The Honeymoon is Over .......

And now it's time for the inevitable truth, I hate my new job. I've tried to be happy and satisfied after coming out of the hellhole I was previously in, but the new situation is a whole new ballgame.
Have you ever noticed now whenever you call in for any kind of service you are always sold something, well this is the reason behind my current disenchantment. I'm not a salesman, I never have been, and because of that I'm on the thin edge of the wedge in my current place of employment.
Sell, Sell, Sell....that's what it's all about. Working for a large financial organization and a world-wide brand one would think that they would have a deeper appreciation of their clients and cardmembers, however that is not the case, far from it. The only concern of the rep you are speaking to is not for whatever issue you called in about but how and what they can sell you. 9 times out of 10 whenever you are placed on hold that rep is sizing you up for a pitch for when they come back on the line to "resolve your issue".
I'm a service guy, I prefer being quick and simple and fixing whatever problem efficiently so I can go onto the next call. I don't have the time or patience to butter a customer up and basically con them into a service or product that they don't really need. If there is a true value and is something of a benefit then it's an easy sell and something I can complete, but out of the 110 calls I take a night only 3 or 4 really warrant a sales approach to let them know of the options.
I have a quota that I can not seem to maintain because of this, however there are people on the floor that clear an extra paycheque every month. Sure, I'd like to be that guy to but not at the cost of my dignity and sense of right and wrong. I'm sure if I went into specifics and started naming names I would be held liable under my companies code of conduct, but the this companies card holders should really know the truth about the money hungry machine they are dealing with.
Here's a few tips I can share:

1) Never take a cash advance - The first thing they do is charge insane amounts of interest right from the moment of withdrawal. Secondly the repayment method is next to loan sharking, especially if you took advantage of a promotional balance transfer offer. Credit cards work in a trickle down repayment method meaning the lowest APR or Annual Percentage Rate is satisfied first whenever a payment is made. Basically this means that if you had transferred $10000 at 3.99% and then you made $1000 in regular purchases at 11.99% you would have to pay off the 11000 first before you would even touch the $500 you withdrew which is financed at Prime + 14.99%. $500 at 22.99% accumulates $0.31 a day or $114.95 a year of interest, which of course is compounded and forever growing. It's a huge scam and I have seen many a cardmember paying insane amounts of finance charges for cash advances they took over 2 years ago.

2)Never take the insurances - Insurance is always nice to have and required in some cases but have you ever tried to make a claim when something does go wrong, it's near impossible. They are built to create income not pay out and again I have spoken to clients who are still waiting for their claim to be processed after 8 - 12 months time. Unless you are spending more than $25,000 a year, don't expect any real service no matter how easy the rep makes it sound.

3)Sign up for direct debit minimum payments - Credit cards are merciless when it comes to payment schedules. Everything is computerized and all human contact is removed. If you come in 1 min after 12 am after your payment due date expect a late fee and a APR increase. Not only that but the finance charges you will incur will be carried over the next 2 months since the system calculates the interest on the balance you are carrying as well as your new charges. Residual finance charges are one of the number one issues I deal with every night. Yes I understand you paid you balance in full but you fail to remember that you have been carrying a balance for the last 6 months, those charges are from the end of your last billing date up until the day you paid your balance in full.

And that is all for tonight, I hope to comment more on the unfairness of credit card companies and their shifty sales tactics but that will be left for another time.

OK...I'll shuddup now. Cheers.

When The Reviews Reign We All Get Wet ......

Ahh, the things we do for money, I'll never understand. The Review page is going well at least for me anyway. There is no cash flow and I doubt there ever will be but at least I tried, right?
I just like the writing. I don't really expect anyone to actually purchase anything I review with all the free downloading available out here in cyberspace. Sometimes though there's a CD that you just HAVE to own. A DVD that will look perfect on that shelf where your collection is on full display so you can seem cultured, hip and oh so cool.
People are fickle, strange creatures.

Keeping it quick and painless tonight, lots to read and catch up on.
OK.....I'll shuddup now.
Cheers.

Let The Reviews Reign .....

Well the time has come for me to try and expand my little slice of cyberville here. I've officially added a reviews page where I can write whatever I want about the things I listen and watch these days. I also enabled the Adsense on the new page so I can possibly make some cash out of it. I doubt highly I'll ever make the payout threshold but it will be something fun to watch grow.
I still plan on adding my various views of things on this page but I wanted to try and sort my thoughts however feeble that may be.
I know I lost alot of readership after being gone for 2 months but things change and now it's time to pick up where I left off.

