Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in funknevil's LiveJournal:

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Wednesday, October 15th, 2008
4:11 am	called that one too... Recap for those that missed: Con minority, but (much) stronger than last time. So, my thoughts? Really, this was a no-brainer. I was a little worried that ABC would lead to a Con majority (what? later...). However, regional protest voting held out in the end. oh, I should probably cut this. ( Read more... ) So, at the end of the day, the minority was predictable. I'll go one step further and predict about 3 years of it this time (longer than the media kept stating, but I've given my strategic reasons). Also, we'll see it acting like a functional majority, with some level of schizophrenia in the pragmatism depending on what party is being courted for support on the given issue. Personally, though, I like minority governments. From my personal point of view, this is as realistically ideal a House as I was going to see this election. Do I win? Current Mood: sick (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 28th, 2008
2:49 pm	its me again. Its me again, yo. 1. Work still sucks. Worse than ever now, that I am constantly fighting with this piece of shit software that doesn't work (adding 2-3 hours per day to my labour balancing) and asshole IT guys that are too chickenshit to admit anything is wrong because they lied to the VP and told him that everything was working. They did this, then canned the tech/receptionist. As a result, I have just given up trying to get my work done, as I don't have time to work 12 hour days just to stay only a little behind. Hey at least I allegedly got a raise, but I don't know, as I am still on with the temp agency. FCL never called me, which may mean that they are still hiring zounds of accountants and haven't got to me, or it may mean that I'm done applying with them... I might be across that over-qualified line since they like to put new hires through the base-line unionized financial people, which may mean a pay-cut (and they know it). 2. Classes are hard, yet tedious. The subject matter is difficult and uninteresting. Also, some of the treatment rules have changed in the past 2 years, so stuff I know is possibly wrong now. This means that I get to slog through boring material that is not new, with a high level of attention because some of the rules have changed. Add the fact that the landlords turned on my boiler (and my apartment is fucking sweltering) and I fall asleep at the computer. Boo. 3. I have soem LARPing stuff going on. I went out the the new MbN game that Gord is running, and it was pretty good. I also think I have a new LARP recruit that I'll take credit for. I am slowly, but surely, ramping up to get more Hunter thoughts moving. I am a little behind in my class, so that has to come first. But this time, it is only a little behind, and I think I might be able to actually get ahead (god help us). There are some murmurs about another mortal game wanting to run, and I've tossed an email to them (I think), so might go with a merger instead. If not, dear readers, fear not... I intend to forge ahead in due time, though potentially having to muscle in on someone else's game night (we're running out of Saturdays, and I work Fridays, so those are out for a "big game") I suppose I could wait until X-mas and throw in for the next SbN ST race, but that's not quite what I want to do. 4. Concerts: include NIN, and I intend to go to GWAR, and I shall try and make the one in Sutherland on Friday, and there are certainly more that are possible. That pretty much sums my life up right now... I try to be as social as possible too, but there are a diminishing number of hours in a day it seems. Current Mood: busy (Comment on this)
Thursday, September 11th, 2008
9:23 pm	And time to move on... I must say, that the past few weeks have been informative, and leave me uneasy as to the state of my employment. Not saying that I would be in much danger of termination... I tried to quit once already, without success. However, the carrot of essentially "apprenticing" under the much learned accounting guru is again rapidly fading, due to poor health. Though this is not the fault of anyone, it very much is the fault of the GM that his entire retention strategy hinged on the impending return. To be fair, my entire strategy for the potential completion of the year end statements also hinged on that return. The rest of the department works hard, but unfortunately lacks, well... the ability to do real accounting. Of course, this is not helped by the fact that they do not know what areas they are missing. We are suffering turn-over in the office ranks. I was anticipating this, as the organization is merely a full quarter behind on the yearly raises now. Oh, did the second-in-command just move down the block for way more money? Yes, and as a matter of fact, he's willing to act as a reference... he may be a jerk at times, but he's a straight-shooter. The rest of the management types are fond of games. That means that I am also rightfully distrustful of those in positions of authority. It appears that my lengthy temp employment is not about to end any time soon, as it is really a budget game in which the majority of my wages are being called a recruiting expense rather than an accounting salary. Basically, this means that should I remain employed there, I can anticipate non-existent raises, no benefits, making 2/3 of industry average, with zero job security. Of course, this didn't come as a complete shock, but it has been confirmed by co-workers now. Current Mood: discontent (Comment on this)
