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While reading one of the blogs listed on my blogroll, I found out about something called a carnival. Basically, a carnival is an effort by a group of bloggers to cull articles and posts from various blogs fitting specific criteria set out by the host of the carnival, and then having links to the submissions culled together in one article. It’s a way to generate publicity with a group effort. I don’t know how well this works with LiveJournal, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t. You can submit posts to a number of carnivals by going to and clicking on the carnival submit form at the top. Have fun.

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Not that this system is any good on any other day, but today it’s just been absolutely ridiculous.
I’ve had to restart the thing more than once, because of everything from “serious application container issue” messages to the search button not working.
I’d like to know whose semester-end project this was, and how drunk they were when the got it done.
I’ll be glad to get off work.
I’m getting tired of this place.
O … wait … I’ve been tired of it for a while.
On a better note, the site’s got a new look, and I’ll be adding some things when I get home.
I hope to be able to post some things that aren’t work related, yet are original soon, all in the hope of making the content of this site of higher caliber.
There will always be room for the enteraining things that go on at work, but I want to expand things a little.
I have a headache right now.
And I don’t have any drugs with me either.
We’ve been in cue all day as usual.
All of this is really stressful on a person.

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I looked at my paycheck yesterday morning, and got a nice little surprise.
They’ve raised my pay almost twenty cents. And this is before the evaluation coming up this month. Yay me, and thanks a lot, John. He’s really done a lot for me, including going to bat when other people wouldn’t. I hope today isn’t as busy as yesterday, and I really hope my schedule isn’t as screwed up.

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Passengers, Check Your T-Shirt Before Boarding (nytimes.com)
ALONG with lighters, penknives and other forbidden objects on airplanes, you can now add something entirely new: T-shirts with objectionable messages. On Tuesday, Lorrie Heasley was forced to leave Southwest Airlines Flight 219, departing Reno, Nev., because she was wearing a T-shirt that featured pictures of President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and an expletive phrase playing on the title of the popular movie, ''Meet the Fockers.''

This is just too much.
Why is it that everywhere seems to be reverting to a high school mentality?
I remember being told not to wear offensive t-shirts in school, as well as during the orientation at work.
Those places are fine.
But on airplanes too?
Come on!
Personally, I don’t agree with the t-shirt mentioned in this article, but whether or not the t-shirt, (or others similar to it) are worn shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
It’s not like anyone’s forcing anyone else to look at the thing.
I can already see where this has the potential of going.
It’s going to have the fundamentalists, (along with a bunch of other people) up in arms, and this time, I happen to agree with them.
All it will take is for someone to get offended by a shirt that says something like “If you don’t like the heat, stay out of hell”, and the t-shirt wearer will be kicked off the plane faster than you can say Halleluyah.
This ranks up there with the story about Muslim employees in British public offices getting offended by Whinnie the Pooh and Piglet toys.
People, get over yourselves!
I suppose, though, that the argument could be made that the airlines want to make sure that the planes maintain some sort of sudo business atmosphere, and that would be fine if the only people, or the majority thereof, traveled solely on business.
I might have to pass this one on to some of the people I know who make business trips frequently to get another perspective.
But for now, the whole thing sounds pretty ridiculous.

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It’s been horribly busy today.
My lunch isn’t until 14:00 this afternoon again.
It’s been like that for the last two weeks now.
We’re aparently having some new system of daily client scores to contend with now.
God, really, this is getting ridiculous.
Despite the fact we’ve been in cue all day, the time is moving very slowly.
I think I might see if they’re offering overtime this weekend, and, if they’re offering it on Sunday, go ahead and take some.
The extra money would be nice.
A caller has me on hold right now while she answers a call.
Ordinarily I would mind, but I just don’t care right now.
It’s giving me time to take a breather.
I’ve just been really out of it today for some reason.
I think it’s because I really miss my sweetheart.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other.
I still haven’t heard anything about the mentor position I spoke of applying for.
I’ll probably hear something next week sometime.

