Tag Archives: writing

Errant Literary, Travel

Workplace Woes and a Visit

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Back in May of 2012, about 8 months after I started working at the pharmacy, I injured my back. I had been stacking cases of water for a display near the store entrance.

Initially I tried to walk it off, so I kept soldiering on for a couple of days, but by the end of the week I was having trouble staying mobile and I was in a great deal of pain.

I visited my doctor and during the talk she asked if the visit was for a workers comp claim. I said no. In hindsight I should have gone through the official channels and placed a claim.

What stopped me from following the standard practices I had learned about at Job Corps, was Reddit.

Radicalization

Around this time I had only been working for 2 years and I had gotten a little miffed about my pay and the hours worked. This led me to looking up my company online looking for other people experiences. I found a Reddit community that was full of disgruntled current employees and former employees.

Leading up to the injury I had read several horror stories of mistreatment, conflicts with bosses, sudden unwarranted firings, and union busting. It all got to me and put me in a very defensive and agitated mindset while at work.

So, when I got injured, I didn’t report it and I came up with an excuse to resign. I was convinced that if they knew I had been hurt on the job, they wouldn’t consider re-hiring me later. I told my boss I was going to look for seasonal employment with my trade skills (landscaping and facility maintenance.)

It took a little over a year to recover. I had been bedridden for awhile. Eventually, I was able to use take short walks around my neighborhood, supported by a cane. I had a noticeable limp and my body was twisted, so that I looked to be bent at the waist, leaning to the right.

An Invitation

About four months into my recovery, my father invited me to visit him in Brooklyn, he hoped a change of environment would speed my recovery.

This was my second trip to New York. I don’t recall which form of transit I took. It may have been a Greyhound bus; I know my 2016 trip had been on Amtrak (I still have the ticket).

Tomorrow we are going to check out an electronics shop near Wall Street and then head to Koreatown which has got to be my number stop here in NY. Ever since I started riding the “wave” back in 2010 I have looked forward to a bigger role for Korean culture here in the States. Signing onto KORUS FTA way back then and finally seeing it passed was great.

Excerpt from Stone Soup Travels Blog 2012-09-18

My Camera

For my second visit to NY, I had with me the Fujifilm Finepix S700 camera I got in NYC before going on the European trip back in 2007.

My phone at the time was a Microsoft KIN TWOm, one of the many failed “windows phones,” the company tried to release. They had actually cancelled the project prior to me getting the phone from Verizon. Both I and my Aunt got one of these phones in 2011.

But I had no idea, the marketing materials all raved about it being a Microsoft phone. In fact the ads were referring to the original phone, not what I was sold. The second version had been nerfed on many fronts. But not knowing this, I was very pleased with my slide out keyboard semi-smartphone, having graduated from a “clamshell” flip phone.

I say semi-smart because the phone only came with preinstalled apps and didn’t have any way to add new ones, but it did have a touch screen and a web browser, WiFi, and Zune Media.

I flipped it on eBay earlier last year (2025), as a collectors item for $55.

I had wanted to include several galleries from my trip, but I cannot seem to find the folder that included the pictures. I fear I may have deleted it somehow. I have a very clear image in my mind of the folders and their names, but I can’t find anything on the computer, cloud storage, or memory cards. I’m just completely befuddled.

Manhattan

We visited the Occupy Wall Street anniversary event. Wow there was a lot of people and TONS of cops, also saw some scooter cops which seemed funny since I ride around on a scooter and always envisioned cops on the more beefier motorcycles.

Brooklyn

After I got used to riding on the subway and wasn’t too fearful of getting lost or off on the wrong platform, I began exploring the nearby parks. In particular I enjoyed Prospect Park. There were many couples getting wedding photos taken during my stay in NY.

Korea Town

Sometime in 2008-9, I had been introduced to Korean shows and music. I was quite happy to visit Korea Town in New York City. We ate dinner at a BBQ restaurant.

Wow. I am way full. I Just got back from New Wonjo down in Korea-town (NYC); and had me some bomb ass BBQ an rice wine. Great experience also stopped by a grocery store and picked up some cans of kimchee and big ol’ jar of red pepper and other ingredients so I can make some of my own when I get back to North Carolina.

Excerpt from Stone Soup Travels Blog 2012-09-18

Sailing

We went sailing down to the Sandy-hook state park which I think was in Jersey, and then we sailed by the Statue of Liberty.

J&R

Text taken from Stone Soup Travels Blog 2012-09-19

So yeah I went through the store (1), I started off on the 3rd floor checking out hardware then went up to the Apple store.

After that I headed down to the first floor and it was a fucking wonder land for a computer aficionado like myself.  But something seemed off when I went downstairs looking through the laptops and then in amongst the desktops.

Intel, everywhere. All the laptops, desktops, CPU’s everything. I asked a clerk and he checked the inventory and yeah holy cow the whole store was devoid of AMD chips, I was totally blown away.

It was like going to a drugstore and all they have is Pepsi or Coke but not both. WTF.

