1000

This post is the 1000th post since I started Sterfish's Place nearly six years ago.

1000.

It's such a large number for me that it's hard to process. It doesn't seem like I've written that many posts over the years. My output for this blog, my original blog, has slowed down considerably in the past couple of years. It's gone through many failed experiments, vows to “post more,” and other lofty goals I didn't make. I've gone from very actively trying to promote it to sometimes making it no more than a repository of my reviews for other sites. Still, it's quite a milestone for me.

A lot has changed across 1000 posts. This blog used to be as much about my life as much as it is about reviews. That's not so much the case anymore, perhaps for the better. Even as what I post changes, there is one thing that hasn't: my love of writing and blogging.

Here's to the next 1000 posts. May they be just as fun to write as the first 1000.

10 Years Is A Long Time

The other day at work, I saw someone I went to high school with. I had not seen that guy since I graduated. When I saw him, it dawned upon me how much time has passed. It's been 10 years since I graduated high school.

I don't associate with any of the people I went to high school with now. There are a few reasons for that. For one thing, I didn't have any good friends in high school. I knew and connected with a decent amount of people (especially considering that in general, I'm shy) but I never hung out with them after school or over the summer. I saw them at school, talked with them, and that was it.

Also, I graduated in the days before social networks. Hell, I didn't own a real computer of my own until I went to college. It's a lot easier to keep in touch with people now if you want to.

Frankly, I didn't really like high school that much. I went to a small Catholic school from K-8 and it was a jarring experience for me to go to a large public high school. I got picked on somewhat throughout my time there and many people made assumptions about me.

The guy who I saw at work was actually one of the people who did pick on me a bit. In hindsight, nothing he did was really that bad. However, considering that I was quite unhappy in high school and that I had no real friends, it was really annoying at the time.

Whenever you see movies with high school reunions, the general rule seems to be that the nerdy guys change for the better and the douchebags remain douchebags. The guy I saw at work was surprisingly easygoing towards me compared to the way he was in high school. People can and do change. Ten years is a long time.

Tales From The Workplace: The Most Annoying Customer Ever

Today's installment of the new Tales From The Workplace series involves the most annoying, nerve-wrecking customer I have ever dealt with. This story involves everything from general douchebaggery to essentially sexual harassment. And, once again, it's all true.

My encounters with this customer took place a couple of years ago, when I was an associate working on the sales floor. The customer in question was a married man, likely in his 30's. When I first met him, he came to the store looking for bikes for himself and his wife. I talked to him and showed him the various bikes we had.

He found one bike he liked and that's when things started to get weird. This guy is one of those people who chats up everyone he meets but instead of coming off as a nice guy, he comes off as a little creepy. He found one bike he liked and started riding it in the store (a big no-no). He liked the bike so much, he felt the need to go up to every other customer who came into the area. He didn't just tell them about the bike, he essentially made them get on the bike to try it for themselves.

He did this to two people. The first person was an attractive woman. He charmed her and had her get on the bike (which was way too big for her). It seemed like the guy was just a natural flirt and certainly enjoyed helping this woman without his wife around.

The second person he did this to, however, was quite different. A young, muscular white guy in a sleeveless shirt and shorts came by the department. The man chatted him up too, asking about his football team (the guy had on a high school tee), his workout regime, and happily commenting on how buff he was. He then also asked this guy to ride the bike too. It wasn't exactly the same as the incident with the woman as he was less touchy feely. However, it still felt a bit odd.

The man would come back a couple more times to the store and most of the associates on the floor did not want to deal with him. Hell, even the store manager at the time didn't want to deal with him. Trying to sell to him was like trying to sell to an uncontrollable pixie. At times, it felt like he had adult ADD.

However, the final incident with him was the last straw for me. The man, his wife, and his kid all came to the store as he finally decided to buy bikes for himself and his wife. I was at the register with him and he saw one of the female cashiers. She was black and had what another associate called a "stupid big booty." He quietly started making lewd comments to me about her. He then looked down at my crotch and told me that it looked like I was reacting to her too.

While I was uncomfortable, I didn't let it faze me and just ignored his comment. His wife noticed my discomfort, though, and it led to something even more bizarre. I left the register area to continue working when his wife caught me. She asked me what her husband told me and I didn't really say anything. Then she dropped this bombshell: "I'm asking because I want to know if I have a gay husband."

I told her exactly what he said and she then apologized for him. When he saw me after the conversation with his wife, he shrugged it off saying that "women don't understand how men talk."

