If The Glove Does Not Fit... You Must Acquit!
Sigh, I just read Nightshade's weblog. I felt mostly the same way. I know we gave the defence sufficient evidence to blow a large enough hole for the accused to slip through. I don't know why the couldn't see it, but the letter from 'Legris' of the Cappadocian's was from a Cainite of sufficent stature to cast a shadow over her accusers allegations, given they had the same status! What we got however was a hodgepodge of little facts which didn't get formed into a cohesive accusation against another Cainite of worth, backed by the powerful words of a Cappadocian Elder.

To my players who read my blog, I am sorry. I am very dissapointed with the game that I thought was going to be a spectacular clash of charisma between Castile and Leoninius, resulted in a fizzle. I don't know why there was the perception that everyone else needed to be glued to the (dull) trial, there was the rest of the site for them to use. Oh Well! We hope to have the Prince of Wales Armouries for the next game.

The Saga Is Not Over?
So... the waitress said she lost my number and asked for my number again, she stated she'd call me 'so we could go out for coffee or something'. How odd. Over three weeks since I gave her the number? Hmmm.......... Oh well I'm still interested, so I'm not going to say no, just curious as to why the delay. But alas, I;m getting ahead of myself, I will see if she actually calls. :)

Anyways it's 'game day' today. I think it will go very well. So many things are happening, and I have no idea how it is going to turn out. TEE HEE. Tim is going to bring his 'When the GM is smiling it's already too late' button. I'll be wearing that on my tunic.

Crappy day at work, but I can't elaborate for actual legal reasons. SIGH

Bomb Iraq – Unknown
(Tune:If you are happy and you know it.)
If we cannot find Osama – bomb Iraq
And we need a little drama – bomb Iraq
If the corporate scandal’s growing,
And the ties to them are showing,
Never mind, we’ll soon be glowing – bomb Iraq.

Even if we have no allies – bomb Iraq
From the sand dunes to the valleys – bomb Iraq
So to hell with the inspections,
We have our own projections,
Close your eyes and take directions – bomb Iraq.

While the globe is slowly warming – bomb Iraq
The clouds of war are storming – bomb Iraq
The ozone hole is growing,
Our ignorance is showing,
But some things are not worth knowing – bomb Iraq.

So here’s one for dear old daddy – bomb Iraq
From his favorite little laddie – bomb Iraq
Saying no would look like treason,
This is ideal hunting season,
Even though we have no reason – bomb Iraq.

Stats Are A Wonderful Thing
So James setup my site so that I can view my stats. Very cool! My thanks to Cyntia (from Brazil) and all those people who are hitting my site from Hong Kong (but I have no idea who you are). I'm thinking about adding pictures, and a political commentary section... dunno. I guess I'll have to get James' permission before I do a massive overhaul on things, then again this blog will generally serve as my request to do somehting like that, given he reads it... sorta.

Song For A Winters Night - Sarah McLachlan (Gordon Lightfoot)
The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top
The snow is softly fallin'
The air is still within the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly callin'

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winters night with you

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon each page
The words of love you sent me

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winters night with you

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are liftin'
The mornin' light steals across my window pane
Where webs of snow are driftin'

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winters night with you

And to be once again with you .

America Plays God
Breaking News… George W. Bush is a moron! Oh wait; the former director of communications for our beloved Prime Minister already said it. Damn!

The current wave of American ultra-nationalism is quite alarming to those of us who are not blind supporters of the American ‘war on terrorism’. My own (American) relatives have joined the US President’s bandwagon in his administration’s tunnel vision approach to Iraq and the hypocrisy of its stance on the matter of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

Let me state for the record that I do not approve of the actions of the al-Qaeda terrorist network. The tragedy of the September 11, 2001 attacks upon the World Trade Center and Pentagon was horrific. However, the thousands of live lost to those acts is nothing when compared to the hundred of thousands of lives taken by the US Government or its agents over the past 2 decades of intervention for the sake of ‘democracy’.

