565: That numb feeling...

It's nice when that thing in your chest beats in a way that it hasn't in a long while, but you know it's only temporary. You feel a little more powerful, and then downright drained. Your face shows a little more hope, and then more despair.

I guess that's the lesson learned this morning, though interestingly enough, more rested than usual, as the sleep was better after last night.

I don't feel like going into the details, as I so often go, because I don't know what to make of it in the first place. A fling, a fleeting moment in time, a blip on the radar.

Life is about how long we are here, what we accomplish, and how we change others.

I find broken things and try to fix them, and unfortunately, sometimes, they don't want to be fixed. Maybe my heart is too big for trying, maybe I'm too selfish to just let it slide, I don't know.

I don't know what IT was this time, because there was no definition. It was good, fresh, fun...and then, last night, I think it was done. Maybe I'm wrong this time, as recently I have been proven, but I don't know, I almost feel like someone holding a giant bird...while it likes where it is, it stays put, eats the food and looks happy, but then it remembers it can fly.

564: Notre Dame's Resurgence into the Lore of College Football

So those that know me, know that my XboxLive and Nintendo ID are both PotsyBlueNGold, as I am a diehard Notre Dame Fighting Irish fan when it comes to college football. As we roll into the final week of the college football "regular season," Notre Dame finds themselves in a precarious spot, on top of the BCS standings after beginning the year unranked.

It wasn't easy, but the chips fell into place, the "Luck of the Irish" ran itself rampant, and the Irish have one more "trap" game before what is seemingly destiny.

Led by seniors Manti T'eo, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Zeke Motta and Tyler Eifert, this team, and these players saw the school rise from a dismal 3-9 season (each were being recruited at that time), to what is now a miracle in the making, 11-0.  T'eo, originally a USC commit, pulled an eleventh hour switch, committing to Notre Dame, after admitting he'd never been so cold in his life while visiting (he is Hawaiian, after all). As these players watched the "strategic advantage" of Charlie Weis fail, they all saw something on the horizon, with Brian Kelly taking the reigns three years ago, after a 6-6 Irish chose not to go bowling.

While part of me wonders what would have happened had Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate stayed for a year under Kelly, it is now apparent, the team didn't need them, even though we may have wanted them back.

This year, it started differently. In Ireland, an "away" game for the Fighting Irish, they demolished Navy, showing that the triple option was not going to be something to slow them down. We all thought Notre Dame's front seven on Defense were going to be good, but what about the young and inexperienced secondary? With their best corner out for the season, the freshman phenom Tee Shepard leaving the team for undisclosed reasons, and a bunch of guys that had played running back in highschool in the secondary, Notre Dame looked to have a serious chink in their defensive armor, but, in light of all that, it hasn't been.

It's a good day to be a fan for Notre Dame, a great day to be a fan of Manti T'eo, and it isn't just now, the future looks bright, as the recruitng class is currently ranked #2 in the country. While I'll miss the players we lose, I look forward to watching "the next man in," that BK has brought to ND.

Notre Dame is tied for the best defense in the country in points allowed, 111 in 11 games, and you have to look back to the early 80's to see a defense put together that well.

Other teams are good, but here in lies the question, why do people stil put Alabama over Notre Dame in their coaches polls. Okay, Nick Saban, I am looking at you, and that one other coach that decided that your team is still better than the Irish. Georgia, you did it, too, and you have your toughest game still ahead, but don't they all? Notre Dame faces the ultimate TRAP, a Matt Barkley-less USC Trojans that want to play spoiler after their season was derailed in what was deemed early on as "their year."  They have no championship to play for, so this IS their championship. Alabama and Georgia still have to play each other after games that don't matter for the SEC, but I digress.

Notre Dame has faced 4 teams in the top-25 this year, and beaten them. Michigan State was #10, Michigan was #18, Stanford was #17 and Oklahoma was #8, and they have faced NO FCS teams, unlike ALL of their top 5 rivals.

I am a homer, I follow my team. Unlike the fairweathers that have jumped on the bandwagon during this great year, I have watched as they were at their worst, I have followed as I thought they'd improve

havent been here in a while

So normally when you see a post title like that, its an admission of guilt and a promise of more posts to come. This is neither, as I don't know the next time I'll boost, and at the same time, have been crazy busy, but should have posed on more occasions.

Notre Dame football is in a highlight filled year, where every bit of Irish luck them get is deserved for all the bad coaches, and worse fan support over the past twenty years.  While I don't see them going to the Championship game unless someone slips up something fierce, this is the best team they have placed on the field that I've seen since 2006, and that TEAM was all on paper and not in the head.

Brian Kelly, the head coach, has gotten this team to believe that no matter the score or the predicament the team finds themselves in, they will find a way to win.

At 9-0, I am a happy camper and have even found a way to sit and watch every game this years while working all but two Saturdays.

South Bend looks to finally be back when it comes to collage football, and this longstanding fan couldn't be happier.

A Real Key to the Castle.

I have discussed feelings on here before, breaking down every emotion I have felt through specific moments of my life, and yet, I do not typically speak on how I feel as a mid thirties man without a driver's license, with no girlfriend, no real attachments, and only my family, friends and job keeping me from having nothing.

I like certain things about my life. I enjoy being able to do what I want when I want to, and without having to explain my actions, unless someone asks. I was once told I lived like a rock star, and I guess after two DUIs, I really have. Unfortunately for me, I do not have the entourage nor the bank account of said rock stars, so I a, unable to live like they do without a steep price to pay, to which I would state I have. I love my dogs, I enjoy weekly get to gatherings with my family, and like where things have been going with my employer...

However, I feel as though I'm wasting away without someone by my side. Granted, my tastes are too high for me, but I want what I want, right? I'm going to break down how I feel at this moment in time, because it's probably the most REAL me.

I am not a happy person. I can almost never remain happy, and like most that feel this way, I end up taking things for granted when I should be showing patience and displaying gratitude for things I have.

I feel lost at this moment in my life without a real direction, besides a career path that feels as though its dwindling as I attempt to move up in what seems to be a shrinking body of water.

I find myself unable to hold a conversation with an attractive person until just before they pick themselves up to leave, and feel lost when trying to make eye contact, small talk and buildup.  I don't know why, as I'm smart, quick with wit and typically am fun to be around. I fit with everyone, while fitting with no one.

I wish to find that right soul to help me grow, and I long for someone to make me happy, and me returning the feeling, not the favor.

I want to feel something real, because it feels like I have gone too long without it, but I don't want to settle...I want it to be perfect.

561: Dark Knight Rises REVIEW...SPOILER WARNING

Not many movies inspire me to want to write a review, and almost never 40 minutes before the movie launches worldwide. Dark Knight Rises is one of those rare occassions where I need to speak my mind on what I just saw, and help you make the decision to want to see it.

For lack of a better term, Rises is a masterpiece. Nolan's latest work feels very familiar, while still something new and the  scope feels that much larger.  Ultimately, this is the swan song, and a tip of the hat to those willing to invest as much time in watching as they have. As always, his characterisation is still the centerpiece to this. It isn't that it's Batman, it's that even after an 8 year absence (ala Dark Knight Returns), Bruce Wayne is still the mask, which we get reminded of multiple times throughout the movie, and he is removed from the normal world.

