Surpising Credentials

Warning: I'm drinking right now. Please take all content in this entry with this knowledge in mind.

Well, I finished my first day of work two hours ago. You know what I did for eight hours? Watch someone. You know what I'll do tomorrow? Watch the same guy again. The next day? Same thing.

I used to criticize employers for using the excuse that they'd need to train someone if they didn't have experience. Until now, the only "training" I've ever experienced was a 5-minute explanation of what needed to be done, told en mass. If someone with experience showed up, they'd get the same "training", so I couldn't see what the advantage of hiring someone with experience was.

Actually, I could. Just not in the terms employers would use. You have so many applicants, and you can only pick so many. You need a differentiating feature. So you give it to the person with better credentials. It's not like things would have been different if they'd given it so someone with lesser credentials, but in the end, no matter how small the difference, the employer has to make a decision, and if the numbers wind up against you, you're sunk, and vice versa.

I thought "training" was a blanket term. An excuse so people wouldn't have to have hard feelings when they didn't get hired. An excuse that was, of course, legitimate, but lacked the implied importance.

But all that changed after today! I'm going to have to use five gauges to determine every part, I'll be in charge of determining height and width, I'll be in charge of operating a mechanical arm, or maintaining the mechanical arm, of operating a computer, reporting difficulties, and of filling out paper documents.

Yikes! Today, the guy only taught me how to use the gauges. My supervisor even told him that I'm not to operate any of the machines or be responsible for loading. I'm just supposed to watch and maybe do a little gauging.

I expressed concern in my previous post that, since my contract was for one day, I'd get laid off after one day. But now, I really don't think that's the case. Why train someone all day, if they'll never utilize their acquired abilities for the company? They've guaranteed me at least three days, and they haven't even referred to me as a "temp" or even a "Worker". They've referred to me as an "employee".

That actually has me a little nervous. I was told to report to someone, written in ink on my orientation papers. Printed on it was the name of someone different. I figured the "Written in ink" name was probably more recent, and therefor more relevant. When I got to the company, it took me 45 minutes before I reached the ink-written person personally. When he arrived, he asked me if I'd really been asked to report to him. I showed him my paper and told him my line of logic. He told me I was absolutely correct and gave me the tour.

Afterwards, he presented me to my supervisor. They had a bit of a heated discussion about my appearance. Apparently, I was unexpected. But they found me a place to train.

Now, at this point, I was skeptical. I was asked to watch someone, and not to perform any important tasks. I thought it was busy work for a mistake. Later on, I learned that this task was what was being performed by almost everyone in the plant, and that I was receiving the standard training.

There was also a meeting, where I was spotlighted. Apparently, they have more machines than humans right now, and I'm going to be a part of this new wave. The supervisor even brought me to attention amongst my coworkers.

So, when push comes to shove, I think I'll be here awhile. My mom thinks this is excellent. She thinks these are advanced credentials people who take courses strive to get. She also thinks that my performance at my last workplace, and the reference my supervisor may have given me, would have contributed to this job which requires higher credentials.

My last supervisor loved me, so even though it's kind of wussy-ish to listen to your mother on something like this, I'm inclined to agree.

Okay, I think I'm done. I just had a lot of emotions and inhibitions collide with me, and I think this is my last chance before I lose reason. Goodnight to you all and I'll let you know how my second night of training goes.

Job Orientation

I went in for my job orientation at the agency today. It was really standard. I'm going to be doing "machine operating". It's eight hour days, paid lunch, $12.00 an hour, they want you to provide your own safety shoes, but they'll provide eye and ear protection. It's a branch of Linamar. All of this is exactly the same as my last job.

It's a little further away, but I'll be catching the bus an hour to, just like at my last job, so it doesn't really make a difference. My position is "Machine Operator" which I think is an upgrade on "General Labourer". They have to ask you, "Do you have experience machine operating?". They don't have to ask you anything for General Labourer.

I thought I'd screwed myself when they first asked me:
Person: Do you have experience machine operating?
Me: No.
Person: Oh...
Me: Wait. By machine operating, do you mean just operating machines?
Person: Yeah.
Me: Oh. Well, then, yes. All the time, back at my old job.