The US has established a history of removing democratically elected governments that refuse to submit to the edicts of the American government:
- 1953: U.S. overthrows Prime Minister Mossadeq of Iran. U.S. installs Shah as dictator.
- 1954: U.S. overthrows democratically-elected President Arbenz of Guatemala. 200,000 civilians killed.
- September 11, 1973: U.S. stages coup in Chile. Democratically elected president Salvador Allende assassinated. Dictator Augusto Pinochet installed. 5,000 Chileans murdered.
- 1977: U.S. backs military rulers of El Salvador. 70,000 Salvadorans and four American nuns killed.
- 1980's: U.S. trains Osama bin Laden and fellow terrorists to kill Soviets. CIA gives them $3 billion.
- 1982: U.S. provides billions in aid to Saddam Hussein for weapons to kill Iranians.
- 1983: White House secretly gives Iran weapons to help them kill Iraqis.
- 1991: U.S. enters Iraq. Bush reinstates dictatorship of Kuwait.
- 2000-01: U.S. gives Taliban-ruled Afghanistan $245 million in "aid".
- September 11, 2001: Osama Bin Laden uses his expert CIA training to murder 3,000 people.

Oppression would appear to be the true goal of the American political establishment. While it is very unlikely that the American people support the motivations of their government, they are blinded by the propaganda espoused by the media and driven by a culture of fear that is undermining the most important pillar of democracy: Freedom of Speech.

Ho Ro Mo Nighean Donn Bho\idheach - The Rankin Family
Ho ro\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idheach,
Hi ri\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idhech
Mo chaileag laghach, bho\idheach,
Cha phos mi ach tu

A Pheigi dhonn nam bla\th-shul
Gur trom a thug mi gra\dh dhuit
Tha d'iomhaigh ghaoil a's d'a\illeachd
A ghna\th tigh'n fo m'u\idh

Ho ro\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idheach,
Hi ri\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idhech
Mo chaileag laghach, bho\idheach,
Cha phos mi ach tu

'S ann tha mo ru\n's na beanntaibh,
Far bheil mo ribhinn ghreannar
Mar ro\s am fa\sach Shamhraidh
An gleann fad'o shu\il.

Ho ro\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idheach,
Hi ri\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idhech
Mo chaileag laghach, bho\idheach,
Cha phos mi ach tu

Ach 'n uair a thig an Samradh
Bheir mise sgriob do 'n ghleann ud
'S gun tog mi leam do 'n Ghaildachd
Gu h-annsail am flur

Ho ro\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idheach,
Hi ri\, mo nigh'n donn bho\idhech
Mo chaileag laghach, bho\idheach,
Cha phos mi ach tuChorus

A Sign Of The Apocalypse
My Hot-or-Not Rating went up by 0.1 point!

If I Had A Rocket Launcher - Bruce Cockburn
Here comes the helicopter -- second time today
Everybody scatters and hopes it goes away
How many kids they've murdered only God can say
If I had a rocket launcher...I'd make somebody pay

I don't believe in guarded borders and I don't believe in hate
I don't believe in generals or their stinking torture states
And when I talk with the survivors of things too sickening to relate
If I had a rocket launcher...I would retaliate

On the Rio Lacantun, one hundred thousand wait
To fall down from starvation -- or some less humane fate
Cry for guatemala, with a corpse in every gate
If I had a rocket launcher...I would not hesitate

I want to raise every voice -- at least I've got to try
Every time I think about it water rises to my eyes.
Situation desperate, echoes of the victims cry
If I had a rocket launcher...Some son of a bitch would die

One Dime, One Nickle, Four Pennies - What Can I Buy?
It is the time of year for our yearly salary adjustments, and yes, the title of this entry is correct… I am worth an additional nineteen cents (extrapolating my salary to a per hour basis). Factor in this previous entry, and it has been an abysmal week.

“Due to the financial realities of the company…” that is how it started. A phrase that I had to then turn around and give to my staff, along with knowledge of their 1.5% pay ‘raise’. I figured I was going to be front-page news ‘Hotel Manager Slaughtered’. Fortunately, it has not happened… yet. However, I have only informed less than half of my staff.

One of my employees remarked that the raise was a complete “slap in the face.” I would have to agree with him. The ‘raise’ does not account for the fact that inflation in Canada was at 2.0% this year, so in effect, I am paying them less this year than last. We had the most productive and profitable year in the history of the hotel last year; in fact, we were one of the top performers (if not the top) in the entire hotel portfolio of our management company and ownership group.

I voiced my concerns to my boss, and he informed me that his hands are tied. He stated that the salaries and wages would again be reviewed by July (pending the financial realities of the company). I believe him, but given that the previous GM promised I in April 2002, I am more than a little skeptical.

