Guitar splendor of "President" George Dubya Bush!

"Go back to your home in the tree with the Keebler elves, Mr Bush!"

Who ever said George Bush is not a compassionate leader of our country?

By golly, look at that kind and caring man. While survivors mourn over the loss of their homes, and more unfortunately, the losses of loved ones due to the devastating force of Hurricane Katrina, Bush finds a little time out of busy schedule of doing absolutely nothing [in what remains of New Orleans] to demonstrate his guitar-holding skills for the crowd at hand. I am not exactly sure if he is actually playing it, but he sure has a firm presidential grasp on the instrument [if not our country].

Look at that smile! Such a caring man. He managed to arrive at the scene in three short days.

Talk about efficiency.

Either that poor lady is crying hysterically, or she's laughing at the foolish looking guitar-holding elf standing right next to her.

Sunday, October 09, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Osprey ball Aftermath!

Friday night was a terrific time that seemed to come and go way too fast. The Osprey Ball is always an exciting occasion, but I admit that it felt rather unusual omy my part going this year as opposed to other years because I am no longer a campus resident. Ray, Melissa, Jack, Mike, Anna, Erik, Colleen, Frank, Jaime, and myself were all present for the 2005 Annual Osprey Ball, which proved to be special a event in its own right.

Throughout the evening, I suddenly began to realize that I just might be growing out of events such as the Osprey Ball. Afterall, most of the people who were going to be there consisted mostly of freshman and sophomore students. After having a beautiful night with friends of mine from school, I reneged on the feelings I had earlier that day, only to discover that I will be returning to the Osprey Ball as long as I have friends who are still attending Stockton as students and are going to Osprey Ball in October.

As soon as Jaime arrived at Stockton, we proceeded to pay for a hotel room at the Best Western on White Horse Pike. We picked up some food from McDonalds and brought it to the room so we could eat prior to getting ready for the ball. Before heading back to the campus, we stopped by The Corner Tavern to pick up some alcohol, which we planned to sneak into the dance. As it turned out, we purchased a bottle of 99 Bananas as well as a bottle of water. We emptied the water bottle and filled it with the 99 Bananas so we would be able to carry it around on the dance floor.

While walking around at the ball, Jaime and I ran into familiar faces from the past such as Steve (who is now a complex director at Stockton), Junior (who is now passing Quantitative Business Methods), and Sara (one of Jaime's roommates from her last semester at Stockton). Good times. I must also confirm that Jack danced with ten girls. I am proud and happy for him!

After the dance was over at 12:01, we all headed to the Galloway Diner for a bite to eat. It wasn't just our select group of people who made the decision to go the Galloway Diner; literally half of the people who attended the dance went there as well! One could say that was expected to happen. Stockton students always go to the Galloway Diner; the night of the Osprey Ball is no exception. Anna, Erik, Jaime and I shared a booth that is fit to accommodate two people. The rest of the group sat up at the long, smoking table in front of us. Not exactly the best service I have ever had at the Galloway Diner, but I could understand how difficult of a time the employees were having due to the over abundance of Osprey Ball attendees who were also present.

Overall, this was a fun night with some old friends from school.

Jaime and I also had an amazing night at The Best Western. We made it a night to remember for a very long time.

At this time, I can barely keep my eyes open. This tells me that it's time to go to bed. Take care, be safe, and come again soon.

Peace.

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My Top Five Professors I have ever had at Stockton!

Since it is Homecoming Weekend at Stockton, and I am spending this down time in the computer lab waiting for Jaime to get here, I figure I will devote a post to my five favorite professors throughout my years at Stockton. The list was not a hard one for me establish, as I know from personality, character, dedication, and devotion to me as a student, exactly who they are.

Dr. Arthur Worthington

I took three courses with this man (Intro/Management; Spring 2003, Business Policy and Strategy; Spring 2004, and Human Resource Management; Fall 2004) and aced all of them easily. My intuitiveness coupled with his teaching style, allowed me to produce such positive results. He is an outstanding professor who thoroughly reviews the material and he has a rather generous grading structure. If you want to learn about business management, and you are willing to study the material he provides you with, Dr. Worthington is your guy. He is a friendly guy who never hesitates to smile and say hello to the students he has had in the past. He is the best professor I have ever had in my years of college.

John Boyle

I had Boyle for Financial Accounting; Spring 2003; this is perhaps the only man on this planet who makes an accounting class (or even the accounting content for that matter) seem interesting. He made accounting an easy subject for me to understand. He practically gave the subject of accounting a mouth and made it talk to the class itself. Great professor (hard to believe he is only an adjunct), great person, very kind, and he has already offered to provide me a letter of recommendation for graduate school

Dr. Clifford Whithem

I had this man for half a class (Hospitality Control; Spring 2005) when Donna took a leave of absence for her surgery. This man was with me through and thin when I was having a difficult time landing an internship. This is the man who listened to all of my venting throughout my period of frustration. This is the man who limited my internship requirements to accommodate my needs of completing this internship by December and graduating this Fall. He is one hell of a guy; an asset to, as well as the director of, the Hospitality Program here at Stockton.

Donna Albano

She taught a number of my hospitality courses at Stockton (Hotel Administration; Fall 2004, Hospitality Information Systems; Fall 2004, Facilities Management; Spring 2005, and Hospitality Control; Spring 2005) and showed me a lot of course-related attention when it appeared as though I was bogged down with a heavy schedule. He gave me plenty of advise in regards to getting a hospitality job. Nice person; very generous.

