Yes! I am so happy about this! It has actually taken a lot of hard work to do this because it requires me to constantly update my content. Thank you everyone for the dedicated support and it is good to start the New Year off with a bang. 2008 definitely had its ups and downs, but this year I feel will be epic. There will be new challenges and obstacles to overcome. While I do tend to talk a bit about the economy and finance, it is good that I have people who actually are aware of this house of cards coming undone.
So far Barack Obama, has been doing surprisingly okay considering that the economy is in the dumps. I have to hand it to him, he has been able to quash some of the bailouts that the house was trying to pass. It is a shame that on some counts his hands are tied, mainly by judicial and legislative accounts. Rest assured, if he boo boos, I will gladly ping him on it. His handling of his seat in congress has been rather mature so I think he is off to an okay start. Our fearless leader GWB on the other hand would require me to make a separate blog devoted to his eight year history of failures, speech slips and shoe dodging.
So 300 visitors isn't a bad way to start off the New Year! If you like this blog, then please subscribe to it. I am actually hurting for subscriptions and could use regulars.
This is Spar...!!? Oh wait, that is trademarked. Keep on reading on!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Reno Nominated for Most Drunkedness Award
Good middle of the night morning to you! Chukie here with more great news from the "Biggest Little City". According to our statistics in the Reno Gazette Journal, Reno has been elected as place with the most alcoholics in the nation. While I do not have a Jagerbomb to drink to that, I have a inkling some source of alcohol will before me after I am done with this post. >:) Anyway this is perhaps great news if one was worried about their job at Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Booze Bros. I guess people can still afford to get tanked even though they cannot pay on their credit card. Hey I'll even drink to that! After all we are actually helping out a local industry.
While I could just sing and ale, I think I will drink some later. If anyone was wondering about which bars I like, I will go ahead and drop them.
Stregas- They have their bar set up like a house party plus it plays decent metal.
Shooters- This bar is hit and miss at times, but if you need a cheap beer in Reno, check this place out. And they karaoke on Thursdays, with a sick list of songs.
Pub and Sub- One of the best ways to test economics with beer and pizza, period. They serve oven brick pizzas.
West 2nd Str. Bar- Basically it is karaoke everyday and good luck getting a spot to sing. You will be waiting in line until next New Years. The down side is that they have bouncers who frisk you at the door.
Waterfall- One cannot deny the elegance of the classic bar. Kind of makes feel like I am in a RPG. Maybe I should slay the dragon for the bathroom key... He's taking too long.
Lil Wal'- While I do not like their dance floor, I do like the burgers and the drink specials.
Vino's- Actually I would call this a dive dance floor. Want something more upscale? Go to Divine, where it actually hurts to breathe.
Ryan's- has to been mentioned after the monthly crawls. I had fun at Ryan's and the Waterfall, I imagine that they will get more publicity after the RGJ had them on the front cover of today's paper.
Now it is time to celebrate having the most alcoholics in the city! Support local businesses, get tanked at bars. We earned it!
While I could just sing and ale, I think I will drink some later. If anyone was wondering about which bars I like, I will go ahead and drop them.
Stregas- They have their bar set up like a house party plus it plays decent metal.
Shooters- This bar is hit and miss at times, but if you need a cheap beer in Reno, check this place out. And they karaoke on Thursdays, with a sick list of songs.
Pub and Sub- One of the best ways to test economics with beer and pizza, period. They serve oven brick pizzas.
West 2nd Str. Bar- Basically it is karaoke everyday and good luck getting a spot to sing. You will be waiting in line until next New Years. The down side is that they have bouncers who frisk you at the door.
Waterfall- One cannot deny the elegance of the classic bar. Kind of makes feel like I am in a RPG. Maybe I should slay the dragon for the bathroom key... He's taking too long.
Lil Wal'- While I do not like their dance floor, I do like the burgers and the drink specials.
Vino's- Actually I would call this a dive dance floor. Want something more upscale? Go to Divine, where it actually hurts to breathe.
Ryan's- has to been mentioned after the monthly crawls. I had fun at Ryan's and the Waterfall, I imagine that they will get more publicity after the RGJ had them on the front cover of today's paper.