Anne Hathaway pays homage to previous Catwomen, and probably gets away with being the first Catwoman EVER to not have a scene with a living feline. As well, it wasn't necessary, as you understand her role from the previews, but it's expanded well enough, but there are a couple flaws... Does she use a neurotoxin to make people fall for her, or do we just believe she makes men fall madly in love with her? Does she actually put them under a spell?

The returning cast members all put on a showcase of talent, and look to be attempting to one up each other and their previous performances with Bale's BATMAN being the one one left looking weak. Morgan Freeman takes on a pretty large backseat, Gary Oldman continues where he left off, and Michael Caine is absolutely phenomenal. Marion Cotillard as the lovely and saving grace, Miranda Tate is a lovely addition, and Tom Hardy is distinctly in charge as Bane. The previously underdone voice of Bane seems freakishly OVERdone in the movie, and feels it needs to be toned back a smidge. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is probably the most surprising addition to the film, and the everyman with a touch of hope still in his eyes as Gotham begins to fall around everyone...pretty literally. There is also a cameo from a former character once again that just adds to Gotham, though you can't help but wonder if this would have been the role that Heath Ledger somehow would have played, had he not passed on.

(THE SPOILERS REALLY START HERE)
As with the every man falling for Catwoman, one plot point bugs me pretty intensely.  Batman hasn't been seen since that fateful day that Harvey Dent was "awakened" by the Joker, and neither has Bruce Wayne. The household help believes he is disfigured like the Hunchback from Notre Dame, or worse. So, how is it that no one notices that Gotham's prodigal son shows his face showing up at a charity event (which leads to him looking like a pompous ass), and later in the same evening, Batman is seen on every major news network?  Could it possibly be they are the same person?  I guess we aren't the only ones that notice, right?  Not exactly, but kind of.

Gordon-Levitt probably delivers one of, if not his best performance here, but he goes mixing his accents, or they just don't hold up. Some scenes he sounds like a New Yorker, in other scenes, he just speaks his lines, but you never lose the sense of his character, his heart, or that he still has a glimmer of hope.

You can't review this movie without asking if it is better than the first or second in the franchise, but it is't meant to be better, it is meant to be a conclusion. I won't spoil the twists at the end, or even the moment that looked like it was added in a way that makes a character's involvement more clear for new viewers who don't know any of the lore to Batman without using a name that is obvious.

In fact, it's interesting that two characters have names that are different than what they are known throughout the movie as, and one is made really easy to see, and the other isn't made simpler for new viewers, but I disgress...

Christopher Nolan has crafted the perfect endpiece to his trilogy, satisfying in almost every way, and the pacing of the film does not feel like two hours and forty six minutes, and he uses filmmaking tools that he utlized in movies like Memento and the end feels eerily similar to Inception, while still nodding to comic fans everywhere.

I give this a 4.5 / 5 Bat Symbols because it seems it will require multiple viewings to fully grab everything, and see his filmmaking Easter Eggs, but it is marvelous and spectacular. Nolan has proven he is a master of his craft, and while his filmmaking is often imitated, like Quentin Tarantino, he still deserves the title of the best director of the last 10 years.

Luke Plunkett is an idiot.

The opinion written in this blog is of MY own, and not the company I represent, or anyone else.

Alright, many of you probably don't know who this person is, but he has gotten under my skin with a recent article from kotaku.com (http://kotaku.com/5909105/stop-preordering-video-games-please?tag=gamestop) about the way to help fight back against the video game industry, and their business practices. This gentleman obviously does not like GameStop (full disclosure, My employer), however, he goes a step farther, in blasting them and THEIR practices about requesting customers preorder games, and stopping the insanity of the bonuses people receive by doing so. He also states that "many" titles have gone over the 1 million preorder mark. 

In an industry where the consumer is increasingly NOT going to somewhere to speak to a person, and is trying to avoid social interaction with the likes of Amazon, GameStop has been a company where they have done everything in their power to drive people back to the stores.

Just using raw information (and available data on the internet, nothing insider about this), GameStop sells downloadable content MORE than the manufacturer of the product (Sony, Microsoft, etc).

GameStop does not ask for exclusives on the titles coming out, the publishers GO TO THEM....know why? Because GameStop sells MORE of their games than anyone else. Sure, sometimes, the developer wants someone to BUY the incentive (Robin from Bestbuy for Arkham City), and GameStop turns down the offer, and takes a simpler option, but exclusives are not going anywhere if you stop preordering, they will just become MORE RARE...MORE COLLECTIBLE...and cost the consumer MORE MONEY...you know, like the Golden Lancer that was given away at GameStop for Preordering Gears of War 2.

Exclusives make you go somewhere...look at specialty retailers in any field. Certain movies are only available on Blu-Ray from BestBuy...so you HAVE to buy it there. Comic books have variant covers ONLY available at Comic Shops so that you support the direct market, and not buy them somewhere else, and video games have it to make you want to buy it sooner, SO THE PUBLISHER PRINTS ENOUGH...remember Dead Island last year and how hard it was to find.

Here are some facts...

only 8 titles EVER have been 1 million or more presells before 2012, with Halo 3 being the first, and the most recent being Modern Warfare 3 (again, no data is being used from 2012)

Publishers offer the bonuses as a way to appease the retailer, but the retailers in question all PAY for the incentives (normally between $4-6 each pass)

Retailers order based on what is preordered (math here: if you have 10 preorders on Madden, you will only get 15 copies with a 150% order vs. reserve, thus decreasing stock, restock, and overall sales in an already struggling industry. Most games would not have a 150% OvR, either, for untested titles, ie Dead Island, there may have been a 110%, meaning no extra copies and out of stocks A LOT...remember SKYLANDERS last year?)

As much as websites like Kotaku BASH GameStop particularly, their customer service scores, based on an outside firm doing the research, is about 10% over the CORPORATE WORLD AVERAGE in making people enjoy their time in the store, and recommending to others.

Here's y problem with this person. He just wants someone or something to be angry with, and probably because he wasn't going to buy TWO copies of a game to get both golden weapons. Face the cold hard truth here...consumers ALLOWED microtransactions to be a success, and therefore, it's here to stay. Call of Duty Elite sold more than 4 million subscriptions for something MOST would claim consumers should have been given for free (and in previous generations WOULD HAVE BEEN).

Luke, WE as gamers ALLOWED the business to change, and it's fluid. It will not go back to where it was, it can't. That doesn't exist anymore. Preordering allows you to get what you want from where you want. If you change your mind, get your money back...it IS that simple.

Quit blaming a retailer for changing with the time, and start blaming yourself.

559 - A lot of corporate reading today...

So those that do not know, I was promoted at my day job about two weeks ago, and here's the interesting thing of note: There was no pay increase for the position and title increase. However, a lot of people are wondering why I would take the step if I'm not to be compensated for it, and it's simple enough; I already DO the job, so I may as well accept a role increase and the end to justify the means.

Anyway, that's not what this post is going to be about, as it is actually because I've been doing some reading about the business, and a firm competitor, Best Buy, and how after a month of their CEO resigning, they still have yet to name a new one, and the business for them looks pretty bleak. Apparently a sexual scandal and using corporate assets to allow it to continue were just the tip of the iceberg.