So if you need to do a search feel free to use my link in my official reviews page cleverly titled:

The Write Moment Reviews ......

Just click the link on the right, just above EVIL BERT to check it out.
I'll never add Adsense to this page but I figured it would make sense to add it to a reviews page. The remote chance that my opinion on something might incite a need to search for more info on whatever CD, DVD or what have you I'm writing about or possibly even buy said item was enough to make me go capitalistic.
I'm going to go sit back and watch the fractions of cents roll in.
Stay tuned for more useless information.

OK...I'll shuddup now.
Cheers.

May 24 ..... A Brief History

May 24 has always has been one of my favorite weekends of the year. Not only because of all the drunken debauchery that goes on into the wee hours of the normally rainy nights, but it was also the weekend I got my official drivers license when I turned 16. So many stories of so many adventures I could go on and on.
My hometown stomping grounds London, Ontario provided the infamous Fanshawe Convservation Park and Camping Grounds where I was kicked out of the park several times because of the music volume , not to mention the 150 people we had at our site reserved for only 4 people. Damn those Yogi's (Conservation Officers) for ruining our not so innocent fun. With Fanshawe also being a provincial park there were always lots of O.P.P. officers as well (Ontario Provincial Police), patrolling the park and handing out the dreaded $53.75 Underage Drinking fines, ahhhh ..... those were the days.

One May 24 we ventured out of the city limits further north to a private camping ground called White Sands close to Sauble Beach. The best thing about this place was the "private" listing which meant free reign and no police. It was heavensent, completely chaos and a whole lotta fun. The beer bottles were ankle deep and the music never stopped. I could go into graphic details however some stories are best kept among friends. The one thing from that weekend that sticks in my mind the most was on the Monday morning, the usual day of check out, a few of us hardcores were still sitting around what was left of a fire. The key thing here is we had ran out of wood along time ago and it wasn't like we were going to pay the ridiculous $7 the park owner was charging for extra dry firewood that would burn in 30 mins. The guys at the site beside us were much more resourceful, they figured that since the picnic tables were made of wood they were fair game for the fire. Since our fire was out long ago from the mix of rain and lack of fuel, we joined these guys next to us as they continued to burn every picnic table they could get their hands on. Early that morning we were confronted by the park owner as he asked us what happened to all the tables, as calmly as ever the drunken guy who rented the site next to ours said " I have no idea, man ". Half of the table was still sitting in front of us all, in the fire, unburned but smoldering. Needless to say he had a hefty bill upon check out, I think it was $125 per table, I still don't know how many they actually burned.

I met my prom date that weekend......yet another story for another time.

OK.......I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Just My Luck .....

I just can't believe the fact that for 2 days in a row my numbers have come up on Daily Keno........did I play them you ask?
Of course not !!!!!! I'm trying to be responsible and smart with my money, why would I throw money away on a silly lottery?!?!

You can't win if you don't play. It also doesn't help checking the numbers to see what if, if it only drives you crazy afterwards thinking about all the reasons why you didn't play in the first place.

Looks I'll HAVE to go back to work on Friday now, lucky me, another May 24 weekend wasted on work. Good thing I get double time + 1/2 for working the holiday Monday.

May 24 - pronounced two - four, because when you go camping with all your friends you drink a case of beer a day. Many foggy memories of past May 24's are now flooding into my mind. I won't bore you, but I may come back and write a story about one I'm sure.

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers

Alright Then....................

Well, I'm back once again. Writing about nothing
and everything, killing abit of the free time I have. Hard to believe I haven't posted since February, the time has flown by indeed. I have taken a new step in my life since my last post and lot of changes have been implemented. New car, new home, new family life. Time to say good-bye to the bachelor I once was. The Stripclub DJ who went to bed when the birds began to sing, the guy who had no one else to look out for but himself. It's a welcome change. Having a better half with a little one, 5 years old to be exact, is a wake up call to say the least. Stepping into a role I'm not familiar with at all does leave me a tad bit terrified, but it's kinda fun at the same time.

So anyway, I just wanted to get something new up here and let anyone and everyone know that I'll be back at'er here in no time. After working out all the few kinks from getting moved and organized, I definitely plan on adding to my little slice of cyberspace on a regular basis again.