Anyways the good window shopping came after heading over to housewares (7.) We looked at the coffee machines and I saw the Keurig model that my dentist office has which was a nice coincidence.

Then we headed over to Cameras (10) oh right the numbers: The whole store is like a giant building and it extends down like a whole block with multiple store fronts each focusing on a different subject’s which is way awesome.

Yeah so there I saw the new camera I want. It’s a Fujifilm so I will be sticking to the brand (Loyalty is life,) It has a nice telescoping lens but without being a full on SLR which I would feel silly carrying around to take pictures of ducks ‘n’ stuff.

I feel like a SLR should be used for cool shit like racing and basically any sport where you could easily break or ruin this high priced toy you’ve just bought.

Daily Writing, Errant Literary

Another 30 to go

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What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

Given my relative health and current medical conditions, I think 70 is a conservative estimate. My father is in his 80s and my mother is mid 60s, both have lived varied lives with very different upbringing.

I think older generations have been able to achieve longer lives due to diet and exercise in their formative years.

Science has revealed that many of the modern wonders I grew up with have not been particularly healthy choices. So, living to 70 is probably the best I can mange.

This isn’t a happy conclusion, as it reminds me that I am running late on normal life experiences like marriage and procreation.

My life up until this point has been a struggle to escape poverty. Realistically, that won’t happen in the time I have left in this world.

Once my family has departed this realm, I will be alone and without my safety net. There is still so much knowledge about living that I do not possess.

Knowledge is generally what gives the edge to people when circumstanes and situations come up unbidden. Those with some ken of how things work are far better equipped to handle the unexpected.

They come out on top when challenges occur. I’ve managed to scrape by; but it is a losing game, and I am running out time.

Daily Writing, Errant Literary

Live Proactively

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What could you do differently?

But that’s a difficult ask this far into my life. I’m pretty set in my ways at this point.

Barring a second life altering occurrence, any significant changes are unlikely. I had such an event back in 2020, and it did lead to significant changes in my life.

Life altering events are rarely a good time. Hopefully, the next one that comes around won’t hurt too much.

Side Hustles

Got Scammed

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I recently had an item returned on eBay, pretty standard, I have free returns enabled for all items.

Unfortunately, this time the buyer swapped out the item for a similar one and then initiated a return. I’m a bit leery of eBay policies, so I won’t post the buyers name here. I have reported them though.

The item sold was a two pack of black and color ink for Canon printers. When I got the return shipment arrival notice, I issued the refund without concern. I didn’t check the returned item until the next day.

That was my mistake.

The BLACK ink cartridge was swapped. The buyer even returned it in a hard case with an orange sticker on it. The one I shipped was sitting in an open plastic wrapper with a Yellow/Green seal on it.

Weighing the cartridge also revealed it was 0.8 oz lighter than a full unit.

What I sold (no case)
What they sent back (in a case)

My loss is the dollar I paid for the ink plus the return shipping cost of $4.76. I can still probably sell the color cartridge on its own and I can recycle the BLK one for a small return.

It still is disappointing, I don’t recall any other times I had a bad buyer.

I’ve had odd returns certainly, like when someone sends and offer or haggles over the prices in chat and then returns it saying they ordered by mistake.

I mean, like, just imagine someone pulling that crap at a yard sale. “Oh, yeah I didn’t mean to buy that.” What? After you spent an hour haggling the price down!

Daily Writing, Side Hustles

An ad for this site

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If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?

My billboard would be a post advertising this website and the gaming guides and available on it. I bet I would get a lot of traffic with kind of visibility a billboard could provide.

I’ve had some success with YouTube ads for my referral links with MyPoints, Swagbucks, and FreeCash.

My site review for Inbox Dollars was also very effective and my net earnings from referrals for that platform are currently $766.33. With each platform, I earn 10% for the lifetime of the referred account.

This means the people who signed up with my link earned $7,663.30 using the platform. That’s just from Inbox Dollars alone. It’s closer to $10k if you include the other sites.

Daily Writing, Investing

Hindsight

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Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

I’m often caught up in thoughts of the past. Past decisions I regret and those path not taken. I had opportunities for spectacular success and great wealth, had I made a different choice.

In particular, I was an early adopter of Bitcoin (BTC) and mined it with my computers GPU and later using an ASIC device.

Many around me in those early days advised to simply buy and hold BTC, but instead I used my BTC to purchase more mining equipment and pay for services. In the end, as BTC rose in value, I had less and less in hand.

Looking at my wallet logs, I had transacted hundreds of bitcoin and thousands of Litecoin over the years, since 2013.

If I had listened to those folks who advised me to HODL, I would have become a millionaire once BTC hit $10k, and much more these days.

Daily Writing, Errant Literary

Two Colleges

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What colleges have you attended?

I first attended Clatsop Community College in Astoria, OR., in the Summer of 2006. This was after finishing my Facility Maintenance certification at the Job Corps Center.