So, I've read a lot that people don't like my company's trade policies (I will not name them by name, but those who know me, already know WHERE I work), but it's because they don't understand BUSINESS and how that obviously works.

When you trade in your old car, do you get BLUE BOOK value for it? Of Course not, because that's what the dealer is hoping to get for it. You'll get about 30% of what your car is worth MAXIMUM, and then the car will be sold for that value.  Our trade values are very similar, yet people complain that we sell them close to the new game pricing...OF COURSE WE DO...it's supply versus demand, not a consignment shop. We sell for what we know we can, and we buy to earn a profit. Sounds simple enough.

If you don't like it, don't bitch and moan about it, do one of two things...

1) don't trade in, and waste your own time and resources trying to do it yourself

or

2) Buy stock in the company, so that YOU earn based on when WE earn...that's smart business strategy.

I thought I was going to have wittier things to discuss, here, but I'm kinda spent.

558: Kayfabe #3: Rock vs. Cena 2/27/2012

So okay,  this past Monday night, John Cena came out during the Rock's return to Monday Night RAW, and I was a little aggitated by this. "The Great One" was in the middle of a promo, hyping the only way he knows how to hype, but I will be the first to admit, this was not one of his classic vignettes, nor a classic LIVE BABY LIVE promo. In fact, after his statements of, "some people taking too literally" and "do you think Stone Cold Steve Austin ever fought for me?!" pieces, it felt a little flat. The People's Champ didn't have his A game, and after Jericho and Punk flubbed a bit through arguably the best promo of 2012 on the same night, John Cena came down and broke Kayfabe.

He told the world in a quick jab that he didn't have to keep his bullet points on his arm, and he could keep them in his head, but the Rock, who probably had gotten off a plane only 2 hours earlier (in this case, just like Cena from Daytona), apparently hates the fans because he wants to stay on topic.

Did the Rock have 4 phrases written on his arm? Yes. Why? For the same reason wrestlers like Ric Flair keep a blade under their wrist tape, because it's to stay on point with what's called for in the match.  Here's where the problem with this lies...

John Cena is jealous of the reaction the Rock gets. He's so jealous that the Rock doesn't have to wrestle a match for a year and still gets hyped a ton more than him. He's jealous that He gets top billing, and I'm sure if they both went to the same restaurant, Rocky gets in first.

Rock had four things written on his wrist. They weren't paragraphs, they were bulletpoints. "This is what will keep the hype moving towards the BIGGEST WRESTLEMANIA OF ALL TIME!"  Just like spots in a wrestling match, these two will continue to jab at each other.

Cena came out, tried to steal the spotlight, and ended up taking the Rock off his game. Yes, it was true. He jibber jabbered at the end, until he finally regained his composure...but here was the problem. He didn't come across as the guy who didn't love the business. He came across as the guy that John Cena just punked to make himself look better. There was no arrogance in the Rock. His goosebumps were real. It was the FIRST time EVER he had been in front of a Portland crowd...the WWF never went there the entire time he was with them. And John Cena took away from that moment.

If this was a debate, Cena came across as a bully and an ass, and the Rock looked like he had his opponent break the rules, something you aren't supposed to do.

This reminded me of when HBK vs Hulk Hogan was happening. Hogan was supposed to be putting Michaels over, and when it didn't happen, Michaels came out the next night and said something like, "Notice who's here tonight and who isn't?  Notice who is still here to entertain you, and who isn't?" John Cena...you are NO HBK...you sir, are saying you are there every night, and I'm saying... maybe you should take some time off and LET the spotlight be shined on someone else.

Since his return, the Rock has talked about you, and the Miz. He's had moments with both. If he wasn't trying to elevate the other talent, he wouldn't even have then in the same ring with him.

When was the last time the Undertaker elevated another talent? ...and he never left, right? Except Rock has actually wrestled one more match than Taker since Mania...believe that, playa.

Kayfabe Blog 2: Gimmicks that would be hits in the WWE today...

Last time I discussed how Michael Migillicutty should be a star, utilizing the 3rd generation tag, similar to how Randy Orton became famous. I've come up with the right gimmick for him, and let me just state, it's Perfect.

These days, Vince McMahon wants to make all the money off of certain people, and wants to do it his way. With Superstars like CM Punk, he has realized that sometimes, he is just out of touch with something that sells, and Hennig is one of mistakes.  Husky Harris is another one, but while he has the ferrari engine in a tank body, he's a little more difficult to sell, until I tell you the perfect gimmick for him shortly after Hennig's.

Joe Hennig is a third generation superstar, who follows in the footsteps of Larry "The Axe" Hennig and Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig. We haven't seen the talent he possesses, because he's been kept off TV, being "repackaged," however, on the first season of NXT, we saw a video package where his moveset reminded everyone of his late father. His new "repackaging" should consist of calling himself PERFECT. He should immediately distract Dolph Ziggler, beat him in a match, and get on the mic with Jerry Lawler, with Lawler starting this...

Lawler: "Joe, why attack Dolph Ziggler like that? I think the WWE Universe deserves to know WHY?"

Hennig: "It's a sham, Jerry. A downright sham. Dolph comes out every night to music that says he's "Perfection." Well, he's not perfection, Jerry...I am. It's in my blood. It's in my genetic makeup."

Lawler: "So what are you saying, Joe? Are you saying you want to be Mr. Perfect, like your father?"

Hennig: "Jerry, my father...my father was Mr. Perfect...I'm just...I'm just Perfect."

And there's his gimmick. Every time he'd be backstage, Josh Matthews, Matt Striker, whomever the interviewer would be, they'd call him Mr. Perfect, and he would correct them by saying, "Josh, My FATHER was Mr. Perfect.  I'm just Perfect."

He would be immediately marketable, he would immediately have a catchphrase that everyone would wait for, and he'd be allowed to honor his family's memory on a regular, nightly basis, and immediately feud with some top talent. He'd be over in a millisecond, because wrestling fans remember tradition, and they would even honor him with a Mr. Perfect chant, probably nightly.

--

Husky Harris, or Windham Rotundo as he's more commonly known in his real life, is also a third generation wrestler, being the grandson of Black Jack Mulligan, and the son of former IRS, Mike Rotundo. His perfect gimmick is a little bit tougher, and would require the help of someone else to get him over. Someone who is currently in the middle of being a low midcard face run, instead of top of the card, where he should have been after being part of Legacy for years. Yes, that's right, Ted Dibiase.

I tend to believe that Dibiase has more drawing power than Cody Rhodes, and was even allowed to keep his name before Vince went and changed all the third generation guys into something different. In fact, part of the reason he's such a terrible face is because his entrance song is "I come from Money..." Now here's the problem with that. The WWE has a longstanding history of being a value for lower income folks to be a part of, and he didn't change his music after being a heel for so long, which, while it works for some, in this situation, it's like Vince coming out to "No Chance in Hell," as in, you are always waiting for his heel turn.

