30 September 2007
Saturday at Borders
I spent yesterday -my usual day-off, working at the Borders in Montclair. Starting at 6 am, I spent the morning shelving and helping Lyly get the store back into order.
I'm unsure how she felt about this, but when she left that store 2 years ago to take on Rancho Cucamonga where I work, she left a store in a great position. Even after she left Rancho to take on the very troubled Chino store, I don't think she think in a moment she would be back at Montclair to put it back in order.
But, alas, she is back.
And at first, I thought maybe it was time to let Montclair go, especially after Barnes & Noble opened a huge store with in the Montclair Plaza Mall. Plus, over the last few years, the Montclair Borders stock began to fall, as Rancho stole a bunch of their customers. And couple that with the new B&N and many staff issues, the store was quickly becoming a pariah.
Just last week I found out they were down to two IPT people, their GM had quit and their superviser staff was down to a few. Lyly, who is damn good at what she does, was asked to come back and right a lilting ship. Got to say, even after a week back, she's got the sort room close to where it should be, as she told me that they had over 7 pallets yet to sort through.
I spent the day just shelving, but she had to make sure I was not fixing the sections as I went along. She was concerned about just getting stock on the shelves, which is really the key to all our sales, no matter how much the company wants to focus on customer service.
But she knows me too well, and she stopped me from fixing the computer books. Just get the stock out, she chided me. Got to tell you how hard it was not to want fix these sections I worked on, from trying not put the books in alphabetical order, and taking titles (especially in the computer section) that don't belong where they're at.
But I did as she asked, and by 3pm, most of the back room was empty. I got home at 3:25 and nearly collapsed. It was hard work, really something I'm used too. But still, by the sixth day of work, I'm tired.
I missed Heather's baby shower, and I sent a missive to her myspace to explain it. I lover her to death, but overtime is what I need, especially afte the recent car thingy. It's hard to explain to someone that money -stupid money - stoppped me from going and enjoying myself. And, I suppose, I could've gotten out earlier or even got to Heather's late yesterday, but I figured even if I showered and got out of the house by 3:45, it was still a 45 minute or so drive to Sunland. I would've had a half-hour (for it was over at 5) to spend.
So, hopefully she'll not hate me too much.
Anyways, back to Montclair. The store, besides not being in alpha, looks pretty good. It needs a strong leader, which Lyly is and the previous manager was not. It will never be the money making store it once was, if only because B&N is making it difficult with its store right in the mall itself. But, if a the right person is selected, one who can bring the store back from its tipping point, I don't see why it can't get better. Lyly is only staying for a while, as other plans are in the works for her.
I told her I kind of want to go to the Mira Loma when it opens in February. She was surprised and said that it was further away than Rancho. I told her I was aware of that, but Rancho offers nothing in the way of a challenge, plus Mira Loma is one of the first of the new concept stores in California. It's designed to address the changing music and DVD market, as it will be a store that people can download music -much like what Starbucks is doing. And I kind of want to be a part of it.
She also asked me why I turned down the supervisor position, and basically told her that I now realize where I fit into this world. I'm not cut from the same cloth when it comes to being any sort of manager. I can be a leader, but my brain is not wired to deal with so much gobbly-gook that it takes to be a manager. Plus, I don't think the customer respect us workers, yet they expect us to respect them. I told her I would say something that might get me fired, so I said it was better to keep me on IPT.
Besides, I know, and she knows cause she told me, that Rancho's success is because of me. That Jeff would be at a loss if I left and went to Mira Loma. We'll see. And I know that sounds arrogant, but when I took a week off in August (when I knew things would be slow, so my loss would not be that great) both Natasha and DJ verbalized to me that they missed me, because things that normally got done, little things in some respect, where not getting done.
They seemed suprised, I guess. But that's my greatest strength. I know little reward (as in money) will come my way, but this is what I'm good at, this is what makes the stores I work in bring in the money.
As I mentioned earlier, the company is so concerend about customer service and its investors, they don't realize that the key to the success of any store is the ability to get the stock out in a timely manner. If the product is out, the customers will buy. Yes, customer service is important, but to trim hours forcing IPT to work FOS (cause their hours are guaranteed) and register effects the ability to get the stock out.