Now it is time to celebrate having the most alcoholics in the city! Support local businesses, get tanked at bars. We earned it!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Wal-Mart New Revised No Overtime Policy
Happy late New Year's everyone! While mine was just a marathon of video games, I hope you have found yours more stimulating.
Here I am going to talk about odd quicks that go along in with the retail business. And I am pretty sure it is like this at a lot of places in retail. If you want to futher educate yourself on surviving in retail. I suggest, pretending you care by Norm Feuti.
Today's odd quick is overtime. People who are working paycheck to paycheck love this little word. But at Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, it is like one of George Carlin's 7 dirty words. You know which ones :/. So if you want to engross yourself in toilet humor, Wiki it.
Overtime is considered so dirty associates and managers refer to it by OT. And they no longer used the phrase write up, they call it a coaching. Wow! Like anyone cannot see through the euphemism. Now this actually gets me a bit angry because what a lot of managers do at Sam's Club. And while they do work 50-60 hours (depending on the department), it is not going to kill someone if they have to the finishing touch at the end of someone's shift. That is why they are being paid 30-60K to finish some work that is leftover. Why do I mention this before getting into their system? Because a lot of the Cash Office Supervisors and Managers actually cause people to get more overtime for someone else's extra stuff. In fact I have gotten warned two days ago by the same manager that said he did not care about over time. (At whose expense?) While he did not say it was a verbal coaching, he implied that I could lose my job if I get more. That is not to say he is not a good manager, but I could tell he being led by the operations manager who is bent on getting anyone with a fraction of a second of OT. And there are times when customer or "members" come up to me and ask me questions. So great, if a manager forces me into OT, I could get fired, if a member forces me into OT, I could get fired. I am starting to see why retail has such a high turnover rate.
So members and managers could potentially get me fired, great. Now there is a law that is in California which now applies to Nevada's Sam's Clubs and Wal-Marts as well. For any associate that makes over $10.50, they cannot work more than 40 hrs. However, since I make less than that, I have to abide by additional clauses. For anyone making under $10.50, they cannot work more than a maximum of 8.0 hours in a day. This also means that their corporate Sun Down rules is utterly pointless.
Sun Down means that the associate must finish all tasks assigned by the end of the shift. So if there is a new task that will take thirty minutes and you only have fifteen to go, you might want to start dusting off that resume. In short, do not take on any new tasks that are not part of the job desciptor. Disreguard Sun Down, do whatever you have and just go home. While Sam Walton might frown on you, he is not around to judge you. Corporate, however, is. So for now on, if someone asks me to do something at the end of my shift, I will refuse. If they so much as ask me to do carts and I only have thirty minutes to go, I will refuse or just do some and leave seven mintues in advance (I need time to put away stuff and whatnot). Here at Sam's Club, overtime is a dirty word.
Here I am going to talk about odd quicks that go along in with the retail business. And I am pretty sure it is like this at a lot of places in retail. If you want to futher educate yourself on surviving in retail. I suggest, pretending you care by Norm Feuti.
Today's odd quick is overtime. People who are working paycheck to paycheck love this little word. But at Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, it is like one of George Carlin's 7 dirty words. You know which ones :/. So if you want to engross yourself in toilet humor, Wiki it.
Overtime is considered so dirty associates and managers refer to it by OT. And they no longer used the phrase write up, they call it a coaching. Wow! Like anyone cannot see through the euphemism. Now this actually gets me a bit angry because what a lot of managers do at Sam's Club. And while they do work 50-60 hours (depending on the department), it is not going to kill someone if they have to the finishing touch at the end of someone's shift. That is why they are being paid 30-60K to finish some work that is leftover. Why do I mention this before getting into their system? Because a lot of the Cash Office Supervisors and Managers actually cause people to get more overtime for someone else's extra stuff. In fact I have gotten warned two days ago by the same manager that said he did not care about over time. (At whose expense?) While he did not say it was a verbal coaching, he implied that I could lose my job if I get more. That is not to say he is not a good manager, but I could tell he being led by the operations manager who is bent on getting anyone with a fraction of a second of OT. And there are times when customer or "members" come up to me and ask me questions. So great, if a manager forces me into OT, I could get fired, if a member forces me into OT, I could get fired. I am starting to see why retail has such a high turnover rate.