The contract has the start and end date as the same day, and that was two days ago. I'm not too concerned, though. I've seen that happen before. You just keep showing up until the agency tells you you're no longer needed. I had a one day assignment the year I graduated high school. I did the one day and didn't return. The agency never found me another assignment (well, actually, it's the same agency. They gave me another shot a couple years later) I'm wondering if they had expected me to keep showing up...

I felt pretty boss, updating my file. I gave her my updated resume, photocopies of my four certificates, and a reference sheet. Six pages.

At Tim Hortons, I ordered a chicken salad sandwich. The guy asked me "Medium or large"? I had no idea there was a large variant! Nobody else has ever asked me that, and it's not on the menu! It's literally twice as large, and the girl stuffed it so full... Never got a better deal. My mind was blown.

He asked me if whole wheat was fine. They must've been out of white. I was going to ask for that, anyway, since their whole wheat tastes like white anyway, so you might as well sound healthy. But I bet there are people who try to barter down the price when they can't have their bread preference. I bet they're like, "Why should I pay the same amount for something I'm going to enjoy less?! I come in here expecting a certain quality, and it's your duty to provide me with quality service!"

I don't know why people gotta be like that. In PEI, I saw a guy throw a packet of sweetener at a server because he didn't give him real sugar. He said "That sugar?!" and when he got his sugar, he said "There now. That wasn't so hard, was it?!"

(That's not an accurate depiction of the PEI people at large. This man was an anomaly.)

Anyway, when people can't or don't give you exactly what you want, I don't see the point in busting a fuse. You're probably in a worse mood from getting worked up about it than a packet of sugar can cure.

When somebody asks me if I'm alright with whole wheat, I'm just like, "Bro, for you I'd eat rye". Gotta spread the positivity.

Twitter, New Job

I got a Twitter account recently. A job counsellor offered that we could do each other a favour, her giving me job leads through Twitter, and me making sure she presented herself properly. I think she might have just wanted a follower, though. It's all good. Right now, I have all my Internet methods of communication open: Twitter, Facebook, this blog, my email, and my brother's forum.

I never really took Twitter too seriously before. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but when it comes to networking sites, it seems like the newer, more "cutting edge" ones apply a logic that "less is more".

The first really mainstream networking site, MySpace, is now dying because people are moving to Facebook. The reason most people give is that Facbook is less tacky, and has a better community.

Well, if everyone's migrating, why would the community be different? They're the same people!

And as far as tackiness goes, people refer to the gaudy backgrounds and music many people put on their profiles.

So why is it that Facebook turned out so class?

Because it offered LESS! You can't put music, and you can't put backgrounds. MySpace is only dying because it failed to protect people from themselves.

And as for Twitter? It's the Facebook status function, if it had a far more extreme restriction. That's all it is. It has one function, and that function is inferior to Facebook's take on it. But Twitter is newer, and it's flourishing.

Oh well, it's still pretty fun. I have two followers, I'm following five people, and I have seven tweets.

My Facebook and Twitter I seem to be comfortable spamming, but I'm pretty selective with this blog, for some reason. I mean, if someone finds it, I'm okay with that, but I gave up the opportunity to spam it on the 2ndchance newsletter, and I've never plugged it on FB. Wonder why.

I got a job today. I'm going in for orientation tomorrow. This one's Afternoon shift. I said any shift was fine, but I was really hoping it wouldn't be Afternoons. It's gonna kill Karate! I was gonna change belt ranks this month!!! I'm working in part to pay for those classes, and since it pays by the month, I'll just be wasting money!

Somebody told me they can accommodate that, though. When I'd just gotten my job and was telling one of my Karate friends about it, I spoke on my relief that I wasn't doing Afternoons, since that would kill Karate. He said that the sensei can accommodate people working that shift, and give lessons during the day, and that some people do that. That sounds... weird to me, but I'll talk it over.

I've regressed physically. When I first started Karate, it was slow but consistent improvement. When I did Katimavik, I made significant improvement. I've recently regressed, and it's the first time that's happened, so I'm a little disappointed.

Canada World Youth has approved my medical file. I guess I just need to get placed.