G.T. Lenard

Is there a kinder, more warm-hearted professor on this campus than G.T.? I had her for Money and the American Imagination (a G.I.S. requirement) during Spring Semester 2005 and she was a bundle of energy throughout the entire semester. She is a positive person who instills confidence and enthusiasm in her students. She took dry material (such as Max Weber) and made it comprehendable by relating it to modern day life. Her course was virtually an open forum in which any of the students could talk at any time. Great class taught by a great professor. Everyone loves G.T.!

Friday, October 07, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

HOMECOMING WEEKEND AT STOCKTON: OSPREY BALL TONIGHT!

As I am once again here at The Richard Stockton College of NJ during Homecoming Weekend of 2005, I have the opportunity to once again attend the Annual Osprey Ball. This is indeed my fourth Osprey Ball, but the first one for which I am not a student residing on campus. Ray and Melissa are here for the weekend as well; Jaime will be coming down for the evening very soon. We are still trying to establish a place at which we can get ready for tonight's ball. Before the Osprey Ball, Jaime and I plan on going out to eat as we usually do when we see each other. Perhaps Jaime and I will pay for a room at Best Western on White Horse Pike. For the two of us, it will only be $60 tonight (tax included).

This has been another pretty decent time in South Jersey. As I have stated before, this is a place that firmly stands on its own pedestal. I arrived here around 7pm last night. After doing a whole lot of nothing in the computer lab for about half an hour, I came into contact with "The Hondawg" Aaron Honaker and he accompanied me to McDonald's so I could get a bite to eat. He was singing along to the "Diamonds" Song (featuring Sierra Leone) on the Kanye West: Late Registration album as we were riding along in my car. It was rather comical. Later in the evening, Ray, Melissa, and myself celebrated Jack's 21st birthday at his apartment off campus. He wanted Cari, a girl he used to have familiar relations with, to be at his apartment for his birthday party. Jack has been crazy about this girl, so Melissa called Cari and asked her if she wanted us to pick her up and bring her over to Jack's. Cari agreed and asked that we come get her and pick her up. Fair enough. Ray, Melissa, and myself all drove over to D Court to pick Cari up. Cari was not present in her apartment. Some guy answered the door and informed us that she was not there. Ray called her on her cellphone to ask her where she was. Supposedly she was at the TRLC (or TSC as Ray likes to call it) preparing her presentation for a class. In approximately nine minutes, Cari sprinted back to her apartment and knocked on the door rather than using her key to get in. How did this scenario turn out???

She spent more time in her apartment (never coming out of her apartment to go back to Jack's with us) than she spent racing over to D court from TRLC. Go figure. If you do not want to go a person's house for a party or anything else for that matter, why ask us to leave the party and go out of our way to come pick you up??? What a waste of time. It just did not make any sense whatsoever. When we returned to Jack's house, without Cari, she called Ray and vented about how we never came to pick her up. We were standing outside of her apartment for twenty minutes and she never came out!! Her roommate even tried to mislead us into thinking that she left. How could she have left when we were standing outside in front of her apartment the entire time? Did she crawl out of the window in her bedroom???? WTF? Whatever. That ordeal can truly be summed up as a waste of party time. This is not my problem, as I had a fine night of partying with Jack, his roommates Dan and Dave, Dave's ex-girlfriend Agnes, and Ray and Melissa. Too bad for Jack, but I predict he will eventually find the right girl.

At about noon today, Colleen, Frank, "medical" Jeremy, Jack, Ray, Mike, Melissa, and myself all had lunch together at G-wing. It was really a nice time that brought back some fine memories of when we all used to have lunch and dinner together. Oh how I miss the college life. Stockton really institutionalized me in a sense, to the point where I really want to be back here as a student. If I could just live here and be a part of the social events that compromise the campus life, minus the course work, I would be set. Throughout that time, I took some moments to see some of my old professors (Dr. Whithem, Donna, and G.T. Lenard [who taught Money and the American Imagination last semester]). G.T. suggested that I come back to Stockton for my M.B.A. As we sat and talked for a little bit in her office, she was pretty to see happy to me again. I even saw Dr. Worthington in the hallway and managed to say hello to him. Great people. Before the afternoon came to a close, I signed the contract for my internship with Dr. Whithem in his office and applied for graduation as well. After lunch was over, Ray, Melissa, Mike, and myself all went to the mall to look around in some of the stores (including East Meets West, Spencers, and some other places). I really liked East Meets West; they had some really interesting looking shelf statues and shirts and things of that nature. It felt good to be walking around in some of the stores and taking advantage of the leisure time that God gave us to spend. Working 40 hours a week at my job, I rarely get the chance to do that anymore (atleast with friends of minee). I got myself a Berry Madness Smoothie at the Food Court; they are always tasty. We also went to Target to look around for a bit. One could literally say that this has been a pretty eventful day.

Onto the Osprey Ball later this evening, which is expected to be a blast. Ray, Melissa, Mike, Colleen, Frank, Anna, Erik, perhaps Jhon, Jaime, and myself will all be at this year's Osprey Ball. The fact that I have to pay $9 at the door, as a result of missing the $5 ticket sale at the P.A.C. before noon today, erks me to some degree. Oh well, this is the Annual Osprey Ball and it is essential that I be there with my soulmate and good friends from school. May the festivities commence in just three short hours!

Ummm... where exactly are we going to get ready???

Blog you later.

Peace.

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Somebody wake him up! September is over.

Just in case anybody failed to notice, the "Wake me up when September Ends" song is totally played out!!

That is just my opinion, but I firmly believe it is well shared. In fact, I know it is well shared judging by my fellow employee's responses when the song plays on the radio in the kitchen. September is over ladies and gentlemen. Today is October 6. Wake the man up already and stop playing that song!!!

Thank you.

