Journals
Memoirs of a Smoothie
James Archibald
They say that a person's workplace is a reflection of their soul.
Oh dear.
But I suppose it's partly true, in a way... I mean, I had made my first ever place of work - a smoothie bar in Clydebank - just the way I liked it. I was the only member of staff who was full-time, and as such I spent 45 hours a week working alone. Yes, it was exceptionally boring and lonely but it did give me an unparalleled level of freedom. There was an organised mess theme to everything. It was kind of like one of those themed parties except instead of a party, it was a mess. It was a system, and I knew where everything was (after an hour or two of searching.)
So imagine my surprise, nay, my disgust when I came in one day to find that not only had the place been tidied but also that every single bloody thing had its own labelled place to be. There was a labelled place in the freezer for the frozen fruit, a labelled place on the counter for the blenders, a labelled place under the sink for the sodding washing up liquid. Christ, the shop had been turned into one of those people who leave sticky notes on the fridge for people to read.
"Hi, I've gone out to get some milk. I'll be back in 30 minutes. Don't forget to feed the budgie."
I didn't care one bit about the budgie, I wanted my mess back.
It seemed that no matter how much of a valuable employee I tried to be the job would continue to break down my spirit and leave me teetering on the edge of the cliff of sanity, the wild sea of mental disability crashing against the rocks below. It became apparent over the months that the reason for this degradation was a subtle blend of a 12-track (I counted) compilation CD and the unimaginable stupidity of the general public.
I think it's a genuine form of torture in some countries to submit a person to a horrible sound looped endlessly for hour after hour, day after day and frankly, with the quality of the Clydebank Shopping Centre PA system, that is exactly what I maintain I was exposed to. Just imagine an album full to bursting with every single song you already hate played with such frequency that you begin to hear it as one painful never-ending loop. Sure, it's ok for the customers who are merely in for a couple of hours at most but it shows such contempt and malice toward the (relatively) innocent shop staff that I oftentimes found myself wondering if there was some great conspiracy regarding the shopping centre management, perhaps in an attempt to keep the general public subdued and thick enough to keep buying - shopping for too short a time to notice the atrocity being committed upon them. Or perhaps I was just a bit paranoid.
Certainly the mind-altering techniques just mentioned could account for the continued idiocy shown by all but the rarest of customers. After five months I had kind of hoped that in all the time I had worked there Natural Selection would have been more apparent and the thickies would have begun to thin out. Alas, people were as stupid on the day I left as the day I started. A tale which will stick with me 'til the moment I die began near the end of a particularly exhausting, eventless day. I was a mere twenty minutes from being able to lock up and go home, the anticipation of doing so almost palpable. Like any respectable shop, we had a charity box. It was small and simply asked for the suggested donation of 20p in return for three sweets from its ratty cardboard bowels. Sounds like a fair deal, no? Well, one guy came up to the counter and stood around for a while. I did the usual routine - stopped what I was doing, went over and asked what he wanted.
"Nothing, I'm just going to get three sweets from your charity box." He explained, as if it were a personal revelation.
Fair enough, I thought (albeit a tad peeved that I'd had to stop what I was doing just to hear that.) So I see the guy put 50p into the box and resolutely return to my business.
A few minutes passed before I suddenly became aware that he was still there. Thoroughly creeped out, I asked if I could help him with something. His answer would shake the very fabric of existence.
"I'm waiting for my change."
In the end what made me leave, however, was not being mentally anesthetized on a daily basis by the cranial downfall of others, nor was it the long, lonely, loathsome hours or the pitifully pathetic pay. What made me leave was the realisation that I had come to rue the sun. In fact this animosity toward something which had previously always been a symbol of joy and relaxation was so intense that I found myself genuinely depressed at the sight of a cloudless sky. Why, you ask? And why indeed! The sun is a wondrous thing, is it not?
It comes down to a simple mathematical equation wherein the number of moronic customers who want cool, refreshing fresh fruit smoothies is directly proportionate to the level of sunshine - the beautiful summer sun revealed as nothing more than the solar precursor of a massive bloody queue.
James Archibald
They say that a person's workplace is a reflection of their soul.
Oh dear.
But I suppose it's partly true, in a way... I mean, I had made my first ever place of work - a smoothie bar in Clydebank - just the way I liked it. I was the only member of staff who was full-time, and as such I spent 45 hours a week working alone. Yes, it was exceptionally boring and lonely but it did give me an unparalleled level of freedom. There was an organised mess theme to everything. It was kind of like one of those themed parties except instead of a party, it was a mess. It was a system, and I knew where everything was (after an hour or two of searching.)
