The Archives of Arrow Quivershaft

Upcoming vacation!

2009-05-16T03:25:00Z

As I mentioned in my prior post, I have a vacation upcoming. I'm going up to visit my close friend, JayEnfield, in Canada. The Alberta province, specifically; we'll be moving around. I'll leave on June 7th, and I will be, for the most part, out of contact from then until all the way to the other side of Anthrocon on July 7th. That's right, I'm gone for a full month.

This'll be the longest I'll ever have taken, actually. And it's also going to likely be the most fun, because it will be the first vacation I take, by myself, and no parents will be involved in limiting me, either my own, or my hosts. Just me and Jay and our friends. :>

So here's hoping I have a great time, and here's to letting you all know where I'll be and that if you have something to say to me, anything not said by June 7th will need to wait a month. ;>

Today has been a good day.

2009-05-13T21:28:32Z

For many reasons. Bullet (point) time!

At noon, all of the homework for my last class of the semester was due, officially ending the semester and beginning summer vacation.
A few hours after that, I got my grade back in that class; an A. I feel quite confident that my semester GPA will be above a 3.0, though just barely.
25 days from today, I leave on my vacation(more on that in a future post!)
50 days from today, I go to Anthrocon.

So yeah, been a good day for me, I think. :D

Negative ten HP.

2009-04-09T16:42:38Z

RIP, Dave Arneson.

Thanks for all the great memories from before, and those yet to come.

End of an Era(part of the Paper Carrier Saga)

2009-03-21T20:05:58Z

Most of you are probably aware I've done a paper route for a long time.

I am resigning from the paper route position. April 19th, 2009, will be my last day delivering the newspapers to the customers on my route. This wasn't a decision that I made easily, but I really had no option. So here's the details, summarizing from the start, all the way to today.

I started the route on December 26th, 2003.  The pay rate per paper was 10.1 cents per paper. This was decent pay, and since I rarely had to buy bags to put the papers in, it meant I made a bit over $3 a day. (Those plastic bags used to protect the newspaper from the elements need to be bought by carriers, at least in my experience. $1.60 for 100.) The employees at the paper office were...not entirely supportive, as you might find by reading older journal entries here, but I continued, because it gave me pocket money and exercise.

In February of 2005, I was assigned another paper to deliver, at 5.6 cents a unit.  This paper only printed twice a week and was actually heavier and had a different list of subscribers. This was annoying but tolerable, though it caused more difficulties with delivery. Another paper was added in March of 2006, for the same going rate.

In July of 2007, I was told the third paper was being discontinued in August, and I'd cease getting paid for it.  Instead, they rolled it into the second paper, meaning I was still delivering it, but not getting paid to do so.

Also in August 2007, I got the museum tour guide job, which became my main source of income, with the paper providing mainly exercise.

In 2007 and 2008, I suffered some serious issues from the paper, including undeserved reamings from some of the district managers, some which made me question if we signed the same contract and how strong these peoples' grip on reality was.

In January 2009, I was offered a raise on the first paper from 10.1 cents to 11.05 cents a unit; the first raise I'd gotten in 5 years.   This was accepted, because despite declining subscriptions, it put more money in my pocket. They also increased the cost of supplies and penalty deductions to compensate.

And last week, I got a letter from them announcing that effective April 20th, they would cut my pay from 11.05 cents a paper to 5.6 cents a paper, for all the papers. Oh, and prices and fees are staying up. Making my weekly income from the job under 15 dollars. After some brief math, I decided this would barely allow me to break even and if I made mistakes would begin costing me money.  I had no intent to do a job that cost more than it made, not to mention how insulting the pay cut is right after a raise, and the utter PITTANCE that that offers. So I announced intent to resign on Tuesday, stating my last day is the 19th, the day before the changes take effect. They can find some other poor bastard to do the route for that.

So yeah, I'm finally getting out of that job.  I wish it had been on better terms, but I need to look out for myself; the service from above was horrible. This has kinda affected my mood; 5 years is a long time. We'll see what happens, I just wanted to post this somewhere.

Wow, luck really is being there.

2009-01-07T15:47:22Z

I was gonna try and think of some way to put this out in a somewhat more witty way, but I decided this is more in line with my actual feelings.

I was recently offered and have accepted the chance to be the Head of the Fandom Track Programming at Anthrocon 2009. :D

Not sure of anything else to say, just feel this is really cool. :)

It is possible.

2009-01-05T00:09:38Z

Youinked from calientra and hazardous_roo

I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.
I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.
I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.
We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.
I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room.
I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me.
I am one of the lucky ones, I guess. I survived the attack that left me in a coma for three weeks, and in another year I will probably be able to walk again.
I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.
We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.
I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.
I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.
I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.
I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male.
I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.
I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that.
I am the man who died when the paramedics stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual.
I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didn’t have to always deal with society hating me.
I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don't believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind.
I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love.

