Don't they get enough money??

Water fight breaks out at Western Idaho Fair

10:27 AM MDT on Thursday, August 27, 2009



No free water? GARDEN CITY -- It's a water fight at the Western Idaho Fair -- but not the kind you might be thinking of.

For nearly a decade John McClintick been selling water bottles and offering unlimited free refills, but this year the fair says he's violating his contract.

Water is certainly a key ingredient in gong to the fair -- it's important to stay hydrated in these hot, summer temperatures.

And for eight years, McClintick thought he was offering a service of sorts.

For a couple bucks, he'd sell you a water bottle and then promote his water treatment system by filling those bottles for free -- as many times as you wanted.

But two days into this year's fair organizers told him, without a food and beverage contract, he was breaking the rules. They said they'd simply never noticed until now.

"The first thing they said was, 'you can't fill water bottles anymore.' And I said, 'my God, I've been doing this eight years.' And then they implied or said directly that they didn't know I was doing that. They didn't know I was selling water bottles and refilling them." said McClintick.

"We have commercial vendor contracts and we have food and beverage contracts. Food and beverage contracts, when they sell water I get a percentage of it or the fair gets a percentage of it," said Bob Batista, Western Idaho Fair.

The bottom line says the fair is that McClintick's cutting into the bottom line.

Batista says the fair doesn't get a cut of the free water, unlike the bottled water being purchased from food vendors -- bottles ranging in price from $2 to $3.

"We don't come out here trying to be greedy, we don't come out here to put the hammer down on him, obviously we're trying to make it so that each person gets a fair shake at making some money, which is what they're here for," said Batista.

Batista says McClintick could still sell his bottles, but not allow them to be filled at his filtration station. He also say McClintick can give out free water.

McClintick says he's tried, but hasn't been able to get a meeting with Batista to help clear up that confusion.

Meanwhile, he's just stopped selling his bottles and is simply offering free water in paper cups.

To give you an idea how popular his bottles were, McClintock sold 550 on Saturday before the fair told him to stop.

Food and beverage is a major money maker at the fair, on average bringing in $1.2 million a year.
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So, next thing you know you will be putting quarters into the water fountain.

Am I there yet?

Tomorrow morning, I shall get up real early and head off to work. I have not been working for three weeks. I enjoyed my vacation.
The labor department appears to be one of the dumbest things ever. I made at least $400 some odd dollars every week. The PTO was "over the limit" and it pays for a week and a half? That makes no sense. They could care less about keeping a roof over your head and getting the bills paid. I was supposed to be getting $335 a week which is a pay cut. The automated system should be changed. It tricks people for no reason what so ever.
I have been having fun with the garden. Soon, there will be some white pumpkins. Last night, I made pizza sauce with my tomatoes. One of those packets will fill two containers. I got the plastic jars to can my goodies. We made our very own pizza. The toppings were shredded cheese, Canadian bacon, and whole basil leaves.
I love basil on my pizza. I like to call it people nip.

Obvious Scam

Thanks for getting back to me, and am okay with the price and the condition and i will like to make an outright purchase of this particular item immediately because i noticed that you are serious seller, i anticipate that a cashier check or certified check will be sent to you via express mail or ups as the mode of payment, concerning the pick up, i will be responsible for that, where my mover will come for the pick up at your location upon your confirmation of receiving the payment and i want you to remove this item from the ad..So i will send the payment which will include the pick up charges in which you will make payable to the mover immediately you receive the payment to avoid the delay. Also i have other packages they will be picking for me around your location which i will like the to pick up with your item, would really love to come for the viewing but due to my work frame and the family issue for the year that might not be possible and i will like you to provide the information below so that the payment will be done as soon as possible:-

1.......Full Name
2.......Full Home Address
3.......City, State & Zip code
4.......Tel#

As soon as this is provided i will let you know when payment is mailed out and i will update you on when you will receive the payment, and give you instructions on what to do..I hope we handle this in good faith..