So imagine my surprise, nay, my disgust when I came in one day to find that not only had the place been tidied but also that every single bloody thing had its own labelled place to be. There was a labelled place in the freezer for the frozen fruit, a labelled place on the counter for the blenders, a labelled place under the sink for the sodding washing up liquid. Christ, the shop had been turned into one of those people who leave sticky notes on the fridge for people to read.
"Hi, I've gone out to get some milk. I'll be back in 30 minutes. Don't forget to feed the budgie."
I didn't care one bit about the budgie, I wanted my mess back.
It seemed that no matter how much of a valuable employee I tried to be the job would continue to break down my spirit and leave me teetering on the edge of the cliff of sanity, the wild sea of mental disability crashing against the rocks below. It became apparent over the months that the reason for this degradation was a subtle blend of a 12-track (I counted) compilation CD and the unimaginable stupidity of the general public.
I think it's a genuine form of torture in some countries to submit a person to a horrible sound looped endlessly for hour after hour, day after day and frankly, with the quality of the Clydebank Shopping Centre PA system, that is exactly what I maintain I was exposed to. Just imagine an album full to bursting with every single song you already hate played with such frequency that you begin to hear it as one painful never-ending loop. Sure, it's ok for the customers who are merely in for a couple of hours at most but it shows such contempt and malice toward the (relatively) innocent shop staff that I oftentimes found myself wondering if there was some great conspiracy regarding the shopping centre management, perhaps in an attempt to keep the general public subdued and thick enough to keep buying - shopping for too short a time to notice the atrocity being committed upon them. Or perhaps I was just a bit paranoid.
Certainly the mind-altering techniques just mentioned could account for the continued idiocy shown by all but the rarest of customers. After five months I had kind of hoped that in all the time I had worked there Natural Selection would have been more apparent and the thickies would have begun to thin out. Alas, people were as stupid on the day I left as the day I started. A tale which will stick with me 'til the moment I die began near the end of a particularly exhausting, eventless day. I was a mere twenty minutes from being able to lock up and go home, the anticipation of doing so almost palpable. Like any respectable shop, we had a charity box. It was small and simply asked for the suggested donation of 20p in return for three sweets from its ratty cardboard bowels. Sounds like a fair deal, no? Well, one guy came up to the counter and stood around for a while. I did the usual routine - stopped what I was doing, went over and asked what he wanted.
"Nothing, I'm just going to get three sweets from your charity box." He explained, as if it were a personal revelation.
Fair enough, I thought (albeit a tad peeved that I'd had to stop what I was doing just to hear that.) So I see the guy put 50p into the box and resolutely return to my business.
A few minutes passed before I suddenly became aware that he was still there. Thoroughly creeped out, I asked if I could help him with something. His answer would shake the very fabric of existence.
"I'm waiting for my change."
In the end what made me leave, however, was not being mentally anesthetized on a daily basis by the cranial downfall of others, nor was it the long, lonely, loathsome hours or the pitifully pathetic pay. What made me leave was the realisation that I had come to rue the sun. In fact this animosity toward something which had previously always been a symbol of joy and relaxation was so intense that I found myself genuinely depressed at the sight of a cloudless sky. Why, you ask? And why indeed! The sun is a wondrous thing, is it not?
It comes down to a simple mathematical equation wherein the number of moronic customers who want cool, refreshing fresh fruit smoothies is directly proportionate to the level of sunshine - the beautiful summer sun revealed as nothing more than the solar precursor of a massive bloody queue.
- Written for a college assignment Dec '09
So, lately i've been running low on Internet credit so i can't afford to play l4d 1 or 2 online. So what can I do?? I'll tell ya, start L4D in console, load a map in singleplayer, set 'director_panic_forever' to 1 and then trigger 'director_force_panic_event'.
I usually can't survive the first level XD
I usually can't survive the first level XD
Given that the English-speaking community, except moddb, has largely left Half-life 1 behind in the ashes, I have to resort to French, Russian, and especially Czech domains to search out mods and maps to satiate my namesake.
Alright, kids. I just want to have your attention for a minute or two to discuss a very...innovative mod I found. You may or may not have heard of it, but the name is-get this- PIMP MY CAR.
Allow me to tell you a lil' about this fun little mod. It is three maps long, featuring in order: your house, your town, and PIMP MY CAR workshop. The objective of this game is very simple. You must needs to just get from one area to the next, by solving puzzles, finding buttons, and answering riddles. Reminiscient of the mod "Afraid of Monsters" but don't worry there are no monsters. You are given a shiny new hi-definition magnum at the beginning too, that's a treat.