Thursday, October 06, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

"Interning as a server?? What is he thinking?"

I just returned home from having a stuffed slice with sauce at M&S II. Yummy.

Now I have to get ready for work in a few moments.

As I announced yesterday, I was recently promoted to server based on the fact that I am one of the best employees The Olive Garden currently has. I also need to conduct an 200 hour internship in order to officially graduate from college in December. I wonder just how well this serving stuff is going to go for me. I prefer serving to bussing any day of the week. I make a lot more money and the job appears to be a little easier.

• One is not constantly carrying heavy trays of dirty plates, glasses, and other garbage.
• One is not responsible to for wiping down every single table during a shift.
• One is not responsible for rolling silverware during a shift so tables can be set for guests.
• One does not have compete with co-workers for sections. They are pre-determined by management.
• Obviously, one earns more money as a server, which is always a plus.
• Perhaps the most gratifying, one does have to clean the filthy-ass side stations at the end of the night.

Serving is not even a job that I desire to have in the long haul, but I am delighted that I can fufill that position in the mean time and use it to complete my internship requirement. That is just grand! Overall, this is a more polished, professional, and clean-cut position than that of bussing. As a server, I will be able to let my personality come to the surface and show the guests who I am as as a result of that.

Considering all of that, you all may ask yourselves, "Why is he interning as a server???"

Because Dr. Whithem, director of the Hospitality Management progam at Stockton has allowed me to do so. In addition to that, this is perhaps the easiest internship in college history and it will over in four weeks. There is no doubt that I am going to be an excellent server; Lords knows I am an outstanding employee who is sure as hell good looking enough to be a server. In December, I look forward to my graduation and the celebrations that come with such a noble achievement. I prepare myself to ace the GMAT in January (either on January 13 or January 20 to be exact), so that I may apply to an M.B.A. program and go back to school in either September 2006 or January 2007. I plan to shock all of my detractors who are skeptical of such a high GMAT result. For some of you, it will appear as though I pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Those who are aware of my ability and determination will not be as suprised.

Come 2006, I am aiming for bigger and better things. In due time, you will all know exactly what those things are. Let me finish my internship, graduate, and take the GMAT first. All of those objectives will be complete by February. After that, the world is all mine. MARK MY WORDS.

MONEY ~ POWER ~ RESPECT

Tomorrow I am returning to P-town to visit some friends at Stockton. After six days in a row at work, this is exactly the relief I need to cool down and hang out. Ray is driving down with Melissa as well. Jack turns 21, so that should be a fun celebration. I would like to go to Pitney Tavern for College Night with some friends as well, but we'll see what happens. For the most part, I would like to go out tomorrow night. We'll see how I feel. One thing is for sure; I am definitely looking forward to two and a half days of fun-filled excitement.

OSPREY BALL on FRIDAY OCTOBER 7. My fourth Osprey Ball, and I will be attending it with my soulmate Jaime by my side. Great times cometh!

Until then, take care and come again soon. You do not want to miss a beat!

Peace.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Finally, I'm a server!

Hello to all of my family, friends, and fans.

Two days ago, I was promoted to server at The Olive Garden [my place of employment]. I think that is terrific news, knowing how my work performance, efforts, and reliability were all shamefully overlooked by the management team at P.F. Chang's China Bistro in Atlantic City. Serving at the Olive Garden is a good interim job and it serves as the internship I need to complete in order to graduate from The Richard Stockton College of NJ this December. I will be graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Business Studies Hospitality Management.

More to come at a later time.

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Late night seclusion!

Here I sit in the livingroom of my house; drinking glasses of Andre Pink Champagne and Woodbridge Chardonnay 2002. Demolition Man is on TNT and I am watching it as I talk to a boxing buddy of mine online. Work was alright today. I felt as though the day went by relatively fast. I still have yet to count all of my tip money. Work pisses me off to a certain degree, but today was not a bad day.

Tomorrow I go in from 4pm to close.

Monday, September 19, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Back at Stockton!

This is my very first post on the Blogger software. Quite a monumental and historic moment, if you ask me. It is a landmark of sorts in the blogging life of your favorite publisher.

Notice how anybody, not just registered members of this software, can leave me a comment!


Since last night, I have been here at The Richard Stockton College of NJ where I previously went to school for three years. I can tell you that I have truly missed this place as well as my friends who are still pursuing their education here.

Last night was a pretty good time. Aaron "The Hondawg", Brian Ackerman, and I all went to Gourmet for dinner together. We were originally going to head over to Pitney Tavern for "College Night" on Thursdays, but Brian is only 20 years old, so we went to The Corner Tavern in the Club III development instead. Jeremy, my roommate from last year, met up with us to have a few drinks. We had a blast talking about random happenings from the previous two or three school years at Stockton.

Afterwards, Jeremy went back home and Brian, Aaron, and myself bought a thirty pack of Keystone Light to bring back to Aaron's apartment on campus. I also spent a little extra cash to purchase a bottle of Woodbridge Chardonnay 2002 (which happens to be one of my new favorite wines). I have always been a hardcore fan of beer, but my taste for wine has blossomed over the past couple of years.There was quite a group in G-court last night, where Aaron lives on campus. There were also quite a few students going in and out of Aaron's apartment. Keeping a look out for the cops, we all drank responsibly and had a terrific time. I have dearly missed being here on campus, so the past day in a half has been a beautiful time for me. This campus has been an unfillable void in my absence, so it has been a pleasure for me to come back and fill that void. Earlier today, I sat at G-wing with a bunch of my Stockton buddies (Brian, Frank, Colleen, Anna, Jhon, Jeremy [before all the others], and some other people as well). As I drank my Cinnamon Bun flavored coffee, we all had a blast hanging out and congregating like we did in the old days. Stockton also has Starbucks Coffee this year; that really suprised me. After lunch time/social hour with my friends came to a conclusion, I went to visit Donna as well as Dr. Whithem and the newly hired Professor Tyrell in the Hospitality Department.

