Going Above and Beyond

In the past 6 months, many changes have happened at my office. I work in a small (150 or so employees) family owned company that has been around for 50+ years. They decided to sell the company to a 270,000 employee Fortune 500 company because the owner is getting old in age and the family members who are senior management were ready to retire. Years ago they realized the younger generation in the family would fight over the business and potentially ruin the business and worst yet, the family. So we knew this was going to happen sooner or later.

Many employees were salaried employees (I think the technical term is Salaried Exempt). Not really because of our jobs or titles, but because the company does not approve overtime and never pressures anyone with deadlines which will result in overtime work. So it was easier to just pay us our wage instead of having us clock in and out knowing we would put in the eight hours each day. There are of course those who abuse this system and never put in the hours they are being paid, but that’s another rant for another day.

Because of this acquisition, many of us salaried people have been converted to hourly employees (Salaried Non Exempt) and are now eligible for overtime pay but it is still likely not going to be approved since we will be working independently 99% of the time.

Now to the point of this story. In the recent weeks, a co-worker has been pretty pissed off with their responsibilities because certain things have deadline due to the company sale. First of all, He/She (I will use he going forward) is not happy with having to clock in/out because working 8 full hours has never been his thing. So he didn’t think this was fair. He is going around saying that if the wanted things to get done, it’s not going to happen unless they approve overtime pay.

This really bothered me because he is well compensated and this hourly vs salaried conversion did not change his pay, the wage is the same if not better. So if he was doing work “from home” as he said he was before. I don’t see any reason why he can’t just do that now instead of complaining about it and saying there isn’t enough time.

No matter what kind of pay I got at any job, I have always gone above and beyond what is expected of me. I usually never saw work as work and that it was just an activity that exercises my mind which is why I always did work at home when I have nothing better to do, or if I need more than 8 hours to do something. I work hard, not for the money but for my own sanity. The last thing I want is to fall behind and have to face it the next day. It made no sense to me how this person will literally stop working at 8.0 hours just because there no overtime pay when their salaried pay from before is the same. I understand there are labor laws to protect employers abusing their employees, but in this case I feel like he should’ve just done whatever is needed to reduce his stress and anger tomorrow.

 

 

I Don’t Aim to Offend, But Often do

It feels weird to be posting here after all this time. But something needed to be said.

Generally I’m a pretty quiet and nice person. But once I get comfortable with someone, my “true self” is revealed. That version of me is blunt, and you will hear exactly what I think you need to know. I’m a firm believer that people get offended because they ALLOW themselves to be offended. Very little offends me. Things that should offend me normally just surprises me and I would think “I can’t believe he/she said that…out loud” but that would be it. I don’t take these things personally or to heart.

Recently, I had a cold/cough and someone in the office kept offering me cough drops. And I said “No thank you. I don’t like cough drops”. I seriously do not like those things. I have my cough suppressants and meds on my desk so it’s not like I wasn’t trying to get better. Well, at some point in the day, I finally got tired of saying no and said “Please don’t ever ask me that again, I don’t like cough drops and I will never want one, so just stop”. I get it, she wants to help me STFU, but NO MEANS NO!

Today, I hear she’s been telling people what I said was the rudest thing she’s ever heard. Which really surprised me since I’m pretty much like that whenever I open my mouth. It’s so well known around the office that people tells her “Well, that’s Mikey for ya!”.

Maybe I will change my ways, but definitely not in the near future. I do still hold back and be respectful majority of the time, but if I told you the same thing multiple times in a day why would you asked again? It makes no sense to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My First Handgun – Ruger SR45

Despite my initial pistol shopping list of getting getting a Glock 17, a Beretta F92 or M9 and a 1911 (in that order), I ended up picking up a Ruger SR45 as my first handgun last week. I knew that I wanted to own something chambered in .45 ACP  and the 1911 would have covered it, but because all the 1911’s I am interested in are over $1000, I had planned the .45 as my last pistol acquisition, that is until I held the SR45.

