The countdown

A tale which poses the question: Who actually likes their job?
10 - Ten years I’ve been doing this job. And all of it has been a living hell. Crap conditions and no benefits whatsoever. Why did I even choose this gig?
9 - $9,500. That’s all I get paid for this. Despite all the effort and determination I put into every year, some pimple faced kid at a fast food joint gets paid more than me.
8 - Eight years ago, I had the chance to leave. Why, oh why, didn’t I just run? Was it pride? Was it the love for this job? I feel like such an idiot, now that I look back at that opportunity.
7 - Seven injuries I’ve had on the job. My life has been on the line so many times, but I never get any acknowledgement for this. So many burns, yet I’ve never received even one compo cheque.
6 - Six times I’ve been rejected by ladies that I’ve fallen in love with. None of them liked my job, they said. Only a loser would do what I do, they said.
5 - Five years after I took this job, I finally found the true love of my life. She didn’t care about my job, she cared about me. Either she is lying, or she is much of an ignorant idiot as I am.
4 - Four other jobs I’ve had in the past ten years. They didn’t like this job, either. They wanted me to focus completely on their job, not on this little game. Why did I not listen to them instead of blowing up their cars?
3 - Three kids that I take care of, all of them under 10. Yet they still are ashamed of their father’s part time job. How pathetic. Not even a child who doesn’t know their times tables would do this job.
2 - Two things I hold close to my heart. One is my family. The other is the saying: ‘Don’t dream. Don’t think. Do.’ Well I’m not a hypocrite, so I must do something about this hole I’ve dug myself in.
1 - One hundred thousand people are watching. So here goes nothing. I Quit!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
…
…
“Hey, where are the fireworks?”
“What’s happened? Is the fireworks guy asleep or something!?”

A look-see through 2004

2004: The year of the war-hungry, disaster-prone snake who everyone likes (apparently)
Well, just a couple of hours until 2005 leaps upon us. It’s been an eventful year (like every other year). So what better way to segue out 2004 by writing an analysis of the moments that made us feel things? Well, there’s partying, fireworks, getting hammered, getting together with friends, and so on, but I’ve got bugger all plans, so I’ll go the 42^nd best option.

However, for no real reason, I’ll stay away from tackling the real issues. If you want politics, terrorism and celebrity break-ups, go anywhere else. It feels like every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to pitch in their 2 cents to the debate (or their $50 notes to various charities). But stick around, and you’ll get the hard opinions on:

Music
It’s been a mixed year in terms of the muzak that is asphyxiating our airwaves and CD shops. There have been a lot of goodies, but there has also been an unfortunate uprising of one of the most hideous genres of music. That’s right, wuss rock. We’ve been flooded with this curse, from the crap provided by Hobbastank, to the shonk dished out by Simple Plan [shudder]. Thankfully, most of these bands have failed miserably. When was the last time you heard a second single from Star Sailor or the Ramsus? Unfortunately, the likes of Good Charlotte and Blink 182 (the new depressing punk, not the good stuff they’ve previously done) still exist.

Movies
The stuff on the silver screen, fortunately, has proved much more satisfying than the radio. It has been, inevitably, the year of the documentary, with nearly one documentary released for every two or so feature films.
Some of the top flicks (in my opinion) included: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Shrek 2, Super Size Me, Bad Santa, Shaun of the Dead, and The Incredibles.
Then there are the absolute stinkers, which included: Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Somersault, Taxi (the trailer and plot alone puts this one in the list), and (to a lesser extent) Hellboy.

Well, that’s my view of 2004. Quite empty, isn’t it? But think about it. Who can be stuffed typing a post for a blog on a hot summer night, let alone on New Year’s Eve?

Anyway, have a shiny 2005.