sounds. I like having my headphones in and zoning out, obviously i'm concentrating, although that would explain some sharp blows to the head and civil actions suits. I like zoning out and thinking of funny things, maybe spotting something or someone that amuses me. Usually unfortunatly by the time i get home these thoughts are either gone or crap.
I did remember one thought however, i thought back to when someone at school was talking about being an exchange student and learning another language. She said that it's awesome when you dream in the language you are learning. I was amused at the notion of someone having one of these dreams, waking up and leaping straight to a dictionary for a translation.
On the bus i saw a woman with painted toenails. Is there an age limit for women with painted toenails! I mean in your naive childhood or your reckless young adult years fine! But a middle aged woman, i might even consider it inapropriate for a woman in her mid-twenties. Of course the woman might not have been as old as i thought she was, but i was tactful and didn't ask, apparently women don't like people saying they look older than they are, as much as anyone critising them for having painted toenails.
I also saw a young oriental woman on the bus, she was on the seats looking the opposite way to the rest of the bus and she had her eyes closed. I very much approve of this as i have experiences the same discomfort of being in one of those seats and not knowing where to look. And you have all these eyes looking on you! It's like an audience or a 50 or so member judging panel, judging you! On your posture, on your reading time, did you take too long with that paragraph! Is this appropriate material, i didn't study, i'm not ready for this! Maybe i'm over thinking it.
On a lighter note i have some advice, if on a 16 hour flight and one of the dinner options is curry, don't pick the curry and spend the rest of the flight in the toilet cubicle and let the chaos commence.
I did remember one thought however, i thought back to when someone at school was talking about being an exchange student and learning another language. She said that it's awesome when you dream in the language you are learning. I was amused at the notion of someone having one of these dreams, waking up and leaping straight to a dictionary for a translation.
On the bus i saw a woman with painted toenails. Is there an age limit for women with painted toenails! I mean in your naive childhood or your reckless young adult years fine! But a middle aged woman, i might even consider it inapropriate for a woman in her mid-twenties. Of course the woman might not have been as old as i thought she was, but i was tactful and didn't ask, apparently women don't like people saying they look older than they are, as much as anyone critising them for having painted toenails.
I also saw a young oriental woman on the bus, she was on the seats looking the opposite way to the rest of the bus and she had her eyes closed. I very much approve of this as i have experiences the same discomfort of being in one of those seats and not knowing where to look. And you have all these eyes looking on you! It's like an audience or a 50 or so member judging panel, judging you! On your posture, on your reading time, did you take too long with that paragraph! Is this appropriate material, i didn't study, i'm not ready for this! Maybe i'm over thinking it.
On a lighter note i have some advice, if on a 16 hour flight and one of the dinner options is curry, don't pick the curry and spend the rest of the flight in the toilet cubicle and let the chaos commence.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Paranoia
As some people who know me will know, it's my aim to become more neurotic and bossy by the end of the year, to get a bit more of a headstart on the business world. This is helped by my uncanny knack of thinking of the worse thing that could possibly happen in most situations. For example yesterday morning about 1am i had to drive my car around for 20 mins coz i had to get a jump start (some jerk left the inside lights on!) All the way through the drive i was constantly paranoid about the cops and if i would somehow miraculously turn off the engine and leaving me totally out to sea.
Cops and my battery are a recurring theme in my journey from a sense of comfortability around people to complete neurosis and becoming a recluse, maybe picking up some kind of social ailment, alcoholism or losing some kind of limb come to mind, maybe gaining some kind of pity and maybe the occasional hand out.
But on the brighter note the sun still shines and the birds still sing, the universe is constantly growing! The world still goes round, although at a constantly decreasing rate. And as for the sun shining! It won't shine forever, eventually it will die and kill use all, leaving all human endevour completly pointless, maybe i shouldn't bother with becoming neurotic after all.
Cops and my battery are a recurring theme in my journey from a sense of comfortability around people to complete neurosis and becoming a recluse, maybe picking up some kind of social ailment, alcoholism or losing some kind of limb come to mind, maybe gaining some kind of pity and maybe the occasional hand out.
But on the brighter note the sun still shines and the birds still sing, the universe is constantly growing! The world still goes round, although at a constantly decreasing rate. And as for the sun shining! It won't shine forever, eventually it will die and kill use all, leaving all human endevour completly pointless, maybe i shouldn't bother with becoming neurotic after all.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Here i go
It's 2am, i have work at 11am and i find myself writing a blog. I don't know whether it's late night shifts screwing up my sleep patterns, sheer curiosity or a want of a forum too share my thoughts with the unsuspecting public (the poor bastards don't know what they're in for). Maybe i can find a new identity in being a blogger, see someone in the street and say, "i blog and i can sense you do too." We can make a connection (if i have the fitness to catch him anyway), a bit of a long shot i know, but we all have to start somewhere and you never know, i might have a room full of disembodied carcasses and limbs. If you have closed the window in sheer disgust or gone to phone the police, i still want you to remember one thing, i love each and everyone of you.
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