I am the lowest paid person in my position in Alberta (of those who participated in the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association Wage Survey). They got me at a bargain basement price when I took the position in September 2000. Since that time I have learned a great deal, and I am not being compensated sufficiently for my experience and skills.

I was denied my opportunity to speak with the Regional Director of Operations today; he postponed his interviews with the department heads until the month (year) end reports are completed so they can be reviewed with the GM. It will be a defining day. I quite simply cannot accept this token ‘raise’ as it stands. I understand that the company is not doing well, but fairly compensating one’s line staff (let alone the management) should be a priority especially in the Alberta job market where unemployment is at an all-time low. If we cannot afford an actual cost of living increase, we cannot afford the cost associated with the attrition that will surely come of this asinine corporate decision.

Calm, Cool & Collected
So... I vented, and even though there is more to the story I have said enough and calmed down sufficiently that I can move on to other things. Yay!

Okay! All the turns are in for our live game. Dave and I did most of the preliminary tabulations for the dice and diffiuclties, with only a few left to be done when I left at 1:15am this morning. Unfortunately, I am only availible to process turns Monday and Thursday this week. I hope I don't end up stick dave with most of the dice rolling! Sigh.

Anyways, I am not sleeping well. Not used to the bed at my parent's place, but last night I actually slept for a solid 7 hours so thats an improvement. Hopefully it will get better.

A Day From Hell
I am a very angry, very bitter and very resentful person right now. There was an incident at work today that has been developing over the past few days. A suspicious guest (local address, cash, extending day-to-day, visitors at all hours, strange odor from the room, no housekeeping service) had been told we were sold out, as we didn't want them staying with us any longer. That decision was made on the weekend by a consensus of my staff, and in most cases I will back them up 100%. The idiot left the room in a complete mess: cigarette butts strewn across the room and ground into the carpet, it was filthy. Three housekeepers took over an hour to clean it… for the record, it should only take one a half hour. When we inspected the room however we discovered a fire-department key safe (the ones they have on the outside of nearly every commercial building). It was obvious to me and to others that this guy was up to no good, and now we had proof, but we would likely never see him again.

The guy got back into the hotel, under the name of a young lady. The GM and I decided to approach the police with the key lock box and our suspicions to see what they suggested we do. As I was about to do that the AGM (also my boss) launched on a tirade about how it was none of our business what people did in our hotel rooms and that is was stupid for us to get involved when all we had is suspicion (I guess he didn't think the key lock was evidence). So I was stuck in the middle of my two bosses, again! This is not exactly a new experience for me. Regardless I went to the police, filed a report, and the detective I was referred to, stated that they were both known and that they would like to put them under surveillance. I informed them that we would likely be asking them to leave the next day due to the condition of the previous room, and they would be banned from the hotel.

Next day, they get tossed from the hotel, with the GM assisting me. I get told to 'suck his cock' three times by him before he finally bolts after I dial the cops. On inspecting the room there is drug paraphernalia, some crystal meth, and… a rifle. Yes, a rifle, a goddamned firearm… hidden under the bed.

I approached the GM to mediate between the AGM and me because I am furious over the attitude I have been given and even more sick of being stuck in the middle between the two of them, they never agree and never communicate their disagreements to eachother. So we talk and he explains his opinion and the 'opinion of most of the rest of the staff' that 'I had placed them all in danger when I went to the police'. Top it all off with 'you aren’t a cop so why are you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong'. I listened to his side, and yet whenever I tried to explain my side, he interrupted me and said 'It only my opinion, lets drop this!' So basically I am being blamed for doing what I think was the right thing to do in the situation.

To those who think I put them in danger… "Shove It."(I originally had a more colorful statement here but I censored it). I am a big law and order type of person. I see nothing wrong with my actions. It is the same reason why I tail suspected drunk drivers until the police catch up with them (so far I have caught 1 drunk and 1 guy impaired by lack of sleep), if I can save lives with my actions… I'll do it. Given that I wasn't able to speak my mind in the office I am doing it here. Don't ever lecture me with your opinions and not allow me my right to do the same. I have had it!

I have more to say on this issue but I'll post it later.

