Red Sox

I haven't updated in a while, but then again no one ever read this thing to begin with. So, here I go on my happiness/angry rant about the Red Sox, the World Series, and other misc. baseball notes. Red Sox First, there is my beloved Red Sox. As I heard earlier on the radio, I am not a "pink hat" Red Sox fan. By that, I mean I have always loved the Sox since I knew I loved baseball. I have always been in this area, watched them, and loved the history of this team. I have not been on this Earth a very long time, but I have been here long enough to know the heartache the team had given fans for years. I witnessed it myself in '03 and to an extent in '04. But, everything prior Game 4 of the '04 ALCS, everything is in the B.S. era. Not the one you're thinking of, but what I read in the Herald today: Before Steal. I have been a fan of the Sox and baseball since around the age of 5. My dad would watch games, explain the game to me, and we would watch together. It was fun and I grew to love the sport. I love to talk baseball with people who hate it, and defend the sport with a passion. If I were to attempt a sport in the near future it would be baseball. I am urging to play, but I can not seem to find a way to play. Since I have been a fan for so long, the Red Sox winning in '04 was very special. I know I haven't been through what most fans in their 40's-70's have, but I know the history. I knew about the supposed curse, the Impossible Dreams, the Bucky Dent's, and the Buckner's. I knew most recently with the Little's and the Aaron Boone imitating Dent. I also know the almost disaster of '04. I sat in my bed in '04 when Mariano Rivera came in the ninth of Game 4. I sat there with hands on my face, watching the Sox being pummeled once again by the Evil Empire. I found myself not wanting to watch, but doing so anyway. I then watched as the Sox did the impossible and tie the game and continue playing. I also regret ever admitting that I went to bed one half inning before that amazing homerun by Ortiz because I knew in my heart the Yankees would overcome and win. I was proven wrong the next morning when I found out the news. After the missed opportunity of Game 4, I resolved to watch Game 5 in it's entirety. Then Game 6, and finally Game 7. I watched as Boston smoked the Cardinals, and finally broke the curse. 86 years of torment was finally laid to rest. We could finally say we were the champs. Don't get my wrong, '07 was amazing as well. We did everything right this year. We won the division for the first time since 1995, around the same time I started following the Sox more closely. They won the division in amazing fashion, taking the lead in April and never turning it over. They swept the Angels again, they were almost crushed by the Indians, only to show them that this team never dies. Then, we sweep another World Series (although this one was a lot closer than the scores will show). Two times in four seasons. It doesn't get any sweeter. Red Sox Critics But, since we are winning two times in four seasons, there are people who are not happy. I will admit, as a baseball fan, nothing would have been nicer to see the Rockies win there first World Title. However, my Boston fan side wanted them to be crushed, which ended up happening. It's that mentality that seems to piss so many people off around the country. Red Sox Nation. You've heard the term. It's the collective group of fans from this entire country that pledge allegiance to the Red Sox. They live in other states that isn't named Massachusetts, but they still call themselves fans. I cannot tell if all these fans are legit, but most of them certainly are. It still amazes me when I turn on my TV to watch an away Sox game, and see more people cheering the Sox than they are the other team. But, there are still those diehard fans who root other teams that see what the Sox did this year and dislike us. They start making the excuses to why we are winning and can't admit that this team might just be good. Most of the excuses are about the payroll. The Red Sox own the second highest payroll in the MLB, second only to the rivals. But, there is a major difference between how the Yankees play and the Red Sox play. If you look at the World Series roster again, you'll notice that a lot of the names on that team and young players. They haven't reached the prime of there career, and most are playing for chump change when compared to big contracts in the game. So, the payroll and money issue can't really play much of a factor. Jealously, gotta love it. Re-sign Lowell and Don't Sign A-Rod The worst showmanship in the game was displayed during the game on Sunday night. Late into the game, a few innings before the Red Sox were crowned, it was announced that Alex Rodriguez was becoming a free agent. His agent, Scott Boras, broke the news to everyone which then ended up on the World Series broadcast. If you have ever talked to me, you know I am an avid listener of Sport Radio WEEI. If you get into my car, you'll see the dial on 850 AM mostly everytime. So, to hear what was said after this happened was funny, but very true. Scott Boras, for those who don't know, is a superagent in baseball. He is a very good bullshit artist when it comes to selling players in the game, but he does it with precision. If you are a Sox fan, you can't help but dislike this guy. He does represent a lot of the players on the team, but he also represents Alex Rodriguez. Alex Rodriguez is the best player in the game today. As a Sox fan and avid Yankee hater, I can't put my bias against the guy when he is doing as well as he is. But, from what he shows on TV and during games, he seems very arrogant. He knows he's that good and he LOVES to show it. Hence, the reason you were informed during the World Series that he was becoming a free agent. You know what this truly shows? That A-Rod really thinks he is better than the World Series. Why else would he and his agent announce this small bit of information when the Red Sox were the main story? He didn't want to be out of the spotlight, so he forced himself back into it. So, when you heard the chants of "Don't Sign A-Rod", it is a sentiment to how many fans, including myself, feel. We don't want this scum on our team; we'd rather have Mike Lowell, the "throw-in". Mr. MVP Speaking of the "throw-in", it was very nice to see Mike Lowell win the MVP of the World Series. For those who don't know and were only watching the World Series, Mike Lowell was an added bonus for the Sox when they signed ace Josh Beckett. The Florida Marlins were willing to dish out Beckett, but only if Lowell went with him; this was done because they didn't want his contract anymore, it was worth too much. This guy is a class act. Not only did he come in here last year and play, he played well. We filled in that third base role nicely with good defense and average offense. That, however, changed this year when Lowell played like he was out of his mind. I think it was saying something that when Manny Ramirez was out of the lineup, this guy stepped into that cleanup spot perfectly and helped the Sox get into the postseason and win the division. Not only that, but he stayed in the spot until the end of the season, even when Manny came back and started batting second. I think that was saying something. So, when you heard the A-Rod chants Sunday, you also heard the advice of Red Sox Nation on who should be there. "Re-Sign Lowell" wasn't just a chant, it was a message to the front office. We love this guy as our third baseman, and we want him here. Now, we just have to wait for them to listen. Offseason Now, we can FINALLY look into the offseason. As a WEEI fan, people has started the offseason talk in late September. So, now we can start talking about it. But, I think I will wait to talk next time. I am getting tired and starting to fall asleep. I have more to talk about, but I will save it. So, until next time... Good night.

