And here come the Pretzels!

I can just imagine the angry phone call I am going to get from across the province for this one, but It is something that has been weighing on my mind for the last year or so. As my (first) degree program was coming to a close this notion began to creep up.

At the time I was working at a gas station (the name has been mentioned in a previous post) And at this gas station during the summer months I was working with Yegway (Degree in Economics, working on Doctor of Law) My manager was McKelvie (2 classes shy of a BA History Degree) The Fighter's Girlfriend (Degree in something, working on second) and Myself (2 classes shy of a BFA) The four of us were doing the lowest of service jobs outside of a "McJob" making minimum wage and serving the Gen Xers who barely made it out of highschool. I figured that maybe I'd do like the Boomers and get in at the Steel Plant, but for a 3rd straight time I didn't even get an interview call (seems the double dippers who are making $50 an hour need to keep working, and working enough overtime that 2 generations later there is fundamentally a hiring freeze, only if you know someone would they even look at your resume, alas, topics for another post)

When my school had ended and my Job hunt came up fruitless I reverted to a job I had several years ago, The Supercuts of Lawn Care. I graduated from University while I was working cutting grass. I make a decent wage for the amount of work I do, which is quite a bit compared to what some people do, ("1 hour on 1 hour off" The dream schedule of the steel plant) Upon the receiving of my degree I questioned some of my co-workers and this is when my depressing revelation set in. My partner had a degree, the other crew, all three of them had or were over 50% completed degrees, two men on the spray crews also had degrees. I was surrounded by the quintessential over-educated-under-employed workforce of my generation. This is not a summer job for the majority of them either. They just , for the most part, couldn't stand employment at a call center.

I feel as if I were lied to in highschool, they said I would need a university degree to go anywhere in life, I think they should have specified that I would need multiple degrees. The surplus of qualified teachers in our little town is becoming... absurd. Employers aren't hiring these people because they are "going to leave in a few months" the sad truth, without available teaching positions, or even supply positions (chalk another one for the double dipping baby boomers) They are going to be stuck working at call centres and grocery stores for quite some time.

McKelvie's girlfriend is working on degree #2, as is McKelvie himself, Yegway, and a broad selection of my friends and associates. It seems he with the most letters behind his name wins. As for the button, I don't really believe tuition fees should rise -- scratch that, maybe I do. I think that if everyone, and their little brother can get a university degree it kind of nullifies the need for University, it would make more sense to make it grade 13-16, at least then the government wouldn't be criticised for "leaving kids behind" Double tuition fees, TRIPLE IT! at least then I would kind of believe that the last 10 years (including grade 9-OAC) was worth something. Give me a piece of paper I can be proud of, something that actually does qualify me over the next guy.

One of the greatest jokes of University was...

Q-"So what are you gonna do after you get your degree and finish school?"

A-"I dunno, go to teacher's college?"

Now that the truth is becoming more widespread I'm sure it will go like this...

Q-"So what are you gonna do after you get your degree and finish school?"

A-"Oh I can't finish school yet, I'm going to hafta get another degree! 4 years and I'm only qualified on the fry cooker"

This year I'm gonna work, next year... nose back to the grindstone, Degree #2. Journalism? maybe... or Design. As far as employers are concerned it doesn't matter what it's in, He who has the most... WINS!

Andymac BFA

Another Classic Giant

Yesterday, another great actor left us. I very much enjoyed Cool Hand Luke, as most people claim. I also loved Hud and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. As well, I don't think there is someone alive who has seen Cars that didn't enjoy Doc Hudson. Newman will be remembered with his excellent parts in some very memorable movies. I know his name will always be up there in the list of great actors. But personally, I am wondering if our current crop of academy award winners will stand the test of time and become more than just good actors and rise in the ranks of film legends. Tom Cruise had a great career until the last couple of years. Acting against a green screen for Spielberg's War of the Worlds, coupled with his Scientology brainwashing fried his chances. Brad Pitt is a good actor that could have been a lot stronger if he continued to make films like 12 Monkeys, Se7en, Kalifornia and Interview with a Vampire instead the tabloids have turned him into a pretty boy clown. Sadly the only actor I can think of that may have a serious and complete body of work is D Day Lewis, and I have hated every movie I have watched him in. Crappy Buzz.

My thoughts and prayers go to Newman's friends and family. A great actor has been lost. Rest in Peace.

Andymac

the college life

question...

why am I all tanked up on iceberg vodka at the moment?

answer...

cause the only person around to drink with is frencher than I....

so will some sucker duck come visit me soon cause Im tired of making pesto and girly drinks in a blender... I am willing to do unholy things for a pint of guiness and a cigar

McKelvie for the win

The Force Unleashed

This is what happens when force unleashed is sold out

wonderland

I must agree, now was it a zellers or a walmart... either way it was pure gold.

So anyone wanna come visit and go to wonderland on saturday, I'm trying to pass off a ticket that is an extra to my needs

What's YOUR favourite episode of Dawson's Creek?

That HMV store opened sometime in August. Finally I can find music and movies again in the mall closer to my house. Since hurricane season started I have had no relief in fuelling the Blue Devil. "Hyper-Miler" is the Yahoo Buzz word for my condition. Although I have yet to turn the car off and coast at any point. My condition is not yet severe.