Getting back to Husky Harris.  The ideal gimmick for this guy is the bodyguard of somebody important, and in this case, that would be Ted Dibiase. Husky would be his muscle, and his financial overseer. He'd cut out all those "Dibiase Posse" tailgate sessions, saying that Ted was spending too much money, and he's come across like his father, Irwin R Scheister did back in the day. This would lead to a new age version of the tag team, Money Inc., made famous by both of these gentlemen's fathers. Ted would continue to be the overselling heel that cheats to win, Husky would come across as the muscle that doesn't sell. They'd go for the tag straps, make them reputable again as a Power and Glory style, and then have the classic breakup, when Dibiase would turn face, realizing that Husky was "embezzling" his money, to which Husky would deny, but there would be video coverage of him discussing with others how much he was taking, how much he was spending on cheap women and whatever else, and he'd become a monster heel...buying referees and making it difficult for Dibiase to win, but making him look like he's getting screwed in a very nostalgic way that would be entertaining.

--

Personally, I think Hennig and Rotundo have all the talent in the world, but they'd need someone to actually put more effort into their final product and give it some time to come to fruition. You'd have to have some team players, in Dolph and Dibiase, but overall, if Dibiase, Rotundo and Hennig formed a new version of Money Inc as a stable for a while, maybe even have Bobby Heenan intially bring them all together for the first time, this could be a serious stable for the forseeable future, and allow the WWE to utilize it's heritage, build on it, and also nostalgically help us remember the past, just like they did when Randy Orton first arrived on the scene.

Hope you enjoyed this, and I'd like to see comments on what people think about this. I strongly feel these gimmick changes would make serious cashflow and establish new top level talent.

(#555) Kayfabe Blog 1: How to fix the WWE's storylines and make the product better #1

While this is the 555th blog post about just generally anything, I wanted to take this time to actually state how I would fix the programming of WWE.  Let me first start out by saying, I don't think EVERYTHING is broken, so it doesn't ALL need fixing, but there are areas that it absolutely does. I won't state that I'm an expert of the economic climate of ProWrestling, either, but I will state that after watching the product for the better part of 2 decades, I have general knowledge of what sells the product, and I am not 100% adverse to the idea of PG programming. With that, let's begin.
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Start by making the wrestlers more accessible, and let them be themselves, instead of stupid gimmick characters. Take, for example, "Michael Magilicutty," who just so happens to be the son of former great pro-wrestler, "Mr. Perfect," Curt Hennig. Sure, you can't own the Hennig name, and you don't want him to be "Perfect 2.0," though, actually that has a nice ring to it. Part of what made Randy Orton so accessible to the wrestling audiences upon his beginning, was the fact that both his father, and Grandfather, were wrestlers and we all knew him from their storied pasts. By taking Hennig away from his father's Legacy, it prevents him from using that in a great start up feud with some legendary people, like Jerry Lawler, who could easily get "Husky Harris" or "Michael Migilicutty" over with his stories of, "I knew Curt Hennig, and I KNOW Mike Rotundo...you gentlemen can't lace their boots, and it's NO WONDER Vince McMahon didn't want to tarnish their legacies with the two of you..." Then have them prove themselves through the commentators voice, building momentum, and even give them a mouthpiece LIKE Mike Rotundo to elevate them.'
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That is a just a small taste of what should be done, and that is utilizing folks that are not even on the main roster, currently, but absolutely have the pinache to be there.
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Let's take a look at something we ALL hate, which I like to call, "Minday Nitro'ing," or...ON THE FLY BOOKING.
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While you can grab the eye of a passing fan with an "OMG!" shock moment, it takes developing that moment and building upon it to really make folks believe. Here are three moments where it has worked...
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"2.21.2011" - The return of the Undertaker after an extended break. Commercials built to the culmination of this moment, and had people believing that it was going to be Sting crossing the line, if you will, and making his first appearance EVER on a WWE stage, in a WWE ring, etc. Turns out, the bells tolled, the Taker walked down, and just as he got ready to say something, HHH came out to demand a match at Wrestlemania, setting up one of many great matches at the card, though most of the show fell flat, and the match didn't even meet the hype of the second HBK/UT match (the first one was better, folks). The buildup, though, culminated in what we clamor for...we NEED that moment.  Obviously, a return of a character is scheduled for Tomorrow night, "The second day of 2012...the end begins..." But for whom? While the signs point to Chris Jericho (book named "Chris," canadian maple leaf in the water, etc), this could just be a ploy to let it be the Undertaker's first appearance since Wrestlemania to set up what looks like it may be an uneventful co-main event at Wrestlemania.
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CM Punk's contract expiring... In what was the best moment of 2011, this was a significant step in blurring fantasy and reality, and singlehandedly showed that while the ratings during Monday Night Football aren't always there, that compelling television will lead to revenue of merchadise, as, immediately following his blowup speech on the company that turned into a "shut his mic off" moment, his merchandise was not just sold out, but in the first moment since Steve Austin became a household name, you started seeing people wear them on the street.  However, for as great as this moment was...culminating with a great contract signing, an even better than expected match, and finally, a tweeted picture of the WWE Title in a refrigerator, Punk had the world wondering when, if, or WHERE we might see him (Ring of Honor debuted it's weekly syndicated show around that time).  Here's where I would have changed it up a notch, "for the business."

Everyone knows that Vince McMahon will do whatever it takes to remain on top, from stealing talent for next to nothing because it's still more than the competition offers, to having wrestlers show up in terrible movies because he thinks they can get him and his company more exposure, to sometimes...not often, but sometimes, doing the unthinkable...like when his product was #2, behind Ted Turner, and he asked Paul Heyman if he wanted to cross promote his ECW brand on Monday Night Raw...they had matches, they had angles, and they had AMAZING wrestling at that time...what should have happened as soon as CM Punk was the WWE champion without a contract is this...Vince should have been on the phone and created a really good working relationship with Ring of Honor, and had Punk show up on their show, with the title, offering to take on their Champion, and going from there...Vince has been stealing that talent pool anyway, so why not give something back meaningful? I would have had the person who would then win the WWE Title in a tournament AT SUMMERSLAM be the guy who would take moments to crack shots at Punk, while he'd be tweeting during the commercials of RAW, so we'd all be wondering if it was real or fake... maybe even cut off the mic of the champion everytime he'd bring up,"That guy who quit on us, sitting at his home in Chicago..." (CM PUNK Chant starts...) Only to have the winner of the championship match at Elimination Chamber hold up the belt high...then have the music hit...CULT OF PERSONALITY...and CM Punk steps up, face to face with them...on Pay Per View...and slaps them in the face calling them a paper champion...and folks...you then have 4 weeks to build to Wrestlemania, with a great CM Punk Contract negotiation, face offs with the two wrestlers, and the ability to make him larger than life. Can you smell the buys?
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Finally, the third and final moment where the Rock made his long awaited return. The episode was even titled, "Leave it to Bieber..." as Justin Bieber was touted as the "Host of Wrestlemania," long before the Great One...nice swerve there...and this is one where it worked correctly. Not sure when Vince got him to sign on the dotted line, but before then, Dwayne Johnson had already opened his twitter account with a familiar "character name," and it got the world buzzing. When he dropped a little less than PG monologue on tv, no one cared, not PETA, not GLAAD, nobody. We all just watched and applauded as the great one threw out a 20+ minute promo that was worth it's weight in wrestlemania matches.  This booking was done weeks in advance, though it overshadowed the main event at Wrestlemania, and even that went properly, as the Miz RETAINED his championship, in a moment that will forever be the day that Cena and the Rock FINALLY stepped into the ring together and squared off. Subsequently, now, with the match at WM28 signed, as long as Cena doesn't injure himself before then (and the dude has been pretty injury prone in his career), we have proof that 1 year in advance booking CAN and DOES sell a PPV.
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Next time, folks, we'll probably take a look at the actual 1-2-12 videos, WHO it was referring to, and whether or not it actually did it's job to bring them in.