But, at the end of the day, I'm still unsure about my future. Most days, I still want to work at Borders, as I still love doing what I'm doing. But there are times, when money comes up short, that I have to make a choice soon; get a part-time job or find something else.
And to be honest, the only thing that appeals to me at this time is Starbucks. I think there is a great company there, one that treats it employees (or so I've heard) with diginty and respect.
Funny, how it all comes down to respect. I just wish our customers saw us more than just stupid folks who could not get a real job, what ever that is. But that is for another post.
I'm unsure how she felt about this, but when she left that store 2 years ago to take on Rancho Cucamonga where I work, she left a store in a great position. Even after she left Rancho to take on the very troubled Chino store, I don't think she think in a moment she would be back at Montclair to put it back in order.
But, alas, she is back.
And at first, I thought maybe it was time to let Montclair go, especially after Barnes & Noble opened a huge store with in the Montclair Plaza Mall. Plus, over the last few years, the Montclair Borders stock began to fall, as Rancho stole a bunch of their customers. And couple that with the new B&N and many staff issues, the store was quickly becoming a pariah.
Just last week I found out they were down to two IPT people, their GM had quit and their superviser staff was down to a few. Lyly, who is damn good at what she does, was asked to come back and right a lilting ship. Got to say, even after a week back, she's got the sort room close to where it should be, as she told me that they had over 7 pallets yet to sort through.
I spent the day just shelving, but she had to make sure I was not fixing the sections as I went along. She was concerned about just getting stock on the shelves, which is really the key to all our sales, no matter how much the company wants to focus on customer service.
But she knows me too well, and she stopped me from fixing the computer books. Just get the stock out, she chided me. Got to tell you how hard it was not to want fix these sections I worked on, from trying not put the books in alphabetical order, and taking titles (especially in the computer section) that don't belong where they're at.
But I did as she asked, and by 3pm, most of the back room was empty. I got home at 3:25 and nearly collapsed. It was hard work, really something I'm used too. But still, by the sixth day of work, I'm tired.
I missed Heather's baby shower, and I sent a missive to her myspace to explain it. I lover her to death, but overtime is what I need, especially afte the recent car thingy. It's hard to explain to someone that money -stupid money - stoppped me from going and enjoying myself. And, I suppose, I could've gotten out earlier or even got to Heather's late yesterday, but I figured even if I showered and got out of the house by 3:45, it was still a 45 minute or so drive to Sunland. I would've had a half-hour (for it was over at 5) to spend.
So, hopefully she'll not hate me too much.
Anyways, back to Montclair. The store, besides not being in alpha, looks pretty good. It needs a strong leader, which Lyly is and the previous manager was not. It will never be the money making store it once was, if only because B&N is making it difficult with its store right in the mall itself. But, if a the right person is selected, one who can bring the store back from its tipping point, I don't see why it can't get better. Lyly is only staying for a while, as other plans are in the works for her.
I told her I kind of want to go to the Mira Loma when it opens in February. She was surprised and said that it was further away than Rancho. I told her I was aware of that, but Rancho offers nothing in the way of a challenge, plus Mira Loma is one of the first of the new concept stores in California. It's designed to address the changing music and DVD market, as it will be a store that people can download music -much like what Starbucks is doing. And I kind of want to be a part of it.
She also asked me why I turned down the supervisor position, and basically told her that I now realize where I fit into this world. I'm not cut from the same cloth when it comes to being any sort of manager. I can be a leader, but my brain is not wired to deal with so much gobbly-gook that it takes to be a manager. Plus, I don't think the customer respect us workers, yet they expect us to respect them. I told her I would say something that might get me fired, so I said it was better to keep me on IPT.
Besides, I know, and she knows cause she told me, that Rancho's success is because of me. That Jeff would be at a loss if I left and went to Mira Loma. We'll see. And I know that sounds arrogant, but when I took a week off in August (when I knew things would be slow, so my loss would not be that great) both Natasha and DJ verbalized to me that they missed me, because things that normally got done, little things in some respect, where not getting done.
They seemed suprised, I guess. But that's my greatest strength. I know little reward (as in money) will come my way, but this is what I'm good at, this is what makes the stores I work in bring in the money.