Deathly Hallows

Two days it took me again to finish a Harry Potter novel. One of those nights became an all-nighter of reading. I try to tell myself to savor the book and don't finish it within a night. But, there is another voice in my head that says if I don't finish it now, I will be spoiled. I must have feared being spoiled further on this book especially, that I finished it in a night. I was upset with the fact that I ended up downloading the leak on Tuesday, read the first chapters or so, then (stupidly I must admit) read the last chapter thinking that this couldn't possibly be the real book. There was SO much security on this book that it was impossible that the book was released too early, someone got their hands the book early and shared it with everyone. The book seemed to be perfect, as written by JK herself, and come to find out it was. But, even as I read the end of the book, I did find out more about that ending as I read the book. The biggest spoiler was the the location and the people that were introduced, but the main spoiler of Severus Snape, which I will not spoil for anyone. Let's just say it was someone people thought they knew about Snape, but didn't to the extent they did. That's all I'll say. The title of the story did play a very large part of not only the story, but the backstory of one Albus Dumbledore. This book could have very well been "Albus Dumbledore and the Deathly Hallows" as much as HP, but this story is more about Harry than Dumbledore. The book was wonderfully done and played out perfectly. This book did, however, in turn ask some new questions about the series and never fully answered them. We were once again left in a cliffhanger, but this time I know we won't be as left in the dark as we have in the past. It will probably happen that every unanswered question we have about the series will be resolved by Jo herself, either on her site or through another interview; I tend to have faith in that statement. The book was so much full of death it wasn't funny. People tend to come up to me and wonder why I love a children's book so much. I look at them and tell them to read it sometime, since they will figure out that there are so many themes that are not children oriented. Death, true love, betrayal, pain, murder, and loss. Those are things that children will be exposed to (more than others) in their first 10 or so years, but will not have a clear understanding of why it is happening or what it truly is. These books draw more of a teenaged/adult audience than children, but children can read and still enjoy. There were some deaths that I found to be thrown in their as extras. I won't mention who, but it did seem odd that so many had to die when they really shouldn't have. But that's war and there are causalities. The final battle in Hogwarts (which isn't a spoiler, because if you read the chapter titles, you know it happens) was wonderful. It was pulled off perfectly and the final showdown between Voldemort and Harry was perfect as well. The road to the final battle was full of so many twists, turns, and revealed secrets that made it wonderful. Jo is the master of suspense and mystery, and planting everything about this book in the previous six. People will now go back through all six and find every piece of the final story in those books now that they know the ending. Well done Jo, it was almost flawless. However, I do not want it to be over. I want more of the world of Harry Potter. I want to know a History of Hogwarts. I wouldn't mind the book entitled "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore". An encyclopedia of spells, creatures, and characters would be wonderful as well. But, now I depart. The saga of Harry Potter being complete, I must find something else to fill my time. But, it has been a wonderful journey in the life of the Boy Who Lived, and a fitting end to his journey finally complete. That's all I have to say.