I remember back in the day, when we used to go for those walks to Mac's for slushies and Doritos and in that stupid mindset we would play up the dramas in our own lives as to relate them with television... or videogames. McKelvie's basement was the heart and his N64 was the nerves of those "creek times" days. (making that wrestling game some sort of higher brain function?) Remember when summer break actually meant break? That show, The Mac & McKelvie Power Hour! featuring Yegs, Cnev, Paco, and Goodsie. We had season premiers. The mid-season hiatus crisis, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials all played into the teen years. Ripping off teen dramas was kind of our thing. In response to Christmukka we had Festivo. A spinoff happened at the beginning of the 2007 season.

We saw McKelvie move in with the Flatmate and watched the drama and dishes mount. (not so much with the drama) But just like all teen shows, the college years get awkward as the characters no longer look the age they are supposed to play. even though they clearly are. Those events that seemed so monumental in highschool slowly fade into the day to day as loans, rent, gas, groceries and drug store trips become the norm.

The season premier of Mac & McKelvie started not at the first day of the school year. The execs took a gamble on the pilot episode which aired nearly mid season. McKelvie's Birthday, Nov 30th started the program.

SPOILER ALERT!

August 2008 the last episode ran. The spinoff and original had one program. McKelvie and Mac walked behind a run down mall, thinking more to themselves than talking to each other, slushies replaced by energy drinks (to reflect the buying trends of a changing demographic) some words were exchanged that were of no real consequence but spoke to the optimistic future of the players. I could see a montage of footage, Cnev working his way to the west coast with his girlfriend. Yegs, preparing for another year making himself smarter than the rest of us, me on my Labour Day camping trip with Flatmate and the girls. Paco setting out to live in that HoJo and McKelvie in a slow mo hand held shot encircling him (a la Joey season end of DC) and we can see he's finally escaped the cold clutches of Northern Ontario... Southern Ontario here we come. The whole thing fades. And everyone continues on with their lives. Which would bring us pretty much up to now.

Gotta remember that first episode though, no snow yet as I recall. McKelvie lighting the wrong end of his last cigarette, trying to make himself cool. Command and Conquer might have been the build up of the Fictional Characters. But if Cnev hadn't called McKelvie and had him break his leg falling up the stairs I may not have been friends with the kid. and McKelvie couldn't have a power hour all on his own.

That would have been Nov 30th 1998, making this Nov 30th 2008 the ten year "aluminum anniversary" I don't know where the series wrap party is being held but it is going to be huge! 10 years older...





p.s.
My favourite episode of the creek is the one where Joey and Pacey end up locked in the store overnight.

Them crazy college kids

Sad state of affairs I must say when my girlfriend didn't believe that I'm 6 years older than most first years in my group... she also wishes to deny that I am turning that gruesome age later this year. But thats ok, So quick catch up, going to all my classes, looking for a job, talking baseball with the roommate, he's alright, likes ska music and baseball so thats something alright. hmmmm, going to wonderland on saturday and Ill be sure to take a photo or two to posterize.... Also I dare say that I am taking yet another first year photography class and all the assignment requirements are the same as that musely professor of mine have given repeatedly. alright folks that about wraps this post up Ill toss up those photos of wonderland so keep your eyes peeled...

and dear andymac: why you ducking me yo? (thats my college vernacular) you seem to have a knack for missing my calls

and hang in there Cnev your still better looking than Yegs

I don't normally do this but...

I stumbled on this song, lo-fi with a touch of Lou Reed and a surf riff. Japanese Motors - Single Fins & Safety Pins. This song deserves more than an honourable mention in the Mixtape thingy. Coors Light, the B side on the EP is a more... early Iggy pop sound with a distorted Strokes type voice. Also enjoyable. Blow the socks off your hipster friends for at least a week with this one.

Keeping in Touch

Well I hope everyone is having a better start to this fall than I am. You know in the movies how everytime the plane's engines go out they pull up like 10 feet off the ground? Well that was me the first week, I got refused entry to the thesis program, then i got refused entry into a class but managed to talk my way into it. The year started out with the plan of ending in a four year chemistry degree. Throw in about a week of confusion, depression, distorientation, anger, sadness, basically the whole spectrum of human emotion while on the ragged edge of a panic attack and we arrive at the new plan. A three year chemistry degree with a minor in biology and a minor in classical studies. Not what I was hoping for but it's a degree non the less. I can't say I'm suprised though, it's my record and choices that brought me to this point but I would just like to say that a certain someone slipped through the system without all the required credits and graduated last year so they decided to crack down pretty hard this year on students who don't meet requirements. I'll see you all when I come back for a visit.

Hives of scum and villany

Well this isn't so much a post but a request for posts from my correspondents in the field. Here I am, the air is getting colder and all I'm doing is working 40 hours a week, coming home and watching the creek, or cheech and chong or terminator. So, your assignments, foreign correspondents. Is to include one picture of your situation, or one corresponding to your situation, and write a paragraph about your first week. McKelvie, who is your roommate, what's it like living with Degrassi the next generation? C Nev, are things same old same old without Jay? Yegway, are you REALLY going to be a doctor in two more years?

Those are your assignments, I'll do something soon too. We might as well use this website to keep in touch.

Cheers
ANDYMAC!!