Work....

Hello again folks. I am back. Miss me? I am sure you did. Well today was my first day of "work" at Sea World. I had orientation all day. Like most places this ment several hours going over company mission statements, policys, and what not. And like most places this had one of my favorite things that man has ever created...the sexual harrassment video. I am sure if you have had a job in the last decade you have seen one of these fantastic short films, hell you probally have seen one of the ones that I have since I believe there are only about five of them out there. Now I am sure you are saying "Now Mark, that is just crazy talk! First how could there only be five of these videos? Next the last one I saw looked like it was made in the seventys, how could you like it?" Well kids it's not crazy talk, unless a company makes their own in house videos on sexual harrassment, then they go to an outside company to get one. Well I doubt there is a lot of competition in the sexual harrassment video world, so that is how there is only five or so of these gems out there. To answer your next question, I love these films because they are so totally, outragessly aweful, and dated. I guess it's sort of like a car wreak, it's aweful but you just can't help but look. Well for me it has actually gone one step beyond, not only do I look but I actaully enjoy them! Well Sea World had one that I had actually never seen before, it was designed espically for theme parks (read that as the guy talking was sitting in a non-descript theme park and the situations were also in a theme park, but it really didn't matter). This of course excited me, since I hadn't seen this one before it was all new and exciting for me. This one also had one of the few diamonds in the rough that you don't see often...the woman sexually harrassing a man! Well now that I have shared my love for crappy videos I can go on about the rest of the day. I got to meet some new people, including one cute girl who is working in a gift shop in the park (thou no one seems t0 know where this store actually is) and she seemed at least mildly interested in me. She said she is going to come visit me at work often, which if it actually happens would be great, because she is cute. In the afternoon we got to go behind the scenes to talk to one of the zoological people which while I noticed most people seemed bored with I found actually interesting. He showed us a hand full of holding tanks in the back with some manatees in them, and two others with a bunch of dolphins in them. He then took us into the park and to where guests can feed the dolphins up close, and we got to feed and pet them with out paying for the food, or fighting with large non-english speaking tourists to do so. I really enjoyed that. Several people got splashed, which I also found amusing (yes I am one of those people who delights in the misery of others, get over it.) But the highlight of the day, was lunch. We ate in the main employee gril thing, where the food was very inexpensive, and actually not bad. It isn't as good as the Universal grill, but is was good none the less. But, and here is why this was the highlight, they have free soda, all day every day, and they have.....wait for it.....MT. DEW!!!!! I am excited, now I can drink as much of that yellow-green nectar of the gods as I want for FREE! The entire park is a Pepsi park, so that means Dew everywhere. I have to go back on Sunday for my orientation with the F&B people and then I guess I will get my real schedule then.

I am sure most of you know by now, but incase you didn't in less then two weeks one of the years greatest events happens. Dragon Con in Atlanta! This is the one convention I look forward to all year, don't get me wrong Mega-Con and FX show are ok, hell FX is getting better every year, but they have nothing on Dragon Con. See shows like Mega-Con and FX are basically just dealers rooms filled with nerds. Mega-Con espically has moved more and more away from my interests (they are getting more and more anime shit, and I hate anime), FX holds my interest but it is just a place to buy stuff. But then there is Dragon Con, D*C (as it is often abbrievated) of course has a couple of dealers rooms, and the usual assortment of anime nerds, and the smelly gaming freaks like all cons, but D*C has some stuff that no other con can match. For one most cons end around five or six, I know people who don't think Dragon starts until seven or eight at night. At D*C there is something going on twenty four hours a day for four days. See most cons are held in convention centers, where as Dragon is held in three hotels (it's that big) so the party doesn't have to stop just because it is getting dark. That means you can get drunk as all hell, and just stumble back to your hotel room vs. driving somewhere. Also Dragon has a much more diverse group of people then most other cons, at Mega you will find mostly anime nerds, FX: toy collectors, but Dragon you get everything! Pirates, anime nerds, Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, Predators, Lord of the rings, chicks in coresets, you name it! And as I mentioned before, the real action doesn't start until the sun sets. Once it is dark everyone finds their way to the Hyatt's lobby bar area. This is where the party happens. Also at night people bring out their more risque "costumes" (read that as underware or duct tape being called a costume) and this of course is fantastic. The booze flows, and people get really, really drunk. Last year, while searching for "the whore bag" at four thrity in the AM I found a rave that was going on, and going strong. And normally I am not a rave sort of guy, but let me tell you, I saw things in there that have made me decide that this year I will be going to the rave! Also a huge draw for me is that lots of people come from all over the place to go to Dragon. That means that I get to see friends that I might only get to see once a year but talk to online a lot. This year is espically important because my friend Scott is going to be there, and right after the con he is being shipped off to Iraq. And last but certainly not least is that at Dragon Con there is a Droid Hunt! (actually the first Droid Hunt was held at D*C and I have played in every single one of them since) Of couse we have nearly our entire team from CIV (except the amazing Stewart and his wife Miko), and we have several years of D*C hunts under our belts, and we want to add a fourth title to our list. I am really looking forward to this hunt, and of course winning it! So if you don't know anything about Dragon, and reading the above hasn't convinced you go check out www.dragoncon.org to see more!

I have a short rant for you cats and kittens today, and it is actually about my damn kitten! As some of you know I have a sizeable Sideshow Toys colleciton of the Friday the Thirteenth twelve inch Jason figures. Well since Jason is mainly known for using a machate several of them hold one. Well one in paticular (the part six Jason) has a severed human arm holding a machate that Jason holds. Now this severed arm doesn't have a tight grip on the machate so it comes out very easily. Well I guess my dumb ass cat has figured this out, and now she gets on my damn desk, and seeks out this stupid thing! Every day I come home and that arm is missing the machete, and I find it across the house. Well a day or so ago I got tired of trying to find it so I super glued it in place. You think that stopped the cat?? Nope. I get up to find it in the kitchen sans arm. Meaning she broke the glue and got away with it. Now it wouldn't be a big deal if she wasn't chewing on the damn thing and leaving little tooth marks in it. Also I worry that she will take it, and put it under the stove or refridgerator and I will never see it again. I alreday know that there are parts to some random other figure under the stove. So today's plan is that I took some hot sauce (Tobasco brand Chipotle sauce) and rubbed it all over the blade of the thing. Hopefully the smell, and resulting taste will teach the cat not to play with it. I think I am also going to try to glue it again, that way she really has to bite it (thus tasting the sauce more) to get it off. DAMN CAT!

Well I am pretty much out of shit to talk about. Tomorrow I am going to Dave's house agian. I don't really have anything to do over there but I like going so who cares. I do think I will take my Jango bucket with me, as I need to sand off the blue paint on it. (I am repainting it with more accurate colors, and when I did the light blue reacted badly and bubbled up all over the place and needs to be sanded down). Dave has one of those nifty random orbital sanders, and I don't, and that thing will make short work of that paint. So until next time...eat more pie