I've helped plenty of customers who were annoying but none of them can top the married man with the douchebag personality who flirts with anything that walks, makes secret lewd comments to me about my co-workers, and managed to make his wife ask me if he was gay.

Tales From The Workplace

I have a notorious history of starting up series of posts on this blog then letting them die. This time, though, I might have one that will stick.

Introducing the first installment of Tales From The Workplace. These are true stories from my job as a cashier at a sporting goods store. Obviously, I'm not going to name any names but I also will not embellish these stories. The truth is usually far more interesting than anything I could come up with.

Today's story involves an older Italian-American mother and her adult son. One of my fellow co-workers was helping the mother as her son (who had to be at least in his late 20's or early 30's) hung around the register. He was looking at the gum we sell by the piece on the counter. I rung him up for a piece and he started chewing (and enjoying) it.

We also sell the gum in bags and he put a couple of bags on the counter next to the stuff he was getting. The mother comes back with some clothes and sees the gum. She turns around to her son and tells him how the sugared gum is bad for him. She says "Fuhgettaboutit" and puts the bags of gum back.

The mother goes back to look for more clothes and the son, who was sitting in a chair by the register, approaches the counter. He picks up the bag of gum his mother put back and proceeds to get a couple more. He tells me to ring him up and motions for me to do it quickly.

He takes the bags of gum and hides them in the box of one of the pairs of shoes he's getting. The son says to me "Don't tell my mom I bought these."

Let me restate this. A grown man asked me to hide his purchase of some gum from his mother. Now, I've seen husbands tell me that they're defying their wives by buying some golf clubs or kids pestering their mother or father for some candy. But in the four years I've been at my job, that is the first time I've ever seen a grown man try to hid any purchase from his mother.

I didn't say a word about the gum to his mother when she came back to buy her and her son's stuff. I even opted not to open the box of shoes where the man hid the gum. I aided and abetted the man's sugary gum sneakery.

I have to wonder. If that man is so afraid of his mother that he'd hide a purchase of some gum, what would've happened to me if I made a mistake while ringing her up?

When Is Diet Soda Not Diet?

When you hear the term "Diet" in regards to beverages, you assume the drink is going to be sugar free. That is the case for virtually every Diet drink from Diet Pepsi to Diet Green Tea. However, I found out recently that some companies (or at least the Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group) have been using the word "Diet" to simply mean "lower-calorie."

My sister purchased some Diet Crush Orange the other day for our mom. Our mother is a Type I diabetic and she likes orange pop, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Then, when I tried a can of it, I looked at the nutrition facts and discovered that this drink wasn't sugarfree. The second ingredient after carbonated water is the ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup.

One can of "Diet" Orange Crush has 25 calories and six grams of carbohydrates. To be fair, this is a lot lower than regular Crush but it is certainly misleading. Why? Well, maybe because nearly every other Diet beverage has 5 calories or less and almost all of them do not have or sugar in them.

A big trend in drinks is to mix regular and sugarfree sweeteners. However, most companies do not call drinks with this mix "Diet." Vitamin Water has been touting its Vitamin Water 10 as having 10 calories per serving. It mixes crystalline fructose with the new natural sugar-free sweetener Truvia. However, nowhere in its advertising does the word "diet" appear.

The same can also be said for Propel, which mixes HCFS, simple syrup (sucrose syrup) and artificial sweeteners. A bottle of Propel usually has about 30 calories but, again, it is never described as "diet."

If any word is used to describe the mix of regular and sugarfree sweeteners it is "Light." That's what Minute Maid uses to describe its Lemonade with fewer calories. Again, the word "diet" isn't used.

The use of the word "Diet" on Diet Crush Orange may not seem like a big thing, but it's troubling for those who want (or need) to avoid sugar/HFCS-sweetened products. The Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group should seriously consider either changing the name of their product to remove "Diet" or making it clear on their packaging that this product is not sugarfree.

The TV, The TV

After really watching HD, I think I want a new TV. Although I don't really watch TV in my room, I probably would if I had a nice, mid-size HDTV.

My history with TVs in my bedroom is surprisingly lame.

I can't remember exactly how old I was when I got my first TV in my bedroom. I want to say I was maybe 12 years old or something like that. My first TV was a 20-inch Zenith with a dial for VHF and a dial for UHF. It became my TV when we got a new TV for our living room. The TV that was in that room became mine.

That TV was not cable ready and it was so old that you needed a special attachment in order to hook cable to it (the antenna connection involved screws). I have fond memories of staying up late on Friday nights (the only weeknight I could stay up) and watching The Tonight Show on that TV.