I saw this ad from Turner’s Outdoorsman advertising a Ruger SR45 for $450, it was an attractive piece (except for the large “SR45” engraved on left side of the slide) and I decided to look into it.  Ruger along with Smith & Wesson are no longer going to sell semi-automatic handguns in California due to the law proposal of microstamping ammo casings. So as of yesterday, March 14, 2014 ,I would not have been able to purchase it. What happens when someone tells you you can’t have something? You try to get it before it’s gone, which is what I did…Maybe they will make a comeback like the Twinkies, but I’m not holding my breath.

Of course I didn’t just decide to get it without doing my research, there had to be more reasons for me to get this besides it being a .45 and not being sold any more. As most of you may know, California has a 10 round magazine restriction so that automatically  dwindles down my wishlist. The classic 1911 by design will only hold 8 rounds of single stacked .45 cartridges, sure, you can have a 10 round magazine, but it just doesn’t look right with the extension.

The SR45 is a full size handgun, double stacked 10 rounds AND they were able to keep the grip on the slim side. Since I can only have 10 rounds, this was the perfect .45 to me. Do I prefer .45 over 9mm? Not really. I understand the “stopping power” of the different calibers, but as mentioned in my previous post, my guns will not be for that purpose. It’s purely for the enjoyment of target shooting and something to have if $hit really hits the fan one day. I’m not a big fan of the extra recoil and the additional time it take to re-acquire my target. Lastly, this is shooting out almost $0.50 with each trigger pull at the time of this post!

You Glock lovers would most likely try to argue that a Glock 21 is chambered in .45, full size and capable of holding more and have crazy extended magazines available. I’m not going to argue you on that, but since I do plan on getting the Glock 17 soon, I don’t feel the need to get two similar guns. And 10 rounds is all I’m legally allowed to have anyway so capacity isn’t really an issue.

I personally don’t like the look of Glocks that much, do they feel good in the hand? YES! Are they reliable? YES! Are they easy to take apart without tools? Like you wouldn’t believe! Do I like the trigger? Hell Yeah! Are they good looking? Sure! Only if you think a rectangular block is called a look. Seeing a Glock is like seeing a 80’s-90’s Volvo, it’s known for certain things but it’s not visually attractive and every model looks roughly like the same rectangular block to me. So the one Glock I have planned SHOULD be enough for me for now.

As for that microstamping of ammo casing. I think that is the stupidest idea, I have no reason to pick up my casings at the range, so what will stop people from picking up my casings and putting it at the scene of a crime?

I apologize for my ADHD writing. I seems like I tend to go off topic a lot! But I’m glad I have something to write about these day. Twitter has made my rants here much shorter in the past few years.

Gun Rights

Since I’m now officially a gun owner I feel a little stronger about my gun rights as an American citizen, I have always wanted a gun ever since I shot my first suction dart pistol or the time my dad bought me the wooden gun from Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop. I understand that the 2nd amendment was written in a different time and that an amendment by definition can be changed/updated. Yes, I agree that guns do play a factor in killing people, but at the same time it is also responsible for saving people and deterring crimes that the media does not always cover. Basically I understand both sides of the argument and they both have some valid points, but at the end of the day, I personally feel that our country as a whole will lose more innocent lives if our gun rights were taken away.

The reason the US will never get rid of criminals having guns is because we have Mexico and Canada right next to us and it’s going to get smuggled in one way or another. If the government succeeds in taking guns rights away, the only people that would be armed would be the criminals and the police force…the police cannot fight all crimes at all times, in all places, that’s why there are detectives, part of their job is to find the criminal that shot you, how/when/where/why you were shot and where the criminal got their gun…the why is pretty simple, it’s because you were not armed since you were a law abiding citizen.

