Well, I said that I wasn't going to use this blog to wrote down all the negative things that happen in my life, but this is one of those times that I think that someone else might be able to learn from the mistake I've made, and I think that I should post about it in case you are to find yourself in a similar circumstance.
About a month ago, I hired a gentleman (and he WAS, at the time) to work in my store that I'd known for several years as a great guy gone astray. He had gone to prison a few years back and had served all of his time, exiting the system almost completely free, with only the "felon" tag attached to him, and not having to do the probation or parole thing. He had gone in for identity theft, and had spent nearly a full three years in the prison system.
He came to me as a friend about a month back, and asked me for a job. He had been going to school to learn computers while he was in prison, and he was sooo excited to get out in the world and get a job, as well as continuing his education. I just happened to need a night clerk, so I told him yes, and that he could even use the dead time in the boutique in the evenings to do his homework. It SHOULD have been perfect.
After he and I forged this new "working friendship," I contacted the person which whom he had committed the prior Identity Theft charge on, as coincidentally he is now one of my roommates and told him about this hiring that I had done, and convinced the guy that he had really changed since the time of that incident, and that he should talk to the guy and maybe they could work out some kind of personal restitution. At first he didn't want to, but after a time he reluctantly agreed. Even they began to form a new friendship, and the two of us were invited to spend out Thanksgiving evening with my new employee and his new roommate. It was a great time, and we thought that all was going very well.
Yesterday I came into work and it looked like no one had cleaned the place in three days it was so dirty. I wondered what had happened on Night Shift the night before that the normal everyday cleaning wasn't done. I decided to call my employee to find out. No answer...which I kinda expected as he had closed the night before and I figured he was still sleeping. About three hours later, his roommate called me asking "Have you seen him? He didn't come home last night! I'm worried!" Well....me being who I am just had to learn everything about what was going on...and I investigated it.
My new clerk had purchased a truck from a fellow employee just the night before, and his roommate had told me that my employee had borrowed his truck the night before, and neither truck was either in the lot at work, or in the parking lot at his home. Interesting! How did he manage to drive two trucks? A better question--It's TUESDAY, and my new employee is someone who lives paycheck to paycheck--how did he afford to buy a truck from this fellow employee last night? I call his roommate to find out...
"He made a $500 deposit in the ATM last night, and withdrew $250 after he made that deposit. I wonder where He got the $500?" is what his roommate said to me when I called him back. Alarms started going off in my head as I hung up the phone and contemplated the whole situation. The only place I could think of that he could have gotten that kind of money was here at work...in MY store! I started checking things out around the business, but never found anything missing. I began to get less worried after a while. I knew that he was scheduled to come in to work last night and I figured that I would talk to him then. Surely he wouldn't skip work having just purchased a new car from a co-worker.
BUT he did a no-call/no-show for work last night, and here is where I'm going to condense this story. My tech came in this morning to balance down a portion of the business that operates on machines, and discovered $50 missing from the total. I was once again worried. Where had the $500 bucks come from? And then I got the call. He had apparently made 3 $500 deposits yesterday! Wow!
He deposited 3 envelopes into the atm with only $1 in each envelope, and less cashed $250 each time from his friend/roommates account! I couldn't believe it. These two guys were like peas in a pod, sharing an apartment, saving for the same things, sharing their lives together, and trusting eachother implicitly. And one of them goes and does someting like this, totally betraying the other. And it gets worse...so very many things are missing from his roommates apartement now--valuable jewelry, etc. He left the house yesterday telling his roommate that he was going to work too, but he never made it here. He just lied, and now he's disappeared off of the face of the planet. There's more to this story too, but it's even more long winded, and involves suicide threats, betrayal, and even more theft.
I guess I'm telling this story because I feel hurt and betrayed. I feel as though I gave someone a chance, and they totally screwed me...and planned to do it all along. Even though he didn't do all those things to ME, I feel like a total idiot for thinking that this guy had paid for his crimes and deserved a second chance. All he did to me was steal $50 (so far that we know) and then not show up for work, so I should count myself lucky. For some reason I don't feel that way. I feel cut to the bone, as though my already non-existent faith in humanity has dropped yet another notch. I can't even imagine how his roommate feels. How could someone do that to their best friend...someone who would have gladly thrown down his life for that of his buddy? How could he treat him that way??? And then to drop off the face of the planet so he can't even confront him....what a freakin coward! He's a Liar, a Thief, AND a Coward. I can't believe it. HOW could I have been so wrong about someone?