So... for those of you who are getting a bit stale with mindless gruntfests and aliens that you are by now so familiar with that you can take down three at a time without loosing health, give this little mod a test drive. After all, puzzles can be really fun, you know.
Alright, whatya waiting for? LET'S GO PIMP SOME CARS!!
Alright, kids. I just want to have your attention for a minute or two to discuss a very...innovative mod I found. You may or may not have heard of it, but the name is-get this- PIMP MY CAR.
Allow me to tell you a lil' about this fun little mod. It is three maps long, featuring in order: your house, your town, and PIMP MY CAR workshop. The objective of this game is very simple. You must needs to just get from one area to the next, by solving puzzles, finding buttons, and answering riddles. Reminiscient of the mod "Afraid of Monsters" but don't worry there are no monsters. You are given a shiny new hi-definition magnum at the beginning too, that's a treat.
So... for those of you who are getting a bit stale with mindless gruntfests and aliens that you are by now so familiar with that you can take down three at a time without loosing health, give this little mod a test drive. After all, puzzles can be really fun, you know.
Alright, whatya waiting for? LET'S GO PIMP SOME CARS!!
My son woke up from a nap this afternoon, and he said "G-Man" to my wife.
My wife, clearly baffled, asked him "What's G-Man?"
He replied, "You know, in that computer game, with Alyx."
My wife, clearly baffled, asked him "What's G-Man?"
He replied, "You know, in that computer game, with Alyx."
My band just recorded 2 new tracks through our first record label.
www.myspace.com/positivechaos
The new ones are:
"Saturday Night"
and
"Neural Shutdown"
Let me know what you guys think. These tracks are just demos of the mixes. They're not mastered and the individual raw data tracks are on an external HD. So we can change anything we want at anytime!!! (For dirt cheap too hehe)
Comments / Criticism Appreciated
www.myspace.com/positivechaos
The new ones are:
"Saturday Night"
and
"Neural Shutdown"
Let me know what you guys think. These tracks are just demos of the mixes. They're not mastered and the individual raw data tracks are on an external HD. So we can change anything we want at anytime!!! (For dirt cheap too hehe)
Comments / Criticism Appreciated
Happy new years, faggots.
Here I am, counting down the hours and minutes till the new year and decade. The noughties. Man, what a mess we made of everything. If I were to sum up this decade in one word, I would pick destructive.
What word would you use to describe this decade?
What word would you use to describe this decade?
I love the citizens from HL2.
Case in point; I heard the following exchange from the medics in my squad:
Female medic: When this is all over, I'm gonna... Who am I kidding?
Male medic: What am I supposed to do about it?
At this point, I looked between them a couple times and used the male medic.
Male medic: Whoa, deja vu.
Anyone have any funnier conversations between citizens?
Case in point; I heard the following exchange from the medics in my squad:
Female medic: When this is all over, I'm gonna... Who am I kidding?
Male medic: What am I supposed to do about it?
At this point, I looked between them a couple times and used the male medic.
Male medic: Whoa, deja vu.
Anyone have any funnier conversations between citizens?
My new Heat-Sink came in last night. A full day earlier than expected. Got it installed last night and booted up this morning. Works perfectly. Unfortunately, the vibrating still persists; it's the PSU Fan that's making all the noise on this thing.
So can i just get an 80mm fan and replace it or is it better to just get a new Power Supply? (seeing as how this is a generic, no-name one that came with my $40 case)
In other news, I'm going to the New England Air Museum in about an hour or so. Hopefully they allow pictures, and i can grab some really good ones.
Also, I hate my job; I'm back working at McBrides Pizza, the place where I held my very first job. I'm back working there because it's close, and i've worked there before. Meaning, little to none job re-training. Anyway, everytime i step into work I'm reminded of the very reason i left in the first place; the job fucking sucks. It's 90million degrees in the kitchen, the AC's been broken for 3 years, and the exhaust fan isnt worth shit. Not to mention that it's OWNED by the main waitress and the bartender, so every little minute detail that's wrong you get chewed out.
TLDR; Computer's fixed, Museum in an Hour (Pics, Maybe), My Job Sucks
So can i just get an 80mm fan and replace it or is it better to just get a new Power Supply? (seeing as how this is a generic, no-name one that came with my $40 case)
In other news, I'm going to the New England Air Museum in about an hour or so. Hopefully they allow pictures, and i can grab some really good ones.