554: Reflections...

As I sit on my couch on Christmas day, my dogs at my parents for a week, I sit, alone, finding myself not being creative, not being myself, and realizing that the reason why I am alone is because I am feeling it on the inside, and showing something different on the outside. I am not one and the same all the time, and I believe it is leading me down a path that does not necessarily end with happiness.

I'm not acting suicidal, or crazy, just realizing that the person I am at work is a facade, and the genuine me is only seen by two dogs on the regular, and is not always a good person that actually deserves happiness. I'm not saying I don't deserve ANY happiness, just not always and true happiness. I'm not sure where it needs to change, but I am certain it needs to, for me to ever get something else into my life...a light that I don't snuff out as I have in the past...I need to be real...

The question of WHO that is remains...I wish I had someone that I could really break this down with, but much like the movie FIGHT CLUB, I believe my life is filled with a LOT of "single serving friends," though it does feel like more of them are becoming more real, as I do the same.

Love who you are, and others will be able to love you.  I need to get there.

553: Pressing for change, same results apply

So, tonight I did what I normally do on a Wednesday night, heading to the Fox for some karaoke,  a couple drinks, and to enjoy myself, knowing I'm off Thursdays...only I changed up my norm, I went home ahead of time, let the pups out and changed clothes. My changing of clothes wasn't just changing into a tshirt like it normally is, I decided I wanted to look a little more upscale and dress a little more upclass. I am not sure if anyone took me as that, but towards the end of the night, I kept having this cute blonde tell me that she was really loving my song selection and towards the end of the night wanted to sing my songs with me.

I took this as an opening, not knowing what she did for a living, or whatever, but her friend as I was getting ready to leave and I made my joke about psychics having hours of operation, her friend, Courtney, was going, "Blair! Rob's getting ready to leave..." and when I asked it this was a big deal, and I introduced myself to Courtney, I was explained, "I know, Blair told me all about you..." I was like "huh?!" And then she retold the story without white lies, as she said, ir, she just kept talking about the songs you were singing and his good you were at each.

Interesting, indeed, because I made an impression and she was seen in a vehicle with another dude as she was leaving. Didn't really bother me as much as the other folks w/ her as much as it could.  It did disappoint me that someone that was discussing me couldn't find a way to get a little more attention.

Oh well, maybe next time.....

552 - Another Conference over, and another Christmas season begins.

So I'm not really allowed to discuss which company I work for unless I state that the opinions written herein are those of me and not my company and should be taken as such, and not indicative of the company's stance on anything specific.

Anyway, we've been in Vegas since Sunday (I've been here a little longer, Friday, infact) and we've had sessions and things discussed with us from all the major game developers.  On this trip, I learned of updates and innovations happening to my company, bashings of the wannabes attempting to do the same thing my company does, and a classroom where I won an award for top 3 performance in a specified area.  All in all, it's the greatest "RAH RAH RAH" moment our company has, and developers and game studios not only understand this, but they tend to "give us the hookup," if you will.

Last year, Microsoft blew us away by offering all of us Kinect, as well as Halo, Fable, another game, 3 months of Xbox Live and the new style controller.  This year, Microsoft came again, fully prepared to kick ass and take names, offering all of us: Forza 4, Gears of War 3, and then some Kinect games, Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports 2, and a new game called Gunstringer, as well as a new bluetooth headset and 12 months of Xbox Live.  This was actually the first full night of the show, which was pretty awesome. In Microsoft's training room session (the other was a Keynote Speech), I ended up winning the Gears of War 3 Limited Edition 360 Console, which is fucking amazing.  So Microsoft knows they want to kick ass and take names and they threw that at us.

Earlier on the first day, Activision came out and had Will Arnett discuss Modern Warfare 3, and our company set a goal for how many copies we will presell. IF we hit that goal, they will not only GIVE us a copy of the game, but their "Elite" Call of Duty service...FOR LIFE...so no paying for it on a yearly basis, etc. Wow.

Not to be outdone by Activision, Nintendo brought Kevin Periera from G4 with them, and in their training session, I shared a long (and awkward) embrace/hug with him, that was even remembered after the fact by the VP of Marketing for Nintendo.  But Nintendo came primed to tell us that they had limited edition poker sets to give out, and a limited Edition GOLD controller/Zelda game for the 25th anniversary. I was a little shocked that they only went with one game offered to us as they seem to be not offering nearly as much, which is a little odd, because they used to be the ones that blew us away.

Now Sony came to bat with the offer of Uncharted 3 and 3 months of Playstation Plus service...but I will give Sony a pass, because they did begin their EXPERT RLS program, that allows me to get a prize package worth about $250.  Although mine still hasn't shipped, meaning I'm going to have to have a discussion with my rep about that, since it still hasn't shipped.

EA had already given us a copy of Madden, which was very nice of them as while I didn't intend to buy it, we were not there for our launch of the game, which kinda through some things for a loop.  They came out and shows us this little game called BATTLEFIELD 3...then they offered us an EARLY Beta to play it before everyone else...and finally...not to be outdone by COD...a free copy of the game, without any GOAL setting.

We were also given a copy of Monster Tale, as we set a Guiness book of World Records well...record, by breaking the record for most people having a handheld gaming party.  They never announced the final numbers, but the DID let us know we DID break it.

Other highlights of the show (I already stated winning the Xbox 360), were I'm also getting copies of Rage, Dead Island, Batman, and I think there may be one or two I forgot.  I think the final number came in at 15 games, 2 services, one bluetooth headset, and the Limited Edition Console (for me only, LOL).

As fun as this sounds, we held our breakout with our region, and while I felt pumped up by it, I couldn't help but think we were getting beaten up AS we were given some praise.  It's okay, I understand and am successful so I'll keep trucking and work on my hiring for the holidays while keeping the store clean.

Oh, I also got to see Mark Hammill, who came out to discuss the Batman Arkham City game, and got to see NEVER before seen footage of...a game not shown at E3...MAX PAYNE 3! Rockstar doesn't even have a game coming out this year, but for the second straight year, came out and showed us something almost a year away, but it looked absolutely fabulous.

Anyway guys, I'm still in Vegas, will be back LATTTTE Friday night and back to work without a day off until I think Thursday, as I want next weekend off for the Michigan/Notre Dame game.

551: It's 3am, and yes, I'm lonely...and 10:45 the next morning...

So I'm going to go ahead and leave my delirious rant up here, in its entirety, without editing it, but that will be at the end of the post. Here's what happened, and then I'll let me "I couldn't keep my eyes open as I typed," garbage at the bottom for your, and my enjoyment.  Sometimes you think you are writing the great american novel, and then you find out that you just throw random letters and numbers (numbers?!) together and get something completely random. So now, the real happenings of last night, followed by hilarity. I will also state here that I am going to even post names, something I don't normally do, because there was some relevance to it this time.
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So I get a text about 8pm last night to see if I want to go sing Karaoke at a place called Champions, and while I want to go, I don't want to ride the bike all the way down there because it's about a 20 minute ride, and I'd rather try to get a ride. Well, after my friend Tino disappears off the face of the earth, I go back to plan b, which is, bike...

