A lot of my blogging ideas are a bit dated. I’d take blame for it myself, but in reality my new job has totally stripped away a lot of my free time.
The lame part is that before my new position, I was still working an eight hour day and I accomplished a lot. So where did the change come from?
Well for starters, I don’t get to really call the shots on which hours I work and on what days. I use to have a pretty set schedule that catered to my personal needs and now I’m the lowest guy on a totem pole bending over backwards for what they need.
To make matters worst, now I work outside of the valley. I can’t begin to explain how frustrating that is. At my old job, if I had to be at work at 1 pm, I could leave 10 minutes beforehand and everything was hunky dory. Now, I have to leave 45 minutes earlier and that’s just to get there! We’re not even talking the prep time of grooming, suiting up, and all the other little nuances that accumulate and have to be dealt with. All in all, I figure an eight-hour day at this new job actually requires roughly 11.5 hours of my day.
Over a year’s time that equals another 910 hours of work preparation that I don’t even get paid for. It makes me wonder if it’s all worth it.
Another grueling factor is the traffic. Wow it’s not worth it. The funny thing is I normally don’t mind the fact that I’m not going anywhere in a hurry provided I’m on time. The thing that drives me bananas is stupidity on the roadways. I’m starting to see why LA gets labeled the way it does.
It gets so bad that I even experienced my first genuine road rage episode the other day. It was in the wee morning time and I needed to merge to get onto the correct freeway. I wasn’t speeding, I just needed to get over. I put on my blinker with less that a mile to go and rather than be rude and just come in, I wanted to give the driver a heads up. What did she do? SHE SPED UP. We’re in 35-40 mile an hour traffic almost bumper to bumper and she tries to block me.
So instead I just start sliding in to let her know my courtesy was just that, and I was still coming and she tries to run me off the road! I had to come to a full stop to slide in behind her only to watch her slam on her brakes because she came in too fast on the car in front of her. All for nothing. Long story short, middle fingers were exchanged shouting that we couldn’t hear was fired back and forth and I ran her off the road onto an exit a mile or two up just to piss her off.
Regardless, I don’t like what I’m becoming. Tool comes to mind, but I don’t want to hear it or see it. I’ve seen the good and bad sides of this company and I’m sure they’ll put me on another fire to prevent before I get the “good life.” The money is good where I am now, but with all the responsibility I’ll get at the next level it doesn’t seem justified.
I’m not dissatisfied with the work, I’m just disgruntled. I always thought I wouldn’t compromise and do something I enjoyed, and I always swore I would do something that benefited society/humanity in a more enlightening way.
Selling tissue paper and vitamins isn’t a right step in that journey.
What have I become?
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Somethings don’t Stay in Vegas
I figure that if everything stayed in the city of sin, people would fall for the old girls tricks time and time again. So, after recently staying at the Palazzo, I decided to share my thoughts and lessons learned to make the most of your trip. Some are cheeky, but some are just super importante!
Before you leave, have your logistics planned. Nothing is more important than making sure you are ready for a trip to Las Vegas. What does that mean exactly? It means if you want to leave by 11 or 12, make sure you’re packed, groomed, and that your car is gassed up. Also if you have a large group, figure out who’s in what car beforehand or you waste a lot of time on seating arrangements. The most important thing? Get all the cash you need before you leave. Don’t suffer by paying a $6.00 service fee (that’s not even what your bank will charge you) when you get there.
This way you’ll have all you need and you won’t have to speed.
Pre-game, Pre-game, Pre-game. The easiest way to save money and have fun in Vegas is pre-gaming. Let’s face it, unless you plan on doing a lot of gambling or you are ridiculously hot, you’re not going to get enough free drinks fast enough to feel a buzz. Pre-gaming it saves you all those necessary drinks plus gets you going before you leave the hotel to make even a boring old taxi ride an adventure. (Just make sure the driver isn’t trying to take advantage of you and take you the LONG way.) Am I saying don’t buy drinks? No, of course not. What Vegas trip isn’t complete without a Martar or two. Just don’t dent your wallet harder than you have to.
P.S. Don’t feel stingy about bringing alcohol into your rooms. Sure it looks tacky, but it’s not against the rules.
If you’re going to walk the Strip, don’t do it in vain. Remember, the Vegas Mile is a long walk. I can’t tell you how many lady friends have made the mistake of walking it in high heels so they can show off what their momma’s gave em. Each time, the story ends the same; lots of bleeding and barefoot walking down the dirtiest, smut-covered street in existence.