As I mentioned earlier, the company is so concerend about customer service and its investors, they don't realize that the key to the success of any store is the ability to get the stock out in a timely manner. If the product is out, the customers will buy. Yes, customer service is important, but to trim hours forcing IPT to work FOS (cause their hours are guaranteed) and register effects the ability to get the stock out.
But, at the end of the day, I'm still unsure about my future. Most days, I still want to work at Borders, as I still love doing what I'm doing. But there are times, when money comes up short, that I have to make a choice soon; get a part-time job or find something else.
And to be honest, the only thing that appeals to me at this time is Starbucks. I think there is a great company there, one that treats it employees (or so I've heard) with diginty and respect.
Funny, how it all comes down to respect. I just wish our customers saw us more than just stupid folks who could not get a real job, what ever that is. But that is for another post.
29 September 2007
The Sarah Jane Adventures begins
After the success of the revived Doctor Who, Russell T Davies created a spin-off around popular guest star John Barrowman. Torchwood is a more adult version of Who, featuring stories that have more violence, sex and swear words.
It was as huge a success as the mother series.
But who would've thought another spin-off could work? Well, with three CSI's, three Law & Orders, why not three shows based around Doctor Who? That third one, The Sarah Jane Adventures, came about due to School Reunion, a second series adventure that featured the return of Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, who ventured with the Third and Fourth Doctor during TOS run back in the 197o's.
Sladen could be considered the series best companion ever created, as she really was the first fully, three-dimensional female traveler of the Doctor. And she certainly remains, after 30 years, one of the most loved companions.
But unlike the very dark, sexualized Torchwood, and the semi-dark whimsey, pop cultural refrences within the new Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures is designed for the younger crowd -maybe, even what TOS was designed to be back in the 1960's.
The new series launched on New Years Day in England with a special episode called The Invasion of the Bane. It's a hoot, with current James Bond Miss Moneypenny, Samantha Bond, just tearing up the scenery as an alien out to convert the world into zombies. And it's amazing in many ways to see Liz Sladen back as the iconic character of Sarah Jane, a role she seems to love playing.
On September 24, the show launched with Revenge of the Slitheen, bringing back the farting family of aliens first introduced in a 2-part Who episode from the first season of the new series.
The show, it seems, was slightly retooled, as one actress was dropped in favor of new one. Which, I think is better.
(I caught both of these episodes off of Youtube).
While the show is geared towards young audience, I liked it, including returning to the old format of Doctor Who, by having the show run a half-hour, with a cliffhanger to get people to return for the next episode.
And while, like Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures are not directly linked to Doctor Who, Sarah does mention him, and UNIT. In the pilot, we saw K9 (though due to copywrite issues and licensing fee's, the robotic dog will not be a part of the series) doing something with a blackhole, which was just odd and very random. But I suppose they could not say anything about him, considering at the end of School Reunion, Sarah is seen walking away with an upgraded verison of K9.
Besides, an animated series featuring K9 is scheduled to debut in 2009, so that may also be the reason why he's not on The Sarah Jane Adventures.
It was as huge a success as the mother series.
But who would've thought another spin-off could work? Well, with three CSI's, three Law & Orders, why not three shows based around Doctor Who? That third one, The Sarah Jane Adventures, came about due to School Reunion, a second series adventure that featured the return of Elizabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, who ventured with the Third and Fourth Doctor during TOS run back in the 197o's.
Sladen could be considered the series best companion ever created, as she really was the first fully, three-dimensional female traveler of the Doctor. And she certainly remains, after 30 years, one of the most loved companions.
But unlike the very dark, sexualized Torchwood, and the semi-dark whimsey, pop cultural refrences within the new Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures is designed for the younger crowd -maybe, even what TOS was designed to be back in the 1960's.
The new series launched on New Years Day in England with a special episode called The Invasion of the Bane. It's a hoot, with current James Bond Miss Moneypenny, Samantha Bond, just tearing up the scenery as an alien out to convert the world into zombies. And it's amazing in many ways to see Liz Sladen back as the iconic character of Sarah Jane, a role she seems to love playing.
On September 24, the show launched with Revenge of the Slitheen, bringing back the farting family of aliens first introduced in a 2-part Who episode from the first season of the new series.