Leaked

Apparently, someone thought it would be funny and leak the latest Harry Potter book online. It doesn't come as a shock to me, since I am used to the internet doing this to me. The thing I found more shocking was the article I read before I found the leak. This Harry Potter phenomenon is out of control. I posted about the latest movie already, but I have to touch on the books. The books are much better than the movies, and those who read the books can agree. So it wasn't a shock that I was, along with many others, more excited to get the book than see the movie. The article I read before I found the leak was about the security on this book. So much security was placed on this book, it would make you think that this book was what was stored in Fort Knox. People watching over the book at all times, and checking to make sure that people weren't leaving the plant with the book. So, it comes to a surprise that Scholastic noted that someone sent the books out three days in advance. Sending something that is so popular in this sense before it is supposed to be released IS NOT A GOOD THING. I have seen the sites. I know of the people who patrol the net. There are people out there who find it so pleasing to ruin something like this for everyone. Therefore, it wasn't a shock that someone posted a picture of every page of the book and sent to everyone who knew where to look. I was just surprised it took this long. I have only read 7 chapters of this leak. I am still skeptical, but it is hard to be when the writing style looks similar, it's laid out the same as every book in the series, and the story sounds reasonable. I don't know, maybe I agree with some conspiracy theories and claims of hoaxes. Little glimmer of hope. Anyway, I still have book 6 to read before I read either this hoax or the real thing. Let us wait til Friday to see.

Order of the Phoenix

Well, I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night and must say "I confess myself disappointed." Don't get me wrong when I say that I love the idea of putting words to visuals in the respect that the novels are being put onto film. But, when you transform a book that was over 850 pages to a movie that was two and quarter hours long, you might have some issues. Order of the Phoenix was the five book and movie in a seven part series. It was one of the more darker books in the series, mainly due to the fact that Harry was being possessed by Lord Voldemort the entire book and Harry never knew it. Also because Harry was very emo the entire book, lashing on everyone he could. It also introduced Dolores Jane Umbridge, the evil dictator-like character from the Ministry of Magic sent to look after Hogwarts. The reason being that the Ministry and most of the wizarding world don't believe Harry and Dumbledore are telling the truth of Voldemort's return at the end of the fourth book. The mood of the book was transformed to the movie somewhat well. Harry was full of angst and anger the entire movie, but it really wasn't evident throughout the entire movie. The movie does play on the aspect of Harry feeling like an outsider and alone throughout the book, but most of all, it wasn't that great. I am one that can split myself into the three types of Harry Potter fans. Those who just read the books, those who just watch the movies, and both. I can make myself look at through the eyes of the latter two types and break down the movie to tell you how much it sucked. Which, it really did. For those on the book and movie side, this movie left you feeling blank. The movie cut out a lot of the more fun parts of the movie and left you feeling like you wanted more. This book was massive and their was a lot of subplots to fill the book, but they really didn't focus on any of them. Quidditch was missing, the house-elves weren't there (with the exception of Kreacher, which is interesting on a whole other level), and Harry's true relationship with Cho was missing. There were mentions of Harry wanting Cho and the other way around, but they never really went into detail of why they were together, the whole torn feeling Cho was feeling for Harry, and their eventually (true) breakup. The Department of Mysteries was nonexistent; there were only apparently two rooms there. Dumbledore's Army was there, but it really wasn't explained how they met (the Galleons Hermione created), the challenges of meeting (like Quidditch and other after-school activities), and the eventual demise (which isn't Cho like they said in the movie). There were some good aspects of the movie. The final battle between the Order and the Death Eaters was definitely worth the money. It definitely a great battle between the sides, especially Voldemort and Dumbledore. On the movie only side, I believe those people were the most confused. The other four movies were up-to-par on advancing the plot of the series well, the first and second being the best. The third was great and the fourth was lacking, but still advanced nonetheless. This movie was too fast, didn't allow anyone to gather any information, and was generally confusing. At the end of the fourth movie, you are never really told that Fudge doesn't believe Harry or Dumbledore. The beginning was ok, advancing somewhat smoothly. The dementor attack, the advance guard, and Grimmauld Place were all there, but never explained on why Harry was moved or even where. I think the most confusing part would be why Harry was having dreams throughout the movie. It was explained a little with Snape in his Occlumency lesson, but never explained after. Dumbledore is nonexistant in this movie, but for the most part he was in the book. The Prophecy of Harry and Voldemort was never explained, so those watching the sixth book are going to start out confused. Sirius dying was kind of anti-climatic, since he wasn't shot with Avada Kedavra, but a stunning/disarming charm. That pretty much gave him a way of "coming back" possible. I am ranting on and on. But, on the whole, this movie was bland. It was too fast, tried to teach you too much, and really didn't explain a lot. I was rather disappointed. So, that's all I have to say though.