Also, I hate my job; I'm back working at McBrides Pizza, the place where I held my very first job. I'm back working there because it's close, and i've worked there before. Meaning, little to none job re-training. Anyway, everytime i step into work I'm reminded of the very reason i left in the first place; the job fucking sucks. It's 90million degrees in the kitchen, the AC's been broken for 3 years, and the exhaust fan isnt worth shit. Not to mention that it's OWNED by the main waitress and the bartender, so every little minute detail that's wrong you get chewed out.
TLDR; Computer's fixed, Museum in an Hour (Pics, Maybe), My Job Sucks
Heard of League of Legends? (lol, it's LoL 
)
It's a cool new multiplayer game in beta phase. It's almost like Dota, in fact it's created by the team who made Dota, on a entirely new graphics engine. This kind of game is not an mmorpg and neither a rts. It's a new genre of game, if I remember it's called MOBA(Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games).
I wasn't gonna download the client and install it, but a friend of mine insisted and I have to recognize, it's rather addictive. I'm at level 12 right now.
I joined it only this month and there where changes already. For example, the site changed its appearance.
There are all kinds of cool stuff in the game through which you can increase your champion's performance. Runes,mastery points....
I just want to let you know the game is very fun, and for those who like RTS, this will be like a magnet( I played lots of starcraft in the past, and I like a lot the "tower defend" maps, maybe that's why.... but I also loved standard battles).
)It's a cool new multiplayer game in beta phase. It's almost like Dota, in fact it's created by the team who made Dota, on a entirely new graphics engine. This kind of game is not an mmorpg and neither a rts. It's a new genre of game, if I remember it's called MOBA(Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Games).
I wasn't gonna download the client and install it, but a friend of mine insisted and I have to recognize, it's rather addictive. I'm at level 12 right now.
I joined it only this month and there where changes already. For example, the site changed its appearance.
There are all kinds of cool stuff in the game through which you can increase your champion's performance. Runes,mastery points....
I just want to let you know the game is very fun, and for those who like RTS, this will be like a magnet( I played lots of starcraft in the past, and I like a lot the "tower defend" maps, maybe that's why.... but I also loved standard battles).
Merry Christmas
I see that people are writing journals about what they've got.. so heres what I got;
a can of flatblack spraypaint
12"x12" Plexiglass
some screws and bolts
A prank book... I love my pranks. ;P
A T-shirt saying 'Party like its 1985' with a picture of super mario on it.. very thoughtful gift.. my birthdate was 1985.. and Ive been seen playing SuperMario world over and over again..
A sweater
and some good stocking stuffers like toothpast, shaving stuff and facial cleansers..
So ya, this year was great I got everything I asked for. All but one thing.
I wish I could have spent it with my family, like yes I like spending it with my girlfriends family.. but still I really missed them this year.. for the first time I realized exactly what christmas is about.. its about family. I'm the only Verret in P.E.I. now. been like that for a year now.. and ya, after a bit, it starts to really suck.. you begin to really miss those that were really close to you, especially whenever their your family.
Christmas isn't about gifts. There about families coming together. So yea,
it wasn't much of a Christmas for me. Sure I still enjoyed it.. but yeah, it just isn't the same.
Merry Christmas to ya's. Next---> New Years!
I see that people are writing journals about what they've got.. so heres what I got;
a can of flatblack spraypaint
12"x12" Plexiglass
some screws and bolts
A prank book... I love my pranks. ;P
A T-shirt saying 'Party like its 1985' with a picture of super mario on it.. very thoughtful gift.. my birthdate was 1985.. and Ive been seen playing SuperMario world over and over again..
A sweater
and some good stocking stuffers like toothpast, shaving stuff and facial cleansers..
So ya, this year was great I got everything I asked for. All but one thing.
I wish I could have spent it with my family, like yes I like spending it with my girlfriends family.. but still I really missed them this year.. for the first time I realized exactly what christmas is about.. its about family. I'm the only Verret in P.E.I. now. been like that for a year now.. and ya, after a bit, it starts to really suck.. you begin to really miss those that were really close to you, especially whenever their your family.
Christmas isn't about gifts. There about families coming together. So yea,
it wasn't much of a Christmas for me. Sure I still enjoyed it.. but yeah, it just isn't the same.
Merry Christmas to ya's. Next---> New Years!
So, didn't get any games or consoles, ect, but I did get some useful stuff, and some cash. My parents said they'd contribute about $250 or so to the computer when I start buying stuff, and my bro has been helping find parts for me.
On a more mapping-related note, I've been doing mostly source, and aside from having to redo some sections of cliff walls 2-5 times, it's been pretty good.
I will probably still finish Colony 42, or at least release the source if I can't go back to Goldsource after this, but it's on hold until Urby sends me the scientist lines I gave him. I realize he's a busy man, though, so I'll just stick to source for a while.
