Ever see those guys sitting alone in the pubs, with the same burger and fries, the same worn paperback, the same pint in pilsner? I have yet to see one of them who wasn’t creepy. It’s something I can’t quite put my finger on, but there’s a certain quality that just screams out, “NOT HERE TO EAT OR READ”. Maybe it’s given away in tint of their beards, the scraps of food stuck to their faces, or the sort of laid-back, eyes-over-the-glasses attitude.

I come across so many people who love to talk about themselves, their life stories, what they saw on TV the other day, how nice their manicures are…every single boring thing possible. Half the time it’s just venting, getting out what pisses them off or what unfortunate stroke of luck befell them. Sometimes, I feel like telling these people about how easy it is to have a blog. That way, they can still get things off their chest, and save me the time of having to listen to their boring shit. Unless someone is a friend, I don’t care. What is it about me that makes it seem as if I give a fuck? Why do people think they’re so important that anyone would be interested in anything they have to say? It’s not like I start talking about every little thing that pisses me off, because I know that it’s boring and I’m aware that no one cares.

Thank god I have this.

I have to deal with copier salesmen from two competing companies at work. I honestly never understood how one could be purely a seller of copiers until they showed up. It’s a huge market, with lots of business and a ton of products to deal with. They’re both, very obviously, salesmen, and present everything with smoke and mirrors. The thing is, I’m actually looking to lease a new printer here, because the company could potentially save a few hundred dollars a month with the new, more aggressive marketing campaign that I’m trying to push. It’s a hassle to have to see through all the bullshit and sort out the relevant information. I’m trying to give them both a fair chance anyway, since a new printer would definitely benefit the company.

It’s funny to see how they try to handle clients my age. They come in with their suits and ties, have these generic salesperson characters, and talk with lofty words. I don’t think they expect to be dealing with someone my age, who looks and dresses the way I do. I’m extremely comfortable with it though; I communicate well with people who are older than me, and these guys must be twice my age. They think it’s going to be easy to get a contract signed, just by telling me what the company supposedly needs. I may be green, but I’m not stupid when it comes to business.

The only advantage to all of this is being treated like a real client with respect and having things presented to me the way I want to see them. I suppose it’s only fair though, if they’re trying to get a 60-month lease signed, with quarterly payments of over $1000.

When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.

—Japanese Proverb

Ever meet someone whose company was questionable at best, and think, “Why does this person hang out with these people?”

One may immediately think of the “friends” in question, people who prove to be stupid, superficial, unpleasant at best. Ultimately, however, the truth lies in the key person who keeps such company. The aphorisms have never been more true.

In the case of questionable company, the answer is attention. A person with a motley crew of friends, each one unlike the next, and each one consistent in their lack of social skills, is most likely a person who is after attention.

The reasons for this are as plentiful as they are varied. Some are only comfortable when they are around others. Others enjoy the feeling of being a person who knows everyone. And some are so subconsciously insecure as to need such company to believe they’re of some value. So, to understand the seemingly eclectic taste in people of the key person, one must look to his or her company.

And often that proves to be more revealing than anything else.

A tongue-in-cheek bill was passed here recently which says that anyone wearing a Leafs jersey at a Sens game will be asked to donate to the local food bank. The city was originally discussing a complete ban on Leafs jerseys at the games, but someone must have realized how idiotic that would have been. Supposedly, the bill was passed to show that the city is 100% behind their local team, although it was more to curb the number of Leaf fans, which dwarf the number of Sens fans, at the Corel Centre.

I think the entire idea is in poor taste and completely unsportsmanlike. If something like this must be done, then I wholeheartedly support the fact that a charity is being benefited. However, putting a constrain on the supporters of the opposing team is as immature as booing them. Imagine this being done at a little league game, where the parents wearing the jersey of their kids teams are asked to donate money to the league. I believe that one should never, ever, do anything negative towards an opposing team, no matter what the opposing may be doing. The only hockey that I follow is the Leafs-Sens rivalry, and even though I’m a Leafs fan, I don’t go around saying that the Sens suck (and shame on the Leafs fans who do), I just say “GO LEAFS”. Which brings me to my next point, where shirts are on display at the front of stores here, simply saying in a large font, “LEAFS SUCK”. Do the Senators condone this? Do people think that the Sens would be happy that people are walking around with these childish shirts? Have the Ottawa fans become so insecure about their team that they have to lash out like this?

Are my tax dollars going to people who sit around and come up with shit like this “charity bill”?