Don’t let hepatitis become your friend.
Let’s make love in this club. Pay attention as you walk the strip for people offering discounted prices into clubs. For guys, that’s a godsend as it usually ends up costing us our left index finger to get in unless you’re a Cardashian. Also, if you have ladies, separate from them and let them go ahead of you. Sure it sucks for you, but the ladies will usually get in for free and right away if the bouncer thinks they are alone. Otherwise you might have to pay for them as well as yourself. Plus, by the time you catch up to them, a few guys will probably by them drinks. Just be careful around Alaskan marines with flaming tattoos, sometimes the ladies have a hard time pulling themselves away.
Besides, you didn’t really want to dance anyhow now did you?
Lastly, make sure your driver is ready to make the trip home. For whatever reason the trip home is full of braking and irritation, so make sure whoever is driving is either well rested or well supplied with a bunch of Red Bulls. That or fly.
Some quick acceptable rules:
If you’re drunk, it’s acceptable to drop food on the floor and play it off like you meant too.
It’s ok to try to fit entire fists into your mouth.
If you get a yard margarita, you must get it out of a guitar and call it a MARTAR.
If people are dragging and it’s after 3 pm, it is acceptable top open the hotel curtains.
If there’s wind, chances are the pool will be closed. Somehow they are interconnected Captain Planet style.
Remember, the magic number in Vegas is 5. Taxis don’t allow more.
Finally, no matter what, if you walk passed Bills Gambling Hall you must buy dollar margaritas.
Before you leave, have your logistics planned. Nothing is more important than making sure you are ready for a trip to Las Vegas. What does that mean exactly? It means if you want to leave by 11 or 12, make sure you’re packed, groomed, and that your car is gassed up. Also if you have a large group, figure out who’s in what car beforehand or you waste a lot of time on seating arrangements. The most important thing? Get all the cash you need before you leave. Don’t suffer by paying a $6.00 service fee (that’s not even what your bank will charge you) when you get there.
This way you’ll have all you need and you won’t have to speed.
Pre-game, Pre-game, Pre-game. The easiest way to save money and have fun in Vegas is pre-gaming. Let’s face it, unless you plan on doing a lot of gambling or you are ridiculously hot, you’re not going to get enough free drinks fast enough to feel a buzz. Pre-gaming it saves you all those necessary drinks plus gets you going before you leave the hotel to make even a boring old taxi ride an adventure. (Just make sure the driver isn’t trying to take advantage of you and take you the LONG way.) Am I saying don’t buy drinks? No, of course not. What Vegas trip isn’t complete without a Martar or two. Just don’t dent your wallet harder than you have to.
P.S. Don’t feel stingy about bringing alcohol into your rooms. Sure it looks tacky, but it’s not against the rules.
If you’re going to walk the Strip, don’t do it in vain. Remember, the Vegas Mile is a long walk. I can’t tell you how many lady friends have made the mistake of walking it in high heels so they can show off what their momma’s gave em. Each time, the story ends the same; lots of bleeding and barefoot walking down the dirtiest, smut-covered street in existence.
Don’t let hepatitis become your friend.
Let’s make love in this club. Pay attention as you walk the strip for people offering discounted prices into clubs. For guys, that’s a godsend as it usually ends up costing us our left index finger to get in unless you’re a Cardashian. Also, if you have ladies, separate from them and let them go ahead of you. Sure it sucks for you, but the ladies will usually get in for free and right away if the bouncer thinks they are alone. Otherwise you might have to pay for them as well as yourself. Plus, by the time you catch up to them, a few guys will probably by them drinks. Just be careful around Alaskan marines with flaming tattoos, sometimes the ladies have a hard time pulling themselves away.
Besides, you didn’t really want to dance anyhow now did you?
Lastly, make sure your driver is ready to make the trip home. For whatever reason the trip home is full of braking and irritation, so make sure whoever is driving is either well rested or well supplied with a bunch of Red Bulls. That or fly.
Some quick acceptable rules:
If you’re drunk, it’s acceptable to drop food on the floor and play it off like you meant too.
It’s ok to try to fit entire fists into your mouth.
If you get a yard margarita, you must get it out of a guitar and call it a MARTAR.
If people are dragging and it’s after 3 pm, it is acceptable top open the hotel curtains.
If there’s wind, chances are the pool will be closed. Somehow they are interconnected Captain Planet style.
Remember, the magic number in Vegas is 5. Taxis don’t allow more.
