April 6, 2005
Greetings, intrepid readers! Welcome to this week's update of TerriblyWrong.com! This week has been hell on wheels on more levels than I care to think about, much less write about here. However, if you are one of those folks who reads my blog, you have a vague idea of what is going on. I won't continue to bore you with the details here.
Everything's been updated: The Pin-Up, The Comic Strip, and The Video of the Week (though I couldn't get Meesh's request on there. Sorry bro.) are all new, plus there has been even more activity on The Forums. The Joke of The Week and the Funny Photo of The Week have been updated as well, of course.
Now, as many of you, our intrepid readers, know, I am a geek. More specifically, I am a Star Wars™ geek. So, yes, I have been following the development of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith™ with great interest. And yes, that is what this week's diatribe is about. If you want to see the trailer to find out what I'm about to go on and on about first, CLICK HERE.
Personally, I don't mind spoilers. Especially where Star Wars™ is concerned. Meesh and Amberfive will tell you if you ask them, I've written articles about Episodes 1 and 2 as well. The original Star Wars™ was the very first film I ever saw in a theatre as a child. It's been a part of my existence since the get go. Needless to say, like many of you, I was terribly disappointed by Episode 1... in fact, if I remember correctly, I referred to it in an article as "The Merchandising Menace". Don't get me wrong, it had it's good points, but all together, it didn't hold a candle to the original trilogy (and Jar Jar Binks needs to be dragged out into the street and shot).
I liked Episode 2.
Now, before you get your underpants in a twist about that statement, let me address the issues that most people had with the film. Ok, yeah, I'll admit, "Attack of the Clones" is probably the cheesiest title ever conceived since "Killer Clowns from Outer Space". But as far as I am concerned, that is the one strike against it. It seems that most people had the complaint that they didn't like Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker because he made Anakin "Not a likeable character". What most people have failed to realize is that at this point in the series, Anakin was not supposed to be likeable. He was supposed to be cocky (which he was), arrogant (which he was), and immature (which he was). I'm not saying the Christiansen is a great actor, but he did do the job he was set to do... Make Anakin a prick.
Now, as far as the new one, Revenge of the Sith™, goes, it's looking very much like George Lucas is about to make up for dropping the ball with Episode 1. The special effects look wonderful. The fight scenes look extremely well choreographed. The costuming looks awesome, and it is beginning to look very much like he is determined to tie up every last loose end in the series. I can't speak much for the dialogue in the film, mostly because the footage I have seen is not that extensive. But Lucas has the following points in his favor:
And that in my opinion is the best part of all. This film is so violent that it has landed itself a PG-13 rating! Something that no Star Wars™ movie has done to date. From what I've seen and read on this film (all official stuff, no rumor-mill crap), this movie could safely change it's subtitle from "Revenge of the Sith" to "Anakin kills fuckin' EVERYONE". There will be blood. There will be burns. There will be shit blowing up and bodies flying around. There will be fights galore. There will be death and dismemberment.
And there will be me. Sitting there in the theatre. On opening night. Even if I have to kill someone and take their ticket.
-Mace
So, it’s been a while since I’ve left the restaurant industry and re-joined the grocery work force. I like it a lot better where I’m at now. I don’t get covered in gross food bits and various dressings, condiments; ad nausea. I get paid a bit more. Actually , I’m about to get paid quite a bit more. No, please don’t hit me up for money, I’m not that well off yet. But I digress. A few days before Easter one of my bosses comes up to me and asks me if she can talk to me for a moment. This of course sends me into "Oh shit! Did I fuck up and not realize it?" mode.
On the contrary, it was good news. She told me there was an opening in the front end management and asked if I’d like to take it. I was hesitant to answer right away. This is because I know of the stress that comes with being even more directly linked with dealing with the public. People see "manager" and they make a bee line for you with every asinine problem you could imagine. I remembered the last time I was offered a position like this it was basically "more stress, same amount of money, shittier hours". Again, you can see why I paused a bit on this.
However, my current boss assured me there’d be more pay and I’d be full time. An actual chance for advancement, you say? Sure, I’ll take it! Fuck, I already answer most of my co-worker’s question as though I was the source of all info for the store anyway. Christ, I’ve only been there 3 months. Why do you assume I know more than you do? Again, I sort of digress.
I officially started my training about a week or so after Easter. It’s not so difficult, really. That is to say, the tasks themselves aren’t Herculean. It’s the amount of them that there is. That and the order that they’re executed in. For example, bet ya didn’t know there’s over ten steps to reconciling a register till. That’s right, itty bitty cash drawer, phenomenal tedious tasks! (Please, Disney™, don’t sue us for the revamped Aladdin™ line)
All in all, I really can’t complain. Matter of fact, I got to brag a bit on this (heh heh). My old employer messed up my mailing address. So, I had yet to receive my W-2 form. I entered the old establishment and inquired as to how I could retrieve said document. One of my old bosses asked what I had been up to lately. I just smiled and replied, "Managing at Albertson’s ." Revenge is sweeter than ambrosia, sometimes.