Monday, August 25th, 2008
9:38 pm	Weirdness... I was pretty sure that I was going to get seriously dicked around in returning to accounting. Now, it looks like I might move back regardless of no purchasing solution being had at this moment. After expecting too many games from management, now I am caught offguard as my "imaginary carrot" starts to materialize in a way that has a "mirage carrot" appearing over there on the near horizon. Of course, we're still waiting to see the severity of the upcoming turn-over, so this could still suck a lot of hole. Work is spookily calm as everyone waits to see how things are going to fall in the next few weeks. Current Mood: nervous (Comment on this)
Monday, August 18th, 2008
5:49 pm	ouch So, I finally feel better. I had been sick pretty much all last week, and tried to keep working. I made 3 days. Friday, I was trying to go into work anyways, and dropped the heavy-ass glass cakepan. Shit! I thinks. If tempered glass breaks, it explodes! So, like anybody of reduced mental capacity, I catch it... of course, I use the top of my foot. So, my foot still hurts. Sometimes, not so much, but sometimes quite a bit. I finally had a bruise appear today, but it was not where the injury is (rather it is down the foot). I am suspicious of a lovely potential hairline fracture, which they cannot really do anything with, rather than to tell me to elevate and rest it. This, of course, would mean that I wouldn't be walking to work, and would probably not be getting paid... not that I like my job, but I sure like shelter. I'll have to keep an eye on it. ... I CAN move my toes (but it hurts to straighten them). I've got this odd pain/stiffness in my ankle and leg, but that could just be from the overcompensation. On the other hand, just being able/trying to walk on it is no sure fire indicator... I've seen it done, and tried to stand a few times with a broken tibia and fibula (technically, the last break was only "near" my ankle). On a better note, I am feeling kinda happy right now. Things are ok-ish. Current Mood: chipper (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
10:18 pm	at least the pain stops. See, I broke my tooth. It isn't as bad or surprising as you might think. It was really the tooth that was already in danger from the evil mutant tooth that I have. It was the tooth that the university dentists would not treat, despite their big talk about doing so. Now, it is the broken tooth. of course, after the first few days of discomfort disappeared, I forgot about it. Tonight, I realized that this also means that the discomfort in the months leading up to this incident is gone. But, that is still no reason not to quit my job and find one with dental. Current Mood: relieved (Comment on this)
Friday, August 8th, 2008
8:04 pm	I hate my job and wish it was on fire That pretty much sums it up. I don't hate my work-place. I don't hate my boss. I don't hate my co-workers (despite them making my job harder). I just hate my job. I hate it with the fiery passion of wanting to start it on fire. TRIAL PART 1: I hate my vendors. Please tell me, kind sir, why, when your sole reason for being paid is to distribute good to me and others, do you insist on fucking it up? I seriously had a vendor make a snide comment about me not reading quotations when they offered a material that was nothing like the one that I had requested. Nevermind that the material that they were offering was cut-off by their computer program. me: I just want to check that this is what I asked for, because there have been some mix ups today (rather, said vendor has fucked up multiple orders that I have spent the day fixing). vendor: No, it isn't. me: *and deciding to be better safe then sorry* maybe you should quote the right material. ..... me: (later) so, you are going to bid what I asked for? v: I could call my supplier. me: Maybe you should do that. ..... me: (end of day) so, are you going to bid on that material. V: you should pay more attention to what I quote. (somehow it is my fault that you are a fucktard?) me: *blink* OK then. *hang up* TRIAL Number the second: I have spent 18 hours in the past 2 days searching for weird parts. OK, not weird, but competitor parts. Fighting hard to find proprietary parts manufactured for competitor machines... for delivery in less than 48 hours. This morning: Hey, about those parts... I just got off the phone with the customer, and only the casing was from the competitor. The rest was custom. Me: ... but... 19 hours (of the 19.5 I worked in those 2 days)... why do we just find this out now. other dude: Think of it as... um... good practice? Me: *blink blink* but now I am 2.5 days more behind on everything else that I was already behind on... dude: Well, honestly, I don't know if you still need those parts today. We'll know later. Me: Well, half of them flew in today, so if we don't, we've got some damn expensive parts sitting on inventory right now. That, and I'm not ordering any more until you get back to me. (methinks that the true impact of this will occur Monday when questioned as to why the parts that I was told not to order are not magically in the building.) conclusion? Perhaps it is that you will find amusement in my stupid vendor stories and the pain of my job. Please enjoy, though everything will post recent-down, so the next post may not make sense as to being on theme. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