This has been a wonderful time; hopefully it lasts a little longer. Until then, Jaime is on her way down. We plan on grabbing a bite to eat and then going to see Ruthie (a girl from a previous season of The Real World) at the A-Wing Lecture Hall. After that, perhaps a trip to the Irish Pub in Atlantic City??? Who knows?

That is all for now.

Friday, September 16, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Back from an eventful weekend! Part II

Gas prices: going down???

The Great One has noticed a decrease, albeit a minimal decrease, in the gas prices. Hopefully they continue to go down as time marches on.

This past weekend, as I mentioned in the previous post, I went to Jenk's with Jaime and some of her friends. First of all, I had not been to Jenk's for the entire summer due to the high cover charges and high volumes of people in attendance. For the most part, I stuck with Bar-A throughout the summer months. Nonetheless, it felt great being back at Jenk's, which has a really nice sized dance area. Friday night was an incredible time for me. During the summer, I had my share of crazy times, but this was a nice evening for me to chill out, have a few drinks, and dance. The drinks can be a bit expensive, but they also some great deals on mixed drinks. Cranberry Juice and Vodka was only $1 and beers such as Coors Light and Miller Lite were only $2. The Jack and Coke, however, was a rip off at $6 (for the small cups that they were served in). Throughout the evening, I felt bad for Jaime. She looked stressed, as well as sad, and I wish she had had a better time. School and work and both going to keep her busy, but I know she has some fun times coming up.

Hoboken is on the horizon.

May God have mercy on the souls of the victims in the Hurricane Katrina disaster. This will go down as a horrible and unforgettable tragedy. I have contributed some money to the relief; hopefully many of you have also done the same. With certain locations buried as deep as 15 to 20 feet under water, there is little to no chance of restoring the town to what it used to be. New Orleans, known for its Mardi Gras festivities and [even farther back in time] its primitive days of slavery and haunted houses, has an even greater reputation now as a ghost town. I suspect that thousands of tormented souls, both from the recent hurricane and the ancient days of slavery, will roam the abandoned streets (currently buried in tons water) for many years to come. May God have mercy...

At this point, I am going to stop. Everyone have a great night. Take care and be safe. In regards to an official date for the GMAT, I am very close to making an announcement. Keep on the look out for that in within the next few days. That is a very important test; it could determine quite a bit. It is a challenge that The Great One will indeed get up for mentally and physically. A challenge that will yet again illustrate just how I great I am and can truly be. I look forward to it.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: I will be successful on that test.

Peace.

God Bless America...Remembering September 11, 2001

Sunday, September 11, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Back from an eventful weekend! Part I

The Great One certainly was not at a loss for fun activities to be a part of this weekend. I had a great time down in Central Jersey with Jaime this past weekend. We did plenty, as I will briefly elaborate.

Thursday:

Went to Chilis with Jaime for dinner. The Great One drank some Woodbridge Chardonnay with dinner. That stuff is really good. There is no doubt that I enjoyed that particular wine.

Later that night, we went back to the Days Inn, where we decided to get a room for the evening. As a result, we went to the bar on the above floor for karaoke night. We decided to have some drinks. I had a bottle of Yuengling and glass of White Zinfandel. Other than us, there a few older people there. One lady was with her husband and she was totally wasted as she tried to sing on stage. It was rather comical. One of the old ladies walked up to Jaime and I (seated at the bar) and asked us if we were together. She then proceeded to ask us if we were 21. She thought we looked good together.

Friday:

• Spent a few hours on the beach at Manasquan. Yes, my skin is even more colored as a result of the sun that day.
• We went with Jaime's friends (Kathy, Bonnie, Danielle, Francine, and Jackie) from work to see The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Before going to the movies, we went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner.
• Jenk's "Come Back Locals" Night was the bomb. I had a terrific time. The Great One had some drinks; as usual I got my dance on. I looked damn good, too. Unfortunately, Jaime had to drive and was upset about not being able to drink. The Great One offered to pay for cab fare so she could drink, enjoy herself, and we would still have transportation home. Nonetheless, she declined. I feel bad because she has been stressed with graduate school (which started for her on Thursday night - the night before).

I love ya Jaime! Plenty of good times are in store for you. I'm still delighted that we had the chance to hang out this past weekend.

Saturday:


Before leaving for D-town to go to work at 4pm (yawn), Jaime and I went to Chick Fillet for lunch.
Last night, I made $86 in tip money; the servers praised and loved The Great One as they always do. The same compliments keep pouring in:

"You are the best!"

"I love you; you are the bomb!"

I appreciate all of the praise and I can not say that I disagree with these people in regards to their compliments. Obviously they all know who the man is and I respect their bright and accurate perspectives. They are all spot-on.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

My thoughts

The Great One saw this movie and I actually thought it was a very good movie. The plot, based on a controversial exorcism performed by a priest who is charged with negligent homicide, was based on a true story. Emily Rose, a 19 year old girl who goes away to college, supposedly suffers from demonic possession. Some feel as though she was an epidemic as well as a schizophrenic, while others believe she was indeed possessed by demons. I feel as though the director placed too much emphasis on the trial. One fact about this film is certain. This should not have rated this movie as a PG-13!!! When the focus of the movie was devoted to the trial (approximately 65% of the movie), the young teens were so bored that they couldn't help but run up and down the isles. When the demonic scenes were being shown, the kids were screaming loudly every five seconds. This movie should have either been a PG-16 or rated R. This movie is not for a 13-year-old audience (at least without the accompaniment of parents.