When I get there, Chris wants to introduce me to his friend Heather (or her friend, or both, I can't recall). Well, Chris thinks he's sending me a text to show me which girl he's referring to, and he sends it to Heather, instead, stating that Heather's friend has gained about 30 pounds since the last time he had seen her. WHOOPS! As I stated, he sent it to her, meaning, he's in trouble if she shows the friend the text message. Chris and his girlfriend Kate at this point begin to scramble a story together to say that it WASN'T the other girl that he was talking about, and instead, it was a girl named, "Jackie."

Chris and Kate get up to go smoke, and while I don't smoke, I also don't like sitting at a table in a bar, alone, so I follow.  Upon our return, someone has now claimed our table.  From what I gathered, she was very attractive, had a thing for ink (some interesting tattoos, including one on her pelvis that she would later show me), she was single (and not looking) and her name? ...that's right...Jackie.

Chris pulls a girl move and tells me I have to go to the restroom with him, and while I joke that is GAY, I follow anyway, where he tells me I have to go for it with Jackie.  I'm like, "Go for what?" Obviously, I know what he's talking about, but he then tells me there is no way it's a coincidence that we meet a girl named Jackie, who stole our table (yes, we just sat back down at it, LOL), after he created this farce tale of the girl he was talking about with the same name. 

At this point, Jackie got up to go smoke (not a fan of smokers, btw, ladies) and Chris continued to press that I should try for it.  Kate, at this point, says that she will, "chat her up," in an attempt to find conversation pieces.  Chris follows Kate out after a minute of talking with me, and I wait to get another drink before I follow.  As I go outside, they are both trying to involve this girl into a conversation about I have no idea, and when I sit down, Kate leans over to me and says, "Chris and I have tried to chat her up, and she's tighter than a clam." Okay, maybe not those exact words, but you get the meaning. Kate gets up, and I replace her in the seat next to Jackie, and ask her what she does for a living, blah blah. I ask her if this was "her hangout," and she kinda shrugged her shoulders, stated she lived within walking distance, so she could grab a beer and then walk, so "sure."  I was getting nowhere fast, and it didn't look like it was going well, and then I asked...

"You like to try to read people, don't you?"  This is less than a week after I had observed another attractive girl and asked her, "You like to control the situation, huh?"  Both questions have gotten very similar responses...In this case, Jackie replied, "Um, yeah...how did you know that?"  I discussed her gestures, quiet, sitting back, looking on with a full gaze, rather than not being aloof.  And then, we started chatting.  And we talked in and out of a two person conversation, followed by talking with everyone else for probably about an hour.  And then I went to sing, and I decided I was going to sing all songs I'd never sung BY MYSELF before, and I felt I had nailed all but one song, but towards the end of the night, with the type of crowd that was in there, I decided to go to an old throwback, Build Me Up Buttercup by the Foundations. When I came back is when conversation with Jackie seemed to become a little more personal, instead of feeling someone out, when she asked, "Why did you sing that song? I love that song...I sing it at work all the time..."  So we chatted til it was time for everyone to go home, and while it was really cool to be told she thought I was 25 (aww), and that we talked about things we like to do, I showed her some artwork for tattoos, saying I wanted the joker in a straight jacket because I was the witty one who was probably a tad crazy (she acted out a ba du dump there), and it was all around a good time...and then...when it was time to go home, I finally figured out the "why she's here alone," thing.

"Hey, so is there a way to reach you?" Me. "Y'know, cause I had a pretty good time getting to know you."
Her, "No. I don't facebook or anything..."
Me, "Um, but you do have a phone, right?"
Her, "Yeah, but...I'm not ready for this kinda thing..."
Me, "Getting to know people?  Shit, you shoulda been doing that for years..."
Her, "No, ...y'know..."
Me, "Well, I guess I ...no, I don't. ::laughes:: Well, anyway, then, it was really a pleasure meeting you."
Her, "You too."

And it was over.  Obviously, the reason she probably doesn't facebook is an Ex. The reason she doesn't want to "meet people," is an ex. And it's always like that, it seems. You meet someone seemingly a little introverted, and the reason why is something broke them, and they are trying to meet a point in life where they can go on.  The sad thing is, I'm not sure if she's a fate believer or not, but I'm wondering now, if two things happened differently, if the night would have ended a little better...

1) If Kate hadn't stated matter of factly, "Jackie...Jackie...Rob her wants to fuck you..." And then when both Chris and I were throwing up the "what the fuck...NO NO NO!" she reiterated, "no, seriously. He does." Later I was asked by Jackie how long I'd known both of them, and I got to honestly say with Chris about 4 years, and with Kate...a couple months.

and the second thing that may've changed some perception of how reality works...

2) had I just told her the story of Chris's Epic Fail blunder at the beginning of the night, she may've tried to call bullshit, but in the end, that's the way the story played out.

So now, without further adeiu, the same story, told by a guy that fell asleep with the laptop still on his lap, sitting up in bed...
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What an interesting night. Eh, not that interesting, as my knack for not being able to get past a certain point with someone leads me back to being home alone every night with the two dogs. Tonight, this wasn't about someone I've been "working on," trying to get the same person to open up a little more, tonight was about someone that I shouldn't have had a chance with anyway, who began opening up after a few key attempts at conversation.

I have always been the type of person who observes. Some people take it a bit too far, and they come across as creepy.  The other night, I looked at this gorgeous girl and said to her, "You like to be in control, don't you?"  She looked back and was like, "oh...wow...I um..." and I was like, "what, am I wrong?" Her reply was more direct..."No, I was just telling someone that, and it wasn't here, so I know you didn't get it from there. So why would you ask something like that?" It's because I can see it in their movements, their drive, etc.

I'm going to break my typical, "I won't divulge a name because..." rule for tonights discussion, because it was interesting.  So Chris, one of my longest standing friends, invites me out to sing karaoke, for what may be my final time hanging out with his girlfriend, Kate. So, Chris wants me to meet a girl, and it's a little odd, but what ends up happening is that I get information that he sent a text message to his friend about the girl I'm supposed to meet, and it turned out that Chris wrote something like "She;s already gained about thirty lbs." And his friend replies, "what?" so they came up with a reaon certain people look better. Well, when the other girl indlued was like, "Huh?" the 3000k/

A
nyway, Kate (Chris' girlfriend) says that she'll take the fall for the  Good news it. Ao the other part of stuff tonight. Hgihlange of @....

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See, wasn't that a fun trip?

550: Movie idea..."The Layover"

It's 830 in the morning, but I just had this crazy dream and figured I'd write it down, because I thought it would make an interesting romantic comedy.

As the title surmises, it would be called "The Layover," and be about a normal guy who meets the moviestar girl, and after the long conversation on the plane, realize they need that connection in their life. Obviously, in the dream, the guy was me, so he would be the simplistic guy who is confident in his abilities to strike up conversation, not knowing who the starlet is, and she would think he's just a crazy fan, until she learns that he doesn't even know WHO she is, and while it drives her a little nuts in the beginning, she realizes that is exactly what she wants in life, the ability to have a moment as just a regular girl.