10:20 pm	Stately Bruce reactor So, in doing some new searching on a site that I haven't been frequenting much lately, I come across nuclear talk in Sask. I find this to be quite exciting, as we look to be moving further away from the have/have-not cutoff (remember kids, we were pretty much the line). I find this especially exciting because it means that we'll be doing something value added, which for our resource based (read exploited) economic region, is something worth celebrating. Now, the facts of the matter are like this (don't argue them... I've had a few research papers on this): 1. Saskatchewan is the world's largest producer of Uranium, accounting for around 1/3 of the total. 2. Saskatchewan has a nuclear reactor already, and has for years... rated as a "research reactor" at the U of S. 3. Saskatchewan does not store its own waste from the reactor, instead shipping it out of province. 4. The mining sites DO store their own nuclear waste. 5. DGR (deep geological repository) is seen as the most (only?) currently viable waste control solution, and only limited regions of the planet are suited for this (Saskatchewan being one of them). I could continue, but the end result is that we were going to have to address the nuclear question eventually... and to be fair, it was verging on being forced on us by the feds (welcome to the political wasteland which is "the gap"). So, I am excited by all of these talks. Fear mongering does nothing to me, as I know that a CanDu does not meltdown, is actually responsible in terms of waste management (doesn't require the enrichment process), is more economically viable... etc, etc. The only problem that I really have with this... and its a biggie... Bruce. It seems like every time I see a nuclear problem up here, these asshats are involved. I would much rather see my tax money go to government initiatives, which would ensure transparency and accountability. These guys are friggin clowns... disbelief, look at the state of the Ontario nuclear energy environment, and which name keeps popping up. Hopefully, by the time this seriously gets off the ground, a real group will have stepped in. Saskatchewan government? Canadian government? AECL? Cameco? COGEMA/Areva? Anyone with interests in not seeing Bruce fuck this up? I don't know that they are necessarily "evil"... it is possible that they are just not all that smart and don't learn from their mistakes (and penalties, and fines, and contaminations, and shut-downs). I will be so pissed if this ends up falling through because of these pricks from Ontario. That would mean another generation of coal and oil stations. I believe that will hurt our environment (actually being the worst alternative), economy, and growth. There is an opportunity here for a lot of good. There just needs to be more intervention from stakeholders. I just don't have faith in these guys. Current Mood: cynical (Comment on this)
Thursday, June 12th, 2008
9:56 am	updates? Procrastination may result in an actual update this time. I've ditched so many drafts over the past weeks I am stunned. Stunned pretty much sums it up. Sorry for the explosion of information here, but I am very scatterbrained lately. ( Read more... ) Current Mood: okay (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 17th, 2008
10:18 pm	Three days stubble Holy hells, Batman. The guy is still kicking! Well, this is a fair enough surprise. I've been busy and out of communication. Work is full, as usual. I learn by the end of the month whether they intend to keep me on permanent. Why the end of this month? Well, my lease is coming up, and I'm not renewing it without an offer. Saskatoon blows for housing right now, and things are just getting nastier in the market. Got a new new phone today. For the record, it is difficult to find a decent cell phone provider in Saskatchewan. Sasktel is a joke, and want to keep $500 for a year and a half to give you the privilege of using their service. Virgin lost face... well, actually, they lost any concept of customer service and fucked up my account so bad that they just gave me a full refund and we parted ways (and they still haven't got their shit together... it just isn't my problem anymore). So, I'm trying the FIDO, which is unfortunately on the Roger's towers, which means crappy coverage (but so far, phenomenal customer service, and they actually provided service after I gave them money, unlike another company). So, for those out of the loop, I did shave my head, and I've been redoing it about every 3 days. With the weather finally getting warm though, I think I might have to get all ready for summer (sunscreen and shades, perhaps). So, I got my list of things to do should I get to keep my job. I think I'll pick up a bike (the pedal kind). I know I'll do tai chi again (went the other night, and it will be kinda like falling off that aforementioned bike if that session was any indication). I've been meeting new people, and getting reacquainted with a few old people. I've been struggling, but keeping afloat in my class, despite the stupid amount of work (which doubly pisses me off because I work X overtime and trigger higher deductions resulting in lower take-home). I'm just getting all weird and antsy over trying to keep things under control without knowing where the next couple of months are going. It makes me twitchy. Current Mood: weird (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 6th, 2008