Reacquaintence With Acquaintences

I was walking along the street and saw this guy that I'd known throughout highscool. I hadn't known him well, but we'd exchanged words and spent a number of classes together. He wasn't the first person I'd seen recently whom I'd had a relationship with like this. A guy I used to speak to every day back in Media Arts class, whom I'd remembered recently, just because I was becoming stressed out about my constantly expanding memory-load throughout life, and I'd picked him out through coincidence by choosing random and inconsequential snippets throughout life. I saw him on the bus, and he didn't recognize me. Same as a girl I'd spent middle and elementary school with. Someone I'd done project with, and who's email address I actually have. And to take it further, someone I knew from elementary, middle school, and high school, who was even in my "clique" for awhile, and who I'd made semi-consistent contact with.,

Yeah, so everyone except the first guy I spoke on didn't give me a second glance. This guy, we passed glances, smiled, laughed, waved, and rejoiced. That's where it's at. Just because we didn't know each other well, doesn't mean we didn't experience a lot together, and it doesn't mean we can't be happy to see each other.

Yesterday, I mentioned something that didn't get properly emphasized. My grandma was the one who noticed it. I guess I don't speak on it a lot, just because I don't generally feel like it's a good idea to focus on other's in a personal blog, not knowing when you might step on someone's toes, but it's true that the fact I referenced going out for a walk with my mother has some significance. I know I've mentioned she recently got through treatment for Hep C, but wasn't clear on how debilitating the side-effects were. Until a little while ago, going on such recreational physical activities were out of the question. She's continued to improve since her treatment, and every couple of days or so, her ambition and capabilities seems to improve.

Local Ducks & Geese

Me and Mom went to feed some ducks and geese recently. That was a huge blast from the past. I don't know if I've mentioned it on this blog, but I used to be a member of a flock of geese. Learned their sign language, earned their trust, and eventually they'd come and hang out with me even if I didn't have anything for them, and they let me play with their goslings, while they were really aggressive to everyone else. That's a really lengthy story, though. A major fan-favourite. But I'll get side-tracked.

Anyway, we fed them frozen vegetables (that were thawed) and some whole-grain bread with lots of seeds. Now, I'm normally against feeding bread to waterfowl... It's not good for them, but these guys have already stayed almost the duration of the winter. Somebody's graffitiing "feed the ducks" all over the neighborhood... And, the ducks at least, were obviously accustomed to being fed. These guys are completely human-dependant... Our feeding them won't make or break them, and if they were going to be retaught to be independent, this would be the very worst time of year to do that.

Anyway, as I said, the ducks were eager to get at the food. Where we fed them was a platform that hangs above the river, quite a distance up, so we were throwing down. The bread floated. The vegetable sunk. We threw the vegetables onto an ice platform, but it took them quite a while to find it.

After a while, three geese decided to join in. They flew in, in formation, like fighter jets. After they'd got some, they called out to the other geese that it was good stuff, but the other's remained too flighty to come into the fray.

But what was a real find was, there was a really strange bird. It had the colouration of a loon, but the body of a duck. It was smaller than a duck, though, and it's head was different. It had a crest, and it's beak was long and thin. It could swim underwater, too.

I've seen this bird, before. I'm glad to know it wasn't just passing through. Strange that it's on it's own.

After some research, it looks like it was a "hooded merganser". I saw a red-breasted merganser by chance in Katimavik, and that was a similarly baffling experience.

Okay, I'm sorry, I have to go to bed. I know I haven't been blogging as much, but if I don't go to bed now, I'll wake up at 12:00 again, tomorrow. I'll try and be more assertive with my Internet demand.

Plants Vs. Zombies

So, yesterday, I was going to give my second game recommendation, but I got caught up in my filler story about wearing a menstruation cup symbol on my head without knowing about it for a month. And then figured it would be wisest to conserve the next piece of information until the next post, since I've got plenty of rt\free time now, with no excuse not to post, and yet, not enough new news to make sure this blog is worth keeping running.

I'd better make sure I have enough new stuff to keep updating.

After Yume Niki, my next game suggestion was Plants Vs Zombies.

This one wasn't made by one person, or under mysterious intent. It even made Game of the Year, originating as a game costing $1, expanding slowly to a might $10!

In this game, our are facing a zombie apocalypse. Your only mode of defence? You grow a garden.