Journey Part 3

The Journey continues... very slowly. I am currently on Goblet of Fire Chapter 20. So, instead of reading while I have the chance, I am on Blogger talking about it. I suck. I have been taking a lot of notes on things I've noticed that bug me. Like Bagman having no idea what's going on at the Quidditch World Cup during the Death Eater scare. He is a Ministry Wizard... he should know what's going on. I am losing the contest with my sister. He is up 6 points, I believe. Not too good for me. We have upped the question count to two per chapter. Gives me somewhat of a chance now. 6 days til the movie... 16 til the book. Getting so close I can taste it.

Life

There really is no need to tell everyone that life is short. I don't need to tell everyone that life is too precious. I don't need to tell everyone that you never know what is going to happen each day. It's odd that you will read this statement and see how I can link that to wrestling. Well, it does and I will explain to you why. It starts back in the mid-90's. I became a wrestling fan, and started watching WWF and WCW every Monday night with my dad and my sister. I saw greats like the Hart family, the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the introduction of Triple H and all the veterans in the game today. Back in 1999, I was watching Over the Edge: In Your House, one of the monthly Pay Per View that the WWF put on. That night started with a bang, but ended in tragedy. Owen Hart, a superstar in the WWF, died that night due to a tragic mishap in his harness. He fell from the rafters all the way down to the ring head first and died instantly. People there had to witness it, and then we all were told of it the next day on a tribute show. Life went on, I continued to watch wrestling until 2003, when my life decided to get the best of me. High school and a full time job gave me no time to watch wrestling anymore. Now the WWE, I missed two years of shows that I could have easily have taped and watched, but decided against. It wasn't until late 2005 that I started watching again, and this time it was another death that hooked me. Unfortunate that a death got me back to watching something I loved for so long. Eddie Guerrero was a great wrestler and entertainer. He was able to entertain the fan with his unique style of lie, cheat, and steal. Lie for a win, cheat to accomplish it, and steal whatever he could in the process. It was unique, but he pulled it off perfectly. He died in his sleep due to problems in his past with drugs. Unfortunate that I found out and decided to watch the night after on Monday Night Raw. Watched the tributes and watched the people remember Eddie for who he was. I don't cry that often, and it's really strange to cry for a person you never really knew, but did at the same time. I once again was hooked on wrestling. Most of my favorites were still there, and I watched all the new faces that I saw debut back in the day become stars. I also watched some new guys that I never heard of make a name for themselves, including someone my area. I watched every Monday via tape, and was one the main reasons I got a DVR for my room. So, I could tape all the wrestling for the week and watch it when I pleased. I watched a lot of fun storylines, including McMahon blowing himself up. But, things change, and lives change and end. Monday afternoon, the body of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and one of his sons, Daniel, were found dead in their new house in the Atlanta area. WWE reported it, as did all local stations. The news that another star was dead shocked me the same way that Eddie's death shocked me. I started watching my tape and found myself crying for the same reason I cried for Eddie. I never knew Chris, but I felt like I did. I watched Chris Benoit in ECW, WCW, and WWE. He was a fan favorite, always did what he could in the ring, and left himself in the ring every night. The most unfortunate part of this death are the circumstances. He apparently is the reason everyone is dead. A lot of people don't realize how I stand on murder or suicide. Both are the most heinous things anyone can do to another person or themselves. Wanting to end someone's life or even your own makes no sense. I entertain the thought of death, what it would feel like, but always find myself telling myself that I am here for a reason, and that I would let a lot of people down if I left. Double Murder-Suicide. Authorities think that Benoit killed his wife and his son over the past weekend. He failed to show up at events over the weekend, and cited to WWE that he had personal issues. He then killed himself on Monday. Life is short and precious. You never see anything coming, and when you do, it's always too late. Jerry Lawler said something to this effect, but mostly it's what everyone should do. You never know what is going to happen tomorrow, so always make sure you tell everyone you love that you love them. You never know what will happen tomorrow, and you may regret not having the chance to do so. No matter the grudge you hold on someone, if you truly do love them, always make sure they know it. You can never tell anyone you love them enough times and truly mean it. Life sucks, but you deal with it. I'm here and will be for a long time. I am not going anywhere and hopefully, those who do read this, aren't either. That's all I have to say.

Journey Part 2

If you read Journey Part 1, you already know that I am rereading all 6 Harry Potter books as a contest with my sister. This is a small update. I have read through the first two so far (that's Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets) and am currently on Chapter 4 of the third (Prisoner of Azkaban). I have questions for the first two books, and am able to annihilate my sister come July. I mean... nah, I mean it, I will defeat her! It is currently 39 days til the book and 29 til the movie. July is just going to rock so much, you have no idea.