And now, I have an added problem. I stuck my neck out for this person to have a job here where I work. I promised the owners that this guy had changed, and they allowed me to go ahead and hire him, against their better judgement. How can they ever trust me to hire anyone ever again based on my own gut instincts and my ability to know how to trust someone? I'm very distressed over this.
The lesson here is that a Leopard doesn't change his spots, or Once a Con Man, Always a Con Man. Be careful who you trust people, as people really don't change after they've grown up into adulthood. It's sad, and I hate to admit it, but I'm almost at a point where I don't trust people anymore. It scares me to think of what kind of world it will be when we've all hit a point where we can't trust eachother anymore? Will we really want to live there? I don't think I'd want to. (Not to be taken as a potential suicide threat....I like being alive!)
ciao for now.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Look out Zelda Rubenstein!
With a little luck, Tangina Roberts will have NOTHING on the Diepart X-Team as they prepare to investigate and clean a house in Bussey, IA.
Investigating has never been a problem for members of the "X-Team," but this is the first time that they will attempt to do a full cleaning on a house. The Diepart investigative group has reviewed this house and investigated it, deeming it to be frought with potential paranormal activity. It is the "X-Team's" Job to go in and try to clean the house using any means necessary.
I think that for our first cleaning, we will most likely be doing a standard Christian house blessing. If that doesn't work, well...I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Usually a good Christian blessing does the job quite well.
Coming soon we have a cleaning on a house the previously served as home to more than 100 indian artifacts. These poor folks have been living in "hellish" circumstances for quite a while now. I'm not quite sure how we are going to proceed with this one! I've been spending some time searching out Indian Legends and whatnot, trying to find some sort of blessing that would appease indian spirits. This hasn't been particularly fruitful though. If anyone knows of any exceptional reference on this subject, please speak up! I'm all ears.
Today it's freezing cold outside, and I can't seem to wake up. I hate waking up in the morning. I think that the law should allow all people to sleep to their hearts content, and then go to work regardless of what their companies business hours usually are. I think that people would be much more productive if they could sleep in until they wake up naturally--their bodies having gotten all the required sleep to make them happy and clear headed. Right now, I'm walking around like a zombie. I'm sitting at this keyboard every so often too, and when I do, I'm usually on the brink of gettting "qwert" imprinted on my forehead. Thank god I have a customer come in every once in a while to wake me up for a few minutes, or I'd be passed out on the floor most likely.
We are trying to get the store decorated for Christmas here, and I must say we aren't doing very well. We have some good ideas, but they are all time consuming, and time isn't a luxury that we have right now. We are wrapping up old vhs cases with foil and making them look like giant toffee's, and using paper plates to create peppermints. It should be pretty cool by the time that we are done, but this is a big space, and I can't see us getting done anytime soon. We really need to put our noses to the grindstone if we are going to pull this one out of our assses.
Thats it for now. Have a great day everyone.
Investigating has never been a problem for members of the "X-Team," but this is the first time that they will attempt to do a full cleaning on a house. The Diepart investigative group has reviewed this house and investigated it, deeming it to be frought with potential paranormal activity. It is the "X-Team's" Job to go in and try to clean the house using any means necessary.
I think that for our first cleaning, we will most likely be doing a standard Christian house blessing. If that doesn't work, well...I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Usually a good Christian blessing does the job quite well.
Coming soon we have a cleaning on a house the previously served as home to more than 100 indian artifacts. These poor folks have been living in "hellish" circumstances for quite a while now. I'm not quite sure how we are going to proceed with this one! I've been spending some time searching out Indian Legends and whatnot, trying to find some sort of blessing that would appease indian spirits. This hasn't been particularly fruitful though. If anyone knows of any exceptional reference on this subject, please speak up! I'm all ears.
Today it's freezing cold outside, and I can't seem to wake up. I hate waking up in the morning. I think that the law should allow all people to sleep to their hearts content, and then go to work regardless of what their companies business hours usually are. I think that people would be much more productive if they could sleep in until they wake up naturally--their bodies having gotten all the required sleep to make them happy and clear headed. Right now, I'm walking around like a zombie. I'm sitting at this keyboard every so often too, and when I do, I'm usually on the brink of gettting "qwert" imprinted on my forehead. Thank god I have a customer come in every once in a while to wake me up for a few minutes, or I'd be passed out on the floor most likely.