Thanks while waiting to hear from you

Getting Down to Business

I have been waiting eagerly for the neighbors to come home. I am always waiting for them to get irate about something. I don't know why. Maybe because I think they are white trash and that I might be living next to a meth lab.
They did arrive last night. I don't know if they had found their water not running yet. As far as I know, they will have a fine. The water will be turned on again when the fine is paid. In the mean time, I think the boys were using regular tap water to water the yard.
Again, I got emails from people who don't exist about the things I have for sale. Ya know, I am just going to start posting responses I get that I think are fake. That sounds like a good idea. I wish I had a virus I can email back to them. I really want to fry their computer.
I went and got my satellite dish on a tripod from dad's house. It had been tipped over a few times and there is a little bend in the side of it. I think it might not work but the tripod could come in handy for a camper that can't go without television.
I woke up and decided to get a few more things done. I keep messing up on filing for unemployment. I don't think that the state is willing to help their citizens. They set up the questions so you can be tricked into not getting unemployment. I think I may get at least two weeks worth. They were denied last week because of the PTO I had left over. I was thinking of all the money I would have had if I didn't take any days off.
I have had a black eye for a couple of days now. I don't know if anyone was boxing me in my sleep. I woke up one morning to a puffy eye. It was fine then it was puffy again the next night. I take a look under my eyelid and there is a little bump there. The next day I had a black eye. It doesn't hurt and it doesn't itch. Dad was looking at it yesterday like someone had punched me in the face. I got some eye drops and hopefully it clears itself up soon.
Well, gotta go. I am thinking of what to make in my slow cooker. I think I might go with my Egyptian fish dish.

My Vacation

Well, I think I haven't been working for about two weeks now. I am bored out of my mind. Even though I have been incredibly busy.
I am calling it my vacation. I have been running errands and getting a ton of stuff done. I am getting financial ends tied before they unravel and go out of control.
I got my stuff together for my unemployment. I got my interview done and was a success. Did my drug test, background check, am officially hired, and got me a parking permit for downtown Boise. Hopefully, after training they can get me into a position in Nampa. That way I can ride my bike to work and get rid of this fat that is accumulating around my midsection.
Also, have been hanging out at Savers and The Youth Ranch. There are all kind of goodies in the stores right now. I got me a small slow cooker. I found a HP digital camera. Just need the charging station for it. Found some random nick nacks. Oh yes, and some lobster salad tossers.
I have found that my kitchen is getting more and more eccentric. I have some corn cob holders that are cows. I have a sponge holder that is a flamingo. I need to find some cool napkin holders. This gives me plenty of reason to stay out of TJ Max and Cost Plus.
I got my money for my 401K. I would take it and roll it into the new one. But, I heard some news about the credit card companies raising the interest by 5% of the balance on the account. They are taking the ones with good credit and trying to screw that up. I am going to turn around and get rid of the two credit card bills that I have. Touche. It's going to be difficult because someone else does not understand that this was MY retirement money and I am trying to save my skin.I do realize that he is tyring to help me under very hard circumstances. I got help with my car payment again. But I have more than the bill with the car to get rid of.
I am posting a ton of stuff on Craigs List. I am selling a huge majority of my DirecTv equipment, a few electronic devices, and trying to get another room mate. I am going to cross my fingers and hope that I don't get any emails from those who say they are from Canada and South Africa that are humanitarians and scientists. I am hoping I don't get an email that starts off "I know this sounds weird..." and goes off onto something I am obviously not going to be interested in.

No Where Near Water???