Spoiled

I am a Red Sox fan. Always have, always will be. You can't steal me away to another fan base, it just won't happen. That's what happens when you grow up in the same area and that's all you see on the TV. But, it's really more than that. But that's for another time. Being a Red Sox fan has made me think that we are really spoiled when it comes to our team. We have one of the highest payrolls in the game, so we can afford some of the top names. We have a good team each year and are always in contention to be in the playoffs. We always start off the same each year, so good that it's not even funny. This year is no exception, as they own the best record in baseball at 37-21. They have a double digit lead over 3 of the 4 teams in the division. Yet, they now have a nice little four-game losing streak. Out come of the critics. I think we are spoiled in the fact that every year is the same. We start out good, start slumping at the all-star break, and then lose it in the second half of the season. It even happened in the 2004 season. It happens every year, yet we blow it off and say this year is different. It makes me laugh to tell my mom we are doing great, yet to have to remind me the truth about this team. I don't what it is about the Sox that causes the same thing to happen every year, but it does get kind of annoying after a while. This year feels a little different, because the injuries aren't as immense as years past, we have a great rotation (that is just in a slump at the moment) and the lineup is ridiculous. I don't know, it makes me feel spoiled, don't you know? That's all I have.

Arteest

It is a funny scenario, my friends. A couple of weeks ago, I went on a random idea that had me purchase a sketch pad. I decided to learn how to draw, mainly because I wanted to start a webcomic. Yes, that is the exact reason why I have decided to put pencil to paper. However, there have been a few bumps in my road. One is that I remembered while attempting to draw that I can't draw for shit. So, I guess I am reaching out to the general public for any sort of tips that may be helpful. Second being that the idea I finally planned on trying was taken last year without my knowledge. I wanted to start one about the hells of retail, an idea I thought no one had thought of. So, on a random whim, I decided to make sure I was right. A guy (in Massachusetts no less) decided to do the same thing in January 2006. Now, you can tell me all you want to do it anyway, but pretty much every joke that can be made about retail are generic and I could risk copying a joke here and there. So, I may have to find a new idea. Third being that even when I get my idea, I may have a snag in being funny. Now, if you know me, I try to be funny on a daily basis, mainly because it makes the day go by faster. Plus, being in a funny mood is better for me, it makes me feel a lot better in life in general. However, when I try to be funny at work or even when I was at school, it just came on a whim. I have a hard time pulling a joke from thin air, setting it up, and delivering the punchline effectively. A technique that maybe someone could help me with as well. Other than that, I am having a ball! I am practicing here and there, but I still don't feel like I am getting any better. That might be because I have high standards, but meh. On a lighter note, ER's suck. A few years back, I went to the ER in Haverhill over a very massive headache I had. They did bloodwork (which was spilled during the process), a cat scan, and other misc. work done to tell me I had a migrane. So, fast forward to last night when I was having this aching pain in my right side. Just to be safe, I decided to go to the ER to make sure my appendix was still intact and I was OK. Six hours of waiting and fun and bloodwork (which they didn't spill this time) and X-rays and urine testing to tell me that I am full of shit. You think that would be a good joke I finally made, but that was the truth. I was supposedly blocked up and the pain must be from that. Interesting enough, NO IT'S NOT. But, it might just be my hip. Meh. I'm out. Adios.

Video Games

If you know me, I like the occasional video game here and there. I don't live my life around the next one or devote all my free time playing them. However, it is a nice thing to know that I can kick up my Gamecube, Wii, or any of my other wonderful systems and escape from the shitty reality I live in for a few hours. The debate of video game violence is a long road of lies, deceit, and half-truths. While many people will come to the defense of video games and their connections to violence, there are still a select few who hate them with a passion. Of course, the forerunner in the campaign against video games being Jack Thompson. Video game violence isn't a new topic. It dates back to the days of Doom and the beginning of the era of 3D graphics. Games were crossing the line of not just being for fun, but to show more realistic situations. This, of course, sparked the debate on whether or not games were telling kids that it was alright to kill, because their video games basically told them so. If you believe that last statement, you are a fucking idiot. No way around it. While many people continue to believe that video games is the prime reason why someone at Virginia Tech, Columbine, or any other mass murder spree would do it, it just isn't true. Well, partly not true. The partly not true part being that while these violent people might have played a violent video game, it isn't the main reason behind why they did it. The main reason, of course, being the fact that they were fucked up to begin with. We are all born a different way, in a different part of town, to a different kind of family. A lot of us are going to go through the same issues in life. We are all going to grow up, we are all going to go to school to learn, and we are all going to live life. We are all going to go out dating, we are all going to "find true love" and then the next moment find out that there is nothing true about it. We are all going to handle it in different ways. While many will blow it off as being life, some will take it to the next level and make it an obsession of sorts. Those who take it to the next level do what the person at Virginia Tech did. The main argument I could make is look at the history of violence. Video games are violence only intersect at the point in which video games were created. However, look back further. To the Stalin's, the Hitler's, and the other evil dictators of the world before even them. They did not sit down and play Castle Wolfenstein and wonder how they could accomplish the same atrocities as the characters they were controlling. They did it because of what they believed in and what they thought was right. No one will ever know the real reason why were have to commit the most heinous crime known to man, we will always be left to guess. However, when you start blaming violent media, video games, movies, and TV combined, you start treading the waters of what we play in our games and watch in our movies. A world in which anything is possible and where the unexplainable is easily explained that doesn't make any sense. In summation, all those haters of video games need to shut the fuck up and pick up a game controller. Then, after you play the games that aren't named Grand Theft Auto and Doom, you tell me that I am going to turn violent and kill everyone in sight.