When that TV konked out, the next TV I got was the first (of two) that would come courtesy of one of my grandmother's friends. It was the first cable ready TV I had and the first TV with a remote. It was brown and the channel number was visible on a red LED display on the right side of the TV. The one main thing I remember about that TV was how I had to push the buttons really hard in order to go to a channel.

When that TV stopped working, I got my current TV. It also came from my grandmother's friend and it's notable for being the first TV with inputs on it (mono though...it's not stereo). It's not really a bad TV. The picture is just a little too dark. I never really noticed it until my family had to use it as our living room TV while I was at school. Watching stuff on that TV looked a lot darker than on any other TV in the house.

Even though I've had it for at least seven or eight years, it hasn't stopped working yet. It illustrates one thing about me...I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money at once. I could afford a new TV right now but I can't just drop $300 without doing some research. I buy a lot of stuff I don't really need (DVDs and CDs especially) but I rationalize it because it's in small doses. Spending $20 five separate times doesn't seem as bad as spending $100 at once.

A new TV is one of a list of things I should buy in the near future like a new bed, new bedroom furniture, and a new computer. I'm going to get one and I deserve to buy myself the first brand-new TV I've ever owned. It's going to just take time, I guess.

A Look Back (and Forward) At Blog Resolutions

Happy New Year 2009!

With the new year rolling around, it's the time for resolutions. Before making some new resolutions, I figured I would look back at the ones I made in January 2008 to see what progress I made.

1. Post More Consistently:
Blogging-wise, 2007 was a slow year for me. How slow? Well, not only did I actually forget my blog's fourth anniversary (it was December 18), but I posted only 87 posts on my blog in all of 2007. I posted only 30 articles on BC Magazine and 14 articles on ThaHipHop.com. I posted the most this year on MOG.

2007 was the first full year that I worked a full-time job. In some respects, I haven't really reconciled working and blogging. I'm never going to be the most prolific blogger out there. I would just like to post more often. Quality is always going to be more important to me than quantity. However, there's just no excuse for me to post only once in an entire month like I did here in September.

Umm...that resolution really didn't happen. I wrote a lot fewer posts in 2008 than I did in 2007 for everything I write for. I was in a bit of a funk writing-wise in 2008 I guess.

2. Write A Greater Variety Of Posts:
Even though I write for four sites (here, MOG, BC Magazine, and ThaHipHop.com), most of what I write breaks down to one word: review. I really enjoy writing reviews. They're fun to write and sometimes they are quite a challenge. I like shaking up the types of things I review from hip-hop music to shoujo anime. I also like finding new ways to write reviews.

I think I'm capabale of writing more than just reviews and I'd like to explore that in the things I post in 2008. Part of me is a bit frightened (and lazy) about doing this. Reviews are a nice comfort zone for me. I've done news posts before for BC Magazine but they're time-consuming because I have a higher standard for such posts than any type of review. The same is true of opinion posts. If I'm going to give my opinion on anything other than a creative work, I have to make sure I'm on my A+ game.

Doing a bigger variety of posts will be a challenge but it will probably result in making me a better writer overall. That would be well worth the troubles I may face along the way.

This didn't happen either, unfortunately. Apart from my Favorite Albums of 2007 post, every single article I wrote for BC Magazine was a review. Hell, I even abandoned music reviews (my usual bread-and-butter) for a while. Yikes.

3. Attempt Non-Blog Writing:
Just like how many people always put “lose weight” on their New Year's resolution list, I put up some sort of resolution about trying to do some non-blog writing (fiction, skit, script, etc.). No matter how “inspired” I get, it's supremely hard to start and stick with a story. I am going to keep trying until I can get it to stick, dammit.

I tried a few times during 2008 but nothing really clicked.

4. Do Some Exclusive Posts:
At the low points in my blogging career, this blog is basically an exact replica of the work I do for BC Magazine, work that I post there first. Unless it's a post about something going on in my life (or a “lazy” review), what I write will appear somewhere else in addition to here.

I've been planning to start writing more stuff for this blog only so as to give readers a reason to actually visit here in the first place. In addition to posting more, I will post more stuff for this blog exclusively. I have a few ideas rattling around and I'll reveal them as soon as I get around to enacting them.

Finally, one I actually succeeded in doing...sort of. All posts with the word "thoughts" in the title were only posted here. These include my takes on various new anime.

5. Appear On A Podcast:
For a brief time, I entertained the idea of doing a podcast. That idea disappeared when I realized that I had no idea what kind of show to do.

However, with the BC Radio Network, I'm thinking about calling in one day and making my actual voice known to the world. Even if I only do it once, it would still be kind of cool. I would have to just get over the supreme insecurity that writing naturally hides...

