My Interview

I saw this originally over a brran1's place The Black Lounge a couple weeks ago. So I commented and he sent me some questions to answer. Sorry but I would have had it up sooner but I am lazy and forgot about it for a couple days. But, better late then never...right???

1. If you want to participate, leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.



1. If you were guaranteed lifelong financial stability in your dream career, would you leave your current job? What is your dream career?

In a heartbeat I would leave. I would leave tomorrow...okay I would give 2 weeks notice but no more than that. To be able to do something in my chosen field would be an absolute dream and I would consider the job even if financial stability wasn't guaranteed. My dream career would be something in the sports world (radio, tv, writer). [In fact if you head over to Jumping Offsides you can view the sports blog I have with Verb and listen to our podcast.]

2.If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you move and why?

I would probably move to New York. I won't ever do that but hypothetically I would. Reason: It is the greatest city in the world and so much happens there. Also I have always lived in suburbia and while I love it I think it would have been interesting to live in decent sized city for a while.

3. What bad habit do you NOT intend on giving up?

Bad habits....hmmm. I don't really no what constitutes a bad habit. I really don't do anything that I consider to be a bad habit. My wife would surely give something here as I am constantly pestering her but I don't think think it is bad...I enjoy it. Most of the other bad habits I have (lazy procrastinator, eating too much, talking on phone while driving) I don't really have a problem giving up....in fact I am trying to on some of them.

4.Which one would you rather have: Wealth or Notoriety?

Wealth. Notoriety brings more problems than it is worth. Although if you aren't wealthy it won't matter if you are notorious because no one will care anyway. And at the same time if you are notorious you are probably wealthy. For instance I would love to win the lottery but I don't want anyone to know that I won it.

5. If you had to walk away from Blogland, would you be able to do it?

Yes. Honestly I am not that attached to it. I enjoy writing and I would absolutely miss it but I could absolutely give it up if needed. The only thing in this world that I wouldn't be able to give up is my family and friends. Everything else is just stuff and can be replaced. And anyone that I meet by blogging can still be my friend outside of Blogland.


Anyone that wants interviewed by me just say "interview me" in the comments.

Breed Specific Bans

Okay, I don't normally do an actual posting, but I am so tired of people wanting certain dog breeds banned. One article I read this morning was about Pit Bulls (again.) A 12 year old girl was bit in the face by a Pit. Here's my problem with it, the dog was fenced in, but the girl put her head over the fence, for what reason...it was never mentioned, and the dog bit her. Duh...most breeds would do that or try to. All dogs are territorial. Maybe the fence was right against the sidewalk, or maybe the fence wasn't tall enough. Either way thats not the dog's fault, the owners should have placed a taller fence if its right along side the sidewalk, and the girl and/or her mother (who was with her) should have some common sense not to put their head over a fence.

The last statement of the article really bothers me too. "That particular breed is problematic. They were bred to go into the pit and fight," she said. "It's like a little time bomb waiting to go off." NO THEY WERE NOT!!! People need to learn about breeds before they open their mouths. I have never owned a Pit Bull, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to look up basic information on the internet. "The American Pit Bull Terrier's many talents did not go unnoticed by farmers and ranchers who used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions." Also, most people do not seem to know that their are different breeds of Pit Bulls, with the American Pit Bull Terrier the only one with the words "pit" and "bull" in its name.

Just because they are bad owners, doesn't mean the dogs are born "evil." There are bad parents too, but do we label the children "evil" and try to eliminate them?!?! No!!! We go after the parents.

My husband and I have owned 2 "bully breed" dogs so far; a Chinese Shar Pei and (the current babies) two Siberian Huskies. And I have news for you, so far our two house cats are more likely to hiss, spit, and scratch you then any of the dogs we have had.

What to do.....

If you have a job than I would imagine you have considered being laid off or fired during this recession.

It seems like every company around the country is hurting financially and looking to make cuts.

Hell, Microsoft announced recently that they are laying off 5,000 employees!

I would think that a company as successful as Microsoft would be able to avoid having to lay off almost 5% of its workforce but that isn't the case.