We are trying to get the store decorated for Christmas here, and I must say we aren't doing very well. We have some good ideas, but they are all time consuming, and time isn't a luxury that we have right now. We are wrapping up old vhs cases with foil and making them look like giant toffee's, and using paper plates to create peppermints. It should be pretty cool by the time that we are done, but this is a big space, and I can't see us getting done anytime soon. We really need to put our noses to the grindstone if we are going to pull this one out of our assses.
Thats it for now. Have a great day everyone.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Mike's bad hair day
I figured that since I'm new here and all, I ought to post a photo of myself. This is probably one of the worst ones I have--figured that I'd get all the nasty comments out of the way right off the bat! Laugh it up...it's My Bad Hair Day!
Hilary Clinton's Campaign Woo's Me to Near Insanity
Greetings!
It's kind of a neat thing to be in Iowa at caucus time. It's a thrill being first at something in the country. Most of the time people think of Iowa and they think something negative, something like "I wonder where they keep the State Tooth?" (bad joke courtesy of R. Smith--Denver, CO) but that doesn't happen at caucus time.
We are the first to meet the political candidates. They begin wooing us loooong before they really need to, and it continues for darned near two full years. As Iowans, we endure unending political commercials long before the rest of the nation starts to get them, and we continue to have them until the presidential election occurs, which is still darned near another full year away. It's frustrating, but it's still an exciting environment, being in the center of all the controversy between the candidates and the masses of news crews that follow them around.
I made the mistake of signing up as a Hillary supporter this past August at the Iowa State Fair. When I signed up, I just figured that I was showing my support for a candidate running for president...not a big deal. I really had no clue what I was getting in to. It's really been an interesting phone adventure!
I've gotten phone calls to participate in the campaign. I've gotten 4 phone calls making sure that I was going to Caucus for Hillary. I've gotten phone calls to seal envelopes. I've gotten phone calls to host private parties in support of Hillary in my own home. I've gotten phone calls reminding me to talk to my neighbors about Hillary. I've gotten phone calls to attend approximately 10 functions where Hillary would be present and/or speaking. The only phone call that I haven't gotten is the one to put a sign supporting her in my front yard! That's probably a good thing too, as I don't like those little blasted signs, and I wouldn't put one up anyway.
All I can say about this is..."Wow--how cool is that? They really want me to participate in the political process!" Unfortunately, I'm REALLY not the kind of person that Hillary wants involved in her campaign. I'm a middle aged man who suffers from severe back problems almost to the point of collecting disability. I run an "Adult" bookstore and clothing boutique, and my support will really do nothing to further the Hillary Clinton campaign and could, in fact, hurt it in the long run.
Perhaps I give myself too much credit. I do wonder how my singular personage could have an effect on any individual candidates campaign sometimes, but I know that it only takes one single mistake to blow a campaign. I remember being here when Howard Dean did his "I have a scream" speech. I was a Dean supporter at the time, and all it took was that one moment to kill his campaign and pretty much crush the dreams of one of the youngest political followings in US History. It only took that ONE moment to blow it all. I fear that if I were to hook up with the Hillary campaign, it would only take one time--one picture of her with me, and her chances at the presidency would be shot. It would only take one single headline or news story (or even a cartoon caption!) about a porn kingpin supporting the Clinton Cause. Of course, that is ludicrous and an absolute extreme, but it's a serious possibility here in Iowa at this time, and I won't be that person that hurts her chances that way.
I like the experience that Hillary Clinton brings to the table at this Caucus. I think that she will make a fine President of the United States. Many of my friends don't agree with me. They see her as greedy, manipulative, and as a model of the typical Washington Bureaucrat. They don't trust her. Well, maybe they are right, but my thoughts are this: Who better to run the greedy, manipulative, Bureaucratic government than someone who has those above listed skills? I want someone in there who knows what they are doing in that mess, someone who knows how to play that game and win...and I think Hillary is the perfect choice.
On topic for this blog:
I have a couple of cases coming up through Diepart in the next two weeks where our clients are requesting cleanings of their houses. I've never done this before, so it should be very interesting. Jesus Christ gave us all the authority to cast out demons and evil spirits in his own name, so I imagine that is what the group is going to attempt to try. I'll keep everyone posted.