That is all for now. I must depart for the time being, but keep on the look out for a potential second post. I have more to say.

Peace out, for now.

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Alcohol and gas prices: Interrelated?

This post will be devoted to my connection between alcohol and gas prices. Gas prices are so damn high these days. Whether it is because of war, or whatever the cause is, it really pisses me off. If our country going to raise gas prices so high, it should at least have the courtesy to lower alcohol prices. That way, we'd be able to purchase more alcohol and gloat about the high gas prices at home, as we are unable to drive anywhere!

Might I be onto something? Who knows?

Food for thought to all of my family, friends, and fans.

Monday, August 22, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Plenty to talk about!

The Great One returning to D-town for residence???
Ocean County early in 2006?
Ocean City yesterday with Jaime...

One might never have expected The Great One to make this announcement, but I will temporarily be returning to D-town for my place of residence! At the beginning of the summer, I stated that I would be moving down to South Jersey indefinitely.

I will admit that I live a rather spontaneous life; nobody knows exactly what I am going to do at any given moment. That makes me rather special, if you ask me. Let me say that I absolutely love South Jersey and I always will. This part of the state is really beautiful, from the green lands to the ocean. On top of that, Atlantic City is right here in Atlantic County with its casinos, hotels, and beach bars. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the place to be in the summer time. This is an amazing place, not quite like any other location I have been to. Probably due to my memories and years spent in South Jersey, it separates itself from other areas and I will always love and respect this community. I never regreted moving down here for the summer because it was a valuable learning experience, I am glad that I chose to live in such a wonderful area for the summer, and I would do it again. I WILL BE BACK! Bet on that! Jaime and I will also be guests at the Osprey Ball in October 2005.

However, The Great One has some funds to pay back and I do not have a job down here at this moment. Recently, I applied to Olive Garden at the Rockaway Mall for a job as either a host, server assistant, or server. The Great One would prefer to be a server, but I will take whatever they have at this moment. It is incumbent on me to play my cards right and to keep my opinionated mouth shut so I may be able to earn enough money to take care of business. I chose to work another restaurant for the primary reason that it is fast income in comparison to other jobs. Olive Garden also closes at a later time than does P.F. Chang's, so I will not have to worry about closing the restaurant and leaving work at 3am as a result. I have an interview with the G.M. at Olive Garden tomorrow as well. As Jaime recently told me, life should once again be looking up very soon. The good thing about that is she is usually accurate with these types of predictions.

My move back home should be temporary, as I am looking for a more permanent apartment somewhere in the Ocean County area. Monmouth County is just too damn expensive. Should The Great One move to Brick or even Toms River, I would still be approximately 15 to 20 minutes away from Jaime. That would be fabulous and I would love to make such a move early in 2006. This move greatly depends on where I get a job and where my career takes off. For right now, however, it is time to go home for a little while and raise some necessary funds. I am a responsible human being and I believe I have proven that I am more than capable of living on my own, but now I will face my responsibilities to pay back some debts. I have proven that I can live on my own and I will prove once again in due time. For the moment, I am making the wisest decision that I can think of.

Without the rent charges at this time due to being at home, perhaps I can schedule the highly anticipated trip to California now to see Scott as well. Regardless of what happens, I will seize any momentum that I may have lost in the month of the July and I will proliferate that momentum over and over! The time has come to prosper and to get back onto the winning track that I was on at the beginning of this year. Making wise decisions while living in the now is the best way to get myself back onto that winning track and seizing the day. It is going to happen.

Ocean City with the beautiful Jaime was just FABULOUS yesterday. It was a really hot day, so we decided that we would go to the beach. The waves were pretty big; not quite as big or rough as Manasquan last week but they were big in their own right. I love the beach. I love, and have respect for, the ocean. Jumping into those big waves and having them lift me up into the air is such a thrill. The ocean cools you off on hot summer days and it can take you for a thrilling ride. The Great One had a lot of fun swimming in the ocean. Jaime came into the water for a while as well. I had to lift her up when some of the big waves came, or else she would've been gurgling salt water!

After getting back from Ocean City, we went to Super G to purchase some food items for cooking dinner. When we got to my apartment, we fried a huge batch of french fries, microwaved some Lean Pockets, and grilled some burgers. We also watched The Real World on television as well as Gilmore Girls (hey, I am not a sissy. It is one of Jaime's favorite shows! I can just hear all the readers saying, "Yeah right, you're a little bitch and you know you love that show!"). The fact that Danny receives word that his mother passed away is one of the most dramatic occurences ever on Real World. Imagine if your mother passed away during a time when you were far away from home? On Valentine's Day for that matter??? Double-scarred for life. What was the with the cameramen following him home when he was being embraced by his family??? That was not exactly necessary.

That is all for now. Remember to come again soon for more updates. Now more than ever ladies and gentlemen, is the time to be looking for exciting updates about The Great One achieving significant accomplishments. In life, order to stay on top, you constantly need plans. Without plans, life goes around in circles. Perhaps this is just the beginning of something new and exclusive.

Here comes more cash. Here comes more plans. Here comes some more good old fun times. Now that is faith for you!

STAY TUNED.

Peace.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Farewell P.F. Chang's: What was behind the scenes of my departure!

"Perhaps the managers at P.F. Chang's come from the same breed of people who chose to crucify our beloved Jesus Christ rather than Barabas."