I succeeded on this front too in 2008 by appearing on the B Sides Concept Album, a web show hosted by Josh Hathaway of Confessions of A Fanboy. I'd like to do it again someday and maybe this time, I won't sound so damned nervous.

Looking back on 2008 makes me a bit wary about doing new ones for 2009. Still, there is always so much hope when a new year starts, so I think I'll do them anyway.

1. Focus on Quality
I will never be a consistent blogger. Instead of worrying about that, I'm going to focus strictly on writing the best posts I can. There may be few posts on this blog but I will make sure that each one is well worth your time.

2. Take More Chances in Writing
This is essentially a combination of numbers 2 and 3 from the 2008 resolutions. I need to stretch my writing skills and doing things I don't normally do will probably help me. I'm not sure if the chances I do take will end up anywhere where people will read them but just taking them is half the battle.

3. Be A Bit More Social Online
MOG is the only social network I am a member of. I do not have a Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, or FriendFeed account. I've been toying with getting one of these accounts but given the way I blog, I never saw the point. Maybe, just maybe, I'll become a part of the new social Internet age in 2009.

4. Don't Let Me Get Me
I am often my own worst enemy when it comes to things I want or need to do. In addition to being really, really hard on my own writing, I tend to start things and never finish them. If I can get out of my own way, things could be better.

I really hope 2009 is a better year than 2008 in more ways than one.

The "Initial Buy Curse" of The Spielberg Animated DVD Sets

I bought the first season of Freakazoid! on DVD yesterday and it was the victim of the "initial buy" curse that seems to plague those Steven Spielberg presents animated DVD sets I buy.

You see, I've had to exchange the first copy I bought of these sets for a new copy because of various issues.

I had to exchange the first volume of Animaniacs after buying it because one of the hubs in the packaging was broken. Then, I had to exchange both the second and third volumes of Animaniacs because of scratches on discs.

Everything seemed perfectly fine with my copy of Freakazoid! season one when I got it on Tuesday until I looked at the bottom of the box (which is a clear, slim, 2-disc DVD case) and discovered that it was broken. A noticeable chunk of plastic was missing. So, fearing an influx of dust onto the discs at a later date, I exchanged my set on Wednesday for one that's nice and normal.

I should probably mention that I bought all these sets from Best Buy. Perhaps I should go someplace else to get them next time.

2008 Blog Resolutions

Happy New Year!

It's a brand-new year, which means that it's time for some New Year's resolutions. Instead of the usual resolutions, I'm posting resolutions dealing exclusively with blogging and writing. Here we go...

1. Post More Consistently:
Blogging-wise, 2007 was a slow year for me. How slow? Well, not only did I actually forget my blog's fourth anniversary (it was December 18), but I posted only 87 posts on my blog in all of 2007. I posted only 30 articles on BC Magazine and 14 articles on ThaHipHop.com. I posted the most this year on MOG.

2007 was the first full year that I worked a full-time job. In some respects, I haven't really reconciled working and blogging. I'm never going to be the most prolific blogger out there. I would just like to post more often. Quality is always going to be more important to me than quantity. However, there's just no excuse for me to post only once in an entire month like I did here in September.

2. Write A Greater Variety Of Posts:
Even though I write for four sites (here, MOG, BC Magazine, and ThaHipHop.com), most of what I write breaks down to one word: review. I really enjoy writing reviews. They're fun to write and sometimes they are quite a challenge. I like shaking up the types of things I review from hip-hop music to shoujo anime. I also like finding new ways to write reviews.

I think I'm capabale of writing more than just reviews and I'd like to explore that in the things I post in 2008. Part of me is a bit frightened (and lazy) about doing this. Reviews are a nice comfort zone for me. I've done news posts before for BC Magazine but they're time-consuming because I have a higher standard for such posts than any type of review. The same is true of opinion posts. If I'm going to give my opinion on anything other than a creative work, I have to make sure I'm on my A+ game.

Doing a bigger variety of posts will be a challenge but it will probably result in making me a better writer overall. That would be well worth the troubles I may face along the way.

3. Attempt Non-Blog Writing:
Just like how many people always put “lose weight” on their New Year's resolution list, I put up some sort of resolution about trying to do some non-blog writing (fiction, skit, script, etc.). No matter how “inspired” I get, it's supremely hard to start and stick with a story. I am going to keep trying until I can get it to stick, dammit.

4. Do Some Exclusive Posts:
At the low points in my blogging career, this blog is basically an exact replica of the work I do for BC Magazine, work that I post there first. Unless it's a post about something going on in my life (or a “lazy” review), what I write will appear somewhere else in addition to here.

