Christmas Presents!!!!!!

Neener neener to all the nerds out there ;-)

A must have book for all humanity... the uprising, it's coming... it is sooooo coming!!

New Zealand, land of Middle Earth, so cool!!

All pictures are best viewed with your head tilted to the side.

For a laugh

and if you liked that one, check out these as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgGfsf3eZ8

Amidala will never be the same for me again....

Survey Completed (except #32)

1) Was 2006 a good year for you?
It wasn't the best year, but it was definitely an interesting and entertaining year filled with surprises. Somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster ride as well.

2) What was your favorite moment(s) of the year?
Canada Day stands out in memory for me, and the long drive to Saskatchewan with my cousin. Highway 619 in Alberta will always have a special place in my memories and the hub caps on my truck will probably never fit the same because of it.

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
September 19th was a shitty day for me, that's when Prem let me know that I was terminated. The end of July wasn't the best, but things turned out alright even with both of those.

4) Where were you when 2006 began?
At work I think?!?

5) Who were you with?
People at work.

6) Where will you be when 2006 ends?
At the Eatery (www.theeatery.ca)

7) Who will you be with when 2006 ends?
Some of my Vancouver friends.

8) Did you keep your new years resolution of 2006?
Don't really do resolutions, but I do have some projects that I'm working on. Doesn't look like some of them will get done before the end of the year, but here's hoping.

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2007?
Have an exit strategy in place to get my ass out of Chapters and into something that I have passion for. Now, what do I have a passion for???

10) Did you fall in love in 2006?
I think I may have more stumbled or tripped rather than fallen, but whose to say.

11) Who?
Awwwww, do I have to decide now!!! Maybe I can just choose a celebrity from tv or movies or something.

12) Do they know?
It was all part of the July rollercoaster ride, so yes they do know.

13) Are you still in love with them?
Being friends is working out, but we'll see what happens when we are all grown up.

14) You regret it?
Nope.

15) Did you breakup with anyone in 2006?
Have to be going out with someone to break up with them.

16) Did you make any new friends in 2006?
Yes, I've allowed some nifty new people into my inner circle.

17) Who are your favorite new friends?
Blaise & Joel, Janelle is still blowing me off after the Stones concert. I think she hooked up with someone in the band ;-)

18) What was your favorite month of 2006?
Hard to say, probably May.

19) Did you travel outside of the US in 2006?
Nope, didn't even leave Canada, although Saskatchewan was like another planet.

20) How many different states did you travel to in 2006?
States - none, Provinces - 3 (they're bigger anyways so that would be like 10 states)

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?
My Aunt Jean died, then I got fired 4 days after the funeral. Talk about a shitty week.

22) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Yeah, some of my old Golden friends. They need to get their act together.

23) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2006?
Casino Royale was good, and so was The Good Shepherd. Although I have heard that The Departed and Blood Diamond are both good as well. Damn Leo!!

24) What was your favorite song from 2006?
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley. Fits with the mindset of the year.

25) What was your favorite record from 2006?
The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

26) How many concerts did you see in 2006?
None, I've been a lazy ass. Last concert I saw was Peter Gabriel @ GM Place in 2002.

27) Did you have a favorite concert in 2006?
Other than PG 4 years ago? I guess I would have had to have gone to one to have a new favorite.

28) Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2006?
Fair to middling. Not as much as I have in past years.

29) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2006?
Less than I wanted too.

30) What kept you sane?
Have to start that way to stay that way, but movies had a great deal to do with maintain my current sanity/insanity.

31) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Not that I can recall.

Hey where's 32?!?!?

33) What was the worst lie someone told you in 2006?
None that I know, but the people I hang out with shouldn't be lying to me anyways.

34) Did you treat somebody badly in 2006?
I'm sure I treated someone worse than I should have.

35) Did somebody treat you badly in 2006?
A corporation did, out of the blue they canned my ass and left other people with less experience in place or even promoted them. Can't say I'm not enjoying the ship burning as it is sinking too.

36) How much money did you spend in 2006?
More than I could have imagined.

37) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went for dinner with friends, had ice cream, watched Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean 2. I turned Eleventeen again for the 10th straight year!!!.

38) What was your proudest moment of 2006?
Watching my cousins playing the bagpipes & drums on the edge of Buzzard Coulee in their kilts on my Grandparents first homestead in Canada.

39) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
Explaining to Prem, what the hell was going on in July, moreso explaining to Jen Gee what was going on in July.

40) If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006:
What's done is done, let's see what happens next!!

41) What are your plans for 2007?
No specific plans, but I am looking forward to seeing what the new year brings my way. Good or bad.