Journey Part 1

Well, well, well. I finally decided to show up and post something. Well, actually, I came to tell you how I will hopefully be using this as a blog of sorts before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is in my hands. For anyone who reads this, I have a contest with my sister going. The contest is a trivia contest of sorts. We are to reread all six books that have already been released (which is a good thing anyway, because it refreshes our memories of the story so far) and write down a question from each chapter that we feel the other might not be able to answer. The person who answers the most questions from the book "wins" the book. The person who "wins" the most books will have to purchase the other's book when it is released. I am diving into the first book tonight. I shall return and post about what I learn that I didn't learn before.

Middle Class

Before I can say why I hate being middle class, I must tell you this story. My house is pretty much a fucking zoo. There are numerous cats and dogs in my house, it's hard to miss an animal in my house. It is also easy to get emotionally attached to our animals as well. There are a lot, but not enough to not know who is who. That said, there has been a love triangle between two male cats (who are father and son) and one of our female cats (who is the daughter and brother of the two cats). They have been pumping their seed into her like it was nobody's business. We believe the cat is pregnant. The worst part is that female cat's brother has been hissing and fighting with the father for a while now, moaning and keeping us up at night. It was no surprise that the father had become sick and limping. We worried the worse today when he started bleeding from what my mom thought was his penis. We followed him and tried to see if he was OK, but he wasn't acting like himself. After I came home from bowling and my sister from work, we decided that the cat needed help. Here is where the lovely rant comes from. You see, my mom asked us to take it up to the MSPCA (which is the SPCA in this area). The SPCA, for those who don't know, is the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (the M being Massachusetts). We took the drive up there and brought the cat it. They looked at him and told us that his bladder was blocked with acidic crystals and that to fix him would be a very expensive procedure. The other option would be euthanasia. My sister is a very emotional person. She gets very attached to people and animals, so to hear that the cat should be put down made her break down. We finally told them to do it and we left. My sister would not stop crying over this cat. I was a little choked up, but I am not as emotional. It was a hard day indeed. The rant is me being middle class. If I was upper class and had the money, that cat could still live. I would able to send it to a vet and let the cat keep living and give us another companion. However, I am stuck in middle class where I can barely put gas in my tank from week to week. I am beginning to realize more and more that life does indeed suck unless you live upper class. Even then, I think they think life sucks as well. But, it's probably a lot better than my life. On a lighter note, I decided to finally bowl again on Sunday morning. I decided that I could almost afford to go, so I went (the truth was I had to "borrow" from myself $20 from my bowling fund for Wednesday). The last time I went was two weeks before Christmas. I went and practiced and figured that missing the head pin would constitute another bad run on Sunday. I was wrong. I went to the first game and threw a nice 140. Then it was a constant 100 stretch with four games in the hundreds. I never relinquished the lead one throughout the day. That, and that 140 was the hi-single on the first game, so I got another $16 for that. If only I had hit that Hi-Lo Jack. I would be much happier at the moment. That's all I have to say.

Shameless/Career

Shameless self-promotion. I seem to be going in that direction. In Other Words This is based on the fact that I want to be a journalist/writer now. I have created that blog in order to get my somewhat lacking talents to the test. The blog is a simple blog. I will post news stories that interest me, why I posted them, and what I think about that story. I will not hold back, since it is my opinion. Hopefully, this works out for me and I am making the right career move. I really do like to write and really do want to write. But, I need to practice some more before I get back to school. I have also entertained the thought of freelancing some articles to Associated Content, the content site for the people. They pay you for articles, so I might get back on that wagon again. That's all I have for now.