I've been planning to start writing more stuff for this blog only so as to give readers a reason to actually visit here in the first place. In addition to posting more, I will post more stuff for this blog exclusively. I have a few ideas rattling around and I'll reveal them as soon as I get around to enacting them.

5. Appear On A Podcast:
For a brief time, I entertained the idea of doing a podcast. That idea disappeared when I realized that I had no idea what kind of show to do.

However, with the BC Radio Network, I'm thinking about calling in one day and making my actual voice known to the world. Even if I only do it once, it would still be kind of cool. I would have to just get over the supreme insecurity that writing naturally hides...

That's all for me. To everyone out there making New Year's resolutions, I wish you the best of luck. Wish me luck too.

Back To The 21st Century

One year ago, I was enjoying the little 1GB Sansa MP3 Player I got for Christmas. That enjoyment would be short-lived as only a couple of months later, the headphone jack on the player would short out and thus, it would be rendered useless.

Now, I return to the MP3 player game with an 8GB Creative Zen, my Christmas present from my parents.



I like the size of the player, although it's kind of weird because it's so light. Given that I'm used to the much heavier portable CD player, it's going to take a little getting used to. It's lighter than my Sansa was, for goodness' sake.

Although it took a little while, the setup was pretty easy. The only things that suck so far are the fact that you have to convert most videos to WMV for them to play (although the included software is pretty decent) and the fact that the included USB cord is only about 4 inches long. I'm probably going to buy a longer cord in the future but in the meantime I'm using the USB cord that goes with my digital camera.

I'm looking forward to keeping this player with me and I plan to buy a protective cover soon (Circuit City, the store I got the player from, didn't even stock a single accessory to go with it). Also, I probably need some smaller headphones. My Sennheisers are not leaving the house and earbuds just don't work for me.

In a side note, my sister also got an MP3 player for Christmas. It's an 8GB iPod Nano. It's funny how we're so alike yet so different sometimes. She really wanted an iPod Nano (in part because she really likes using iTunes) and I wanted something other than an iPod. In fact, almost got a Zune. If the store had it in stock, I'd be posting about that one instead.

Attempt NaNoWriMo Or No?

Last year, I decided to try doing National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo). I did not get far. I don't think I even made it to 100 words. Of course, what I wrote was completely off the top of my head and I had no clear idea what I wanted to write. That probably contributed to me not reaching the finish line.

I have had a continuing urge to go back to creative writing for a good while now. It strikes whenever I watch a bad TV show or movie. It strikes when my family comments on my detailed (and sometimes quick) sense of humor. Unfortunately, the urge disappears only hours after appearing, only to re-emerge at some random time.

At this point in my writing life, nonfiction stuff comes so much easier than anything creative. Even though I sometimes spend hours agonizing over a review, I feel fulfilled when I write one and I enjoy it (and I feel kind of depressed when I write one that doesn't live up to what I want but that's another post).

Despite being more or less comfortable with blog posts, reviews, and the like, there is a part of me that will not rest until I write something long and creative that I am happy with.

I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to writing creative stuff. I self-edit like a madman and I can't get over the notion that what I initially write can kind of suck. It's one thing to edit a review as you create it since it's not going to be that long. However, once you start dealing with double-digit and possibly triple-digit pages, it's a big brick wall standing in the way of the promised land.

With NaNoWriMo 2007 already in progress, I wonder if I can get back into creative writing again. I think the key for me will be to do baby steps. Instead of attempting to write a novel in a month, I'm going to attempt to create smaller works over a longer period of time. I'll try my hand at some skits and maybe a short story or two. If I do that, maybe I can gradually get my groove back.

It has taken me almost four years (this blog's fourth anniversary is next month) to get to the semi-comfortable position I have with nonfiction posts. It was foolish of me to think that I could suddenly write decent fiction in just a month.

The Next Series: Late Reviews

This blog has a couple of occasional series already (The Yoko Kanno Reviews, Random Digital Pics) and soon it will get another one. I've decided to introduce the Late Reviews series. Basically, these will be reviews of not-so-new albums, ones that I wasn't able to complete when they were timelier.

Unlike my other reviews, which usually appear on other sites first, these reviews will appear here first. Also, many of these reviews will be exclusive to this blog.

I don't have a timeframe for these reviews to start appearing, but I'm hoping they'll appear within the next couple of weeks.

Also, The Yoko Kanno Reviews series will restart in the coming weeks as I'm planning to review the digital release CM Yoko.

It's been a while getting back to full speed, but it'll happen soon enough.