Finally, no matter what, if you walk passed Bills Gambling Hall you must buy dollar margaritas.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Grades
Have you ever thought down and really thought about the purpose that grades serve? Sure they seem to always ring the loudest when it’s a score you’re less than fond of, but in reality what do grades really mean?
People would argue that they are a measurement. Are they? If the purpose of a test is to know whether or not one has accumulated an adequate amount of knowledge in any given subject, then really it’s a matter of deciding a pass or fail threshold. Anyone above it is satisfactory. Anyone below it, not.
In an ideal world this is how it SHOULD be. Depending on the subject at hand the threshold can be set higher or lower. (For instance, a history lesson could be set low whereas something like nursing would demand almost a perfect score.)
I mean take a look at the value measurement of grades. They say “C” is average. Average is just a synonym for normal. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Frankly, I would love to be Average in all subjects except the one’s I’m truly passionate about.
If a “C” is the world’s way of saying acceptable, why the hell would I want to waste time studying material that I won’t retain for more than four years?
Then there’s the “D” grade. I’ve never understood the D. It’s almost as if educators felt bad to be so harsh as to draw a line in the sand between pass or fail, so they snuck in this “you almost had it” or “so close” grade. A “D” get’s you nowhere and might be the most asinine tool in the education system.
In reality, grades do only one thing: validate the people that need to see the proof of their works and do what humanity has been doing since the beginning of time; separate the classes. Think about it. With a good grade, you can use it as proof of your excellence against someone who had a poor grade or never went to school.
A BA or BS is a way of saying “I’m better.”
The sad thing is, most people translate that same phrase into the true cause of itself. “I’m better,” becomes “I’m richer,” or “I’m more entitled,” or “I’m luckier.”
Universities use this kind of pseudo-elitism (I don’t want to get too carried away here) by judging who is allowed to attend their facilities (everyone pays anyways what’s the big deal) as well as how much they can charge depending on their “efficiency.” A school has no efficiency! It’s all the work of the students. All the faculty does is interview and weed out the people that will detrimental damage to their reputation.
You know the system is flawed when you can see educators at a college level who do LESS with their time and involvement get paid MORE than educators who raise our children.
I’m all about leaving the percentage of how many questions one might get wrong, but if all work was measured on a pass/fail system. It would make like a lot less complicated and get on with advancing our species instead of being mired up in the glorious vain existences of where we rank amongst ourselves.
And we wonder why our education system is broken.
People would argue that they are a measurement. Are they? If the purpose of a test is to know whether or not one has accumulated an adequate amount of knowledge in any given subject, then really it’s a matter of deciding a pass or fail threshold. Anyone above it is satisfactory. Anyone below it, not.
In an ideal world this is how it SHOULD be. Depending on the subject at hand the threshold can be set higher or lower. (For instance, a history lesson could be set low whereas something like nursing would demand almost a perfect score.)
I mean take a look at the value measurement of grades. They say “C” is average. Average is just a synonym for normal. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Frankly, I would love to be Average in all subjects except the one’s I’m truly passionate about.
If a “C” is the world’s way of saying acceptable, why the hell would I want to waste time studying material that I won’t retain for more than four years?
Then there’s the “D” grade. I’ve never understood the D. It’s almost as if educators felt bad to be so harsh as to draw a line in the sand between pass or fail, so they snuck in this “you almost had it” or “so close” grade. A “D” get’s you nowhere and might be the most asinine tool in the education system.
In reality, grades do only one thing: validate the people that need to see the proof of their works and do what humanity has been doing since the beginning of time; separate the classes. Think about it. With a good grade, you can use it as proof of your excellence against someone who had a poor grade or never went to school.
A BA or BS is a way of saying “I’m better.”
The sad thing is, most people translate that same phrase into the true cause of itself. “I’m better,” becomes “I’m richer,” or “I’m more entitled,” or “I’m luckier.”
Universities use this kind of pseudo-elitism (I don’t want to get too carried away here) by judging who is allowed to attend their facilities (everyone pays anyways what’s the big deal) as well as how much they can charge depending on their “efficiency.” A school has no efficiency! It’s all the work of the students. All the faculty does is interview and weed out the people that will detrimental damage to their reputation.
You know the system is flawed when you can see educators at a college level who do LESS with their time and involvement get paid MORE than educators who raise our children.
I’m all about leaving the percentage of how many questions one might get wrong, but if all work was measured on a pass/fail system. It would make like a lot less complicated and get on with advancing our species instead of being mired up in the glorious vain existences of where we rank amongst ourselves.
And we wonder why our education system is broken.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