Really, the only reason I like guns is because, well I’m a guy and I like guns, that’s it. I don’t plan to use it for “home defense”. I will beat someone with a baton, baseball bat, etc, but actually shooting a human being to death is too serious for me. Another reason I can’t have a gun at the ready in the house is because my wife has clinical depression, it’s not extremely serious, but there are times it scares me enough to be uncomfortable. She loves to shoot almost as much as I do, but there is no way she will ever get the keys/combo to unlock my firearm/s and my plan is to lock up the upper receiver/slide and the trigger (not sure what the correct terms are) in separate safes on different floors just to be on the safe side. If I ever have the child these guns will be even more disassembled.

FINALLY Purchasing a Gun

After many years of wanting to own my own firearm instead of tagging along with friends who have guns. I have finally pulled the trigger (pun intended) and made my first purchase. I do not have my new toy in my hands yet because I’m a resident of California where we have to wait 10 days to pick it up, where we are only allowed to have a maximum of 10 rounds in our magazines. I’m now on day 5 and it feels like the longest 5 days ever!

I’ve always been into guns but never serious about getting into real firearms because of the cost. I have had dozens of BB guns and pellet guns in my time. I even have a few airsoft guns so I can fool around inside the house. But nothing really beats the feel, weight and power of a real gun.

What did I get? I went with a H&K MP5 A5 22LR rimfire rifle (Item No. 2245260). Before you get all angry and tell me that a .22 is not a real man’s gun or that it has no stopping power. I will just say “I know, I know!”. I’m not proud that I got a .22, but I am really just looking for something to plink with and I need it to be cheap. I’m not a wasteful person, so in my mind when the gun goes bang, I’m thinking about how much money I just shot out the barrel. I literally want more bang for my buck and since .22LR ammos are cheap it seems like the best choice. As far as stopping power, this gun and any others I may pick up in the future will be so locked up that I would have no chance of using it for a home defense situation.

I have always wanted the MP5, I don’t remember where I first saw it, but this was a gun I’ve always wanted because as a kid, it was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Sadly I cannot get a 9mm version since I like the look more than the caliber. I’m definitely the form over function when it comes to guns. This one is made by Carl Walther under full H&K license, I assume H&K needs to approve it for the sake of their reputation, from the reviews I’ve seen, this is a pretty well made piece.

There are a few more guns that I would like to own:

H&K 416 D145RS (Item No. 2245210) also chambered in .22 LR – Once again, for the look. I would also like to get a few handguns in the future, Beretta F92 or M9 (9mm), a 1911 of some kind (.45 ACP), either a Glock 17 or 19 (9mm), maybe a H&K USP (9mm). Will I ever get a rifle that shoots anything other than .22? I don’t know, it seems like too much of a commitment to shoot out like $1 at a time.

EDIT: I just read about the Hi-Point .45 ACP. It goes for about $150-$180 and has a LIFETIME warranty with no questions asked. I think that will be the first pistol I’ll pick up. Can’t go too wrong with that kind of warranty, unless the company shuts down that is.

Split in the Path of Career

Recently, after a few years of repetitive work/tasks, I was given a better opportunity at work. The down side is that I will no longer truly do what I was trained/taught to do since the release of the personal computer to the masses, thus, my career path would drastically change. After a week of thinking, I decided to take the offer that was on the table and will undoubtedly pursue it with the same effort as I always have when it comes to work. Full speed ahead.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like my previous job/work or that I wasn’t getting paid enough. But at the end of the day, the company I work at revolves around a national food and healthcare provider business. It is REALLY hard to explain what it is this company does. But basically, when places like a USC’s campus eateries orders food or a nursing home orders bed sheets they would get a horrible deal if they didn’t go through companies like ours. This company have contracts with thousands of facilities and companies so every business, big or small would get the bulk order discount price without necessarily ordering a lot. And we get paid a percentage of their savings, and having been involved with the numbers, they save a LOT, therefore the company makes a lot too.

Being on the technical side of this type of company creates somewhat of a glass ceiling. There are only so many positions I can get to before a salary cap and I really had no place to go in this position and company unless someone leaves or dies at their desk.

