“You're such an inspiration for the ways that I'll never ever choose to be…”

School has finally starting to go from poking-myself-to-stay-awake-boring, to sort of exciting. Our class spent our first substantial amount of time in the television reporting and editing studio today. It was kind of exciting to actually do something substantial. I wish I could say the same about my Editing class. I realize its only been a few weeks sof class so far but I’m ready to throw those damn machines across the room. Although, this brings to light the greater issue of my getting close enough to one to indeed, do that. We have four machines for 24 people and its impossible for everyone to get a turn. Not only that but two of them have been breaking down in the last two weeks, only adding fuel to the fire, as they say. Then there’s the typical nature of people, who hog them. This makes is quite an easy task to lose ones place or simply not understand the process at all. Fast forward to two weeks from now when our class will be tested on the material and have to perform certain edit functions on these machines in front of our teacher for marks. Cut to me hitting myself over the head with a blunt object in the vacant hope of avoiding the whole thing. *sigh Well at least I can drink and be social at Matt Danko’s formal potluck dinner this evening and forget about such troubles for at least one more day.

"I don't understand any of this" (this title is for you, Morgan)

I was informed this summer by Sheridan that I would be required to purchase or rent a laptop in order to accommodate my post graduate program. Fair enough, I scrounged up enough credit card space to make such a purchase and was met with the set back of finding after my many years as a PC user, that the only available option for me to purchase was a Mac Book. I'm not complaining about the lap top itself, it's pretty and fast and is indeed very convenient to have and I'm sure will prove most valuable. However, the transition from a PC to a Mac has been a most infuriating one for me. Certain programs must have the Mac



version downloaded and its harder to pirate software (not that I do that, because I definitely do NOT) from online sites when they only have the Windows versions available (as was the case of Mac Office that I'm hoping when I attempt to install it later today, Joel will have saved me from further searching for). I'm adjusting quite nicely now but the only problem I cannot seem to master is the downloading/viewing of Bit Torrents. I have downloaded the Mac version of Azureus at Calan's suggestion and can download the desired items at choice, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to view them. DivX and Quicktime both will not play them and I tried downloading an application that was supposed to help make them seen called VLC but sadly more of the same. So I ask those of you with any sort of computer geek knowledge, if they know how I may solve this problem, PLEASE GOD GIVE ME THE ANSWER! (Billy Madison)

On a side note, in response to Will's blog and his ridicule of Incubus I say this. Among his listed musical choices is DMX and Mudvayne. I feel these two bands speak for themselves in terms of his musical choices. Perhaps the Fresh Prince should have stayed in West Philadelphia with his music (although I use the term lightly). The tables have turned again Will! :)

(Side note: Being Batman would be the best job ever).

"Stand in the place that you work"

In a bizarre twist from my last entry in the blogging world I have somewhat gone through three jobs. it seems as though, despite my very sad belief that my illustrious career as a Bluenotes sales rep had come to an end, a strange change of luck came my way today. The 20 year old idiot manager called me:

Sandy: Hi Cassandra, its Sandy, I was wondering if you were free to come in tonight.
Me: Sure I can, for what?
Sandy: To work?
Me: Do I still work there?

Long story short, she was behind on work this week apparently so much so that she failed to inform me of my official hire on at Bluenotes. Of course as luck would have it, the day before I had an interview for a banquet hall called Otellos and was hired on for possibly THE worst job ever: parking attendant/dish washer. But with nothing else on the horizon I regretfully accepted. After receiving the phone call, I VERY happily took a breath of relief and called Otello's and informed Raymond that I cold not stay in his employ. He basically hung up on me but who cares, after all its not like I work for him :D woo!

So today I had an interview at a restaurant called Somewhere in Texas (I know, I've never heard of it either). And of course having everything worked out finally with Bluenotes and my typically bad luck with interviews, of course she hired me on the spot for the position of hostess (when I didn't really need one, I get one). So now I have suddenly two jobs and school.

I'm not sure I want to devote myself to either, as they both seem equal amounts sketch: Bluenotes the idiot manager and Somewhere in Texas the hardly occupied/never heard of restaurant. The restaurant also said they would probably want me to take out my industrial piercing for my shifts. What a pain in the ass. Since when did people care so much about ears? I mean I would understand if it was a facial piercing, but it seems a tad anal to me.

What a strange week, but when it begins and ends with no Canadian Tire on the horizon I can't help but take a breath of relief and smile.

"No, I'm serious. This is a serious exercise. It's like an SAT question. Which one is going to get to the hundred dollar bill first? The male-friendly lesbian, the man-hating dyke, Santa Claus, or the Easter bunny?"



Note: This is merely a movie quotation and does not reflect my views on anything. Thank you and please enjoy your stay.

So today was my much anticipated, first day of New Media Journalism at Sheridan. I like my class because it's not many people, about twenty. I'm a little intimidated by the work they said will lay ahead, and very long hours in the editing suites, television labs etc. They emphasized the fact these labs were 24 hours and suggested we try to avoid having a jobs if it was financially possible (who would have a job if it were financially possible not to have one? I ask you!) But so far there are no textbooks and Kenton Vaughn, teacher of Current Affairs gave us the title of a documentary to rent and encouraged us to watch tv, we also discussed the deeper meaning of the Spiderman Two scene where the passengers of the train can see his face. Not the usual first day, at least for me anyway. Despite the workload I'm pretty excited, I know it's only the first day but I feel much more interested by the material than I ever felt in my four years at McMaster, that school was so balls and boring.