I studied for a liberal arts degree but left after my 4th semester for a trip to Europe.

I enjoyed Economics, Local Government Operations, and three semesters of World Religions.

In 2021, after many years working in a retail pharmacy, I decided to go back to school and earn my degree.

I enrolled at Vance-Granville Community College and completed the Business Administration program, graduating in December of 2024.

My coursework included HR, Accounting, Logistics, and Federal Taxes, among other subjects.

I have been able to apply much of what I learned in school to my entrepreneurly aspirations, including my eBay stores and digital products through Payhip and Amazon.

Daily Writing

Playtime

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Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?

I’ve found self-employment entails playtime all day punctuated by brief moments of work. Some days I start off on the “right side” of the bed and I get straight to work. More often though, I start my day with play.

Playtime typically includes YouTube, doom scrolling news articles, window shopping real-estate, or playing with our cat.

I do enjoy going out and sourcing goods for my eBay store, but that is work. Certainly when the tax season comes round, it was work.

Daily Writing

Eagle Swing

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If you started a sports team, what would the colors and mascot be?

I would choose purple and gold for my sports team colors. I’d love to own a pro golf team.

In the game of Golf, an “Eagle” is when you get the ball in the hole on the second swing. It’s one step below a “Hole in One.

I know the sport if more of a solo or duo activity, but I like pro gaming leagues and I think that business model would work well with the sport of Golf.

Eagle Swing is about aspiring to greatness on the field.

Daily Writing, Errant Literary

Mutable

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How have your political views changed over time?

The stages of my political involvement are roughly: Democrat, Libertarian, Ineligible, and Revolutionary.

I first became eligible to vote for the 2004 election between George Bush Jr (R) and John Kerry (D).

My father, being British, could not vote and so my mother directed me to the democratic caucus. There I received guidance from family friends who all apparently were in the democrat camp.

My father had little faith in America’s elective process. Growing up in London and having lived through WW2, he held a worldly understanding of history and recognized the precursors of fascism.

He would often warn me of the course that American politics were heading in.

At the caucus, there was much excitement and hope. Riding the wave, I volunteered as an alternate to cast the local ballot at the larger county caucus. The other person called out sick and my father drove me to the county election where I put a name in for the town.

The blue’s lost by a wide margin that election.

My next election was between John McCain (R) and Obama (D) in 2008.

My father would often say Americans would never elect a non-white president. He said the roots of racism ran too deep in this country.

I was especially pleased when Obama won in 2008. Although over time a became disillusioned by the democratic party. I became more cognizant of the war mongering party members espoused. In particular their distinct hatred of China and Russia.

For the 2012 election, I switched parties. I had asked my mother if there were any other choices beyond red and blue. Prior to this point, I had never heard of the Green’s or the Libertarian Party. Regular media never covered them or mentioned their existence.

I joined the Libertarians and cast my vote for Gary Johnson (L) of New Mexico. The result was understandably predictable. But I felt more at ease with my decision.

It was my involvement with the Yellow team that lead me to voting in local and state elections. I briefly considered running my self as there were regular calls for candidates through out the state. 

I met some other hopefuls who went on to be elected, but my introvert nature was not suited to political work. At best I could vote and send letters.

It was during the 2016 election that I seriously considered the party’s platform, it’s membership, and the potential fallout for people like me if they were to actually win.

The Libertarians are predominantly white wealthy Christians who support small ineffectual government and the mass privatization of all sectors.

For a person of color who was (and still is) reliant on government assistance, ardently Atheist, and generally living in poverty, the Yellow team wasn’t exactly a healthy choice.

In 2020, I lost the option of a political choice with my arrest and subsequent conviction.

Watching from the sidelines, I gained a certain degree of perspective. Being marginalized, helped  me to see how the all the big changes affected the little guy. I recognized the suffering of the people and took time to rethink my politics.

While I am now once again eligible to vote, I choose not to. Instead, I feel that the necessary change this nation needs cannot be achieved through a democratic process.

What is needed is a revolution. I support civil war.

There is a divide that needs to be acknowledged. Red’s and Blue’s both hold starkly different views on numerous topics, views that cannot honestly coexist in peace.

When one side is in control, the other will suffer. When the balance shifts, the formerly controlled seek the oppression of their enemies. This cycle repeats endlessly.

Peace and prosperity can never be achieved while the two sides remain in conflict.

It was the same with the Catholics and Protestants, Socialism and Nazism, Liberals and Conservatives.

In America, Conservative Christians have largely embraced white supremacy and Nazism. Their politics and religion have become inseparable.

They have shown their hand plainly for all to see.

Suppression of history relating to non-whites including the slave trade, oppression of First Nation peoples, war crimes and atrocities committed in the Middle-East, travel bans on non-white countries, and establishing concentration camps for Hispanics (immigrants).

These are crimes against humanity and should not be tolerated nor forgiven.

These things and more are why I support revolution in America. Why I support civil war.

Half of this nation are dumbasses who should take a long walk off a short pier. Just my opinion.