Wake Me Up When February Ends......

Well, here I am again, sitting on the cusp of yet another snowstorm. It's kind of ironic that these damn storms always hit when I have to begin my 120 km trip to work the next day, what fun. It's not bad enough that I have to start my work week on a Saturday changing one of the best days of the week into the worst but I now have to leave even earlier. Oh well...it builds character.
I went and looked at some new cars today. I'm aiming for a sleek 2002 Honda Civic Si. I just have to land the financing now but the fact that I've started a new job 5 months ago is becoming a hindrance. Apparently changing jobs for a $13K pay increase is a bad thing. I seems I would be better off in a dead end, under-appreciated, underpaid job for 2+ years and barely make the payments rather than a job that satisfies their insane finance rates. I'll never understand banks. If I didn't have to have direct deposit to get paid I'd never deal with them at all. Keep it all under the mattress and never pay another horseshit transaction fee again. I dunno, I'll have word by Monday or Tuesday.
So...as the rest of the world gets ready to go out and party all night I must go to bed and prepare for the mother of all snowstorms and the journey ahead. What will happen next....an earthquake......imagine that, I just learned there was an earthquake just outside of Ottawa tonight. I better quit while I'm ahead.
OK....I'll shuddup now.
Cheers.

And Now....Some More A Night With Tom Green Pics

Hello all, I was lucky enough to come home early tonight from work so I thought I'd actually publish abit more useless information and pictures while I have the free time. I was thinking of rambling on about the Muslim Cartoons, but I don't see a need to get political on here. I was also thinking of rambling about Team Canada not scoring a single goal in 2 games, but I don't feel a need to panic and have faith in Pat and Joe and all the rest of the boys, instead I thought I'd just post some more pictures from my little roadtrip to see Tom Green last month. I also hope to get some cool Nine Inch Nails pics when that concert comes along but for now....enjoy. My better half Stephanie ( a.k.a. Boo ) will probably whip my ass for posting pics of her but oh well. Look for us on the DVD when it comes out.

OK....I'll shuddup now. Cheers.

The Winter That Lasted Forever ..............

What fun, what fun. Will this weather ever end? It seems not. I don't know how much longer my poor little Cavalier will last. I awoke to a nicely chilled car this morning before work. It was so cold last night that my radiator had ice in it, even after adding some concentrated anti-freeze !!!!
I just have that kind of luck....some Barr's Leaks and another 3 litres of concentrated anti-freeze has corrected my temporary set back but my car is letting me know that this will be it's last winter.
I would have to find a fairly decent job over 120 kms away now wouldn't I.
OK, well, my head is pounding and I need to eat so I will quit my whining right now.
If anyone has a line on a decent car, please feel free to contact me before I need to hustle my way to Toronto at the truck stop every day.
OK....I'll shuddup now.
Cheers.

It's Been Awhile ........

Hello again....I know it's been awhile and like I said when I began this whole blog I tend to procrastinate and begin things without finishing them. It's an Aries thing. Realistically though there's no point in recording monotonous ramblings about how bad my drive home was every day now.
Life has been fairly boring to be honest. I've finished my training in my new job and I'm now remembering how the whole "get-up, go to work, come home, go to bed" routine was. Nothing really fantastic and note worthy about that.
I do have some fun things coming in the near future. I will be returning to my hometown to see Trent Reznor and his amazing Nine Inch Nails. It should be a good show. I'm surprised the show isn't sold out yet, I thought the tickets would be gone overnight and made a point of staying up all night to purchase the tickets online. I hope to attend Lollapalooza in Chicago this August as well but that's months away. I also have to finish my original Lollapalooza story I had begun before radio job contest came along, but all good things come in time.
I've dumped the music videos from the site because the commercials they force are far too annoying for me and I apologize for making anyone have to listen or see them. If I wanted to advertise and make money off of this little blog I'd be pushing porn since it is the most lucrative of internet money makers, not cheesy death metal bands or Harrison Fords new movie.
I hope to stay ontop of things and add more comments and reviews in the near future but for now I will cut this short.....so....as always.....OK...I'll shuddup now. Cheers.

A Night With Tom Green.......The Pics

A Night With Tom Green.......