I even had a specific song in mind for it, Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know," which is interesting, because I normally don't listen to music, so I had to look the song up and all. 

I feel a little jazzed, as I am now going to leave this, my FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH post, a little jazzed about this idea, knowing that this is the first really good thing I've thought up in a LONG while.

549: Blog into the Old Apartment

Ahh, Bare Naked Ladies...what great calamity they create, and perfect for the feelings I don't know how to express, because while I'm able to laugh and joke, I'm still realizing some repressed depression and struggling with being a guy who in just under a year and a half, will be 35 and nowhere near where he wants to be in life, professionally or personally.  Now this could change, mind you, as crazier things have been known to happen, but tonight I don't think I'm going to focus on one side of life or the other, but discuss both, in a very open manner.

Oh, and let me place a shout out to my ol' dog's Junior Bruce and Just Plain Gordo for taking my review of FRIGHT NIGHT and placing it up on their BewareOfPodcast.com site. JB is my boy from way back, so I figured I'd give him a scoop on that review and Gordo's always been a good guy that I actually like, so cheers, boys. I also plugged here on their site, so I guess it's fair I throw one out to them, too.

Alright, so I'm flipping a coin to determine which one gets spoken of first, and here ...we...go. Oh, wait, I'm broke, so there is no coin...nah, I'm not that broke, I found a quarter...and heads means I discuss work first.

Alright, so I've decided that if the job hasn't gotten it through their head that I'm better than just a retail store manager by the time I am driving around in a car again (this would be early February, hopefully), I need to start bettering myself in life and NOT just sitting back waiting for it to happen. I know the new guy in charge of the area is a dick. He's really good at what he does, but he isn't very nice, and doesn't feel he needs to be.
He's handpicking people to be in charge of things I don't necessarily believe are the right fits for what they are now in charge of, and here's an example of this.

My "Dynasty" team, that has led the district overall for the past 3 years is being disbanded, so that my footprint can be around everywhere. I really don't have a problem with this, and I'm under the belief that I'm being given someone who believes they know more than what they do, and another who doesn't work for us, though sounds like the perfect guy to jump on board.  All of this, right before we jump into the hardest part of the year. Why not do this two months ago when I would have a new team up to speed? Anyway, while I'm going through this, a guy that most people don't actually LIKE is now in charge of helping train new managers and helping develop current managers. I was told that the reason I'm being given the one person that doesn't know anything instead of him was that "he does better when he hires the people, and you work well with almost everyone." When it comes to training and REtraining people isn't it important to "be able to work with almost everyone?" I tend to believe it.  AND the girl he's training to BE a store manager can't stand him, and has actually requested more training time WITH ME.

I'm tired of this. I'm tired of my bonus opportunity dwindling because people won't get out from behind a counter. I'm tired of BRAND NEW District Managers QUITTING three weeks into the job because they realize what the boss's demands are, and he isn't reasonable, meaning, you are fucked.

I've been doing retail for 12 years now, five with this company, and I've got to say...I'm better than a trainer of 18 year old kids that forget to take their ADHD meds, and it is driving me up the fucking wall now, because I'm not going to blow someone to get to where I feel I've worked my ass off to get to.

Alright, these comments obviously are of my own opinion and nothing that my company would endorse, and as such, I am stating these without mentioning where I work.

On the personal front, shit is just weird. I'm broke, and have a trip to Vegas planned at the end of the month, and I think I may just spend my time at the pool (if I can drop another ten pounds before then), and drink free at the casino, doing the ol' one line one coin at the slot machine trick, with about $20 one dollar bills for tipping (NOT A CITY IN CHINA).  So there is that, and I really just wish I could come up with about $400 to use while there, but it's lookin REAL scarce. I may be able to float around a couple bucks one way or the other, but not the $400 I'd like.

But that isn't the meat of what's bothering me. I'm still kinda talking to the same girl. She stated about ten days ago that she was going to go out on Weds Night and try to enjoy herself, and that she was sorry she had been being a bitch to me.  I didn't think she had, having lost a friend a couple months ago, and having lost a loved one a lot more recently. I then found out she's been having problems with someone else not thinking she's the best mom, which seems a little preposterous.  So I let her know that while the apology was fine, it was unnecessary, and we hung out that night, had a pretty fun time, and then I walked her to her car, the two of us made out a little, we talked for a long while and it seemed good, but off.  This past week, she showed up to hang out again, and sat with me, my buddy Chris and his girlfriend, Kate, as we sang karaoke, and just enjoyed the night, and she was definitely preoccupied.  At the end of the night, we walked to her car, and we talked for a bit, but I pushed a little bit on wanting to know what was going on in her head.

She made the little "my lips are sealed with a lock n key" motion and I told her that while I enjoy talking about myself (as you readers know), I was soon going to run out of things to just talk about, and if that ended up being the case, one of us would get bored.  I specifically then said, "And if I end up being the one to get bored, I'm going to go find something else."  Her response was direct: "You won't get bored."  Um...

I didn't know how to take that, but I re-explained that I'm here, I'll listen, I won't judge and that, "What we've been through makes us who we are.  The things we did, and how we got to here, today, leads us to the people we will become."  It didn't change her stance, and I am not sure I expected it to, but it's just a little off kilter, and I need a little more to go on.

I will get bored, or I'll rack my brain, but either way, it's bugging me. Part of me likes the little staying out real late and having someone who is obviously interested in some way here, but I think I need a little more directness, and something else...

Anyway, so, that's where I'm at right now in life. A standstill, broke and pondering why I always find the ones with some issues that lead to awkwardness...I dunno.  And it's bugging me tonight, probably because I didn't go out drinking.

548: What's a guy gotta do?! My opinions do not reflect those of my company...

Today was a prime example of why *I* am a manager in my job, and those that believe they can do the job, are just the underlings that they will probably forever be. Today, I went into work 2 hours early, doing interviews for managers, and part time positions at another store.  I did not get to my store until almost 5 hours after my shift was supposed to start.  When I got there, this is what I walked into.
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-$500 in sales.
-Our shipment was not done
-Our trade ins had not been processed.
-We had to ship 100 pieces of PS2 because we don't carry it
-The other person took a BUSINESS Check, which we don't allow.
-The business check was accepted as a TRAVELER'S CHECK
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So Okay, I went in stride, I didn't bust his balls too much, his numbers were decent, he just hadn't completed ANYTHING.  Why? I don't know, the guy has been there for 3 years, knows what's expected and everything else.

So I get there, I double the sales in an hour (while I send him to lunch), I ship off the 100 pieces of PS2, accept the rest of the shipment and not only process, but PUT AWAY ALL 150 pieces of everything else, all between 445 and 600pm. This is insane. He leaves at 7:15, and my regional manager walks in while there are 6 other people are in the store, and I'm helping a customer with a wifi issue, but my boss's boss walks in and says, "So, do these folks have the plague, or...?" And I kindly let him know I was helping one specific person with their issue, but had acknowledged everyone. I also let him know the other person was off, and after about 3 other questions, my Regional and his family discussed what they wanted to get and then left without getting anything, and him saying, "You have a few holes on the walls..."