2:35 pm	As promised... WARNING: Offensive religious commentary inside. ( Read more... ) As Jim Lahey would point out, I've just unleashed the shit wolves. Current Mood: thoughtful (Comment on this)
Saturday, April 5th, 2008
11:16 pm	Politics Inside Every-so-often I actually make a post with some meat to it. I've actually been saving some of this stuff up, because work has been pretty busy lately (and I got briefly behind on classes). OK, first the fluff: work is still awesome, and I've gotten a couple of calls with people from worse jobs trying to recruit me (yay). I'm also into my CGA classes (finally) and hoping that I can get into a study routine. and now, the controversy, such as it is: ( Read more... ) With that, perhaps tomorrow will be religion. That requires a bit more oomph, and I lack the ambition right now. Current Mood: blah (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
5:58 pm	The Go To I imagine that at one point in time I was a "go to" guy. I never really had a lot of stuff or money, but I knew people. A great deal of these people were willing to do things for me, and I would, in turn, do things for other people. There is something of an economy in networking, I suppose. Things were generally fine, as I always had an ear to the ground. Talking to a diverse group of people generally meant that I was able to find things that could challenge others. The sales and public jobs helped, as you had to talk to people anyways (so you might as well listen to what they have/what they need). I think I kinda lost that when I got to university. Sure, it may have been degenerating over time, but the move to academia was a huge blow. It became increasingly difficult to balance the competitive nature of my field with the cultivation of diverse networks. The networking suffered. I think that I might look into pursuing this role again. Opportunities have arisen to allow me to put my networks to use again. "How do I find...?" "Who might know...?" I think that my name could be one of the answers. It used to be, and now my reach stretches even farther. Of course, this may require the burying of some hatchets, etc. I think I shall make a project of this, so long as it does not interfere with the career. ------------------------------------- Speaking of which: my brand new textbooks have been cracked and some study has been done. I suspect that this will take a bit more discipline than the university, as I am no longer a full time (self-defined: "employed as a") student. Still, the monetary motivation is pretty friggin clear. I'm reeling from potential success. (Comment on this)
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
9:04 pm	Back to life... back to reality And back to Canada. Texas was actually a nice place to visit, but yada yada. It was 30C when we got off the plane... Jebus that was a system shock. Unseasonably warm even for them, we learned... it was just the state's way of saying howdy to those of us that had snow when we left. The food down there was awesome AND cheap. Even the places that we were warned about being over-priced tourist traps put our menu's to a weeping shame. I ate mucho Mexican food, as well as steak, BBQ, Creole, and other delightful things. My biggest food surprise of the trip was that it is apparently possible to prepare tender gator (which was tasty, though I don't entirely agree that it tastes like chicken). My second was the pleasant realization that Texas also does not excessively corn-feed its beef... important news for us prairie folk that have the misfortune of ordering steak in the wrong state (hmmmm... why is the fat yellow again...) All in all, I found the people friendly (at least at work and in the service industry) and very boisterous. I was a little put-off initially, but reacted quick enough to redeem myself (and my team) before leaving. Did I bring you anything... nope. Didn't bring myself anything either. Forgot my phone adapter there though... fuck. That means no calling until I get the chance to hit Sasktel and price out a new one, which is harder now due to the vehicle situation. Also, I must spit on Sasktel's shitty online catalog services, as I cannot price out the piece when I get so many errors... way to keep a high level of quality. So, I go into work tomorrow, and wonder if I've got to make some sort of report. I also get to get other stuff caught up, hassle the tech guy about our computer system, shake down the workers for their donation moneys, learn how to do a specific internal compliance task/audit, and other stuff (busy Monday, huh). So, hopefully all is going well. I also get to go pay my late rent... serves me right for leaving the country when I did. I couldn't afford to pay it earlier though, so there was nothing to be done. Anywho, that's the latest. More on other stuff later, I suppose. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 25th, 2008
5:01 am	I'm off I'm totally off to Texas for work. I've got no idea on my internet access there, so you'll just have to suck it up an wait until I get beck to hear what I got up to. See you in a week. Current Mood: anxious (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, February 21st, 2008
