Results

Final Score:

SMC 22 Pickering 15

"Warm up the bus! Warm up the bus! Warm up the bus!"

Don't care what your excuse is Dan. The only thing that matters is results!

Double Blue Day

Heading up (down?) to Hamilton today with Danny to see the Metro Bowl finals, pitting the St. Michael's Kerry Blues against the Pickering Trojans (many whom Dan coaches during the summer on the Scarboro Ghettoleague Team).

So you probably wonder why the hell am I going to a high school football game. Those who've known me for a long time will know that part of me lives in the past, in the "glory days" of high school. My two best friends come from high school. We live in the past all the time. We remember the times, when we cheered loudly in the stands about being superior to others, both in mind, and athletically.

"Ivy League (pointing to ourselves) - Devry (pointing to the other school's fans)!"

Leave out the fact that I did not attend an Ivy League school (not even close), and that 9/10 of the people in school were smarter than me. Doesn't matter, we had better, wittier cheers. The homosexual jokes about the all boys school is really only good a few times, then it loses its luster.

Yeah, I guess we were mean too. I guess that's why the school doesn't seem to have a cheerleading squad (supplied by an all-girls school in the city) anymore. I mean, would you go back if your teams fans threw doggy biscuits at you everytime you started a cheer???!!!

ohh...those were the days.

it'll be interesting if almost a decade after graduating, things are different. does it really matter? probably not. if we lose today, my boys and i will still have our memories.

just call me Al Bundy.

Prediction: SMC 34 Pickering 21. Sorry Dan, your boys are going down. Dreams of NCAA stardom dashed. I'll bring some Devry applications with me.

Go blue.

Aside

So here’s a side note story for you on my resignation day. This is so typical of my life.

One of my colleagues (whom will remain nameless), whom I consider a friend, was working on a file with me this year. He’s leaving the firm as well in the near future to pursue some other endevours, so I sent him a quick email asking him about the state of the archive file, and when we could get it done. I FYI’d him on my situation, and my intent to resign today. I told him to just keep it hush hush for a little bit so I could get the information to the partners.

He emails me back, with information on when he is available, and cc’s the partner. Typical stuff. EXCEPT that he forgot to delete the message history! So, this partner is probably sitting in her office wondering WTF is going on as I write this! Anyways, not a really big deal, especially considering who it was. Typically, this dude will beat himself up over stupidity over and over. So really, there is no work to be done on my part except to egg him on. I might be mad at someone else, but not this guy.

Damage control will be fairly simple. Resign to my partner, then walk right over and tell this partner. Done deal. But the fun of razzing this guy for the rest of his life is priceless!

Can’t get me down today!

Just call me Tom.

As many of you faithful followers may already know, I have accepted a new job at AnonBigTelco Inc.

The first question people usually ask me when I tell them this is: "So, what are you going to be doing there."

So here's my answer.

Just call me Tom Smykowski.

Eh? Think, Office Space - The Movie. Think, "jump to conclusion's mat". I think it can be summarized in this quote.

"Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?"

Well, ok, something close do that. My official title will be Associate Director of Revenue Assurance. However, it probably has less to do with Revenue and Assurance than that title might indicate. Basically, I will be a contract manager. I will understand AnonBigTelco's contracts, and ensure that operations are doing their jobs, and revenue/accounting are doing their job. There will be a function of quality control in there, but its not an "audit" position. Anyways, its a new role, so there is an opportunity there to make it what I really want it to be. So if you've looked closely at what I'm doing, and break it down into the meat of what I do, then I take the piece of paper from one guy, and physically carry it to another guy. Hopefully, I will have an assistant to facilitate this process.

Anyways, enough seriousness. Its exciting and new and should be fun, and perhaps even give me a little more time off on evenings and weekends.

Oh, and the most important thing coming from all of this??

Seoul Man, you win. You are officially the Last Man Standing. Whoever filled out the survey correctly, I owe you a drink.

Drink up news to follow at some point.

Yes you are

In response to a query from an unnamed source, the answer is Yes. You ARE a doofus if you don't know how to spell doofus. What would possess you to think that it was spelled doophis. That's just silly.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=doofus

doofus.

Cheque's in the mail

I've been told that for 3.5 weeks now. How long would you wait til you called the police? They have resort to pre-empting my call with a call to tell me the cheque's in the mail. How many times have I heard that it'll be here by "the end of the week".

With this and Frankie Fed Hall looming, I'm starting to wonder a little bit.

Note to Self

If you tell the ref to F off, expect to get a penalty. But it was worth it.

Also, I've heard from Lucas that if you comment to the ref about his mullet, you'll also get two minutes. But that's even more worth it...

Replaced

I've been replaced as Public Enemy #1 in KD's eyes. Thanks to Dan for assuming the position in such a graceful manner. I do presume, though, that I'll take the title back once the golf itch hits somewhere around March next year.

HAHA Dan, you do all that stupid stuff, and you still end up in the doghouse. WAY TO GO!

Fall Sweeps

The ratings wars are upon us as Neilsen goes about doing its semi-annual survey's to determine which TV/radio station gets to charge the most for an advertisement next quarter.

This has two implications on audiences - "shocking ending" TV shows.... and promos promos promos.

Yesterday, i was privileged enough to be involved in a promo for one of my clients, as an observer of a draw (and privileged enought o have to wake up at 4:45AM to get there for the draw - it was a radio morning show). Anyways, the station program director made a passing comment that was funny, yet true, and somewhat disturbing...

"its nice to see the same 100 contestants as last time"...

What he was referring to was the observation that the same 100 or so people seem to get tot the finals of these contests everytime they do something like this. These people, for lack of a better term, are known as "professional contestants", who make a living entering and winning contests by developing complex systems of maximizing their odds of winning. Some techniques are as simple as having multiple phone lines and super fast speed dialing systems, that allow them to get through faster than the average listening when given their "cue to call".

Anyways, i find it rather interesting/sad/je ne c'est quoi to see people creating "job opportunities" for themselves in unique ways such as this. I guess if you think of it, if they can go around entering a few of these every year, and winning just one every two years (some of these prizes include 1 million dollars, condominiums, cars etc), they could sell whatever they'd won, and prolly live a decent life for the next two years or more. So in theory, you could survive on these types of contests.

Still don't believe this? OK, here's a few googled websites for your viewing pleasure...

First one is a story about a dude, who made his living entering "hand on car" contests (those that require you to put your hand on the car, and last person with hand still on car wins it). - i keep picturing a guy like Dan going the distance on something like this - something that requires pretty intense concentration and sheer amounts of will power.

http://www.careerjournal.com/myc/success/20020822-mathews.html

The second is an actual resource website about contests that are available, and why/how to get "comped" on contests.

http://www.allaboutcompetitions.co.uk/compart.php?ArtID=61

So the point is two-fold:

a) i think your chances of winning a "dream" contest are significantly slimmer with these well grizzled veterens in your way

and the more important....

b) is being a professional poker player (note - NOT a professional gambler - ITS DIFFERENT!) really such a bad thing, given that there are people doing this kind of stuff?

The World Series of Poker only costs $10K to get in...who wants to back me?

Addendum

and I'm sorry i almost got your car stolen....


hahahahaha.