Today is a beautiful day for laying outside and basking in the hot sun. Last night was a decent time, as I went over to Jeremy's apartment and hung out with him and Aaron. We drank some Yuengling and ordered some pizza. Meantime, I am just trying to remain composed during this period of time leading to July 26.

Soon I should be working as a cashier at Dicks; Jeremy is going to speak with the supervisor about it today. As for P.F. Chang's, I suppose it is time for The Great One to move on. I was no longer happy working at P.F. Chang's, especially towards the end of my tour of duty there. The managers noticed my unhappiness and lack of passion and decided that it was best for me to move on. I am happy that they did so. I also realize that they released me due to my no-call no-show from Thursday night. I did manage to call the managers that day and inform them that I was going to be late to work. When arrived in South Jersey that day, however, I felt like absolute CRAP. That is what supposedly influenced the managers to suspend me. Even though I am happy that I no longer have to work for these people, I would like to bring you all a little closer to their poorly-thought and ill-conceived logic that was behind their decision to release me. Isn't it interesting that the employees who stole tip money, sold drugs in the back outside of the restaurant, and cussed at the managers in a foreign language, ALL made immediate returns after their suspensions?

I actually picked up shifts for the one dude who was suspended for cussing at the managers. The managers, however, found it in their heart to bring him back to work. I find that comical. We get back to the classic confrontation between good and evil. Heroes and villains. Assets and liabilities. The Great One was well-liked by all of the employees for my hard work, dedication, and irresistable personality and charisma. I always got jobs done and went out of my way to help anyone in my power. All of the compliments that came my way indicated just how valuable I was to that establishment. I was truly a major asset to the well-being of that restaurant. The others, on the other hand, who returned from suspensions for greater violations, were disliked by virtually every employee in the restaurant. Their work ethic (or lack thereof) in the workplace had a significant impact on the contempt for these apathetic employees who were constantly brought back by the managers. Perhaps the managers at P.F. Chang's come from the same breed of people who chose to crucify our beloved Jesus Christ rather than Barabas. That is when I talked to Brian Ackerman about the personalities of the managers and how they kept the bad employees and released the good.

Brian's explanation: "The bad one is too stupid to know that he is getting f&*ked over."

I gave his response some thought for about ten seconds before determining that he was absolutely right. The managers let me go because I had them figured out with their ways and decision-making and I made them clearly aware of it. In my mind, they did not just let me go because of the no-call no-show or because I was unhappy there. My email to them, explaining how to they fail to promote valuable employees within, really struck a nerve in a major way. It got their attention to the point where they actually took the email as an impolite insult. They thought my email was rude and crude. According to them, I talked trash about the servers. My email was no rude whatsoever. I never once talked to trash about the servers either! My email merely revealed facts dealing with the manager's treatment of long-term employees. I also pointed out the way some of the servers treated me. I attempted to make the managers aware of how apathetic some of the servers were with their job tasks; some of them will make the server assistants do practically everything for them (which is wrong).

You have the unions, which favor long term employment, seniority, and advancement that comes with seniority. However, I have not seen an establishment that is quite the polar opposite of a union than P.F. Chang's is. Even with seniority and hard work, there is almost no opportunity for advancement (at least at the P.F. Chang's in Atlantic City), if you are in fact a worker with seniority. I trained newcomers almost regularly, I apologized to the guests for poor services when the managers and servers could not find it in their hearts to do so, and I fullfilled "server" responsibilities when they failed to do so, yet according to the managers, I had a communication problem??? You do not designate an employee as being a team leader, grant him the privledge of being a trainer for your restaurant, and then suddenly come to the ill-thought conclusion that he has a communication problem. I suppose, in the minds of management, proper communication came from servers who whined and complained about other servers tipping too much money out to the server assistants. Rest assured, The Great One does not have a communication problem and the managers know this deep down in their consciences. What I do have, and the managers know this is the truth, is a "he knows too much for his own good and he's exposing it to us" problem. That is why they wanted to see me go, along with the fact that I was unhappy working there in the end. I am happy that I am gone, but I do need to get a better job soon and I should have one very shortly. I just felt the need to inform my Xanga SUPERSTUFF readers on what was behind the abrupt conclusion to The Great One's employment at P.F. Chang's. People have been wondering.

I currently believe that the hospitality industry, or atleast P.F. Chang's China Bistro for that matter, is looking for potential employees who will work hard, sport a phony smile at all times, remain quiet, and act like airheads who do not know any better. Having said all of that, The Stepford Wives should probably go fill out applications for jobs at P.F. Chang's immediately! Knowing that they are females, and the male managers can not resist the temptation to hug females employees and flirt with them at all costs, The Stepford Wives would be prime candidates for the job.

Regardless of all that has happened, I can still use P.F. Chang's as a reference for future jobs. I can still ask the managers for letters of recommendation. Management likes me as a person, if not as one of their employees. They want to keep me in their good graces, so that is a positive and I will use it to my full advantage.
Time to go pick up my paycheck. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming days. You know they never stop coming!

Peace.

Friday, July 22, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Grand remembrance on this day off from work!

Today I am off from work, which is definitely a plus for me. The weather is so beautiful; Jaime is coming up to spend the evening with me at 6:30 when she gets out of work. Tomorrow morning I am on call at 10am. Hopefully I do not have to work so I can spend more time with Jaime during the day. Should I have to work during the day tomorrow, that means that I will be working a double due to the fact that I am already scheduled for dinner at 6pm. Hopefully management does not need me to come in tomorrow during the day.

The check engine line recently lit up in my car. I probably need to take it to Bennett Chevrolet for an oil change. It has been a while since I got an oil change, so I need to do that A.S.A.P.

A LOOK BACK
Moments of recollection that will frequently happen.