The show, it seems, was slightly retooled, as one actress was dropped in favor of new one. Which, I think is better.
(I caught both of these episodes off of Youtube).
While the show is geared towards young audience, I liked it, including returning to the old format of Doctor Who, by having the show run a half-hour, with a cliffhanger to get people to return for the next episode.
And while, like Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures are not directly linked to Doctor Who, Sarah does mention him, and UNIT. In the pilot, we saw K9 (though due to copywrite issues and licensing fee's, the robotic dog will not be a part of the series) doing something with a blackhole, which was just odd and very random. But I suppose they could not say anything about him, considering at the end of School Reunion, Sarah is seen walking away with an upgraded verison of K9.
Besides, an animated series featuring K9 is scheduled to debut in 2009, so that may also be the reason why he's not on The Sarah Jane Adventures.
27 September 2007
Bionic Woman and Reaper
I watched the Bionic Woman last night.
And I spent most of today trying to figure out what bothered me about it. Then I realized that the show looked like it had been longer, and then cut to fit the timeslot. It seems they cut all the character development out, and just kept the set pieces and the tons of exposition, which confused me a lot.
And while "pilots" have a tendency to drop so much plot to set up the rest of the series, here it becomes a huge problem as too much is given, forcing me to cry foul. And while I love Katee Sackoff on Battlestar Galactica as Starbuck -because she's three dimensional - here she comes off more as Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2; mean and dumb.
The ending was choppy, with way too many close-ups during the fight between the first bionic woman and her replacement. It was just confusing as a hell to see what was going on.
I'm hoping in future episodes they'll explain how Sarah Corvus (Sackoff) survived being shot by her then boyfriend Jae Kim (played by WillYun Lee) and why she went rogue (beyond the bionic do-hickeys driving her crazy).
Michelle Ryan is going to take a while to get used to, as she is forced to spout dialogue such as "I'll bury one guy after the next," which is pretty horrible in her delivery, and you never believe her for a moment that she even believed it, plus just bad writing.
Miguel Ferrer, late of Crossing Jordan, plays a goverment "baddie." Molly Rice returns to TV, thinner and with blond hair, a few years after Third Watch was canned.
It wasn't bad, and has potential, but its success should not be built around Ryan acting so tough - it just does not suit her.
************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, Tuesday brought the CW's Reaper, which is a clever and laugh out-loud show. Something, you may or may not know, the network that was The WB and UPN were never known for.
It mixes goofy comedy with believable action. Bret Harrison, last seen on FOX's very underrated and little seen The Loop, plays a slacker who through no fault of his own discovers on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil.
And the devil is played with devious, delicious delight by Ray Wise -Leland Palmer from Twin Peaks - in what amounts to a brillant piece of casting.
Now young Sam must retreat escapee's from hell (because its overcrowded; "I blame myself", muses the Devil) and drop them off in locations that are described as "hell on Earth", such as the DMV.
Its fun and the cast seems to be enjoying the silliness.
************************************************************************************
And I spent most of today trying to figure out what bothered me about it. Then I realized that the show looked like it had been longer, and then cut to fit the timeslot. It seems they cut all the character development out, and just kept the set pieces and the tons of exposition, which confused me a lot.
And while "pilots" have a tendency to drop so much plot to set up the rest of the series, here it becomes a huge problem as too much is given, forcing me to cry foul. And while I love Katee Sackoff on Battlestar Galactica as Starbuck -because she's three dimensional - here she comes off more as Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2; mean and dumb.
The ending was choppy, with way too many close-ups during the fight between the first bionic woman and her replacement. It was just confusing as a hell to see what was going on.
I'm hoping in future episodes they'll explain how Sarah Corvus (Sackoff) survived being shot by her then boyfriend Jae Kim (played by WillYun Lee) and why she went rogue (beyond the bionic do-hickeys driving her crazy).
Michelle Ryan is going to take a while to get used to, as she is forced to spout dialogue such as "I'll bury one guy after the next," which is pretty horrible in her delivery, and you never believe her for a moment that she even believed it, plus just bad writing.
Miguel Ferrer, late of Crossing Jordan, plays a goverment "baddie." Molly Rice returns to TV, thinner and with blond hair, a few years after Third Watch was canned.