When I was first purchasing my house, Monica told me that there wasn't really a need to worry about flood insurance. Why? Because I was no where near water that would require it.
Last year, my backyard was a rice paddy many times. I was unable to mow my lawn. I was not able to put pesticides on the yard. I had a really bad bug problem because of this. I was on the phone with dad when this was occurring. He said that it was an irrigation area and that is something to be expected. I was pissed. Why irrigate my yard? Why flood my yard?
This summer was no better. Paul did not believe me. Until one fateful day he stepped into a huge puddle in the backyard. The water can pretty much go past your ankle in a few spots.
I had been under the impression that it is something to be expected. Paul started to take the rocks from the front and the back and piling it up by the fence. The water is so bad it saturates the fence. It was at the point where a another canal had to be dug in back of the garden. Leave it to dad to listen to a guy and not me. When Paul mentioned to him, dad said that the neighbor was going overboard with the watering.
How they flood the yard is that that have a bunch of road ties. They fill their garden with water to the point of where the water goes into my backyard. This in turn causes problems with mosquitoes and fleas. Not to mention the filth of their property goes onto mine.
The water was flooding worse just a couple days ago. I am quite fed up with it. I called the City Of Nampa. They told me that someone would come by and give the neighbor a warning. Did someone come by. Nope. Typical, right? Instead, they called the neighbor. I get the feeling that this has been the problem before I moved in.
Tonight was a dramatic situation. Yesterday, Paul brought more rocks and piled them in the back. The kids and wife next door have a habit of looking over the fence. I think the parents may have had a problem with the water department giving them a call.
I was working away on the computer when Paul comes rushing in looking for the flash light. He came back and told me that I had to look. I didn't really suspect anything bad happening because it has been ongoing. I go outside and I hear water running.It was a little louder than normal.
I go further back and he shows me. There is a stream of water gushing through the fence. I call the City Of Nampa once more and I jump down the poor lady's throat. As I am chewing her out, Paul calls the police.
The trooper comes over. Paul leads him to the back before he could talk to the neighbors. The officer is a little shocked when he looks at the gushing water. He looks over the fence. The hose was propped up on a tripod and aimed at my fence. He says it looks intentional. The water guy shows up.
They both go into the alley. The water guy shuts the water off. As this is going on, one of the boys that lives their comes out acting nonchalant about it. He said he was their house sitting.
Verdict, I can press charges on them for doing it on purpose. I have four different witnesses. By the way, I filmed it the last two times. The city can fine them for breaking city codes. Also, if the kid is house sitting his parents are going to be pissed. The water guy is to be coming back tomorrow morning and shutting off their water for the rest of the summer.
Other things that they could possibly get in trouble for. The kid that came out spoke like a gang member. The officer is probably going to be watching the neighborhood. Also, the kids have been out after curfew. They have been jumping the fence, hanging out on their roof, and hanging out with a bad crowd. Highly suspicious activity is going on. If we continue to see it, we make some phone calls. Also, their has been suspicious activity going on at the church late at night. There is going to be a lot of things going down over here.
This is getting more and more ridiculous. I am sick ot the cats. I am sick of the weird people living around here. I am tired of the drama that the people on each side of me are causing. If I could have it my way, I would leave. It is not like that. Sure, why don't I give my 30 days notice to my escrow and see what she says.

Super Obama!

JibJab Presents: Hes Barack Obama

Will It Ever Stop?

I have been having issues with the water heater. Yesterday, the pilot decided to not stay on. Luckily, I didn't have a problem with a gas leak.
It made me realize once more how incompetent companies are. Especially, Intermountain Gas. I really wish I would go with a different company. I am sick and tired of needing to jump through hoops just to get something fixed. F@%^!*ing tired of it.
They have an emergency number in the phone book. They even have an option for an emergency line on their automated system. Do they help with an emergency? Hell no. I have to call several different numbers for someone to come out and fix my heater. Are numbers easy to find? No. Does Intermountain Gas have a list of people you can call? Are you kidding me? No.
As I called around, I waited on hold on another phone for Whirlpool. Nobody can help me and naturally, nobody is answering the phone. Paul called a plumber. They could come out and fix it. $233 later, the problem is fixed. I had to use my credit card because I am quickly running out of money.
Then this morning, there was a phone call from the same company I used to pay for the problem. They had called to inform me that my credit limit is being decreased. Motherfucker. I talked to them and they had told me the reason. The amount on credit card is too high and the payments are too low. Why not increase the amount of the monthly payment instead? Seriously.
I had to break down and call my 401K. I do realize it is for my retirement and I really should not touch it. I think I am going to go ahead and use it to get rid of my credit card bills. When I am done with training with Qwest, I am going to put the rest into that 401K. I am really hurting for money.
I am going nuts. Nobody is calling to rent the other room. Except for people who cannot speak any English whatsoever. I don't start working again until the end of the month. My unemployment claim is being delayed because the lady didn't submit it to Boise.
My man is going through some trouble to. This right now is being ironed out through the HR department of the state government. He ran into a bad situation which turned out good in the end. Thank freaking god for that wonderful lady that is the head honcho.
Despite everything, things are turning out okay for now. I think I am going to take a bath and have me a beer.