Well, I've eventually gotten over not being selected as a finalist for the Moderately Paid Employee Contest Edge 107.1. I have to admit the finalists they did select were pretty lame and I've since boycotted listening to the station all together. Perhaps it's a bit harsh, but then so is listening to the same 20 songs all day every day.
I wasn't surprised either that Dean Blundell and his band of Tools snubbed Tom Green when he came back to town. They were sweet as pie when Tom was promoting their uberlame CASBY Awards for them and even played a few tracks off of his new disc when they had him on-air back in November. However now, ever since, I've never heard another Tom Green track and not even a hint or mention of his tours grand finale in Toronto that took place on Friday January 27th at the Opera House.
Now, I was also supposed to go to the Call The Office gig in London, Ontario as well the night before on the 26th , but to many of my hometown friends disappointment I was unable to attend. I'll still be in London on March 6th & 7th for Nine Inch Nails at the John Labbatt Center....I promise.
Anyway, I've been to a lot of concerts in my time and I have to say this was by far one of the best shows I've witnessed. There was no opening act and the crowd got a tad restless in the hr and 15 mins we stood at the edge of the stage but once the show got started Tom rocked the mic like any rap superstar should. Not really being into rap and the numberous young kids standing around me and my girlfriend pretending to "pop caps" into each others heads I thought I might be in the wrong place. We started out the night meeting another TOMGREEN.COM blogger who recgonized my shirt from a pic of it being posted on Tom's website. It was pretty cool to meet someone who appreciated the man behind the mic for more than just him humping a dead moose or banging Drew Barrymore. The funny thing was here we were 2 guys in our 30's and I'm making t-shirts and he's making signs just to go to a "rap show". My girlfriend Stephanie and I both purchased some disposable cameras and both of us used every one of the pics available. They are still being developed but I will be sure to post the best ones once they are ready. So, anyway like I was saying this show was one of the best I've ever been to. Lots of energy, lots of laughs and lots of fun. We ended up coming away with a lot of cool items which are all in the pic above. The most notable of them all is the robot costume worn by one of Tom's stage mates "Playboy" Jeremy Klein. He come up and smashed it over my head after finishing the track the costume was meant for. I ended up spending a good amount of time in the costume because for one, I only had one arm hole and two, it was saving my back from being covered in beer from the guy behind me. We also got our hands on a toy sword that the Toronto Police found interesting while we were walking back to the car, they did a double take but didn't actually turn around. We also got a silly felt Canada hat, we would have had an actual "Keepin It Real Crew" shirt but the animals surrounding us in the front ripped'em right out of our hands before we could secure them. It was pretty crazy right up in the front. I also ended up getting Tom's shoeprint on my shoulder from all the crowd surfing he was doing but it is hard to make out in the pic. It was an all around great night.
One other cool note is the fact that they were filming for their documentary DVD, I can almost guarantee Boo and I will be in it. I'll look forward to getting my pics back and posted ASAP.
OK......I'll shuddup now.
Cheers.

Watch Closely As His Hopes Go Down In Flames.....

Well....with the cut off being tomorrow morning for the Moderately Paid Employee Program I think it's pretty safe to say that my little dream of being Toronto's newest addition to the airwaves has gone down faster than a lead zepplin. No callback, no acknowledgement, no sweat. Oh well...what can I do. No point in harping on it, it was a contest after all. This disappointment will only make any other success I have all the more sweeter.

On a lighter note I did happen to get tickets to Nine Inch Nails who are playing in my hometown of London Ontario in a few months, so at least I have something to look forward to. Not only that but I will be seeing Tom Green and his Keepin It Real Crew play twice next week in London and Toronto. Who knows what will happen.

OK...I'll shuddup now. I'm going to wallow in my disgust for a little while.

Cheers.

Your Possible "Edge" Over Traffic .....

No word as of yet.....I'm still waiting patiently. Perhaps I am being over confident. Perhaps I'm being to hasty in thinking I'm being over confident. Perhaps I'm going crazy.

I did learn one unfortunate fact though today. In the small print of the contest details I was informed that if the promotions or on-air staff attempt to contact the applicant and that applicant is not available, or not home, they are disqualified. That sucks !!!!! Considering I have to leave for work around 2 p.m. at the latest, and also knowing that the average workday ends at 5 p.m. the law of averages and my personal luck have a strong influence here. I don't know what to do !!!!