Grow Sunflowers to generate sun. With sun, you can grow other plants, such as Peashooters, which fire peas at zombies for a base offense, Wallnuts, which create a defense, and Spikeweeds, which cause damage as zombies step over them. If you make enough money, you can buy upgrades to existing plants such as Double Sunflowers, which you can plant on your Sunflowers to generate twice as much sun, Gattling Peas, which you can plant on your Repeaters (which are an upgrade on Peashooters), and Spikerocks, which are an upgrade on Spikeweeds.

You need to adapt to multiple environments such as night, where you'll need to grow mushroom equivalents to replace your daytime, sun-reliant plants; on water, where you'll need to plant atop Lilly Pads, or on the roof, where the incline will require you to use such catapult-style plants as Cabbage-pults, Kernel-pults, Melon-pults, and Winter-pults.

In the $10 Premium addition, they also have a meriad of different modes. You can play IZombie, where you play Zobies vs. Plants, and a mode called Zombotony, where you play Plants vs. Plants.

This only scrapes the surface of this incredible and addictive game. I've beaten it already, and am on my way to defeating it a second time, this time with a focus on gathering "achievements" and also, abiding the requirements they place on you on the second runthrough.

If I'm not updating enough, blame Plants Vs. Zombies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N1_0SUGlDQ

http://www.youtube.com/user/PlantsVsZombies#p/u/6/zqKf2oY6-bI

Diva Pin

When I was in Katimavik, I had a hat that I placed pins on, each representing a person, place, or event. Two girls in my group had one particular pin that they both wanted to give me. It said "Diva" on it and was centred in the middle of a flower. While both were quick to offer, for some reason, they were both reluctant to follow through, and I had to fight a little for it. When one of them finally gave it to me, she requested to "See my hat", and then proceeded to attach the pin without telling me this intention. She also fastened it on in such a way that removing it would be very difficult.

I should have found it suspicious that, after requesting to have it, she would feel it necessary to trick me into wearing it, and also, to make sure I couldn't go back on this decision, but at the time, I chalked it up to their disbelief that I would so regularly display a badge with the feminine connotations of the word "Diva" coupled with a flower.

I was okay with this, though, because, for one, my hat was supposed to represent diversity, each one symbolizing an individual story, each carrying it's own unique perspective. My hat wasn't a representation of myself, but of my experiences. Secondly, I thought they had failed to understand the "Real Men Wear Pink" philosophy, which dictates that, if a man can wear something traditionally feminine, and this does not detract from his masculinity, this becomes a feat of masculinity, and thus makes the man more masculine. On a similar note, to display a quality that would usually invoke aggression in other masculine people, but to have forced them to accept this about you, is a display of dominance over them. Very masculine.

There was a bit more to this particular pin, though. For my final presentation in my second rotation, at debriefing camp, in front of three groups and the project coordinator, I presented my hat, and told the story behind each pin I'd collected in Thunder Bay.

When I got to the Diva Pin, I expressed my confusion at the difficulty I'd had collecting it, and the way it had been locked on when I finally did get it. It was at this point that I was interrupted, and somebody asked me if I understood the concept behind the pin.

Well, turns out it's for a menstruation device.

While, at the time, I was overwhelmed by shock and horror, much to the amusement of my audience, realizing onstage that I had been proudly displaying this for over a month, I would later bounce back. I never attempted to remove the pin, and I put effort into learning about the product that I was supposed to be a spokesman for.

Turns out, it was for the Diva Cup, a reusable device which is environmentally friendly, cost effective, and supposedly pretty comfortable (three in the group testified it was the most comfortable). But you shouldn't listen to the instructions presented by the company when applying. Just keep pushing until you hear a "pop".

I got a free lesson on other devices, too. At final rotation, three males and our female project leader were tasked with shopping for the group. She joked that we should be the ones to get the "lady products" and was much surprised that we specifically requested to be given the privilege to do just that. She was more amazed when that was followed by a heated discussion about the qualities of each product. She said that she had "never seen this before".

That's right. I wasn't alone. I was initially fazed, but after I had collected myself, I took the offensive, and before I was through, men were competing to deal with menstruation products in an effort to seem more manly. I put the "men" back in "menstruate". If that's not "Real Men Wear Pink" I don't know what is.