Talk has started around my job of potential layoffs or a cut in hours to save money. Either way I would be in trouble. Right now I barely make enough money as is to live where I do and how I do. And come June/July when the baby is born it is going to get even tougher obviously.

I was set to get a promotion and raise within the next month but now that is up in the air too. Which presents more problems because I have been counting on this raise for the past year.

So I have been looking for a new job so that I can make enough money to live and survive.

But the problem with that is do I take something if it comes along?

I mean if I leave my current employer and go to a new company I will be the low man on the totem poll and (more than likely) the first to get laid off if that time comes.

Do I sit by and wait to see what happens at my current job and hope for the best? I am probably not on the chopping block as far as getting laid off but could get my hours cut by as much as 20%.

Or do I just gamble and take a job that is offered to me?

I obviously wouldn't take a job that didn't offer at least the same as what I am getting now but still.

I hesitate to take any job even if it pays more than my current position because I don't want to get caught in a numbers game after starting at the new company and find myself laid off.

If I start a new job and within a few months they decide to lay people off you know who is going first....the most recent hires.

Which would be me!

It's just frustrating not knowing what to do. I have an interview tomorrow with a national company about a position in their corporate office. I hope it goes well but at the same time I don't know what I would do if they offer me a position.

If the position is for the same pay and similar benefits that I have now is it worth leaving considering the risk it brings?

I don't know.

Amazing

What a difference between the two.

President Bush couldn't speak publicly with any real meaning or emotion. He couldn't find the words or the tone to show how he truly felt.

President Obama could get just about anybody to stand up and support him. Every word was believable. You want as much as anything to believe that he will do what he says he will do.

Listening to his speech today gave me chills. I was proud of this country that we were able to look past the color of his skin and instead looked at the content of his character.

In my opinion this is the type of President that we need right now. Someone who brings people together no matter their walk of life. Someone who brings new faith to the position. Someone who is strong enough to carry the weight of this country and its imperfections on his shoulders. And someone who can get the people of this country to believe in each other and focus on the whole instead of the individual.

He is what we need right now....a common man who can't get through the swearing in without a slip up or two. Someone who isn't perfect and doesn't try to be.

He isn't perfect nor does he try to be. He is human. And that is what we need right now.

I don't know.....you tell me

Friday night a group of us went to a hockey game in Hershey. The special part of this game was that it was dollar dog night.

That's right hot dogs for a dollar!

Really...that isn't that great of a deal. I can go to the store and buy a pack of hot dogs and rolls for under 5 bucks. BUT when you are going to a sporting event and a soft pretzel is over $3 a dollar dog is special.

Previously Verb and I had gone to a dollar dog night at a game earlier this year. The bet then was that he couldn't eat 6 hot dogs. Actually we set the over/under at 5.5 hot dogs.

He ate 6. I was impressed.

So Friday night there was me, wifey, Verb, my sister J, her bf R, Skittles, and some girl he was dating last weekend.

(to those that have been reading this using of initials or letters for people is new but it will continue. it is easier than giving nicknames to people)

But anyways back to the story.

My sister can eat a pretty good amount and loves hot dogs. Her bf is a good sized guy that is currently training to be a MMA fighter and he can eat a lot.

*a little background.....J and Verb dated for a couple months*

We saw J prior to the game and she made a comment about Verb's 6 hot dogs at a previous game that went something like this "oh I can eat more than that."

And so it was on. Basically it ended up being me and Verb vs J and R (even though he didn't know he was competing til he got to the game).

Honestly they won but officially it ended in a tie 19-19.

Yes that is correct we ate 38 hot dogs between the 4 of us. R won with 12, I had 11, Verb had 8, and J had 7.

The reason they won though is because R also ate like 2 boxes of popcorn! The guy just seems un-fillable when it comes to food.

The people sitting in front of us were worried of Verb doing this again and creating a disgusting situation. But for the most part everyone around us enjoyed it and had a good time with it. Even the usher was funny as she multiple times asked Verb if he needed to use a trash bag!