It wasn't bad, and has potential, but its success should not be built around Ryan acting so tough - it just does not suit her.
************************************************************************************
Meanwhile, Tuesday brought the CW's Reaper, which is a clever and laugh out-loud show. Something, you may or may not know, the network that was The WB and UPN were never known for.
It mixes goofy comedy with believable action. Bret Harrison, last seen on FOX's very underrated and little seen The Loop, plays a slacker who through no fault of his own discovers on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil.
And the devil is played with devious, delicious delight by Ray Wise -Leland Palmer from Twin Peaks - in what amounts to a brillant piece of casting.
Now young Sam must retreat escapee's from hell (because its overcrowded; "I blame myself", muses the Devil) and drop them off in locations that are described as "hell on Earth", such as the DMV.
Its fun and the cast seems to be enjoying the silliness.
************************************************************************************
26 September 2007
The Gay Card Question
Will they -who ever they are - take my gay card away (or force me to return my toaster oven) because I loathe Dancing with the Stars and most, if not all, of Bravo's reality crap-o-rama?
25 September 2007
23 September 2007
Okay, my last post on this bitch.
But going on Maury I think proves, she is as White Trash as White Trash can get.
Which means, sadly, we'll be seeing "Chris Crocker" in his own series by January.
Sunday in September
Saturday turned out to be what the first day of fall should be like, rainy and cool.
For the first time since April, most of Southern California got rain. Much needed, thank you. Of course, some of the burn areas of SolCal had some landslides of mud, but that is to be expected.
But it was nice, in one perspective, that even though a Saturday was rotten day to do anything out side, we got the much need rain. And to be honest, right now, I would not mind a better winter than we had last year.
Anyway, today is cool, yet sunny and the air is clear. If there is another advantage to the rain, it cleaned the stale, polluted air that has been hanging around for months.
The birthday week came to close, and while it was not great -which is why I don't usually celebrate it -I'm sort of happy I'm 45. Maybe.
After 6 weeks, I shaved off the beard. I got what I wanted it out of it: which was to see how white it was. I'm over that.
So while I hate to shave, I hate the white in my beard. So shaving wins.
One last thing, after months and months of putting it off (and for really, no reason), I got my car registered here in California. There's a whole, nightmare story that goes with it, but I won't go into that. Needless to say, it cost me big time to get it done.
I need a new job so something tlike this does not kill me financially. Or, more likely, I'll have to get a part-time job.
22 September 2007
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19 September 2007
18 September 2007
Death not the end for popular authors
A few years ago, when Stephen King was struck and severely injured by a van, he had time to ponder his career. Beyond doing other things, he decided that he needed to finish his Dark Tower series before he shuttled off this mortal coil; if not for the fans, just for himself. He felt that had he died with the seven volume series unfinished, he felt that might be his epitaph. And that was not going to happen.
The death of Robert Jordan brings up some questions as to whether the proposed 12 volume series will see its final book, which Jordan claimed had a working title of A Memory of Light. When he revealed to his fans back in March of 2006 that he was suffering from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (cardiac amyloidosis), he said to them that he would beat the odds, as the life expectancy with this disease was four years.
Its been reported on blog entries he made a dragonmount.com that, while he was not working full force on the final volume, he was sharing and writing down significant plot details and passing that on with family and associates.
While Jordan’s death is a blow to fans and bookstores everywhere, the book industry will see his death as an opportunity to continue publish his works. Over the last few decades, publishers -usually working in tandem with the writers estate - have found that a popular series or franchise does not need to die with its author.
As an example, since her death in 1986, V.C. Andrews has 8 novels published (2 of which her own, six by a ghost writer). Robert Ludlum, who died in 2001, has since published several new works, including three new volumes of his Jason Bourne series, all written by another author. L. Ron Hubbard, who long before becoming the center of attention for his Scientology, was a science fiction author, and has had several books published under his name since his death in 1986. And lest we forget Brian Herbert picking up where his father left off, publishing multiple new volumes in the Dune series, and Christopher Tolkien helping finish his fathers The Children of Húrin.