Retail Sucks!!!

Well, it's been decided for me... I will be planning my exit strategy from Chapters. I will fulfill my obligation to Jen and finish out the year that I've promised her and I will probably even do next Christmas as well. I just don't have the passion or the patience. Without the passion for books that I have for cinema, I just won't put up with the bullshit of the general public. It was the beaaatch in line for the Second Floor Information Desk Till that decided it for me.

Beaaatch: "Why don't you put someone on another till here!!" (In an impatient huffy tone mind you)

Diana (one of the other managers): "We only have the one till at this desk."

Me: "The line up downstairs has 7 cashiers handling it. It does move a lot quicker."

Beaaatch: "It still too slow, why didn't you plan better for the busiest day of the year and have a second till installed up here."

Me (in my head): "Well if you had planned better you would have shopped last week and avoided this long line-up on how you said 'the busiest day of the year!"

Me (continuing to rant in my head): "You f***ing cow, we would only use the till once maybe twice a year to cater to stupid f***ing people like you! Give me all of your books and get the f*** out of the store, we don't need your f***ing money!!"

Me (out loud): "I'm sorry it just wasn't possible to install a second till at this desk."

Beaaatch: "Likely story, harrumph" (Yes she actually made the sound!!).

Me (as I walk away and in my head): "F*** YOU!!! :-)"

That was the one that pushed me over the edge, the rest had similar complaints though. How come the lines are so long, Why don't you have more cashiers, etc. etc. etc.

In response to those questions, Well it is the busiest day for retail of the entire f***ing year, and as for #2, well all of our tills are operating and have cashiers at them, if you would like me to pull a few more tills with cashiers out of my ass, you'll be sorely disappointed because my desire to bend over backwards to help you has run screaming from the store so F*** YOU!!!

There, that's better... I'm going to sit and watch some ultra-violent movie, maybe play some Quake 3.

Weather Adventures in the Big Smoke!!

Holy shit, did you see the fireworks on Thursday night!!!!

I decided to go to bed after watching the Colbert Report (well, first the Simpson, South Park, King of the Hill, John Stewart and then the Colbert Report). It was about 2am when it was over and when I turned off the TV I noticed the whistling noise that the wind was making as it blew through the slight crack in the slightly open patio door. So of course I closed that up and went to go to bed, not really thinking anything of it. When I sat on the edge of my bed, I thought that I might be getting an inner ear infection because it felt like the whole building was swaying back and forth. Then I realized!!!! The whole FREAKING building was swaying back and forth!!!! So I'm trying to get comfy in bed with the windows rattling and whistling, the building swaying gently back and forth and the occasional racket from outside as something metal runs into something else metal (garbage can into pole type thing). When at about 2:30 there is this brilliant yellow flash that lights up the entire apartment and then the power goes out. I look outside an everything between Pacific and Davie is out from my apartment to what looks like Burrard. Then the power comes back on... for a second... that's when I decide anything that will cost more than a paycheck to replace that is plugged in will be unplugged. For the next 30-45 minutes, I am now glued to the window watching the clouds race overhead occasionally being illuminated from below, by green, blue and sometimes purple flashes, as the power lines in various parts of Vancouver are shorted either by flying debris, which is floating around at the height of my apartment at times (21st floor by the by), or by tree limbs, or entire trees as the case may be. I'm pretty sure I saw the Wall Centre lose power several times that night. Since I had to work relatively early the next day, I decided that I should tear myself away from the destruction being played outside my window and try to go to sleep. About 10 minutes after I decided to try to go to sleep, I hear the sound of breaking glass and the little mail slot flap of an apartment across the hall start flapping madly in the wind. The next moring I found out that the apartment across the hall had one of its windows blown out and the apartment directly below mine had its patio door blown/smashed out. I think it was probably smashed by debris rather than blown out because the wind was pounding the opposite side of the building. It was quite the entertainment.

On another smashing note, my truck is all fixed, but it is still at the body shop. I was at work when it was ready for pick-up, so it will have to wait until Monday. Wa wa waaaaa.

The Continuing Adventures of James in the Big Smoke Part 4

Well, it's been an interesting week thus far and I've decided to rename some of my blog entries to kind of match the theme that they all have. Namely my adventures here in the Big Smoke (aka Big City).