Selling Like Prius Cakes

I love, love, love my RAV4. I have never loved a car so much. It is almost like I had found a soul mate. It may be an evil thing to say, but I love my Toyota. I like when people ask what on earth my car is.
It is almost like a rare thing to see when they are everywhere you go. It's a very fun and sporty car. I have pretty much taken it all over the state of Idaho. When I make it up all the way to Canada, then I can say it has.
I have been looking at the cars at the car lot. Have I considered trading her in for cash for clunkers? Absolutely not. I have seen many different cars that I would love to have. I just can't bear the thought of giving up what is mine. If it is not broke, why fix it?
I was looking through the Toyota car lot one evening and noticed a new model of the Prius. These cars normally look a little homely, but they turned it into a sexy beast and I want it.
I was kind of sad when I went to look at it again yesterday but the lot was nearly empty. I asked the dealer what happened to them. He said that they sold out in four days. WTH? This day in age when everyone is losing work and trying to find a job, how on earth can someone afford it? You still can't even afford anything like it with the trade. I am certain the car payments are pretty stinking high.
When I think of it though, people are losing homes to. So, without the house payment you could manage a car payment. Even so, how would you be able to get a new car with a demolished credit record?

Here's a Little Something Interesting

You might be searching for a job -- or just trying to hold on to one for dear life. Times are rough, and not everyone's on their best behavior. But whether you're seeking employment or firmly ensconced in a solid position, one of your biggest challenges is navigating people at the office. People who stick their noses in your cube or trick you into doing their work; people who just have to tell you about some lame blog -- again.

In our book, "I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job," we call these people the "10 Least Wanted." Some drive you to distraction like water torture. Others may be fatal to your career.

Learn to identify them at a glance or a few words. Counter their productivity-sapping powers with our ready strategies.

1. Stop sign
People who always shoot down your ideas are not your friends. Devil's Advocate is another term for these naysayers. The larger your company, the more likely you'll run into Stop Signs who try to strangle your innovative ideas like weeds. Counter their negativity with invitations to do a "build." Respond with: "How might we make this work?" Or, "What changes might make this practical?" For those looking for a job, if your questions get quickly swatted down by your job interviewer, expect that job to be shackled by Stop Signs.

2. FlimFlam
FlimFlams have a gift for catching you off-guard and conning you into doing a favor that ends up being a time suck: taking on the client from hell or signing up for the business trip to Cleveland. The best defense is to request details: a page on the project in writing. When they balk, you balk. What's a good clue that the company you're interviewing with views you as a mark to be targeted? Pronouncements such as, "Employees here are very dedicated. This is a 24/7 company ..."

3. Bulldozer
They're bullhorns in meetings and are about as easy to stop as a freight train. The worst bulldozers are bullies. If they're co-workers and can't be avoided, you're going to need some muscle. "Unreasonable," is a good word for calmly responding to their assaults. Hold your ground with, "I won't be pushed around." Upon receiving a bullying e-mail, blind carbon-copy (BCC) the evidence to your boss or co-workers. If the Bulldozer is your boss, consider a new job -- or the fight of your life.

4. Smiley face
If the eyebrows and eyelids don't -- move, it's a phony smile. Odds are they've got something dastardly up their sleeve or are hiring you for a hellish job. Never smile back at a Smiley Face, especially in a job interview. Counter instead with a serious but thoughtful expression. If the Smiley Face happens to be a co-worker, ask what he's smiling about. That usually deflates the phony grin.

5. Liar liar
Technology has made it easy for workers to lie about not getting that e-mail or voice mail, leaving you holding the bag and covering up their errors. Again, a paper trail is a strong defense. You may also want to try the soft approach of a little truth encouragement to pierce the veil of deception: "George, help me make sense of these numbers." During a job interview, subtle questions can reveal whether you are about to enter a Liar Liar culture. "How has the company done financially the past few quarters?"