Return Of The Portable CD Player Killer

Almost three years ago, I did a post about how all my portable CD players don't last long. Why am I bringing this up? Because another one just croaked.

Not only did another portable CD player die, but it was the second one to die within one year. I got a portable CD player for Christmas from my family and it barely lasted a few months before it decided to not want to play CDs.

What killed my most recent player wasn't me dropping it on the floor...it was the battery compartment. I had to change the batteries and noticed that I couldn't get one of the batteries to stay in. I tried to force it in and although the player worked, it acted like I had a dying battery in it. When I went to take out the not-fitting battery, it was hot.

The little nodes where the poles of the battery are supposed to hit were off track. Since the player only uses batteries, it's effectively dead.

The death of this CD player comes about six or seven months after my first MP3 player bit the dust. The headphone jack on my little Sansa, a Christmas present, developed a nasty short.

These developments would probably lead you to believe that I'm rough on technology. That's only somewhat true. I'm only rough on music technology.

My first computer, which I got seven years ago, still works as does my first printer which I got eight years ago. My roughly six year DVD player still works as does my old-as-dust TV.

I guess since I listen to music almost everyday, anything dealing with it doesn't last nearly as long. I don't have a shelf stereo or home audio system of any kind (although I had a great Aiwa system for years). All of my music listening is done either on a portable CD player or on my computer. As such, I usually go through up to two sets of headphones a year regardless of what happens to what I listen to music on.

I've been debating on buying a new MP3 player, especially since I rip a lot of the new CDs I buy to my computer. However, I'm a bit worried at the same time. It's one thing to kill a $40 CD player but it's another thing entirely to kill a $100+ MP3 player. Those extended warranty/coverage plans are usually a joke but given my track record, best believe I'm buying one on my next MP3 player.

Oh, and to end this post on a happy note, I have one portable CD player which has survived for quite a while. The Panasonic player that won't stay closed still works. I always keep it handy as a backup player and that's what will keep my CD listening unfettered in the time before I plop down money on another portable CD player.

This Blog Ain't Dead, Dammit!

Well, this has been the least productive period for this blog since its inception. I've been posting almost exclusively on MOG and haven't had the creativity or energy for my normal blog posts.

I don't know exactly when I'll get back to a more normal speed, but if you've read this blog for a while, then you know that it's literally feast or famine. I do have several potential/required reviews that I need to do and some other stuff I might do. I'm even considering trying the New TV Show Review Challenge again.

So, what have I been doing all this time? Well, there's been work. I've just been transferred to a different department and the store's new manager starts this week. I worked six days last week, coming in on one of my days off to help close the store.

I also have been finally catching up on anime watching. I'm trying to get in a couple episodes of anime a day. I'm quite addicted to Shonen Onmyoji at the moment and I plan to buy (and review) it.

I'm hoping to revive this blog a bit in the coming weeks. If you can hold out a little bit longer, things should get interesting around here again.

What's Old Is New Again...When It Comes To Cereals

Two cereals I like recently made changes...changes that are actually just reverting back to what they used to be.

Trix advertises on the box that the cereal is in a new shape. What's that shape? Circular multi-colored puffs, which would be familiar to anyone who ate Trix before the 1990's.

The more interesting case, however, belongs to Honey Comb. A little while back, Post changed the formula of Honey Comb. The results weren't that great. Last week, we got a box of Honey Comb and the box said "Now Better Tasting!" When my sister and I tried the cereal, we realized that they just reverted back to the original, delicious, Honey Comb formula.

It makes you wonder why companies muck around with stuff if they know people are going to want the original again anyway.

Out Of The Mouths Of Children

When you work with the public, there are times when you hear people say the most ridiculous things. Other times, you hear things that really make you pause.

While I was at work on Tuesday night, I helped an old white woman and what looked to be her grandson (or maybe nephew). He probably had to be no more than about seven or eight years old.

The woman was looking for life jackets for children. As she looked at our selection, the boy looked at me and said “Can I ask you a personal question?”

I didn't really get a chance to answer when he proceeded to drop this bombshell: “How do you stop someone from going to the Army?”

I was kind of taken aback by that, but I answered honestly that I hadn't the slightest idea.

The boy then told about how he planned to shave someone's eyebrows so that when he went to Iraq, he'd have to wear a cap all the time. He told me that his plan would work because the person's mother would be around.

The older woman didn't so much as acknowledge that the boy told me all this and after he finished talking, she asked me some questions about the life jackets. I didn't bring up what he said to her and once they were done, I told them to have a nice day.