On a more mapping-related note, I've been doing mostly source, and aside from having to redo some sections of cliff walls 2-5 times, it's been pretty good.
I will probably still finish Colony 42, or at least release the source if I can't go back to Goldsource after this, but it's on hold until Urby sends me the scientist lines I gave him. I realize he's a busy man, though, so I'll just stick to source for a while.
I hope everyone's Christmas And Christmas Eve was safe (Srry, i'm sorry to hear about your oak incident) I got a lot of stuff i wanted, some i didnt even know i wanted until i unwrapped to see the magic. Once i get everything organized i'll edit with a list of what i recieved. until then, i need to spill this information.
Idk if anyone remembers my computer having random blue screens every now and again. I never found out what was causing the problem until today when i booted my computer up for the first time in 3 days to find the desktop unresponsive, and none of my computer peripherals were functioning; mouse, keyboard, any usb device..
Well come to find out my heat-sink was NEVER properly attached to my processor. And i probably would've lit the thing on fire if i hadn't used arctic silver. I opened my case to find copious amounts of dust EVERWHERE within my computer and when i got to the heat-sink, it was layered with dust. I cleaned off the dust to find the clips connecting the sink to the motherboard were broken! So that explains the hardware blue screens and the massive vibrations i'd receive upon startup.
I find myself blessed that i didnt cause more damage than i did.
So i popped onto my moms lappy (which i'm using right now) ordered another one off newegg that'll be here on wednesday.
I'm not too bummed, as i'm playing soccer tomorrow all day, i'm snowboarding Monday, going bowling Tuesday, and probably working Wednesday.
Anyway.. Here's some pics i took with my new Nikon D3000 Camera.
TLDR; Computers broken, could have been bad but is not, will be fixed soon, new camera, some pics, Merry Christmas!
Here's what i got. Quite a haul if i so say so myself:
The family got a new 40" LCD HDTV!! 1080p and prog-scan and all the goodies. We got a PS3, I got Band of brothers Blu-Ray Set. 5 dvd's with bonus features. Got a Complete car care kit: wash, wax, chamois, tire black, rim shine, armor-all interior care; you name it's in the box. As previously mentioned, i got a Nikon D3000:
And along with that i got 2, 4gig HD Sd Cards for memory. (holds total of 2K + pics) Got a case for the camera, 3 year warranty, and a 55-200 Zoom lens. My Girl got me new snowboard boots (nice white burtons, the no-tie, pull-to-tighten ones) assorted sweatshirts, pants, loads of gum (cant chew because of braces, i traded the gum for sweet tarts from my brother) I also got $40 gift certificate to EB games, some scratch-off lotto tickets (lost on most, only won $6 :-/ ) Got a Leatherman Blast
, a nice craftsman digital multimeter
And my father just handed me a card with $400 in it. He couldnt decide what to get me so he figured i'd treat myself to something nice. I will as soon as i can find time to do so.
Idk if anyone remembers my computer having random blue screens every now and again. I never found out what was causing the problem until today when i booted my computer up for the first time in 3 days to find the desktop unresponsive, and none of my computer peripherals were functioning; mouse, keyboard, any usb device..
Well come to find out my heat-sink was NEVER properly attached to my processor. And i probably would've lit the thing on fire if i hadn't used arctic silver. I opened my case to find copious amounts of dust EVERWHERE within my computer and when i got to the heat-sink, it was layered with dust. I cleaned off the dust to find the clips connecting the sink to the motherboard were broken! So that explains the hardware blue screens and the massive vibrations i'd receive upon startup.
I find myself blessed that i didnt cause more damage than i did.
So i popped onto my moms lappy (which i'm using right now) ordered another one off newegg that'll be here on wednesday.
I'm not too bummed, as i'm playing soccer tomorrow all day, i'm snowboarding Monday, going bowling Tuesday, and probably working Wednesday.
Anyway.. Here's some pics i took with my new Nikon D3000 Camera.
Here's what i got. Quite a haul if i so say so myself:
The family got a new 40" LCD HDTV!! 1080p and prog-scan and all the goodies. We got a PS3, I got Band of brothers Blu-Ray Set. 5 dvd's with bonus features. Got a Complete car care kit: wash, wax, chamois, tire black, rim shine, armor-all interior care; you name it's in the box. As previously mentioned, i got a Nikon D3000:
I got a severe case of poison oak on Christmas eve, so bad that my eyes started swelling up. Today one of them is practically swollen shut, so I'm basically blind in one eye. It's been a miserable, itchy, blurry-eyed Christmas for me.