6. Switchblade
People who talk out of school are dangerous. Today they may be trashing your cubemate. Tomorrow they're dishing on you -- to the boss. The work place is a jungle. Be wary of those who may view you as a steppingstone to big game.

7. Minute man
They just want a minute of your time. And then another minute. Turn your back as often as possible on Minute Man. Look busy -- even if you aren't. If you can't close a door, hang a partial curtain at your cube entrance to ward off intruders or wear headphones. You'll know the Minute Men when you see them, that idle expression as they hang around trying to find any excuse not to work.

8. Know-It-None
Thanks to the Internet, Wikipedia and Google, you're likely surrounded by Know-It-Nones. "What's your source on that?" is often a good defense. Or a distracted, "That's interesting." A few well-researched questions about the history of the company during a job interview may often reveal you're about to enter a culture of Know-It-Nones. If they don't know the first thing about their own company, what does that say about their competence?

9. Spreadsheet
Find yourself filling out form after form during interview after interview? Beware. You may soon be surrounded by Spreadsheets. They hand you thick binders on company policies. The rules: everything you can't do. Now, every company needs its share of Spreadsheets to keep projects on track and dole out the resources, but some companies may squeeze so tight you can't breathe.

10. Sheeple
Sheeple love meetings. They only perform "approved work tasks," and are happiest when hiding in the herd. If your job interviews are conducted by more than one person, that's a sign you're about to be branded -- and sheared. Unless you want to sleep away the rest of your career, run from Sheeple as fast as possible.

Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon are the co-authors of "I Hate People!" the new business book with attitude from Little, Brown & Co.

Cola

Mom's Boxer

July in Review & The New Kid

I would have another video up, but it is being blocked. Gonna have to wait til it's on DVD. So, nyah :P.


Birthday Trip




July 4th 2009



My Dino

Good Bye DTV Road

Hello Qwest!! I am now a sales rep for Qwest and I start at the end of the month!!

Was She Giving the Evil Eye?

Aug. 11) -- A Russian woman is in trouble with French authorities after hurling a cup at the Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre in Paris.
The Daily Mail reported Tuesday the woman is being held in the custody of Paris police and had undergone psychological testing after the Aug. 2 incident at the world-famous museum.
Russian news site Pravda reported the woman was upset over being denied French citizenship, but the Daily Mail reported the woman is being assessed by doctors to determine whether she suffers from Stendhal Syndrome, a rare condition that causes erratic behavior when a person is exposed to artwork.
Accounts of the incident differ, with the Daily Mail reporting the woman threw a tea cup full of English breakfast tea at the painting, while Pravda reported the cup was empty.
Regardless, the projectile did no damage. Leonardo DaVinci's famous, which is property of the French government, is protected by bullet-proof glass and is further protected by a climate-controlled box.
"It is one of the most well guarded works of art in the world, and it would take more than a well-aimed tea-cup to damage it," a museum spokesman told the Daily Mail.
For more on the story, read the reports from the Daily Mail and Pravda.

A Little Help

I have been going through a little bit of anxiety. I guess I am getting over the after shock. I am feeling leery about calling the retirement fund and I need to call them soon. I have so many things to get done like my insurance. I have to figure out when my TV service is being shut off, I never wanted it in the first place. As much fun as it is.
I have applied for a job for Qwest through their website. I got an email back. After a game of phone tag, I have an interview tomorrow morning. There is something really funny. The second person that has emailed me and called me is someone with the same last name as me.
Then mom has called me about WBS Global. So, in the wee hours I submitted an application to them. Today I got a call for an interview on Wednesday. Mom and Tim have got my back. I am kind of rooting more for the one that pays the least. It is the technical troubleshooting, which is something I can do quite well.
Hopefully, I will have a new job lined up for me. I really don't feel like looking for a job for an extended amount of time.

Dino

I think I might end up like my Aunt Sherry with a collection of different pets. Well, on second thought, there isn't enough room in the house to do so. Also, the other pet I would like to have again would probably be eaten by either Frank or Logan.