Money

My problem stems on the heels of everyone's favorite time of year: Tax Season. It also stems from a few things about me and Dunkin's. First issue I have with the green stuff: You never make enough. I am currently being fucked by minimum wage enough, that I can't afford college right now. Now, I know you're all asking yourself, "But, why don't you get a loan?" That's because I currently have one from my first failed attempt at higher education. I would like to get rid of that one before I attempt school again. It's just my personal opinion on the matter. That, and I would also like to pay off my bills before I take out another loan. That brings me to the next point: In order to get more money, I would have to whore myself to a second job. It is something that I don't want to have to do, but every day I sit at Dunkin's and tell myself how much I hate the job and want to write, it makes the idea that more appealing. The next issue is finding a second job that will hire me part time for mornings only. By mornings, I mean 8-9am to 2pm. Not much of a shift, but the earnings will add up to at least 2 semesters at NECCO, which is a step in the right direction. There are two things I am considering. One is the offer my friend dealt up. I am thinking about waiting until March before I venture out into the job force. He offered me a $15/hour job playing video games that if it is true, isn't an opportunity to pass up. He said late February, so if he doesn't get back to me about it by March, I will find a second job (which is Plan B). Two more issues with money: Dunkin's fucking me over. I got my paycheck today and they seemed to have forgotten to take out federal and state taxes. I know I missed two days, but I worked the same amount of hours as another, and she had those taken out. It is an issue that needs resolving. Last issue: Taxes themself. I started filing them (just to get a general idea what I'm getting back) and it pisses me off everytime that I get all this money taken out, live single, nothing to fuck me over, and I don't get it all back. It sucks, really. Money is the root of all evil and it sucks. Like I told my coworker: Classes at colleges should be $0.50 per credit. We would all be happier if they were. That's all I have to say.

Sickness

I must say that I underestimated the aftermath of my cold. I thought this sucker was more or less gone from my system, leaving behind a tickle in my throat and a tiny cough. I thought as much that I didn't take Nyquil last night, thinking I could get by au natural. Boy was I wrong. Of course, going to bed at 4am didn't help the situation either. I laid down at 4am, rolled over and tried to sleep. However, my cough thought otherwise. I was coughing pretty much every 10 minutes or so, that it actually kept me up for the next 4 hours. It got to the point where I said "fuck it" and gave up. It was now 8:30am, so it was pointless to try and sleep. However, every cloud has a silver lining. This actually finally allows me to start a resolution I was going to follow. That was, go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. You know, like a normal person does? Instead of going to bed from between the hours of 4-6am and waking between 12-2pm, I want to sleep between 12-2am and wake between 10-12pm. It is a start, considering the fact that I need to find a second job to pay for school and it will get me into the rhythm of actually going to school. That's right, haters, I am going back. All you non-believers can keep non-believing. I took statistics in high school and I know they most statistics are merely bullshit. So, take that. That's all I have to say about that.