The thing that got me about what the boy said wasn't so much the implication that someone he knew was going to Iraq. It was the way he said it. He had a mischievous smile on his face the whole time he told me. It was his devious little plan to try and keep the person he knew from going to Iraq.

The sad thing about this is that his plan won't work, just like how kids try to keep their parents from divorcing. That person he knows, whether it's his brother, uncle, cousin, or family friend, is going to Iraq and there's nothing he can do about it.

But at the moment he told me all this, that boy was innocent enough to think that maybe, just maybe it would work. And that just seems so sad to me.

My Brief Encounter With "The R."

On the same Saturday as the failed sale I mentioned last post, Chicago's own R. Kelly came to the store and did some shopping. You see, The R. himself lives in the area near where I work. He often goes to stores and restaurants in that area. This wasn't the first time that he's gone to our store. He's been there on at least two other occasions. However, instead of hearing about his visits from other people, I actually got to see him in person.

I found out he was in the store in the most unusual way possible. I was walking around my department looking for people to help when I saw a customer I had helped earlier. I asked him if he needed any more help and he told me that everything was good. His two sons tagged along behind him and the older one (who had to be no older than about eight or nine) stopped and told me “Did you know that R. Kelly is here?” in that excited way that little kids talk. I replied “Oh, he is, huh?” and sure enough, when I looked up, I saw R. Kelly in my department looking through some clothing.

I've encountered some semi-famous people before while at work. Former Chicago Bulls player Craig Hodges was in the store a few days ago. I rung up purchases once for singer Dave Hollister. I once rung up a guy who, very likely, was part of 1st and 15th Productions, Lupe Fiasco's crew. I helped WGCI's DJ Phantom find some fitness stuff and helped the brother of football player Antwaan Randle-El. However, R. Kelly is far and away the biggest celebrity I've ever been in the direct presence of.

While I was a little nervous, I didn't get flustered or scared when I saw him. I just did my job. I did my usual thing and asked how he was doing. He told me that he was doing good. I asked him if he needed help finding anything and he replied that he was finding everything okay. He also said that he was going to leave soon. I replied “Okay” and told him to have a good day. He said “Thanks” and that was it.

I didn't bother him again during the time he was in the store. My philosophy with celebrities is to treat them like I would anyone else. That's exactly what I did with R. Kelly.

I saw him a couple more times before he left the store. In the store, we have a summer display that has a gazebo with some reclining chairs, a cooler, and a grill under it. As I passed by the display to put something away, I noticed some women sitting in two of the chairs. I didn't really think anything of it since people always sit in those chairs. When I continued to walk by, I saw that R. Kelly was sitting in the head chair in the display. He and the two women who were with him stayed back there in those chairs for about another 20 minutes.

Then, while I was putting some stuff away, I heard my name called over the PA. I went to Customer Service where R. Kelly was getting helped by the cashier. She told me to get an item with a tag for him so she could scan it. I went back to my department and I obliged.

Finally, while I was putting something else away, I passed right by R. Kelly and a guy he came to the store with. They were talking and since I didn't want to even remotely appear nosy, I slipped right past them and kept going.

There you have it. I saw and encountered a pretty big celebrity. As I think about it, I wonder if there's any celebrity that I would just go crazy over if I saw them in person. Frankly, I'm a bit insecure about myself so I don't even want to meet most celebrities, even those I admire. If I wasn't at work and if it wasn't my job to help customers, I would not have so much as even spoken to R. Kelly. I would have watched him and his entourage pass by and do whatever and stayed out of the picture.

There's no way of knowing if I'll ever encounter another big celebrity. If it ever happens again, I can guarantee you that the blog post about it would be shorter than this one.

Anatomy Of A Failed Sale

Saturday was a weird day for me. First, I ended up staying two hours later than I should have due to my replacement not showing up. Then, a certain famous Chicago R&B singer came to the store (which will be the subject of another post, I promise you). However, one thing that kind of irked me about Saturday was a sale I failed to make.

Looking back on it, everything about it made it doomed to fail. Perhaps by recalling what happened here, I can learn from my experiences.

The first thing wrong with that experience was the fact that the customer had to wait. Since my replacement never showed up, I ended up being the only person helping people in my department(s). A customer on one end of the store could easily spend 10 minutes waiting as I help multiple people in another side of the store. Even if I get paged to go to said other side of the store, I still end up bombarded on my way there.

I finally go to help the customer and I'm just about there before a different customer stops me dead in my tracks. I ended up taking care of him really quickly before going back to the waiting customer. I probably should have made the bogarting customer wait. That was clearly a mistake on my part.