I'll be keeping my fingers and toes crossed extra long until the 16th, that is the final day for the consideration of the top 20 finalists.

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

The Cover Letter ......

Hello folks, alrighty, so I'm back in my nice warm little bachelor pad after a long day indeed. I've been all over the place, from pickin up a cool new pair of shades in Midland, Ontario all the way down to downtown Toronto to deliver my chance at broadcasting high above the city. Eight hours of work and a hr and 20 mins on the highway, what a tour.
As I stated at work in my previous post I wanted to give you access to the actual cover letter I included in my submission today. Have a gander and let me know what you think.



Ladies and Gentlemen:

When an opportunity to have a shot at a position at your station was brought to my attention I could not get to my computer fast enough to create my chance of becoming a member of the elite Edge 102.1 broadcasting family. Whether it has been listening online or in my car on my way to work I have always spent my free time happily tuned to your frequency. To actually become part of your team would be nothing less than a dream come true and this is a challenge I look forward to.

Working behind a microphone has been a second nature to me over the years and an ability I have always enjoyed. Whether the time was behind the studio microphone of my college radio station or at my OSAP supplementing job as an adult entertainment engineer, I’ve always aimed to bring a smile to my listeners face. Working in a club atmosphere has provided me with the ability to think quickly on my feet and make the best of any situation; it also gave way to the skill of creating titles that make a position such as a strip club DJ sound better for future job prospects. Erotic Visual Stimulation Coordinator has always been a favorite however I have also been partial to Chief Executive Officer in charge of Breasticular Presentation. High pressure and stress have also been a main part of many of my past positions, but I have always specialized in meeting deadlines and handling any out of the ordinary scenarios efficiently without supervision. No problem has ever been too big or difficult to resolve and I’ve always strived to help to the best of my abilities. My reliability is honorable and I am always on time, working above and beyond my required shift to help out my work site as a team. I am definitely not a stranger to a thirteen hour workday.

Upon this submission I honorably await word from you soon. For your consideration I would be more than happy to provide further details on how I would be the best selection for your open position.



Respectfully



Mike Baingo


Whatcha think ?????

OK...I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Your 1/2 Mile High Eye in the Sky......

Well folks, I've officially taken my first step towards a career in broadcasting. I briskly made my way down to the street level Edge 102.1 studio to hand in my resume before work today.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for the next 36 hrs or so. I may have some tough competition in this especially after Dean Blundell and the boys declared that they would like to hire someone without a leg or ability to walk over the last few days. Just my luck today as the guy in front of me was confined to a wheelchair and was going on about how he would love to fly.
Oh man....what have I gotten myself into. Hopefully Deans love of breasts and my experience with introducing them for your viewing pleasure will be my saving grace. I will post my official cover letter when I arrive home tonight for your review, since I made light of my past strip club experience. I also added some chocolates and nickel candies in my submission. Nothing like a cheap gimmick and sugar rush. I can just imagine the amount of resumes they have received since announcing this contest.
I am at work at the moment and I'm about to start my official certification week.

OK.....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.

Baingo on the Radio ......

Greetings once again fellow readers, I know it has been quite awhile and I do apologize. The Christmas/New Years break was a fairly busy time for me but I do hope all of your holiday wishes came true this year.
I know I left my last post as a tad of a cliffhanger, well...for those of you who haven't heard the story a million times from me already anyway. I will complete that glorious journey but at a different time, I have a new quest to embark upon.
It was brought to my attention at work today that one of the largest radio stations in Toronto is having a contest for a position on their staff, hence the header above.
It seems The Edge 102.1 is looking to fill a position for a traffic reporter and I feel that I would be perfect for this spot. Not only does it pay moderately well, it's a break for me to get into actual radio. Put my well oiled stripclub DJ voice to good use AND get to ride around in a helicopter all morning, what could be better.
At this time I would like to call upon all my readers here to please go to www.edge.ca and register yourself as an inside edge member. By doing so you will be enabling yourself to cast a vote for little old me if I am so lucky as to get by the first round that is. I will have to dedicate myself to writing the perfect resume this weekend since the deadline for this contest is January 10th. I will keep you all posted on my progress and I implore you to cross your fingers and toes for my voice to finally be hear on a near national level.
With that I am off and I hope to return soon with updates as they happen.

OK....I'll shuddup now.

Cheers.