8:23 pm	F-day This week, F day is a 4 letter word. Certainly, most people are happily sitting with their knowledge that F day is the start of a wonderful weekend. I am not one of those people. My day today was filled with little tasks, most of which I completed with gusto. I really think I am loving this new job. The frustrations are many, but understood, and no one expects miracles. I have been processing gov't reports, doing hour tracking, invoicing, and all sorts of interesting new tasks. If I could only make the magic information box give me all of the reports I need, I would be a force to be reckoned with. Which brings me to my current adventure: travel for work. So, my passport finally came, with Canada Post taking 8 business days to deliver a regional express post registered letter (standard of service is 2 days... I really must remember to contact them). I have purchased my travel insurance, my bank is excited about the expenses and has increased my LoC to accomodate... so everything is, more or less, under control. I do hope that some real luggage (vrs fancy dufflebags) can be borrowed from Edmonton, but I won't know if that is possible until Saturday. So, what is the problem? I hate travel. I hate traveling far. I hate the knowledge that I am going into a training session where I am anywhere from 6-18 months behind everyone else. I hate the fact that I am doing this during a week that I REALLY could use to be in the office to do, you know, accounting work (payroll, month end, you name it). Also, it is supposed to be friggin hot there (forecasting 20C and up). I'll have to suck it up for certain, and everything ended up working in the end, but jebus. I suspect that I've been mighty short with people lately, and I apologize, unless you deserved it. Current Mood: grumpy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
10:52 pm	Curses I had been considering going to see a cheap flick tonight. Instead, I think I got the flu. I was hoping that this wasn't the case, but the symptoms, they keep coming. I took off from work a few hours early, and I think that I'm going to be staying home tomorrow if things do not improve. I will be going back to bed shortly. I've slept a whole bunch today and am still fatigued. Yuck. Stupid engineers at work exposing me to their death flu. Current Mood: sick (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 28th, 2008
6:21 pm	Keep your weather! I do not want it! In Saskatoon we were blessed with the fact that our cold and blizzard did not come at the same time. Blizzard, you ask? Yes, that would be the "light snow" that Environment Canada is referring to. To be absolutely fair, most of the snow was not actually falling. This does nothing to change the fact that visibility was so good that I missed my turn off to get to work or the fact that my truck bed is now full up with snow. Work today was... special. It was not as hectic as Friday, which was good. I was also done at 3pm. What? Well, you see, the test of the new time punch system was supposed to be this morning, so I had to be there, despite the light snow, for when the morning shift was coming on. Getting there, we found that the computer was password locked, so the early morning was all but pointless. I've started my SAP tutorials. They are not that interesting, or useful so far. I cannot access the one's specific to my position yet. At least I can access the local shared data drive now... I have work email. I have never before had my own work-related email. I find this odd, as I worked for nearly a year for a public accountant, where everyone else had their own. Maybe I did and no one ever told me. This also means that I am now learning to use Outlook. Hrrrrmmmmm. I got my passport ordered. I was assured that it could still be mailed to me and arrive on time. I asked twice, as I am paranoid, and I will be a nervous wreck should my travel date hit the week countdown mark and I have no paperwork in hand. This means that I saved myself $10. That is a very necessary $10 this week. Well, its only colder from here on. I hope the truck starts tomorrow. I never did find the block heater cord (I've looked 4 times). I suppose there is one benefit to driving a piece of shit jeep over anything else... that being the piece of shit is still a jeep and everything else isn't. My engagement of ramming speed to get into the parking lot at work was quite effective. I haven't had that much plough power since the olds. Broke through at a nice, parking lot speed with enough momentum to be able to ram into a spot as well. No getting stuck for this guy. Current Mood: tired (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008
4:13 pm	Holy Sweet Mother of Stuff I applied for a sweet jorb on Monday. I go to work Wednesday morning. Not only is it a job in field, it is one that I really really wanted. Wow. Just Wow. Current Mood: working (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 21st, 2008
12:19 pm	Update Dropped off a resume at 9:30 this morning. Got a phone call at 11:30. I have an interview at 4:00. This is officially my new fastest call-in and set-up ever. That title was previously held by Heartland Health Region with a call time of 3.5 hours for an interview 20 hours from the call. New record: 2 hours, for interview 4.5 hours from the call. Of course, this is the reschedule because she realized that she couldn't make 2:00. Zowie. Kinda makes me wish that I had been able to sleep last night. Now I've got to devise a way to remain alert for probably another 4.5 hours. I sense a pot of coffee going down starting in about 15 minutes. Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)