Just a quick update to say that, yes, I'm alive. I just haven't really thought of anything good to post about since I vented last week, so here's a few videos to help the time pass.

I Have Five Bosses

I've been working as a Temp. Driver for a delivery company, which I'll call Planet Express, partly because I like that show, but mostly because it more closely resembles the name of the company I actually work for.

I love the delivery aspect of it. I'm out on my own, and I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something by the end of the day.

The aspect I hate is in the morning before I head out. It's at this time that I have to be around my five bosses. Five of them. One I mostly speak to for hammering out the schedule for the week, when I'll be coming in. I don't mind her, but she sounds like she's complaining even when she isn't. It isn't so much the words she uses, but the tone of voice. It's sort of like one of my ex-girlfriends who had a voice that made her sound like she was always whining.

Three of the others are decently nice, but they tend to repeat themselves about unimportant stuff, and they're very passive aggressive when it comes critiquing work. Rather than confronting someone individually when they make mistakes, they (and the next guy does this too) hold meetings before we go to deliver, and usually each person repeats what the last person said. If you've seen Office Space, they're basically Peter's bosses.

The last guy is an asshole. He's the newest of the group, he wasn't a supervisor when I worked there last Christmas season, and I didn't know him then, either. Our first day there, he made a point of telling us that they (the company) were doing us a favor by allowing us to work, and that there were three other people they could bring in if we weren't able to do the job right. (Now, all present worked there the previous Christmas, so it seems odd that the company would want us back if we had shown we weren't capable of doing the job). If a mistake is made, you will hear from him about it, and he will place the entire blame on you.

Case in point, I had to make pickups one day, and I had never done them before. I informed two of the supervisors of this, and they explained the process of pickups and how they're made, and what time they have to be back by. One of my pickups was to a fishery, and I had a number of boxes of live fish on board. When I got back to the terminal that night, I returned as normal (on time for the pickups to be processed) and then went home. The two supervisors who told me how to proceed failed to mention the fact that I needed to return the vehicle to a different location than normal. As a result, the fish died, and I got yelled at over the phone by the asshole for not psychically knowing this important bit of information. I'm annoyed, but at least at this point it's been dealt with and it's over now, right? Wrong.

The next time I worked, which was two days later, we have happen to have a meeting on proper pickup procedure, and the mistake was made publicly known, and the entirety of the blame placed on me.

So now when I get there in the morning, I speak as little as possible with them, get the packages loaded up as quickly as possible, and (hopefully) out on the road before they think to hold another meeting. Once on the road, my day is infinitely more enjoyable. I ignore my phone until ten minutes to three, when I know they're ready to go home, so that any conversation with them will be as brief as possible. As for the asshole, I'm very much convinced that the only reason he has the position he does is because he's an asshole.

The delivery aspect is great. Dealing with lower-middle-management is a pain in the ass.

Star Trek

As it is considered a great Science Fiction show, I have decided to work through the entirety of the series, starting with The Next Generation. I've been enjoying it thus far, especially seeing Patrick Stewart as the Captain.

Some things I've noticed that I didn't know before:

Data gets laid by Lieutenant Yar. I wasn't aware that they gave Data full functionality, for that matter.

Picard is first seen ordering, "Earl Grey Tea, Hot" in the season 2 episode, Contagion. However, what the computer gives him is a plant. (Could this be a nod to Hitchhiker's Guide? The ship not giving tea [just like the guide] and a potted plant appearing against all odds?)

The second time Picard makes his famous Tea order is the season 2 episode, Pen Pals. He actually gets tea this time.

I'll post more as I view more episodes.

Also, a quick question, I will be watching Deep Space Nine, but I've not seen it, how does it rate compared to the other Star Treks?

Nickelodeon

After much contemplation, (Five whole minutes worth) I have figured out where Nickelodeon started to go wrong. It was when they stopped using slime for pretty much everything.

Game Review: Bastion

Available on the Xbox 360, you can download this game from the game marketplace.

This game is definitely worth the purchase. The voice acting takes the game from good to amazing. It features great music and stellar artistry. The downside to the game is that occasionally it's difficult to tell where the ground ends and the sky begins, however this aspect also adds a little bit to the challenge of the game, so it isn't a very large downside. Overall, if you want a game with an interesting story, check out Bastion, it's well worth the 1200 Microsoft points to purchase it.

Outdated Technology Check

From Harv over at BadExample

Which of the following do you still own?

() phonograph turntable

() phonograph turntable capable of playing 78s() 8 track player() cassette player

() 5 1/4 floppy drive
(x) 3 1/2 floppy drive
(x) a car with a carburetor
() a non-cable-ready TV
() a dial phone
(x) a corded phone
() a winding wristwatch
() a manual typewriter

Below, you'll find my 1979 Dodge Aspen, Stonewall (after the General).

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Happiness

In the end, happiness in life is no what computer you own, or what game systems you have, or how big your TV is or what kind of vehicle you drive. In the end, happiness is really good toilet paper.

No matter how crappy life gets, there's always hope as long as you have good toilet paper.

Techno Viking vs. Nyan Cat.

I'm not a big fan of the Nyan Cat video, but this one at least makes the music odd yet synchronized sound bearable.

So Glad I Saw This in the Light of Day. . .

and not just before going to bed last night. Randomly came across this video. Thought I would share it with you all.

MK12 | Follow the Sun | 2011 from MK12 on Vimeo.

The End of Video Game Streams?

Read the full bill here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s112-978

Hat tip to Notch for the link to the video.

Hat tip to UltraDavid over at Shoryuken for the blog post.