A brief story about another encounter with a person from the fringes. So, I'm at work, the usual grind, wake up, get cleaned up, drink my coke and head off to work. Get to work and... well... work. That's the way it goes. So anyway, this guy comes up and asks me about the iPod shuffle's in the display case, asking me if it would be a good "starter" for his seven year-old son. It's a whopping $39 because it's an old school shuffle (big honkin bookmark size instead of stamp size), and really how much music could a seven year-old have downloaded. So for sure it's a good "starter" for a seven year-old. He asks me a few more questions and then wanders off to think about it saying he may bring his son by later to look at it. Well as it turns out he won't be seeing his son later, or bring him back to the store anytime soon. About 15-30 minutes later, I wander into the back, receiving area where our office is, and LP has their little jail. Guess who's been caught shoplifting a whole $24 worth of stuff. Yep, chatty iPod shuffle guy. I think if he is having to steal $24 worth of stuff the $39 iPod in the locked display case may be beyond his means. He wants to call his mom and is wondering if he'll be out that night. LP of course won't let him call his mom since they are now waiting for the cops to come and take the guy away. He get's his phone call after he's booked at the police station, apparently. He seemed quite nice when he was talking to me, but I don't know if that was genuine or not. I really don't know what to think... my distrust of people in Van is growing. Will I become a jaded, cynical Vancouverite? Or have I already become one? (I think Joel might think I'm already there) ;-)

and another?!?!?!

You Have a Phlegmatic Temperament

Mild mannered and laid back, you take life at a slow pace. You are very consistent - both in emotions and actions. You tend to absorb set backs easily. You are cool and collected. It is difficult to offend you. You can remain composed and unemotional. You are a great friend and lover. You don't demand much of others. While you are quiet, you have a subtle wit that your friends know well. At your worst, you are lazy and unwilling to work at anything. You often get stuck in a rut, without aspirations or dreams. You can get too dependent on others, setting yourself up for abandonment.

What Temperment Are You?

Right back at yah Blaise ;-)

Your Birthdate: July 6

For you, love is a natural progression from friendship. You are almost always friends first. In love, you are loyal, steady, and honest. You are not a cheater or even much of a flirt. You are likely to stay friends with your ex... and open to rekindling something in the future. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 4 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 5 You are most compatible with people born on the 6th, 15th, and 24th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

Your Dominant Thinking Style: Exploring

You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name. You are a challenger. You tend to challenge common assumptions and beliefs. An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles. You show people how to question their models of the world.

What's Your Thinking Style?

The (F***ing) Continuing Adventures of James in the Big Smoke Part 3

So my cell rings at 9 this morning after having finally decided to go to bed at 4. It's the building manager with some wonderful news. My first thought was, "I paid rent didn't I?" My second thought was, "There's lots of money in my account so the cheque shouldn't have bounced."

She finally killed the suspense with "it appears that your truck was broken into sometime overnight."

Third thought comes unbidden to mine head "MOTHERF***IN, SON OF A BITCH, WHO CAN I KILL!!!! ASSHOLES!!! F***********************@$^%&^*#)($)#*@(*#*(@)_"

So I crawl out of bed and head down to the parking garage. Sure enough the passenger side window is shattered, glass is everywhere. There's another guy in the parkade cleaning up glass in his car, he's resigned to the fact that it's inevitable in the city, but I'm still pissed. The center console is open and everything that was in it, is now on the passenger seat. "MOTHERF******, THEY DIDN'T F***ING TAKE ANYTHING!!!" Why the f*** would you smash a window and then take nothing. The face plate for the stereo was in there, why not take it and the stereo. There was a cell phone in the glove compartment, which they apparently didn't even check. Let alone the shit in the back seat. I would feel better if something had been missing, nothing in the truck is really worth anything and the stereo would have been covered by insurance.

So I wander back up to my apartment, call the police and report it, then call ICBC and find out I can just go to a shop since it's only broken glass. Or so I thought... it looks like they used a metal bar or something to smash the window, because they damaged the side of the window, a little dent and some paint damage. Now I have to go to the claim center and have ICBC do an estimate then I go back to the shop and they will fix it on the 13th. wooo. thppppt. At least the ICBC guy was nice, he vacuumed out the glass as best he could and put some plastic over the gaping window hole.

So now I have two open claims for my truck, meaning I need to come up with $600 to fix all the shit. Granted $300 of that was my own fault through my own impatience and stupidity, but now the karma police are paying me back for pissing in someones corn flakes. I now have the urge to beat the shit out of whatever person from the fringes of society that decides to approach me. Merry F***ing Christmas to me..... I'm on fire... put me out.... me, me, ME!!!

Whuuuffff!!!! There, I'm done venting, but I'm still pissed. We'll see if the plastic on the "window" is shredded by tomorrow morning and whether I'm in a better mood too.

Who's your daddy?!?