:: Captain's Personal Blog ::

Stardate: Monday, June 30, 2003

Bad Corporate Ineptitude

One of these days, I am going to reveal to the world where I work. For now, though, I will have to be vague when I describe this terrible wrong which has been done.

I have been working at my present place of employment for just over two years. Back on the day in late March 2001, I met a man named Tyrone. He was sitting at the reception desk on the floor which I (at the time I didn't know this) would be working on. I was there to interview with the man who would be my boss. I was very nervous, having just worked a full 9 hour day before coming for the interview (one of the hazards of working the early morning shift) and also because it was a job interview. Who wouldn't be nervous? (don't answer that.)

Anyway, Tyrone talked to me. He seemed like a nice guy. He calmed me down a bit, and most importantly, he knew when to talk (and what to say) and when to leave me to my thoughts. When I walked out of the interview, he said he would see me soon. I don't think it was in any sort of knowing way, but it made me feel better.

Two weeks later, I came in to start work. He remembered me right away. We spent the next two years talking, on and off. He was a great guy. He was a hard worker who knew his stuff. He knew when to follow the rules to the letter and when to bend them, ever-so-slightly.

This morning, I found out that just moments after his shift ended on Friday, he was let go. There were possible reasons, but no one left seems to know what the real reason could have been. To my mind, no matter how big a company is, when someone is fired, the news gets out as to why, if not for any other reason than to just serve as a warning for those left behind not to conduct the same sort of behavior. This isn't the case here. No one really seems to know.

I find this sad. Especially in a setting such as ours where security is key, to just fire someone for no apparent reason, especially someone who was as well-liked and who was as hard a worker as he. He will be missed terribly.
:: J 12:03 PM [+] ::
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Yay for James T. West and Artemis Gordon!

Courtesy: Excite.com
On this day in history: Jun 23, 1860 - The U.S. Secret Service was created to arrest counterfeiters.

:: J 2:56 PM [+] ::
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John Williams is the best

You know, some may think of me as mildly handicapped. Not necessarily in the physical sense. I just don't listen to the radio. I also don't watch music television. Reason being that I can't find anything that I want to listen to. Instead of listening to most popular music (I pretty much listen to some forms of modern jazz and oldies rock, ala EARLY Beatles) I listen to film and television scores.

More than any form of music that I have been exposed to, these pieces of music are the ultimate in mood music. You can take from them their original meaning (their usage in the films/shows that they are from) or use them to score moments in your life. Either way, it works for me.

Now, the other day, for no reason whatsoever, I started humming a piece of music from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Before you leap to conclusions, it was not THE STAR WARS THEME or THE IMPERIAL MARCH. Instead of those more popular pieces of music, I began humming the piece of music called THE ASTEROID FIELD. This is a piece that I have heard in my life more times than I can count, and is probably my favorite whole piece of music from the film.

It begins with variations on THE IMPERIAL MARCH which signify the Star Destroyers chasing the Millennium Falcon. Then, John Williams uses the orchestra to narrate the humor/tension of the situation. The scrambling to find out what is wrong with the ship and why it won't go to lightspeed. Then, an ominous rhythm to signify the entrance to the Asteroid Field. Williams' clever use of the orchestra almost gives voice to the colliding asteroids. Then, a hero motif of the Millennium Falcon flying through the field, dodging asteroids with Tie Fighters crashing behind it. Some more humor/tension in the cockpit, followed by a crescendo to the final fly through the final, large asteroid, ending in the explosions of the final fighters. Then, musically, we follow the Falcon as it loops through the air, and into its hidey-hole.

Now, my explanation of the piece certainly doesn't do it justice, but I defy you to watch the film, at that point, and say that it isn't one exceptional piece of scoring. Of course, the actors and the wizards at Industrial Light and Magic helped, but Williams adds dimension that is remarkable. Of course the score to the rest of the film is phenomenal as well. THE BATTLE OF HOTH is a wonderful suite (it is about 15 minutes in length) which is comprised of most, if not all, of the major themes from the film. It too, tells the narrative. If you are familiar with the movie, and only hear the score you should be able to divine almost exactly what is happening. This is the sign of a truly exceptional score.

John Williams has a wide range, and has worked on more an extensive list of films and television shows. He is a frequent collaborator with Steve Spielberg, which accounts for his scores being associated with some of the most famous films ever made. Star Wars, Superman, Indiana Jones Trilogy, Harry Potter Films, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET, The Poseidon Adventure, and dozens more. His iMDB entry alone has 199 unique entries. He's everywhere and he is amazing at what he does.

BTW, the end to the story about humming THE ASTEROID FIELD? I wound up wanting to watch the movie REALLY BADLY. And so I did. Go figure.
:: J 1:18 PM [+] ::
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Today is Friday the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _"

You know what? I can't stand today. I refuse to acknowledge it for what it is. It is just another Friday to me.......Well, I suppose I can't say that and yet still be able to explain it. So here is my explanation:

Statistically speaking, Friday the 13ths have always been bad for me. I always get bad news on them, or something bad happens or the day just goes wrong. Now, let me qualify this, because I think most people just don't get it. Friday the 13th doesn't have to be the worst day of the year, or categorically worse than every other day. It just has to not be good. Now this trend of mine happened long before I entered the workplace, so I believe that this is not the function of some self-fulfilling prophecy. This is merely the result of the fact that FRIDAY THE 13THS SUCK!!!!!

Now, on that note, today was bad. I've had worse, of course, but I was definitely NOT on my game. I was a bit off, and the only thing I can think or is that it was because today is what it is. Now if you'd like to argue that that IS self-fulfilling prophecy, then go ahead. That doesn't make me wrong, it just means that today still affects how it is going to turn out, whether through me or not. At least I don't blame every other day for some reason. Only this one. And believe me, being in the workplace is reason enough to try to make sure that the day ISN'T bad, don't you think?

Anyway, moving on, I miss people. Certain ones in particular, of course, and not the generic people as a whole. Some, because they are far away, others because they aren't, but I haven't had the time to see them. I am grateful to have friends that understand me. They are probably the only ones I have left. They understand and (at least pretend that they) are OK with my shortcomings (i.e. my less than stellar communication record.) I love them all, and am thankful each day for their being in my life.

--END OF THE MUSHY STUFF--

Actually, this should be the end of this entry. It is getting late, and I haven't even left work yet. Goodnight, dear reader. May you have a pleasant weekend, and (for those to whom this pertains) have a Happy Father's Day.
:: J 9:02 PM [+] ::
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AP Quote of the Day:
"The neighbourhood was always safe when he was here. You didn't have to lock your doors."
-- Unidentified woman present at the funeral of John Gotti, the boss of one of the most ruthless and richest of America's organised crime families, who died in jail on June 10, 2002. Gotti's life of luxury and brutal crime ended in 1990 after he was caught on tape discussing crimes
:: J 12:56 PM [+] ::
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My Excite.com Quote of the Day:
"To love what you do and feel that it matters -- how could anything be more fun?"
- Katherine Graham

:: J 10:12 AM [+] ::
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