So members and managers could potentially get me fired, great. Now there is a law that is in California which now applies to Nevada's Sam's Clubs and Wal-Marts as well. For any associate that makes over $10.50, they cannot work more than 40 hrs. However, since I make less than that, I have to abide by additional clauses. For anyone making under $10.50, they cannot work more than a maximum of 8.0 hours in a day. This also means that their corporate Sun Down rules is utterly pointless.
Sun Down means that the associate must finish all tasks assigned by the end of the shift. So if there is a new task that will take thirty minutes and you only have fifteen to go, you might want to start dusting off that resume. In short, do not take on any new tasks that are not part of the job desciptor. Disreguard Sun Down, do whatever you have and just go home. While Sam Walton might frown on you, he is not around to judge you. Corporate, however, is. So for now on, if someone asks me to do something at the end of my shift, I will refuse. If they so much as ask me to do carts and I only have thirty minutes to go, I will refuse or just do some and leave seven mintues in advance (I need time to put away stuff and whatnot). Here at Sam's Club, overtime is a dirty word.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Investments on the rise
Today is a wonderful day for me! WMT just hit $57 and Silver just hit over $11! However, this euphoria is just a fleeting moment for me. Silver will be surging in a few months. Those who have it now will be in awe as their portfolio triples and quadruples and those who did not believe will wish they did. Also it is my last month of rent and I am elated. I am moving again! Where to...somewhere way cheaper than where I currently live. Now is a great time to rent. It is a good time to buy property too, but this is just the beginning. If one waits the prices of real estate will falter even more.
Ahh, but there is a silver lining to the real estate cloud. For all those people that want to take that next step and buy property, there is a better way to do so. Banks are stuck with a bunch of land that they do not know what to do with. Meaning that they need to find a buyer to obtain revenue of their sale that just bellied up. This is where the money savvy has a chance to thrive!
Ladies and gentlemen, the worse word a real estate agent wants to hear. I wish to buy someone else's lien. There are lots of foreclosed properties on the market that need to be moved. It is like the "Clearance aisle" of real estate. There are also a lot of people that want out of their contract. Note: If you go this route, do not go towards a lien with a ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage). You just might lose an arm! Sure it might mean dishing out 50 to 60K, but you will actually get some mad equity on your investment. There are a lot of houses on the market, do not believe that you cannot get a lien. The recession is a chance of a lifetime and there will be some mad exchanges in the process. It all depends on what you are willing to spend out of savings for investing. If you start out, invest only 10~20% of your paycheck or monthly income. If you have debt, knock it out if it is a lot and then start investing.
Ahh, but there is a silver lining to the real estate cloud. For all those people that want to take that next step and buy property, there is a better way to do so. Banks are stuck with a bunch of land that they do not know what to do with. Meaning that they need to find a buyer to obtain revenue of their sale that just bellied up. This is where the money savvy has a chance to thrive!
Ladies and gentlemen, the worse word a real estate agent wants to hear. I wish to buy someone else's lien. There are lots of foreclosed properties on the market that need to be moved. It is like the "Clearance aisle" of real estate. There are also a lot of people that want out of their contract. Note: If you go this route, do not go towards a lien with a ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage). You just might lose an arm! Sure it might mean dishing out 50 to 60K, but you will actually get some mad equity on your investment. There are a lot of houses on the market, do not believe that you cannot get a lien. The recession is a chance of a lifetime and there will be some mad exchanges in the process. It all depends on what you are willing to spend out of savings for investing. If you start out, invest only 10~20% of your paycheck or monthly income. If you have debt, knock it out if it is a lot and then start investing.
Happy New Year + Contest?
Overall it has not really been a month for me with this site, but in about 3 weeks I have seen rise, falls and rises again with traffic. Right now I am basically running this site on less than five hours a week. I say that is not bad. I will have to do something big if I reach 1,000 hits. Maybe a contest of sorts. I do not know what type of contest I will have or what type of contest it will be, but by golly, I will have one.=) Stay tuned! So at the rate the traffic is...that gives me about 3 to 4 months to prepare.
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