Are you kidding me? I busted my ass, fixed all but (are you ready for this) SIX holes on the walls, and that's only because the six people had probably picked up games they didn't want, and instead of placing them back where the hole was, made a new spot for them, leaving the open space on our wall. 

This was not the moment to state, "Hey, I deserve a promotion..." And it wasn't even the moment to go, "Do you know what I did in the last two hours...?" This was a "Yup, I'll fix those SIX holes in about three minutes, when I get a second." and then fix it in 30 seconds.

I didn't take it as bad, I took it as, matter of fact, and that's what I think it was.  I asked how a new manager was doing, he stated, "Good...they may even be better than you..." and my response was a humbled, "I'm not the best, I'm trying to become the best," and noticed him just accept that, as if my "cocky attitude" had finally been molded into something more formidable.

I don't feel beat up by him anymore, I feel ready. I don't feel scared, I feel prepared.  I don't worry about his visits anymore, but had I not worked harder than I work at christmas today, before he arrived...I may have felt his wrath like I did the first time I met him.

Funny thing is...I wasn't expecting him...I was expecting more from my team.

547: I'm going to use a life line...

We've all seen. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", right? well, finny thing about it is, that if you take out the million dollars part, we all still notice when we are part of this...or do we?

I am going to admit..,my personal level of intoxication at the moment leaves me in a place where I may actually misspell some things, completely write the wrong statement, or just look stupid, but tonight isn't about the little things, its about the, "Really?" moments.

So I was at my normal hangout, which at this point is proving to be more of a burden than anything else, as I saw a creeper named "Hiney" that was trying to give everyone else his new name, but while he was trying to show his side, I was telling people what to expect, and was tellin his story while he was trying to get close. Dude was so creepy, that he would stand behind the table and wait for an invite of ANY sort before he would finally just say, "Hey, what are you doing there?" and then sit down at the table.

I tried to explain that this was the creepiest of the creepers. The fact that I had stated to him, "Listen, you are creeping me the fuck out" months ago, only to recognize him as he bumped into me LITERALLY...

Anyway, all that, and then some. Life lines, reading of people's destinies in their palm, etc, has always been partially of interest. Tonight, this cute asian named Lynn mentioned she has been reading palms for a long while and stated tha tshe couldn't determine how long I was going to live, though at 25 I made a  life decision and that I wasn't 100% behind my current job due to something. Heh, vague enough to be true on all acounts, but it still had me interested in what she had to say. I'm going to see where this goes and keep abreast of the situation, and yet, not allow myself to be taken advantage of.  We'll see how that goes down, ought to be interesting.

On that note, going to eat somethign tonight, and now, before I worry folks.
Rob

546: what an interesting day.

So, today I went into work for an hour and a half on my day off, knowing the store was going to receive a visit from my regional director and another regional from a different part of the country. I wanted the face tome, but also wanted to show that we were prepared for whatever he wanted to ask and discuss. Well, while I was expecting his typical hard added self, I was elated to hear his initial reaction to how the store looked, which was a loud "YESES! THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" From there, the rest of this visit went amazingly, as he started talking numbers with me. My previous visits, he had never asked about them, but on this visit specifically, he did. In fact, I brought it up the last time, and his response was, "When the store is right, and the processes are in place, then I'll talk numbers with you." Having spoken with other managers, this is the first ANYONE has heard of him talking numbers, leading me to believe that he feels we are where we need to be,  and he believes we are doing it his way.  He even went as far as to say he wants to partner me with a few other managers and discuss sales techniques and such at our conference next month, which meant he knows his to make me feel good about my stance with the company. He left with saying, "I always ask that you show me what is your best, and every time I have been in here,  it has gotten better. And that's saying a lot, since I know I've spent a considerable amount of time here specifically."

Overall, a great visit.

Before my shift, I received a facebook message from the female of interest, which is interesting, because I was thinking my "hellos" and "u want to try to get together" were falling on deaf ears. It was just a simple "hey," but I hadn't talked to her in a while, knowing that she just had to go through the death of her dad, and she's got a lot going on. So, I tried to msg her back and FB on my phone acts up, so I couldn't tell if there was more that she wrote or not. I tested her later in the afternoon, and I told her if she wants something, let me know, and we'll move on from there. Told her I was here, but the capacity she wants needs to be a little better explained. She said it's a rough time for her right now, to which I let her know I understand, but she has to decide when it's time to move forward, but to take her time.

That's about all that happened to me, today, didn't go out, no trouble gotten into, and I looked into a little of it more of the bachelor party stuff for my friend Brian, and I think I'm going to get some VIP passes to either Aria or somewhere in the luxor in Vegas. Ought to be fun.

Ugh, it's already past one, and I have to be at the store at 8:30, so I'm gonna cut this off here.

545: Five years and this is the thanks I get...

So July 2nd was my five year anniversary with my current company, and let my state that it is the longest I've been employed by the same company ever. Sad, I know, but I was at Jersey Mike's Subs for 4 years, Best Buy for four years, Godiva for a year and AT&T for 2 and a half before this. I like my company, as the company seemingly tries to show it's appreciation to it's employees, while wrestling with the idea of being an NYSE company that always answers to the call of the almighty dollar. I get it, that's the business I'm in and understanding that, I know why we don't have payroll floating at all time high levels and why value on buyback is lower, I really do get that, but did I see myself getting a certificate for five years and a USB thumbdrive while I beg for a promotion? No.

Someone else got the promotion I have asked about for three years and I'll shed my disdain here.

I've been told you have to rank well and have the processes in place to get promoted. I'm in the top 7% of the company for the third straight year, higher than the two that have been promoted ahead of me the entire time.

I've been told I have to run a larger store to get it. While one of the managers is in a higher volume store, the other is roughly the same size and I've run mine with less payroll all year.

I've been told you need to get people promoted.  Now granted, I've had two guys ready to go, but since my boss fell asleep, no one else created openings, but I was able to recruit better that I the other two guys,  AND NEITHER of them have promoted anyone either. In fact they want to move my assistant to another Store so that I can take on another "project" and when I asked why not give the project to one of the guys promoted,  I was told, "He tends to do better with his own people, and you are better with Policies and Procedures..." WHAT?! REALLLLLLY?!

I dunno about any of you reading,  but that sounds like a design flaw that will be the death of that position he just got...If he only works well with people he hires or works with, how is he supposed to train someone to be a good manager?

I don't get it. It just drives me bananas,  and then it dawned on me. BOTH of the other guys have had other jobs on the table, one even left the company only to tuck tail between his legs and come back less than six months later...me? I've been the company guy with a big mouth. I've not put my resume out in five damn years because I thought I'd get somewhere, and I don't think I have that vote from people above me to get there.

Also, I don't kiss anyone's ass. I'm a gown ass man, my commendations, contest victories and ranks should say enough for who I am and what I've done...so fuck you if you think I need to polish the fucking corporate unit to get somewhere. They should be begging to suck my cock to keep me, and that's my attitude now. Suck it Trebeck.

To prevent any trouble: This message is the personal opinion of Rob Potchak and is not in any way, shape or form the opinion of the corporation he works for.