Reblog Saturday Explorations
I’m going to do things a bit differently on this episode of Reblog Saturday. Normally I try to focus on a single WordPress post in the last week and reblog it with minimal content.
This week I have more to say.
I started things like I always do: With a specific story in mind in searched WordPress for a narrative that told the story in a way that resonated with me. In this case, the story was about a stolen laptop and how the owner had programmed the thing to phone home to help catch the thief. I love feel good stories like these!
Alas, this was one of those times the internet let me down, so here’s a link to a simple news report.
KGW.com – Man using tracking software to follow thief’s every move
While conducting this search, as often happens, I got swept away down a rabbit hole to a destination that was totally new and unexpected. Sometimes an inherent randomness in search can bring great rewards. In this case, I found a video about feminism in video games. What? You had me at hello. It turned out to be one of the most powerful things I’ve ever seen.
I love it when someone comes along and looks at everything we already know and draws mind-blowing conclusions. (It’s something I try to do myself from time to time.) I think this YouTube series of videos is a powerful example of this. I don’t think you necessarily have to have an interest in video games to imagine the dramatic impact of stuff like this on a society.
As usual, I’m late to the party. This has been out for six months and the series just hit 3,000,000 views. Congratulations!
In case you hadn’t heard, there was a really touching story this week about a Dairy Queen manager. I, of course, couldn’t help but notice who made it all possible, an asshole human being of almost unimaginable dimensions. I find myself thinking about her a lot.
NPR.org – Praise Pours In For Dairy Queen Manager Who Helped A Blind Man
Lastly, a story making news this week, involves the case of a Labor Day party and a vacation home earlier this year. The home happened to belong to former NFL player Brian Holloway. Approx. 300 teens broke into the home and had a “party” of legendary proportions. There was an estimated $20,000 damage, items stolen, and much alcohol consumed.
The culprits, of course, documented their own criminal activity and published it to social media. So trendy.
The victim, in an effort to hold the criminals accountable, started a website helpmesave300.com where he reposted the social media outbursts, identified those responsible, and offered to drop pressing charges in exchange to any who came forward, took responsibility for their actions, and helped with restoration of the home.
Only four of the kids stepped up.
Meanwhile, parents of the rest, angered by the victim’s actions, have threatened to sue him for outing their kids. (As if their own self-publishing didn’t do that already.) This is the topsy turvy world in which we live. These are the sort of parents who raise the type of kids who punch (and kill) volunteer soccer referees and get Easter Egg hunts canceled.
In the feel good story of the year, six of the miscreants who refused the man’s gracious offer of clemency have been arrested and more arrests are apparently on the way. Yes!
Whew. Okay. I think that’s all I have to say for now.
We live in a society
I am here to restore your faith in humanity. If you believe that humans are a slug upon the universe and that Earth is the slime trail it has left behind.
Now all we need is a dash of salt and a pint of beer. (To be dumped on the slug.)
society: the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community. “More or less!” Ha ha ha! At least they got that part right.
I read today from the Book of News, Human Behavior, Stockholm Syndrome, Chapter 6:
A “middle-aged” drunk man on his way home from a party fell off a subway platform in Stockholm, Sweden, hit his head on the tracks, and knocked himself unconscious. And, as luck would have it, a train was right on the way! You might think that’s the whole story, but wait! There’s more.
Continue reading →
Boss cancer
If you ever want to feel really depressed, do a google image search on the word cancer. Now I want to die. I picked this image as it is one of the more uplifting ones.
Even though the boss does everything in his power to prevent it, the new company website is proceeding at a snail’s pace. He frequently brags to people how this project has been his baby for “years” now. Yeah, excelling at being an idiot is something to be proud of. Remember: Boss is another word for the opposite of results.
This week something strange happened. In spite of the boss’ efforts, a customer actually placed an order and attempted to buy some of his inane shit.
It was an odd moment.
Continue reading →
The Grapes of Wrath
Not too long ago, it’s been three or four weeks now, I gave up on an old friend. That’s right, I no longer add granulated sugar to anything. That includes iced tea, coffee, etc. I’m trying to be healthier.
It’s been rough.
I’d been drinking glasses of water all day. Not my favorite beverage. But I was doing ok. I decided to mix it up a bit.
Suddenly I have a new appreciation for fruit juice. Go figure. After a few weeks of water, I had an apple juice and it was delicious!
So I decided to try some grape juice. I went to the store and picked up two 64-ounce bottles of Welch’s grape juice for $4.59 each. I had a coupon for $1 off when you buy two, so the actual price was $4.09 per bottle.
To stretch things further, I did some experimentation and decided that a ratio of half juice and half water was right for me. I don’t want to be buying a bottle every other day so I want to make this stuff last.
I kept one bottle at home and I took one to work. It is pasteurized and has to be refrigerated after opening. That means I had to keep a bottle in the work refrigerator.
My job doesn’t provide potable water (unless you count the toilet and/or sink) so I bring my own Klean Kanteen with water every day. And I was actually looking forward to enjoying a little grape juice to enliven my otherwise shitty day.
We all know by now how this turns out, right? If I actually dare to want something then that becomes The One Thing that will be denied to me. This is the way of things.
I went to work yesterday and there was my bottle of Welch’s grape juice, completely empty and sitting in the trash!
Out of that 64-ounce bottle I was able to actually drink about 8 ounces. Yes, for those keeping track, that works out to be about $4.09 for a glass of grape juice. What a deal!
As I sat there considering this dastardly turn of events, the boss got up, lumbered over to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of juice, took off the lid, and brought the wide-mouth opening up to his gaping maw. Gulp, gulp, gulp. Ugh, what a sickening sound.
I turned to myself and said, “I dare say, Watson. We have cracked the case!”
This was worth pursuing. I couldn’t help myself. “Say, boss,” I said as casually as possible. “Did you also drink from the bottle of grape juice that was in there?”
He wouldn’t answer the question. How telling.
Then he said, “Oh, was that yours?”
“Yes. It was.” Emphasis on the was. Rest in peace, my dear bottle of grape juice.
WAIT FOR IT. HERE COMES THE KICKER THAT MAKES THIS A TALE WORTH TELLING…
“Oh, I didn’t know who’s that was.”
Excuse me??? What the fuck?????? You unimaginable bastard!
You didn’t know who the grape juice belonged to, therefore you drank it. I see.
You motherfucker.
Words fail me at a time like this. Seriously. What can you possibly say to that?
“Simple logic, Captain. When ownership of the grape juice is indeterminate, logic suggests you drink it anyway.”
Khan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So yeah, I wasn’t really planning to talk about my new job quite so soon, but forces have allied against me. There are usually pros and cons associated with most any decision, and switching jobs was no exception. But I still don’t know, even after a month on the new job, if I’m in the frying pan or in the fire. Either way, one thing is certain. I’m fucking cooked. But more on that later.
Boy I just can’t wait to go to work today.
Shouts from the Abyss 
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