Dating/Management

Dating About a month ago, I posted on here the trials I had in asking a girl out on a date. It is the hardest thing for me to do, but I ended up doing it. An accomplishment in itself, really, but the "backlash" of sorts really pissed me off. The accomplishment, of course, if you were to ask anyone seems a little to crappy. I ended asking her out (whilst making a fool of myself, of course) on MySpace through a message. She sent one back to tell me that she had too much on her plate at the time to committ into a relationship and that we should just remain friends for the time being. Something, I would like to point out, that I've heard far too many times in my past. Therefore, it sort of pissed me off, but my personality allowed to suck it and respect her decision. As much as I would like to find a girlfriend and I, at times, feel like I am trying to hard, I know it just won't happen out of the blue. The thing that really pisses me off? I find out a week later that she is now in a relationship. So, her excuse on me lasted a week. Therefore, I knew that once again I was stuck in the friend zone, a place that has I have a permanent reservation at, it seems. Naturally, I was down in the dumps. I even told my coworker (who was having boy issues of her own) that I was giving up on dating and that if I wanted a girlfriend, they can ask me on a date. Apparently, my date radar is broken, so I'll let them ask me instead. Funny thing? This coworker and I had been having conversations about another coworker who she thinks likes me. I told her that couldn't possibly be, as my own personal defense mechanism. Now in order to finish this story, I need to lead into it. This coworker and I had the conversation above (about the coworker liking me) one night, so I decided to tell that girl about it as a joke. She then laughed and told me that day crew (I work night crew) had been telling her the same thing. Apparently, everyone at Dunks has been trying to play matchmaker between her and I. We shrugged it off, considering she has a strict "no dating coworkers" personal rule of hers. She joked that in order for everyone to get off our backs, we should go out once, tell everyone it didn't work, and that's that. That's exactly what she did. The week leading into New Year's Eve, she asked me about making plans to hang out on New Year's. I had plans to stay home and play games with my sisters, but getting out for a few hours wouldn't hurt. We both would think about it and get back. Stupid me, didn't ask for a phone number, so I would never have been able to tell her anyway. Now you're thinking, "You work with her. Her number should have been posted." You're talking about Mr. Nice here. That, my friends, is an invasion of privacy. Actually, if you wanted to get technical, those numbers are there for "emergency purposes", such as when I called in Monday. But, that's another story for later in the blog. I told her such, so she gave me her numbers personally, so now I have no excuse. I have certainly been biased towards the fact that I wouldn't mind dating this girl. But, there are my doubts. In the name of my sister's advice and me working with her. She is a very nice girl, but she does seem to have her moments. However, who am I to talk, considering how I acted Christmas Eve. That, and me and dating are not the best of friends. I don't know how to get to know a girl properly, so how would I know if she isn't the one. That sounded really weird, when I was typing it. Odd. So, I work with the girl tomorrow, so this topic will more than likely break open during the night. Who knows, maybe I'll find out she isn't everyone of my worst nightmares in a girl and she is the one. Then again, I could find out she is not the one. Now, I am afraid. Wish me luck. Management If you've read this blog, you know me and my history with management. Most suck and if they don't suck, their bosses suck. Someone in the management ladder has to suck. It's a law. If it isn't, it should be. It's the "Management Sucks Law". My newest rant on management involves my earlier mention of calling out on Monday. It starts Sunday. Sunday, I went to work in the morning (which is a miracle in itself). I worked the shift, went home, and planned on spending the night at home (since certain "plans"(if you can call them that) fell through). We were all going to play poker, which seems to be the entertainment in my house now. I made myself some dinner and we started playing. This, however, starts right when I was making dinner. I started getting a sore throat, something that doesn't hit me very often. I ignored it and went on with my dinner and fun. All throughout the poker games, however, everything else decided to join the fun in my body. Sore throat invited stuffy nose, headache, minor aches and pains, and general shittiness into the party. Throughout the night, it got progressively worse, to the point where I just wanted to sleep. Now, considering it is now 3:26AM EST and I am currently writing this and not sleeping must say something about the next statement: I laid down at 11:30, watched the ball drop at midnight, and fell asleep not too long after. There are two signs you need to look for in me to know that I am REALLY sick. I blow my nose (exception being at work, because picking your nose is considered "unsanitary" there :)) and I am sleeping normal hours. I feel asleep at around 12:30am, awoke for a bathroom break at 4:30am, went back to bed at 5am, and reawoke at 1pm, still feeling like shit. I decided that my general shittiness was enough to warrant a call out, something I haven't done yet at Dunks (which is a note you should remember). I called the store and told them I wasn't coming in because of my general shittiness. I told them I had just woken up from sleeping all night, not feeling good, and wasn't going in. They said ok, and everything was golden. I decided to channel surf for a little then go back to bed. This is where the fun began: I get a phone call. Now, when I get a phone call, it's one of two things, family or work (unless it's wednesday, then it's my friend). Since I was currently in sight of all my family, then it must have been work (which I don't understand why they would call me when I just called out). It was the manager of another store. She informed me that they were unable to find a replacement for me that night and that I would have to go in anyway. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize how pissed that statement made me. I told her that I was really sick and was unable to come in. She went on and on about the rules and that you needed to find your own replacement and the time window for calling out was 4-6 hours before your shift and blah blah blah. I continued to tell her I was sick and wasn't coming in. She then told me there was coverage until 6pm and that I would have to come in then. So, in a pissy tone I told her fine, hung up on her, and threw the cordless phone across the room, breaking the battery off and scattering my GBA games on the floor. I was pissed. Not only have I never called out before to this place, but now I find out that apparently I can't call out. Interesting. That didn't settle well me, of course. I got up, fixed the phone, put my GBA games back in order, opened the door, and slammed it. Now, when someone slams a door in my house (or any house for that matter), someone is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, pissed. So, it was no surprise that everyone looked at me (knowing that I'm sick) and asked what was wrong. I told them the situation and that I couldn't call out, put the phone back, opened my door again, and once again slammed it. I then dropped onto my bed and proceeded to clench my fist and almost break down. Now, remember this kiddies: No matter how much you fight with your family about the stupid shit in life, they will always and I mean always have your back, no matter the situation. This remains true to this day with my mom and her continuing issues with my brother. My mom and sister proceeded to call everyone back and tell them I couldn't come in (throwing in the occasional lie about me vomiting here and there). We finally reached the agreement that I would need a doctor's note (which is something we apparently can easily get in this house) and that if I was still not feeling well to call earlier tomorrow. I went back to bed at 2pm and woke up at 6pm. I started feeling better. I ate some tomato soup (something I haven't had as soup in a long time) and watched Raw and played some games. However, remember, if you sleep for 17 hours, don't expect to easily fall back asleep the next night. Finally falling asleep at 6am, I woke up at 11am Tuesday to go to the doctors and get my body checked. I only had flu like symptoms, nothing more. I got my doctor's note, went to Dunks, handed it over, told them I would be in later, and got some food. My trials with that place continue to make me wonder why everyone is so astonished with the fact that I hate it so much. Amazing. Anyway. I have a LAN party on Friday. It is something I have never been to, but am looking forward to. It does seem like it's becoming more of a hassle to attend this, as I need to go get one more game for it tomorrow. But it's ok. The game is free for me, now that I have a $20 gift card to Gamestop, courtesy of my friend who owed me money he didn't even remember (nor did I). And that's all I have to say for now.