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It’s Thursday, and I’m back at work.
I woke up at around 07:38 this morning, which is way too late for my liking.
I heard the alarm go off the morning, and hit the button, then rolled over thinking I’d lay there for a few more minutes.
That few minutes turned into two and a half hours.
So I got up, threw on my clothes and finished getting ready in less than twenty minutes.
I drank my first coke while walking out the door.
And it looks like training the man in PA is back on.
This time, I log in to clerical work.
My employer isn’t billing the client.
Whatever.
At this point, he still isn’t here, but it’s probably because nobody told him.
It’s hotter than hell in here.
We keep bitching at the facilities manager, but it’s turning into something that has to happen on a daily basis.
I’ve threatened to buy everybody on my row, (and as many other people as I can afford), canned drinks if it doesn’t cool off in here.
I might have to deal with being hot, but I’m not going to deal with being parched, and I definitely cannot afford to keep buying bottled drinks.
Betty, I got your comments about importing all my L-J entries, and thank you very much for your offer.
Fortunately, I already got them imported, thanks to a little xml.
I’m applying for a mentor position at work.
It won’t mean any more pay, but I’m hoping it will lead to something else.
Here I go again being hopeful.
Let’s see how it turns out.

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That last caller had to have been sleeping or something. When I asked for his ID, it took him literally a minute to answer, and then I still had to ask three more times because he couldn’t figure out what was going on. He asked if I was verifying his transaction. OK. Just because the Burger King is looking at you in that special way doesn’t mean you need to be a total twit.

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This morning’s really got me wishing I could just take the telemarketing approach. Whenever a telemarketer calls, I usually just tell them I’m not interested. That’s what I’d like to tell my employer today. “Hello Ms. Rush, I’m calling to offer you an opportunity to win some money today, and all it will take on your part is—” “I’m not interested.” Click. Why can’t life be that easy? I don’t like dealing with all the stupid people who aren’t even presented with the suggestion to take responsibility for their actions. It’s stressful, and it makes me feel ill, and it’s really a lot more hard work than I get compensated for. So either raise the pay, or, I’m just not captivated enough to come into work. If I didn’t think I’d get fired, that’s what I’d call in and say. “I do apologize for the inconvenience, but my interest in this job is currently unavailable. If you could just call back in about a week or so, I should be able to assist you at that point. However, nothing in the former statement constitutes a promise.”

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It’s finally time to end the day. No laundry got done tonight. I found out right before I left work today that I’ll no longer be training. Apparently the client’s go-between didn’t think my employer was going to be billing. brilliant. I wonder if they told their guy in PA. I mean, to tell the truth, this lessens my work load. But I’d really hate for him to just be left in the lurch. I really hope tomorrow isn’t like today was, but that’s probably a vain prayer on my part. Later all.

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I just got off the phone witha woman who’s convinced she won’t ever receive her Effexar because we shipped it via regular mail on the 20th, and it should have gotten to her by now because she got a letter from us that was mailed on the 20th and arrived at her address two days later. When I suggested that she contact her doctor to get a late mail order prescription, she insisted that that wouldn’t work, and that she was going to get charged the full price without a copay, and the whole world’s going to end because she didn’t get her meds two days after they shipped. What a psycho.

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I got done with today’s training session at around 11. I prepared screenshots for the trainers in PA, so that they can get a look at how Jaws and the database from hell interact. I just got done with that. There are a total of 53 screenshots. The company ordered pizza for everybody today. I definitely took advantage of that. Now, it’s time to get back on the phone and take the phone calls. I’m so tired. I wish I could go home. I’d like to take a nap.

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I’m on the phone with the guy I’m training in PA, and his trainers on that end seem to think it’s their place to determine what’s going to be discussed during each day’s phone call. Keep in mind that these people know nothing about Jaws For Windows, and they have no idea of the number of modifications that necessarily get made when it comes to the viewing of the screens. His trainer is telling him one thing while I’m telling him another. This is highly frustrating, and I can feel my blood pressure rising. I don’t need this turning into a constant upfill battle.

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