Wrong answer.

The local college (WIU) and the general community has had a rapid increase in the number of bar fights this year. Some people are pointing to this as an example of how the younger generation has lost its moral and civil compass. Which I personally feel sounds extremely stupid especially when it comes from a generation that didn't want to let kids get an education because of the color of their skin. But I digress...
Other opinions feel that the problem is that there are too many drinking establishments in town and that they aren't properly regulated.
...and now the third side...
There are too FEW bars in this town. By keeping the number and type of bars in this town to just 2, or maybe 3 of each type you are leading to an overcrowding in the establishments which raises frustration levels when it can sometimes take aver half an hour to get a drink. Adding this on top of the average students workload, (there are very few "townies" out on weekends in this town.), general fears about decreasing wages, increased cost of living, general fears and concerns over the countries foreign policies... you have a group of people who are already stressed imbibing a pleasure inducing toxin which tends to amplify emotion and reduce cognitive thought, of course you are going to have an increase in bar brawls. Spreading people out and allowing them to have a frustration free night out with their friends at an establishment that kept the music low enough to carry on a conversation, had pool, darts, and maybe a cigarette machine might cut down on the scale and frequency of the fights faster than any increase in alcohol taxes, police presence or "notes home to MOM" ever will.

x-r size

My girlfriend and I have started a new thing where we go out for a walk after dinner. Which is a good thing because I have put on too much weight over the past year and this is a good first step to working it back off. WE'll see how long it lasts.

Dear Iran:

Please quit beating around the bush, and tell us the truth. You're Scared shitless of the American military and want a nuclear weapon to deter us from bombing you. it's ok.. we understand. But please, stop living a lie.

Too passive

I've been watching too much Television since I got fired, I've started to expect other people to do all of the work for me. For example, I just clicked on my Blog to see if it had been updated yet today.

Summer Training

At some point in my life it would be nice if I could get the timing right. The next series of classes I need to take begins in May. Unfortunately classes are Sturday mornings and Monday evenings, Starting either before the train from Macomb gets to Chicago, or ending after it leaves. Which, on the plus side gives me Ample time to wander Chicago, but on the down side forces me to stay overnight. Which costs money I don't have. If I drive it will cost approx 130 bucks plus tolls and parking, but no motel. If I take the train it will be 70ish plus sleeping accomodations.

The Other Downside is that Making it back to NY for my brothers graduation will be problematic although I might be able to get a Flight out Monday night and fly back on Saturday morning. And since I'll be flying into Chicago, there will be more times available. The downside of course is that I won't be able to do the workshop my Mom is trying to book for me that Monday. Ok, all together now...Say "Lay Vee".

details

As promised, here are the details of my firing.

For the last few months, we have been struggling to get in the materials we needed to do our jobs. Stock, books, working trucks etc. This is beginning to get eerybody a little frayed.

When I left tuesday night I had enough books to finish out the week, wed. Morning, I only had half of them. During a phone call to the local general manager he told me that he had taken them off of the truck and given them to somebody else.

I asked him to fix the problem he had created, said goodbye, and hung up the phone.

That's why I was fired. For being rude to him.

I want to stress that being fired for being rude to Scott is like Hitler firing Goebbels for making an anti-semitic remark.

I have been in a great mood since being fired. I needed the paycheck, but in retrospect, not that much.

Maybe Marley was right.

"Seem Like: Total destruciton the only solution."

Throughout my life I have been a very angry person. Angry thatthe world had been around for millions of years, and people still hadn't figured out how to avoid killing each other. Angry that Hate was being preached in the name of love. Angry that there was only one Smurfette, whatever.

But I'm taking a break from that. I'm now only angry that fear kept me from quitting my job. I'm normally not angry at myself, and when I am it's for things that I have done. But now it's because of what I didn't do. Fortunately the anger is overshadowed by a mad glee.

great weight

Since being fired I have found that a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I didn't realize how much of my life force was being drained by my Supervisor. Being held responsible for decisions made by incompetant people really takes the years off of your life.

I got fired

Yep, unemployed again.
Because I was terse with a supervisor because of their incompetance. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO
HOHOHOHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHE

(Not laughing to kep from crying, laughing to keep from busting a gut holding it in. Details later)

Yet more complaining about the midwest.

So I got dressed today, which is always a major achievement when I don't have to work. (Especially since I gained some weight and my clothes are a bit snug for my tastes) Put on one of the few shirts that hasn't shrunk, a nice little classic "Clutch" t since I've been a fan of the band since the mid-90's I feel entitled to wear it. It's just a simple shot of a galaxy with the bands name printed over it in a sci-fi/faux middle eastern font. Nothing too weird, just enough to trademark it. I'm assuming its a subtle reference to the song "Spacegrass", but I might be stretching.

I went to wal-mart.

I was asked what language my shirt was in.

Save me. Please.

I mean it, I'm desperate... in a few months I'll be reduced to begging one-way tickets off of people on e-bay, just to get away from here. I don't care where... Aruba, Jamaica, Buffalo... I don't care!!!

quote of the day

"I thought it didn't matter which one I put it in."

At least we're not fighting them over here.

I hear that a lot. From people on the streets, to people on television. It is a statement usually used as an excuse for the war in Iraq. I use the term excuse, because the event preceded the axiom. Whereas a justification or reson precedes the event.
The reasoning is that it is better to fight the terrorist threat in the middle east instead of on American soil. This reasoning is extremely disturbing to me as it once again removes the moral high ground from under the feet of the American soldier.
One of the most effective arguments for the war is that Saddam Hussein was a genocidal meglomaniac who used people as human shields. If we're fighting Al quaida in Iraq so we don't have to fight them here... Aren't WE using the Iraqi people as human shields?

Heart of America

As much as I hated where I lived in Upstate New York, I have come to loathe the midwest even more. The level of willful ignorance I have encountered here is unbelievable. Some of my favorite quotes include lines such as:

"I don't believe in evolution."

Well, you don't have to believe in it, evolution exists anyway. Evolution is not a deity feeding on your belief in order to feed its own ego.

There is also this trend towards home schooling out here so that the precious little children of the misdwest aren't exposed to the evils of society. Because elementary schools are a bastion of sex and drug filled debauchary with the occassional bit of Shakespeare thrown in to justify those outrageous property taxes the district feels it has to charge everyone to teach their children to be godless, oversexed violent. (if literate) drug addicts.

Violent... oversexed... drug addicts? When did xyz elementary turn into Abu Gharib? Just wondering...

I've just been finding myself more and more complacent about everything since moving out here. My main concern has switched from trying to change the world into a better place for everyone to exist (if only in a localized, mainly insignifigant way), to making enough money to leave.

Oh well.