The Great One took some time to read some of the historial posts on Xanga SUPERSTUFF. Many of the posts were from my times at school as a college student. Those were truly the days. Jaime and I talk about it all the time; we miss the days we had at Stockton when everybody was around and we either partied on campus or participated in other fun activities together. I love the freedom. I love the bond that was present amongst the groups of people that I knew. I love the community that I was a part of. This entire experience at Stockton felt like one massive bonanza. Going to N-Wing for dinner, not for the meals but for the social hours, was a special time to lay low and genuinely communicate with friends. I enjoyed all of those times when I could go out for the night with close friends, either to Atlantic City or just a local pub, for a enjoyable evening. One can not beat the freedom that is felt while being away at college. When I was at school, I could remember having friends such as, Anna, Kristen, Jeremy, Jack, Aaron (my original roommate), Brian, Colleen or even my roommate Jeremy to do something with. There are many other faces on campus that I would frequently see, of those who were great people. Sunday morning would come, and I would call these people to attend brunch with me. When 10pm rolled around on a school night, and the dinners at N-Wing did not provide nearly enough nourishment, I can remember going to Lakeside for pizza, chicken nuggets, or mozzarella sticks with Jeremy and Keeley. Wawa runs with Brian in the middle of the night, whenever we had to pull an all nighter, were ever so frequent. Video games at Ray's apartment with Ray, Jeremy, Jack, Jesse, and Crazy Mike were nothing short of amusing. On Sunday mornings, Jaime and I would go to brunch together and make fun of the food on various occasions. Stockton was great.

Many of those close to me have indicated that I should live in the now, but that is easier said than done. I should not live in the past so much, but it has a tendency to happen whenever I get bored with present-day life. College life is a difficult phase of life for one to bring to a close. It is in fact a lifestyle that one grows accustomed to for approximately four years. Currently I go to work almost everyday and occasionally hang out with my girlfriend and some of her peeps from Central Jersey. My mind automatically travels back to times that were more pleasant and that gives me somewhat of a boost. That reminds me that there were great times in the past and there could potentially be more to come in the future.
When the fall comes, and some of my undergraduate friends return to Stockton as students, it will be a pleasure of mine to visit them with my fellow Class of 2005 companions.

For now, it is time to get some food, head back to the apartment, do some laundry, clean up, perhaps play some Fight Night Round 2, and wait for my beautiful girlfriend Jaime to arrive later this evening.

Sunday, July 10, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

This is just the beginning!

College is finito, but The Great One has plenty more to offer!

I woke up at 10am this morning and drove straight to Ocean City so I could go for a run up and down the boardwalk. It is time for me to get back into top shape, so that I may feel better than I do right now (which is still pretty good). Beautiful day today! The Great One went tanning out on the beach and briefly went in the water as well.

When I take my GMAT next year, I really want to be in superb physical condition. People ask me why I think like that. The Great One believes that people can perform better on tests when they are in appropriate physical condition. Back in the day when I ran cross country and track in high school, I seemed to do even better on tests than I do now. I still reasonably well with testing, but I want to give myself the best opportunity possible to excell and progress to the next phase of my life.

Believe ladies and gentlemen, this is only the beginning. I am still in the process of showing the world what I am truly made of. I have yet to scratch the surface of my God given talent, but I am coming closer and closer into contact with that surface. Next year will be yet another landmark in which I showcase what I am truly made of the entire world. I will excell on the GMAT.

Jaime just got here, so it is time for us to eat and hang out. Take care, have a great day, and stay tuned for more updates which are coming very soon!

Peace.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Outdoors is looking and feeling lovely!

The sun is shinning and the temperatures are high again today. From what I have heard, this entire week is supposed to be beautiful.

Last night, I went to Wawa and bought some Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. I got the Irish Mudslide. Pretty good. I still have some left and I plan on having some more very shortly. Today is the ideal day for ice cream.

Later in the evening, The Great One ended up going over to Jeremy's to hang out with Jeremy, Keeley, Aaron, and Fred (Jeremy's friend and Aaron's future roommate next semester). We had a pretty good time. As usual, Aaron passed out after drinking a beer and a half and I had the opportunity to witness it once again. Aaron is cool, though. He makes for great company. Without a Hondawg, there would not be any times quite like the ones I have had throughout my years of college. However, Aaron is lucky he did not get a penis drawn on his face.

Jeremy and I fought again on Fight Night Round 2 and he stopped me in the 12th round! Damn haymakers!! He is always catching me with them. I am able to evade most of his punches, but he is able to put the pressure on really well and I think I focus way too much on making him miss and I do not make him pay enough with hard punches in return (especially punches to the body). Props to him for the tremendous victory. Perhaps he has my number in Fight Night Round 2. Hell, Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey twice. Junior Jones defeated Marco Antonio Barrera twice. Oscar De la hoya lost to Shane Mosley three times (once in the amateurs; twice in the professional ranks). The greats can be defeated by people who have their numbers.

Alright, I need that Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream so I am going to bounce. Take care and enjoy this spectacular day of summer weather. Might it be here for good?

STAY AWAY RAIN!!! It is the sun's turn!

Peace.

Monday, June 06, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Summer weather suddenly strikes, Hatton dethrones Tszyu, and The Great One continues to amaze at P.F. Changs!

RICKY HATTON: NEW WORLD 140LB CHAMPION!
Tszyu does not come out for the 12th round! "No Mas!"