So, I’m guessing that Memory will see the light of day eventually, as I don’t think Jordan -probably knowing he was not going to survive much longer - wouldn’t want to disappoint his fans, plus have that as a footnote in his biography. Another author, either selected by him or his estate, will probably write the final volume based on those notes, and maybe the two proposed prequels.
Or course, all of this could’ve ended years ago, as when the Wheel in Time series was first released back in 1990, it was only a proposed 7 volume series. Somewhere along the line, Jordan and his publishers got 5 more volumes, a short story expanded into a prequel novel and two more prequels.
Still, a prolific author like King, I’m also sure we’ll see s few more posthumous works carrying the Robert Jordan name.
The death of Robert Jordan brings up some questions as to whether the proposed 12 volume series will see its final book, which Jordan claimed had a working title of A Memory of Light. When he revealed to his fans back in March of 2006 that he was suffering from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (cardiac amyloidosis), he said to them that he would beat the odds, as the life expectancy with this disease was four years.
Its been reported on blog entries he made a dragonmount.com that, while he was not working full force on the final volume, he was sharing and writing down significant plot details and passing that on with family and associates.
While Jordan’s death is a blow to fans and bookstores everywhere, the book industry will see his death as an opportunity to continue publish his works. Over the last few decades, publishers -usually working in tandem with the writers estate - have found that a popular series or franchise does not need to die with its author.
As an example, since her death in 1986, V.C. Andrews has 8 novels published (2 of which her own, six by a ghost writer). Robert Ludlum, who died in 2001, has since published several new works, including three new volumes of his Jason Bourne series, all written by another author. L. Ron Hubbard, who long before becoming the center of attention for his Scientology, was a science fiction author, and has had several books published under his name since his death in 1986. And lest we forget Brian Herbert picking up where his father left off, publishing multiple new volumes in the Dune series, and Christopher Tolkien helping finish his fathers The Children of Húrin.
So, I’m guessing that Memory will see the light of day eventually, as I don’t think Jordan -probably knowing he was not going to survive much longer - wouldn’t want to disappoint his fans, plus have that as a footnote in his biography. Another author, either selected by him or his estate, will probably write the final volume based on those notes, and maybe the two proposed prequels.
Or course, all of this could’ve ended years ago, as when the Wheel in Time series was first released back in 1990, it was only a proposed 7 volume series. Somewhere along the line, Jordan and his publishers got 5 more volumes, a short story expanded into a prequel novel and two more prequels.
Still, a prolific author like King, I’m also sure we’ll see s few more posthumous works carrying the Robert Jordan name.
17 September 2007
The passing of author Robert Jordan and Match Game's Brett Somers
Robert Jordan
Despite his desire to fight this disease, Robert Jordan was much aware of his illness and the potential possibility he would not survive it. While book 12 remains -at this time - unwritten, he began a detailed instructions on how that final book in the Wheel in Time series would end. Additionally, he also has detailed papers on the two prequels he was planning to write.
And from what I've heard from various sites, he had already selected the writer who would finish book 12, plus write the two prequels.
So his legacy will continue, but don't expect that final book for some time.
On a personal note, I gave up on the series long ago. I've tried to get through book 4 at least three times, but found all the characters -especially Rand - to be annoying and felt, at times, that they all deserved to die.
Brett Somers
I remember her from a memorable guest shot on the original Battlestar Galactica. But with the passing of Charles Nelson Reilly and now her, another memorable, in your face funny face has left the world. She was one of kind.
Despite his desire to fight this disease, Robert Jordan was much aware of his illness and the potential possibility he would not survive it. While book 12 remains -at this time - unwritten, he began a detailed instructions on how that final book in the Wheel in Time series would end. Additionally, he also has detailed papers on the two prequels he was planning to write.
And from what I've heard from various sites, he had already selected the writer who would finish book 12, plus write the two prequels.
So his legacy will continue, but don't expect that final book for some time.
On a personal note, I gave up on the series long ago. I've tried to get through book 4 at least three times, but found all the characters -especially Rand - to be annoying and felt, at times, that they all deserved to die.
Brett Somers
I remember her from a memorable guest shot on the original Battlestar Galactica. But with the passing of Charles Nelson Reilly and now her, another memorable, in your face funny face has left the world. She was one of kind.
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