Blondmyk
It's kind of a neat thing to be in Iowa at caucus time. It's a thrill being first at something in the country. Most of the time people think of Iowa and they think something negative, something like "I wonder where they keep the State Tooth?" (bad joke courtesy of R. Smith--Denver, CO) but that doesn't happen at caucus time.
We are the first to meet the political candidates. They begin wooing us loooong before they really need to, and it continues for darned near two full years. As Iowans, we endure unending political commercials long before the rest of the nation starts to get them, and we continue to have them until the presidential election occurs, which is still darned near another full year away. It's frustrating, but it's still an exciting environment, being in the center of all the controversy between the candidates and the masses of news crews that follow them around.
I made the mistake of signing up as a Hillary supporter this past August at the Iowa State Fair. When I signed up, I just figured that I was showing my support for a candidate running for president...not a big deal. I really had no clue what I was getting in to. It's really been an interesting phone adventure!
I've gotten phone calls to participate in the campaign. I've gotten 4 phone calls making sure that I was going to Caucus for Hillary. I've gotten phone calls to seal envelopes. I've gotten phone calls to host private parties in support of Hillary in my own home. I've gotten phone calls reminding me to talk to my neighbors about Hillary. I've gotten phone calls to attend approximately 10 functions where Hillary would be present and/or speaking. The only phone call that I haven't gotten is the one to put a sign supporting her in my front yard! That's probably a good thing too, as I don't like those little blasted signs, and I wouldn't put one up anyway.
All I can say about this is..."Wow--how cool is that? They really want me to participate in the political process!" Unfortunately, I'm REALLY not the kind of person that Hillary wants involved in her campaign. I'm a middle aged man who suffers from severe back problems almost to the point of collecting disability. I run an "Adult" bookstore and clothing boutique, and my support will really do nothing to further the Hillary Clinton campaign and could, in fact, hurt it in the long run.
Perhaps I give myself too much credit. I do wonder how my singular personage could have an effect on any individual candidates campaign sometimes, but I know that it only takes one single mistake to blow a campaign. I remember being here when Howard Dean did his "I have a scream" speech. I was a Dean supporter at the time, and all it took was that one moment to kill his campaign and pretty much crush the dreams of one of the youngest political followings in US History. It only took that ONE moment to blow it all. I fear that if I were to hook up with the Hillary campaign, it would only take one time--one picture of her with me, and her chances at the presidency would be shot. It would only take one single headline or news story (or even a cartoon caption!) about a porn kingpin supporting the Clinton Cause. Of course, that is ludicrous and an absolute extreme, but it's a serious possibility here in Iowa at this time, and I won't be that person that hurts her chances that way.
I like the experience that Hillary Clinton brings to the table at this Caucus. I think that she will make a fine President of the United States. Many of my friends don't agree with me. They see her as greedy, manipulative, and as a model of the typical Washington Bureaucrat. They don't trust her. Well, maybe they are right, but my thoughts are this: Who better to run the greedy, manipulative, Bureaucratic government than someone who has those above listed skills? I want someone in there who knows what they are doing in that mess, someone who knows how to play that game and win...and I think Hillary is the perfect choice.
On topic for this blog:
I have a couple of cases coming up through Diepart in the next two weeks where our clients are requesting cleanings of their houses. I've never done this before, so it should be very interesting. Jesus Christ gave us all the authority to cast out demons and evil spirits in his own name, so I imagine that is what the group is going to attempt to try. I'll keep everyone posted.
Blondmyk
New Blog, New Spot, New Attempt at Something Good.
Hi everyone, and welcome to my new blog. I've got several Blogs all over the internet that I really need to close down, as if this works out, I'll be moving here permanently. To be honest, I'd kinda gotten out of blogging since my life changed this past year. I can't really say that I miss it, but I think it's an important thing in my life--to have a journal of some kind. It's good to have a running history of things that happen in one's life. I go back and read my old journals sometimes, and find myself becoming terribly depressed. I hate that! I don't want to write a depressing blog about my life, but one that contains all the good things that happen!
So, without further ado, I get started on this new blogging adventure full of the good and happy things that will be happening in my life from this day forward!
So, without further ado, I get started on this new blogging adventure full of the good and happy things that will be happening in my life from this day forward!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