King Of The House
Ah! A house to myself. My parents are in Texas, so they asked me to come over an house-sit. Big house, digital cable, food in the freezer, (working) computer. Isn't life grand. It's a much longer commute to work however: 20 minutes instead of 5... but I'll cope.

Hotel Wars: Episode IV: A New Blog
Bregon had an idea so stunning and creative, I am surprised it came from him! I mean I have a reliable witness that says he's a 'cock'. Anyways he wants to start a new blog with us posting our plethora of amusing hotel anecdotes.

I think the idea has merit. I know I have a great many amusing stories to tell. OooooOOOoooooO! I just had a cool idea! We could have people rate them on a scale to see which is the best story. TeeHee!

Anyways, that my update for today.

Captain! We're Going Down In Flames
Yay! I lost another 0.1 on my Hot or Not score. At this rate I should be a 1 by next year! YeeeHaw!

The Saga Ends
It has been exactly one week since I gave the waitress my phone number. No call. *shrug*

I had something else I was going to rant about but it fell out of my brain. Damn.

Evaluations
Yay! I get to evaluate my job performance within the next week! I got give a heavy pile of papers to evaluate my performance in a number of categories. The most frustrating aspect is that I know that my previous GM have everyone (including me) an absolutely glowing review. It’s going to be hard to improve upon that and I am certain that my rating will slip now that my current GM is much more likely to be critical in my review.

It does not help that my department is pretty much falling apart. The GM came down on my department for the abuse of computers while on duty. Now, I’ll admit I am pretty bad at using my office computer for non-work related things (including updating my blog), but I still get my paperwork completed. Recently, I have caught people not answering the phone, and not doing their paperwork properly, but they still find enough time to cruise the ‘net.

I will be reducing (not eliminating) my computer usage while at work, so I’ll be posting a little less often, until this has all blown over and I can restore privileges once again.

Complicated - Carolyn Dawn Johnson
I'm so scared that
The way that I feel
Is written all over my face
When you walk into the room
I wanna find a hiding place
We used to laugh
We used to hug
The way that old friends do
But now a smile and
A touch of your hand
Just make me come unglued
It's such a contradiction
Do I lie or tell the truth?
Is it fact or fiction
The way I feel for you?

It's so complicated
I'm so frustrated
I wanna hold you close
I wanna push you away
I wanna make you go
I wanna make you stay
Should I say it
Should I tell you
How I feel?
Oh, I want you to know
But then again I don't
It's so complicated.

Just when I think
I'm under control
I think I finally got a grip
Another friend tells me that
My name is always
On your lips
They say I'm more
Than just a friend
They say I must be blind
Well I admit that
I've seen you watch me
From the corner of your eye
Oh it's so confusing
I wish you'd just confess
But think of what I'd be losing
If your answer wasn't yes

It's so complicated
I'm so frustrated
I wanna hold you close
I wanna push you away
I wanna make you go
I wanna make you stay
Should I say it
Should I tell you
How I feel?
Oh, I want you to know
But then again I don't
It's so complicated.

I hate it 'cause
I've waited so long
For someone like you
Should I say it
Should I tell you
How I feel?
Oh I want you to know
But then again I don't
It's so complicated

A Wake For The Old Year
Nightshade hosted the tenth annual Old Year's Wake. A celebration held to commemerate the passing of the old year, and all the good and bad that she symbolizes. It normally a quite large affair, although this year was smaller than the previous few I remember, I had a great time. At midnight we all sit with a candle and give a brief eulogy for the old year. This was mine: To firing many more customers than employees, no friends and a few enemies.

To Years Young And Years Old
I'm sitting here at a computer in an internet cafe enjoying ringing in the new year with some of my closest and oldest friends. It is times like these that remind me of a story I was told not so long ago in regards to our lives and our deaths. In death we put two dates on our tombstones, as if those dates are supposed to tell our decendents anything about our lives. It really isn't about our birth or our death that tells anything about ourselves, but the single line that connects them... the dash. Reflect upon that.

I passed on going out with the waitress today, but I did give her my number, so we will see if anything happens. Not really worried, I would be nice, but it isn't going to break my world if she never calls. I think that's probably the safest course of action. I know I have expressed my interest in no uncertain terms, and I am not going to play the 'hard to get' game. If she calls... she calls, if she doesn't... she doesn't.

Auld Lang Syne - Robert Burns
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne