http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in6RZzdGki8


Seriously...who the hell designed this level? "This is worse than Ann Coulter!"

LOL

We can all learn a lesson from the holy men of George Lucas' universe. It is better to focus on the positive and keep your mind oriented towards positive things, lest the dark side of one's psyche take over, thus transforming the world into somthing negative, because one's perception of the world is simply run through the filter of one's own mental state before being interpreted as positive or negative.

To that end, despite the many negative things I could list here about my life and how my path through it is going, in order to facilitate having a positive outlook on the world, which is more pleasant than a negative one in my experience, it makes sense to list those things which have gone according to plan, or have simply been positive in general, planned or not.

Far from what I have always considered trite, the listing of such things that I am thankful for serves a purpose of orienting my mind to positive things, such as was always the purpose of this activity at this time of year, just as New Year's Resolutions have always served the purpose of self-improvement, yet I have constantly and (partly) subconsciously rebelled against such holiday conventions for many years, refusing to take part because I generally hold a distaste for the "Holiday Season" and what it has become. The fertile ground was laid for this feeling when I was a kid and the holidays usually meant fighting amongst family, or between me and my mom or sister. It just seemed that every year, this stupid thing called "the holidays" came around to ruin the quiet calm of my life.

Since becoming an adult, I have endeavoured to remove this stigma from myself and enjoy the season. Thus this post has been another step in my effort to regain that which was lost. If I can willingly participate in a holiday tradition, yet on my own terms and not because I was coerced into it, then I will be one step further on my path to being able to instill enjoyment of the holidays in my children yet to come, without being a hypocrite. I wish this to become a reality not just for myself and my own sense of intellectual integrity, but also for the sake of my wife who would otherwise see me faking my way though it and enjoy it that much less herself, and for the sake of my children who deserve to have the chance to enjoy fun things like the holidays without having their father mess it up for them.

So, long story short...here is what I'm thankful for:

6. That I have a job. It may suck, and I don't always get enough hours, and it drains my life away most of the time, but it's a job. Including the much more primary efforts of my wife on the job front, it has been enough to keep our finances from drowning. Barely.

5. That I have a home. It is nice to have a place that I can always go back to. In the first 25 years of my life I moved a total of 33 times. I am glad that it is likely that I will never have to do that again unless Joslyn and I choose to.

4. That I have loving and awesome friends. I know what it's like to not have anyone to go to, because no one respects you or enjoys your company. That makes it all the better when the opposite is true and you have people that seek you out to spend time with you and miss you when you're gone.

3. That I have family who care about me and want to hear from me, and see me whenever possible. They are my only connection to my past, as the ones who have been involved with me literally from the beginning. I love them all and want them to know that.

2. That I have an excellent marriage to a person who is my equal in all respects. This equality is one of the most important things. I know enough of myself to know that I need to be challenged or I will stagnate. She does this. Sometimes a little too much. I tell people that have just met her (or us) that "She keeps my life interesting." =)

1. That I have a connection and awareness of my own personal spirituality. I use the gifts that I was given in my life to explore the deeper meanings of my faith, establish my own beliefs and defend them, and be constantly thankful for the opportunity. It has brought my life completion, by rounding out the circle and fulfilling the innately human desire to reach upward to things which are greater than ourselves.




When I look at this list written down as it is, I can only wonder at myself about why I was so depressed in the first place. Very few people can boast such a list, and so I should be humbled simply by the richness of what has come to me in my life. Nearly all of the things on this list are gifts, and I should never take for granted or forget that the best things that come to people in life are not under their own power, but outside of it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

How many people have heard this gem before:

"It's okay, they pay people to clean up the mess. I'm giving someone a job."

...spoken after someone goes to a retail store and makes a mess?

Let me tell you right now, from someone who has worked in retail for 12+ years, this is the lamest, most idiotic excuse for being lazy that I have ever heard. Here's why:

1. Retail stores do not hire people specifically to clean up customer messes. Most people get hired into a department or position, and they are given at least as much work to do as someone can during their shift. (That is, the employer knows that they are hiring a person to do at least 8 man-hours worth of work for an 8 hour shift.)

2. When messes are made, the person who works at the particular place has to do their normal work PLUS clean up the customer's mess.

3. This phrase carries the self-righteous attitude that by being lazy and making a mess, they are keeping someone in a job.

This is total and complete BS and completely obscene. I found out today that the people at my place of employment (Staples) who were working the night shift were stuck there until 1 am last night cleaning up the store due to the Back To School sales. The store closes at 9. Let me re-iterate: IT TOOK 5 PEOPLE 4 FRIGGING HOURS TO CLEAN UP THE MESS THAT THE CUSTOMERS MADE IN THE STORE YESTERDAY. As a perfect example, today I observed a lady looking at backpacks, which were on an aisle in view of the Copy Center (my department, thankfully). She picked up a backpack from a hanging hook and knocked about 5 backpacks on the floor in the process. Instead of picking up what she had knocked over, she kicked it out of the way (at least she did that, but it was in HER way, so I guess that's why) and walked away.

What kind of person would do that? In addition, I'm sure that she was thinking that wonderful phrase that I quoted at the opening of this post.

I hate people. It's like the most rational, ethical of adults turns into 2 year old child whenever they walk into a store, and people have to bust their butts at barely above minimum wage to clean up the mess. It sickens me.

I went on a job interview today at Estancia High School. The principal is hoping to "revive" the program and grow it over the course of the next few years. I applied, went through the pre-screening well, and was one of only a few that advanced to the 2nd interview. I said some things in the interview that caused smiles and nods from the Principal and Asst. principal. The good kind. =)

In any case, I know that it was a good interview. Now I just cross my fingers and hope that none of the other people who are going for the position stand out more than I do.

Plus I need my final letter of recommendation, which is tough since the two other people who said they would write them are away for the summer...

So please ... cross your fingers/pray/send good energy or vibes/whatever it is that you can do to help me get this job.

Thanks!

Anti-Mindvirus


http://xkcd.com/391/

OMFG panels 3 and 4!!!


http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=344

Your results:
You are Will Riker

Will Riker 80% Worf 75% Deanna Troi 65% Spock 62% Jean-Luc Picard 60% Geordi LaForge 55% Chekov 50% Uhura 50% Beverly Crusher 50% James T. Kirk (Captain) 45% Mr. Sulu 45% Mr. Scott 40% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 40% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 35% Data 27%

At times you are self-centered but you have many friends. You love many women, but the right woman could get you to settle down.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

Seriously...who can't? Unless you're like, perfect or something. =)


http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/12/31/

OMG ...

+5 Tent of Freezing FTF

That is all.

I feel I have to apologize to all the people at the D&D game this past sunday.

I had been sick for about 2-3 days, and I thought I was past the contagious point, because I had already started recovering. I would have warned you guys, but I didn't realize that the cold was still so virulent and the result was that everyone was going to get it.

However, since Joslyn has it now, its possible that I was right and it was her that gave it to you all. But there is no way to know for sure, so I'll just take the blame and apologize to everyone.

Pick an artist: Billy Joel

1.) Are you male or female?
An Innocent Man

2.) Describe yourself:
Half a Mile Away

3.) Describe your day?
The Longest Time

4.) Describe where you currently live:
Allentown

5.) If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Travellin' Prayer

6.) Your best friend is:
Uptown Girl

7.) Your favorite color is:
Big Man On Mulberry Street

8.) You know that:
This Is The Time

9.) What's the weather like?:
Falling of the Rain

10.) If your life was a television show, what would it be called?:
You're My Home

11.) What is life to you?:
I Don't Want To Be Alone

12.) What is the best advice you have to give?:
Tell Her About It

13.) Describe your ex?:
Famous Last Words

14.) Your current love interest is?:
She's Always a Woman

15.) What's your favorite hobby?
Baby Grand

16.) When you think of your friends you think?:
I've Loved These Days

17.) What do your friends think of you?:
Angry Young Man

18.) What does your current love interest think of you?:
Shameless

19.) What do you want to be when you grow up?:
Piano Man

20.) The best way to end a long day?:
This Night

What 70's rock band are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Rush You are Rush, the great power-trio of the 70's Rush 100% The Who 69% Bob Marley 63% Led Zeppelin 63% Pink Floyd 63% Bad Company 56% Lynyrd Skynrd 50% KC and the Sunshine Band 50% Queen 50% Kiss 44%