I had a very lovely weekend, Melissa became my first over night guest at my new home in Oakville (I encourage one and all to make a trip out and see me god dammit!) and Saturday night I met some very lovely and hopefully new friends. I was a little weary of this whole moving out thing, I know it's only been a week since all six of us moved in but no one was talking much, mostly in passing. But today we inadvertently had a kitchen party and talked about the stupid things people should discuss like South Park, whether the Simpsons should have yet another season on air, Family Guy, Prison Break, etc. So tv then? Yah pretty much, but who cares? I think we're all pretty different from one another but not in such a drastic way that we wont get along. It may sound naive to say but I honestly don't think I'm going to have much difficulty living here or with these guys, I'm pretty excited about it.

As for the wretched and much dreaded job situation, I'm afraid to report yet not only have I not heard from my 20 year old cunt faced manager (please excuse the language). Not only has she not informed me of the potential ending of my employment but apparently she also does payroll as I was sad to find on Friday when I did not get paid. *sigh* Enter me phone stalking her and trying to get hold of what precious money I may have left so that I may live without being thrown on the street or starving to death. I love the fact that they hired me basically for August, right at that convenient peek period where everyone was hiring back to school students so now it will be all the more difficult to get a job. More of that classic unfortunate events for one Cassandra McBride I'm afraid. I have a few job interviews this week, so keep up the good karma that one of those pan out for me. But, as my pessimistic friend Brett has predicted,
none of them will. God I love that man.

Sidenote: I don't suppose anyone wants to go to Toronto Saturday to see John Mayer for a free show in Yonge and Dundas square?

Cassandra's A Series of Unfortunate Events

I’ve often gone through life with the belief that I am low on the ‘luck’ scale. I don’t mean this in a self pitying way nor do I seek to claim that ‘everything bad happens to me.’ But, in a somewhat smaller and perhaps less important to the lives of others, I believe that many unfortunate things happen to me. Here is an example of something that does not affect anyone but me, but how I end up screwed (and not in the good way). The following happened to me this evening at my new job, Bluenotes, which if you recall my previous blogs or know me personally, knows it was the gateway to rid me of my endless agony filled years at Canadian Tire. I was extremely excited to land this job and thought it a fortunate stroke of unusual luck…or was it?

Sandy (my TWENTY year old MANAGER, yes that’s right, 20 years old! Younger than me): So since you and a couple of others were hired as temporary help for the back to school time, I have to let a few of you go because I can only have twelve people on staff, so it’s down to you and Breanna.

Me: Oh ok. (Internally: Temporary, what the fuck? Since when? Why didn’t anyone TELL me that so I could have actively continued looking for another job, and WHY are you telling me this before you make the decision as who gets to stay).

Sandy: So, I’m just waiting to hear back from Breanna about her availability and whoever has the better availability between the two of you, will get hired on.

Me: Ok. (Panicking internally at the thought of going back to school and living on my own with NO job and everybody having already hired their post-summer students).

So, the point of this blog is, please pray that my bad luck ass doesn’t end up unemployed. Thank you!

Side note: I went for a walk this evening and saw a possum! How cute is that?
(please note: this photo is not the actual possum in question)

“When autumn comes, it doesn't ask, it just walks in where it left you last…”

In a time filled with various forms of celebrity couples: Vaughinston, Bennifer and all of the other stupid combo-couple nicknames, I have come to expect very little from the developments in celebrity relationships. Until this week, that is when my respect fell even lower.

I was signing out of my hotmail account when the MSN “Entertainment News” flashed up on the screen with a headline alluding to a developing relationship between the extremely talented, creative and a favourite singer of mine, John Mayer. And the blonde, idiot who cannot distinguish chicken from fish, divorcee, no talent bag of boobs and stupidity, Jessica Simpson (formerly of also horrible pop singer and former boy band member Nick Lachey for those of you who may have been living under a rock and have not had this pointless information rammed down your throats). This development, if found to be true, (that is if you believe People magazine), brings me the rage of a thousand suns.

I just cannot understand how these two people got together. Frankly, I expected more from John Mayer, I realize there’s something to be said for people needing to ‘get a piece’ from an attractive woman on occasion, but this relationship is going to turn everything he has worked for in his musical career and reduce it to the integrity of that shitty half hour spoof of a married life Jessica Simpson had with the disastrous ‘NewlyWeds’ series.

Please note: If you make a ‘reality’ television show about your marriage you WILL get divorced: Dave/Carmen, Travis Barker/Whatshername and Nick/Jessica. John Mayer writes and performs song with true elements of talent, creativity, sensitivity and true emotion. He contributed his writing skills to musical magazines and as I write this I’m listening to his song Something’s Missing and I ask myself how such a talent could associate himself with the likes of Simspson. Jessica Simpson probably needs help reading the label of her teeth whitening cream so she doesn’t get it mixed up with her peroxide. She is the embodiment of the stupidity depicted among female celebrities and the poor role models they present to young girls all over the world and to see her with John Mayer makes me truly disappointed.