I did not see the fight last night (I was working until 12:15), but that is a shocking result. The fight took place in Manchester, England, which is Hatton's home turf. From what I have been reading and hearing, Kostya Tszyu, 35, looked every bit his age and got outhustled by the younger, quicker, and more aggressive Manchester native. Hatton basically walked through the champion, took his best shots, and wore him down with an accumulation of punishment. At the start of the 12th round, Tszyu had had enough and simply said, "No Mas." For more information, click here.

After all the rain comes heat and sunshine I suppose. Today is a gorgeous day; perhaps the nicest day we have had all year so far. It feels really hot outside, but the sun is also shinning bright and I am shinning with it. I worked today from open (10am) until 5pm. In tips, I made $44 today as well as $74 last night. Last night was without a doubt one of the busiest nights we have had in the seven month history of the restaurant. Throughout the entire weekend combined, I made a grand total of $218 in tips. How marvelous is that????? I have heard many compliments over the past few days regarding my efforts at work.

"Bryan, you are the best server assistant!"

"You are the
greatest."

"You are doing a kick ass job."

"Bryan, you totally cleaned house!"

"You pop up just at the right
time."

"Please don't leave me with him!!!!"
-last night's closer, when she discovered that I was not closing. She ended up closing with the laziest and slowest server assistant in the restaurant.

Thank you, thank you very much! I am The Great One, and you know you can't knock the hustle baby.

The Great One is not a self-proclaimed title. It is merely a fusion of compliments given to me by others. I earn the name more and more each day of my life.

The fact that I am pulling in such a substantial income at this time in my life (pre-graduation) is beautiful. Life is currently at a level base and I am making the money that is needed to get me through each passing day successfully.

Each day this coming week, it is supposed to be 85 to 90 degrees! Super! I am off from work Tuesday through Thursday, so I am ready to head for the beach. A trip to the beach has been long overdue for yours truly, but so has the nice weather that we just beginning to have.

It is time for me to go. Take care and come again soon.

Enjoy the weather!

Peace.

Sunday, June 05, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

New Jersey: "The Wetland State!"

Another rainy day in this state I live in called "The Garden State." Gardens need to be watered, but they do not need this much water! With all of the rain that we get, New Jersey's name should be "The Wetland State." Most of the time, we are faced with cloudy skies and rain. I suppose I am used to it after my 24 years of residence here, but I could certainly use some more 80 to 90 degree days (with sunshine) in the month of June.

Wouldn't it also be nice if the beaches were free to enter during the summer months??? New Jersey is the only state in the country that charges its citizens to enter beach premises during the summer. How can a state charge people to enjoy the ocean? Both the ocean and the beach are nature's creations. It is not as though they are products of the state or the government. They did not physically "create" or " manufacture" the beach or the ocean. Let us enjoy such beautiful nature for free! I would accept the the responsibility of pumping my own gas (NJ being the only state in which you do not pump your own gas) as opposed to paying for a day at the beach any day of the week.

That would certainly be nice, but I am still willing to pay $5 for a day at the beach because that is how much I love being there. First, the appropriate summer weather is required for me to do so.
Yesterday I spent the morning and afternoon in Howell with Jaime before eventually going to work at 6pm. We watched a couple episodes of Full House at noon. Afterwards, we went to Chick Fillet for lunch and then Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream. I order a Love-it sized Birthday Cake Remix, which was very good! Jaime and I shared the ice cream. We also went to Target to do our customary family-style window shopping.

Today I am working from 6pm until cut. Who knows if I will actually get cut tonight? One of the closers are bound to approach me and ask if I can close for them. That did not happen last night, but it happens all too frequently. I have never seen so many people who are afraid to close a restaurant. If I am asked to close tonight, I just might do so for the extra money. I have quite a bit of money at the moment, but I could always use more. Earlier this afternoon, I deposited some cash. That is exactly what I am going to do every time I receive tip money and pay checks. I will immediately deposit about 80% of the money and keep the other 20% for leisure.

Tomorrow I am on-call at 3pm, which sucks, because Ray's graduation party is tomorrow and I have been unable to switch the shift with someone or have it released all together. I hope that I do not have to go in so I can attend Ray's party. The plan of action is to leave at 10am tomorrow, head up to Howell to spend the day with Jaime, and call in at 3pm from her house. In the event that I do not have to go into work, I will leave Jaime's and drive up to Edison (only about 30-35 minutes North of Howell) and go to Ray's house. If I have to go to work, it will either be at 5pm or 6pm. In that case, I will leave Jaime's and drive straight to work (which is only an hour and 15 minutes South of Howell). If I am unable to attend Ray's graduation party, I give Ray my sincere condolences and hope to see him sometime next week, when neither one of us are working, so I can buy him some drinks. If tomorrow proceeds according to the previous two Saturdays (when I did not have to go in being on call), I will be attending Ray's party.

Right now, I have to go check on my laundry and make myself something to eat. Everyone have a nice day, be safe, and come again soon. 1 love.

Peace.

Friday, June 03, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

The Hondawg's Prophetic "Words of Wisdom"!

I have come to rescue you my friend. Human nature is a funny thing. what motivates the soul of an individual. What do we live for, what do we aspire to become. do we sometimes make choices or wish we take things back. Its never too late to make right what is wrong as long as were living. Thats just it time is fleeting. life is short. Life is too precious to become enraged about worldly things. God comes first, then comes family. Everything else is unimportant. I have never seen a hearse with a luggage rack. Have You? No, thats just the point. Can't take anything with you. In the world what is a root of all evil? Well theres many roots and many distractions. See the thing is we are like actors on a stage; everything we say and do is up to us. The audience is the big guy upstairs; for it all recorded you see. One we will have to give a testimony in our defense. Yeah the good and the bad is recorded. This is why we need to take extra care in our actions.

Sunday, May 29, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]