But the funniest part of the night was while Verb and I were out getting hot dogs during the 2nd intermission.

Apparently Skittles date (who was SUPPOSEDLY a hockey fan) leaned over to him and asked OUT LOUD.....

"Is the ICE cold?"

Exposaroonie - Submissions: Best of 2008

Its been awhile since there's been a new challenge. But here is one of my favorite pictures from 2008. This is a pic of our pups when we first bought them home. They're now like 5 times this size. The one on the left is Ash and the little girl on the right is Simi. Yes, they are Siberian Huskies and they are litter mates. Go here to vote.....hopefully for me!?!?!

Looking our for #1

You always here people say and sometimes complain that people only look our for themselves. The phrase "looking out for #1" is everywhere all the time.

If you are watching sports, news, a sitcom, or really any television show you are possibly going to hear the phrase or something very close to it.

And some people will tell you that that is a bad thing. That the problem with our culture and society right now is that everyone is basically selfish and no one cares about anyone else.

They might be right.

But I will say this. You can't be loyal to an employer anymore cause they aren't loyal to you.

It used to be you would find a job with a company and then work your way up the food chain within that company and retire with that company.

Now people are changing jobs every year or couple of years after they get a little experience doing something.

There are multiple reasons for that but I think a big one is that everyone knows a corporation is NOT looking out for your best interests and will NOT consider you when they sell the company or change owners.

Very rarely do people even get a single boss that really cares about their well-being. Most bosses are doing the same thing you are....trying to get ahead. Looking forward to the next raise and promotion.

That is why people don't stay with one company anymore. It isn't because people don't care or wouldn't like to stay with one company. I would like to (if I found a job where I like what I am doing anyway) but most companies now promote from outside the company. If you are looking to move into management you will probably have to change companies a couple times.

But it also has to do with the greed of people too. We all want wants best for us. And there is nothing wrong with that. But remember that loyalty and respect go both ways.

If you respect someone else they are more likely to respect you in return. And (in theory) if you are loyal to a company for years they are more likely to be loyal to you in return.

To Survive....Find a Vampire

I don't know if any of you watch the History channel or not but this week is Armageddon week. All they are showing at night are shows about the end of the world and how it is going to happen.

So I happen to enjoy this kind of thing cause it is interesting. I am not looking forward to the end of the world and very much doubt I would be around for it. But it isn't something I am scared of cause there isn't anything I can do about it.

I was flipping between one show on History channel (I can't remember the name) and the Fiesta Bowl. But I managed to learn a couple things from watching the show which was basically looking at the Book of Revelations in the Bible and using that to explain how the world is going to end.

Here is what I learned:

1. Religious (in this case mostly Christian) people are delusional and crazy
2. Vampires are going to rule the world!

Seriously.

Let's look at the first one.

These people honest to god believe that their "God" is going to end life on this planet as we know it cause a few bad people don't stop doing stupid things. Really? This is your idea of "God"?

So what you are saying is that instead of lets say Osama Bin Laden dropping dead from a heart attack or I don't know leading us to his hideout "God" is going to kill everyone on the planet. Wow. That's a pretty bleak outlook and a pretty intense idea of vengeance you people have.

And that's what they were saying (minus the Bin Laden reference). They were saying that because the "anti-christ" is here and not behaving that "God" was going to take matters into his own hands and punish ALL OF US!

And you wonder why I don't believe in Christianity anymore.....


Now let's look at the 2nd thing I learned....Vampires will rule the world.

Many of the theories put forth by these religious idiots have the sun either being destroyed or being blocked out from the earth. Which would lead to total darkness. Hmmm....Vampires can't be in sunlight.

And then they threw out this clincher in my eyes....all of the water on earth is going to turn to blood. Yes that is right....all the oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, creeks, ponds, and puddles are all going to magically turn from water to blood. Hmmm....Vampires live on blood.


You see! If you want to survive the Apocalypse it is simple....go find this guy and convince him to bite you and turn you into a vampire. That way when the Earth is sun-less and all the water is blood you too can live on.