I was watching some clips on YouTube and saw this cute video of a turtle trying to eat a cherry tomato. As it chased and chomped away at the fruit, I started to think. I have never had a turtle. I think they are kind of neat.
So, I decided to gather up stuff for a turtle. The one I really wanted was too much money. It was a Russian box turtle and they can range between $100 to $150. Then I saw a red eared slider. I had to get a different tank and then I came back and got it.
I used my pet pals card at got him for $16. New family member is a turtle. I though about naming it Beans because of Frank. A turtle is kind of like a mini dinosaur. So, I named it Dino.

Girls Just Wanna Get Things Done

Is there relief about the loss of my job? A little, I don't have to work with the team anymore. I kind of like the time to myself at the moment. It is weird after three years, they let me go. Supposedly, I have a ton of talent. I am intelligent.
Talent and intelligence would not really get me a job around here. Maybe some quick thinking and finesse would do the trick. Who knows?
I had a bit of a delay. My computer was out of commission for about a week. I am still trying to put it back together again. The guy who fixed my computer removed everything and put some different things on here that I am not used to. What the heck is this office application???
I have been fighting to get my Internet to work on here. So far there is a 2Wire wireless thing that says it's roaming. Which makes me a little nervous because I don't know if it make my phone bill go high.
My printer, that's another story. I have found that since my move I have misplaced a ton of software and manuals. I am either missing a disc, have the wrong disc, or don't have a serial number. AAAAHHHHH!!!!! So, some of my applications I may never see again until I find my stinking Windows software book. Luckily, Hollywood Screenwriter had my code because I have no idea where the book ran off to.
I had to go to the HP website and look up my current printer. You do realize this is my third printer and I had the Cd's from the other two. I tried to print but there was nothing happening. I download the software. Next, there was no ink. I had to run and spend about 40 bones on a new cartridge. Then I had to run the alignment thing about three times until it let me start printing resumes.
Now, I am struggling once again with my Everio G. I am almost wishing I had one of those old school camcorders. Digital stuff is a pain in my ass.

That Went Well

I have had a struggle with keeping people. Why? Because of some people that worked there did not do the right thing. I had to backtrack and fix it. Because one person gave the wrong information, I had to backtrack and fix that. The economy, nobody has a way to pay for extra service. I know I don't. Yet, I am blamed for the bad economy. Yep, everyone's spending mistakes were all my idea. It's my fault. That and people wanting free stuff where I was to follow the rules and that made people unhappy.
That among other things lead to long calls and not meeting where I needed to be. Everyone else is doing better. Yeah, well normally when you are brand spanking new you do good. More experienced agents could do it, they probably had more experience than I.
The thing that has really ticked me off is "deferral of ownership". Not everyone follows the same belief of the system. Yet, everyone looks at the same thing? When there is nobody around and something does not make any sense you have to go to someone who does not know any better. To make things worse when there is a customer asking for someone, conveniently you have to walk to the other side of the building and make everything take that much longer. I am told that I was deferring ownership.
Never in my whole three years of working have I EVER asked to be on someone else's team. I am harped on like I committed a malicious crime. When I want to be on another team, I am told I am a coward. She walked me around in circles with questions that made no sense and all of my answers were wrong. She would set me up. What do I feel like? I felt like others were being condescending to me. Then she got offended? Give me a break. It's my right to say how I feel. I did grin and bear it and say nothing but then she turned more vicious and think that I am not taking anything seriously.
For reasons for not meeting any goals, I have been eliminated. One less person to fix someone else's screw up.

Conspiracy Theory

Whoever sends viruses to someone else's computer, GET A LIFE YOU LOSER. In a time that is so rough for everyone, why would you do that to them? You are a scum bag. You deserve to still be living in your mothers basement at the age of 32. You deserve to die there to. I hope one day that some psychopath finds out where you live and blows up your house.
And another thing, Office Depot. You will not get anymore of my business. You people are worthless enough to sell a virus protection that does not work. You have the nerve to tell me that it will cost me another $70 to $150 to fix something. You sold a product to me that did not work and I want my money back. On the other hand, you really should have fixed my computer to free.
Nothing but price gougers out there. I think companies deliberately sell you crappy products just so you can spend more money on them. I think that virus protection companies send the viruses so you can buy more of their crappy product.
Now, without much further delay you nimrods. I am on a job hunt so I have something to back me up when I get canned.