When I get to the guy I was trying to help, he shows me what he wants. In the span of a couple of minutes, I start to help him and let him know about the item. I let him know that the item may not be in stock because of a store policy about certain clearance items. He asks me if buying the display would be cheaper, I told him that it would be. Then, he tells me that he doesn't want the built one, and I told him that I would go back and see if the item was still available. It was at that point that the customer stopped the sale.

Claiming that he goes by “energy,” he decides to end the sale because he was getting “bad energy” from me. He rails off all the bad signs: the waiting, the fact I didn't look him in the eye, and me allegedly steering him to buy the display he didn't want. Instead of me letting him go, I try to defend myself and in the end, it doesn't work. He leaves and I tell him to have a good day.

Let's rattle off the other mistakes. First, I admit that I didn't really look him in the eye. That's something I don't always do. When I'm talking about an item, I tend to turn over and look at it to demonstrate and so on. That was the case with the customer in question. When I told him about the bike, I showed him stuff on it. However, I considered this just the beginning of the sale. I barely had time to really sell him anything before he decided that the “energy” wasn't right.

Another mistake may have been informing him that the item may not be in stock right away. I tend to mention any issues upfront with customers to keep from having to disappoint them at the end. There have been times where I'm sure something is in stock only for me to have to recant and tell customers that it isn't. There also have been times where I didn't let customers know that the display item was the only one we had left. This would usually result in the customer getting mad at me or the store. By getting rid of any issues at the beginning, I hoped to avoid things like this. The strategy backfired with “energy” man and it made him feel like I was trying to get him to buy something he didn't want.

I really should not have tried to defend myself. The sale was over and there was nothing I could do. I should've been cordial and let him leave. Usually, I am very good at dealing with nasty, rude people no matter how much they make me sick. However, that wasn't the case here.

One more complaint that the guy had was that I was taking the sale “too seriously” like he was “buying a car” or something like that. He said that he was just buying a “$130 item.” Well, I've helped plenty of people who would think that dropping that amount of money on something would be serious. I've seen people gasp at prices that even I wouldn't gasp at. In my opinion, if you're spending your money on something and you are relying on someone to help you out, that sale better be serious.

Ultimately, I wonder if the guy expected bad things from the sale from the get go. I could've been pitch perfect and he would not have bought the item just because he didn't like something about me. Also, the way he talked to me as he left gave me the impression he kind of felt that salesmen were toxic anyway.

Everyday, I try to be something kind of rare. I try to be a good salesperson who doesn't try to swindle you with every sale. I don't work on commission, so there is really no incentive for me to swindle even if I did do it. I usually tell the truth to a fault. Most of the time, this really works for me. I get repeat customers who come back to the store specifically asking for me. I get complimented daily on how nice I am, how I answer peoples' questions, and for my knowledge on what I'm selling.

I guess this is why that failed sale annoyed me. The one that gets away always makes you re-evaluate yourself a bit. I will probably tweak my approaches a bit but I don't plan to change that much after this experience. Why? Well, considering that a failed sale like this doesn't happen too often for me, much of what I'm doing has to be working.

Double Happy Day

I want to wish my Dad a Happy Birthday! He turns 54 today. Also, I hope everyone out there has a very Happy Valentine's Day!

What A Way To Start The Year

2007 seemed like it was going to start like every other year until very early Thursday morning. My stomach was in bad shape late night Wednesday/early Thursday and I thought it was another case of me eating too much in a given day. Instead, it ended up being a lot worse.

I got diarrhea that steadily got worse. I started throwing up at nearly regular intervals (and I hadn't thrown up once in 2006!). My stomach never felt any better and I hovered between the bed and the bathroom nearly all day Thursday. I had to call off work for only the second time at my current job. When it got to the point where I was trying to throw up and there was nothing in my stomach, my mom suggested I go to the hospital.

For the first time that I can remember, I went to the emergency room. I got an IV of fluids and medicine for my nausea. I was there for a few hours and eventually got discharged. I then spent Friday recovering (I still had diarrhea) and had to call off work again.

Now, I'm feeling better although I'm a little worried that the bug I'm fighting hasn't disappeared quite yet. My mom ended up catching a bug similar to mine, although it fortunately didn't affect her as badly. All told, it was not exactly the best weekend for me.

One interesting thing to note is that my sickness was only one of three big things that happened on Thursday. The rental car my family was using since our car finally kicked the bucket was vandalized. Somebody threw a rock and broke out the back window. Since we had insurance, we were okay. Then, later that day, we actually made a deal for a new car, a 2006 Kia Optima that we officially got on Friday.