Taking on this new position was actually a pretty hard decision to make since there would be a learning curve and since it’s not tech related, I’m not sure how well I’ll handle it as tech is pretty much all I know. I’m a jack of many trade, this ain’t one of them…yet. I was told that my Excel and database skills will come in handy, the problem with that is that these are the people who depended on me for data integrity. Doesn’t this mean I’m going to be doing both my old job and my new job…and I’m not getting two people’s salary? Time will tell if this was the right move. There are people here that has done this stuff for over 30 years. I’ve seen quite a few of them retire and let’s just say they are all retired comfortably. I love the people that work here despite some of the laziness and pure ignorance I see, but they are genuinely the nicest group of people I’ve ever been around.

Why Having a Child Seem IMPOSSIBLE to me

My wife and I said we did not want children for many years, but in the recent months, she’s changed her mind and is thinking about having two? (more than one, as she thinks only child-s turns out “weird” like me). We are not 100% seriously on the matter at the moment. I was never opposed to having children, it was more that I didn’t see a reason to have them.

Now that we are seriously discussing the IDEA of having a child I’m seeing a major problem. I have a full time job, she has a full time job. Neither one of us can afford to be a stay at home mom/dad. So who’s going to take care of the child? Some of you might be saying, the grandparents….if you’ve ever met them you’ll realize they cannot be trust to take care of a turnip. Second of all, we live 40-60 minutes away from them so it would not be possible. Nanny? I don’t trust people with replaceable things, not sure how I feel about a one of a kind child that can’t be repurchased off eBay.

I don’t know, I understand that there’s never a “right time” to have a child. But the way I am it would always be a wrong time. We need a job that includes a day care for employees. This chapter of or lives will just have to be TBD for the next few years I guess.

Women Changing Last Name After Marriage…Yay or Nay?

So…We are finally planning our wedding after being a couple for almost 16 years. And some people are starting to ask my fiancé if she will be changing her last name to mine, she says no, I also said no. Frankly I’m not fond of my last name. There are maybe a handful of times in my life where someone pronounced it correctly on the first try. And to this day plenty of people who KNOWS me forget how to spell all FOUR letters, it’s plain insulting!

Her sister recently got into a huge argument with her boyfriend in regards to this very topic (for like the billionth time). He is demanding that when they get married, she changes her last name to his. He is actually really pissed off that she’s refusing to do so, AND they are not even engaged! I’m already seeing future issues since he is one of those people who are “traditional” and view females as a less equal being, that women are meant for cooking, cleaning, rearing children, etc….yet she earns three times what he does and works 100% harder that his laid back lazy self. The biggest problem with those two is that they grew up in a totally different household/lifestyle, he has never had to work in his life, parents own their own business and he never needed to lift a finger. She on the other hand grew up in a low/middle class working family and she worked very hard for what she has today.

This makes me wonder WHY in the year 2012 people still do this name change thing besides the fact that it is what other people have done for years? The only reasonable reason I can think of is that it makes things easier if you have children so that the family has the same name, otherwise it’s just complicated having to go through all the paperwork to make that new name legal.

Silver iPod Nano 8GB 6th Generation STOLEN – Serial #: C8NGYW53DCMN

Did you recently get your hands on a 6th Generation iPod Nano? If the serial number is: C8NGYW53DCMN it was stolen from me. A police report has been made. And if you are the person who stole it, I don’t hate you, I just think it was a douche move on your part for stealing something that’s only $129 MSRP.

People Have No Respect

Short rant with pictures. I don’t understand people who feel like they can park in a handicap parking spaces when they are not handicapped or have the need. I was literally parked 4 step away from these spots, there were plenty of spaces, yet these three people decided it was just not close enough and parked in the handicap spaces in front of me. I’ve seen this plenty of time and wish the cops enforce this more. My parents are handicapped and I personally know how disabled people are affected when they have to walk/wheel themselves across a parking lot. People need to just read the sign and follow basic human directions.

CA Plate # 6KMK838

 

CA Plate # 4KQM295

 

 

CA Plate # 6EHJ354