~*~Repost this in your journal if you believe homophobia is wrong.~*~

~*~Spread the love. ~*~

And similarly...

I am the mother who told her lesbian daughter to invite her girlfriend over for dinner.

I am the father who punished his son for calling you a fag.

I am the preacher who told my congregation that love, not hate, is the definition of a true follower of God.

I am the girl who did not learn the meaning of "homosexual" until highschool but never thought to question why two men might be kissing.

I am the woman who argues (quite loudly and vehemently) with the bigots who insist that you do not have the right to marry or raise children.

We are the high school class who agrees, unanimously, along with our teacher, that love should be all that matters.

If you agree, repost this. Do it. You don't have to be afraid. You can handle it. You're stronger than you think.

Hate will not win.

Counting my blessings.

2008-12-25T04:48:04Z

Christmas is a time to be thankful for things, and sometimes we forget how fortunate we are. I myself have many things to be thankful for, so I'm going to list them here.

I'm thankful for my family. They've provided a good environment for me to grow up in and to help me learn and grow into the person I've become.

I'm thankful I'm going to college. I realize that many people these days don't have that opportunity and cannot build themselves a better life, and I am thankful that I've been granted that chance.

I'm thankful for the things I've achieved. I'm glad I've been able to get one diploma and head for another. I'm glad I've won medals in chess and done well in other things.

I'm thankful for those who have taught me. The teachers I've had through the years have been immensely helpful. There is no way I can ever repay some of you, but I'm thankful I had the opportunity to partake of your knowledge and wisdom and learn under you.

I'm thankful for those times I've been hurt. I've been hurt by others on some occasions, but I'm thankful for those experiences. I've found out as much, if not more, about myself from times I was hurt than from times I was treated well. There truly are some lessons which can only be taught by enemies and learned through hardship. I bear these people no ill will, only gratitude for their help.

I'm thankful for those who have had faith in me. I know for a long time I was a bit of a handful and troublesome, but many people had faith in me and assisted, pushing me to greater heights and helping me realize my potential. Had these people not given me this help, I'd be a very different person today.

And most of all, I'm thankful for my friends. Really, you guys are my family more than my real family. Some of you I've known for decades, some I've known only a few years, but you're all very valuable to me. From standing up for me when I needed help, to providing a shoulder when I needed one, to picking me up when I stumble, to offering advice, conversations, and just general help, you all have been a major influence on my life. And while it would be impossible to make a full list here, those of you who are my friends know. Even so, I'd like to offer particular thanks to Peter, Scott, Bryan, Jeff, Lunarkeys, Arsenic, and Archai. But even those not mentioned, I owe you immense gratitude and I only hope you all feel similar about me.

And before I forget...

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Pleasant Solstice, or just Happy Holidays!

MFF!

2008-11-20T00:43:43Z

For those interested:

My panel is 12-1PM on Sunday in room Willow B.

The MFF08 Avians Luncheon will be at 2PM on Saturday; anyone interested should meet in the hotel lobby at that time.

Also, if anyone wants Jelly Belly beans, I'm bringing Belly Flops again; I currently have 4-5 bags unspoken for.

Obligatory MFF post.

2008-11-02T02:41:22Z

So, with Midwest FurFest only a few weeks away, who is going to be there? Anyone who wants to meet up with me, drop a request here!

Free to good home!

2008-10-29T04:14:37Z

I have a 256MB 333MHz DDR RAM stick (SODIMM) I removed from my laptop some time ago; it should still work fine(it did when it was removed and has been stored in the plastic case the replacement RAM came in). Lacking any appropriate devices to place it in, in addition to the fact that such chips are selling for less than the cost of shipping on eBay, I've decided to just give it away.

Obviously, there's no guarantee that it works(other than the fact that there's no reason it shouldn't) or any warranty. It's just a leftover computer part I have absolutely no use for and am offering to give free to anyone who can arrange a physical meeting with me at MFF who wants it. (Or AC next year if noone at MFF wants it). So interested parties(or people with alternate suggestions or offers for what to do with it) please post here.

Avians Luncheon, MFF.

2008-07-22T17:15:33Z

Due to the unfortunate fact that, as plans currently stand, gryph0n will not be at MFF, I've decided to try and organize the Avians Luncheon from last year myself. I know I'm probably jumping the gun a slight bit, but I wanna try and get all these plans taken care of before college grabs and drowns me again.

So anyways, I was thinking that the Saturday afternoon slot worked well last year. According to Taniik, there's a Buca di Beppo's practically across the street that can be used in place of last year's Olive Garden. Would this work with everyone? Italian food on Saturday afternoon? If you can come, contact me in some fashion, and if you have an alternate suggestion, I'm open to them. :>

Winds and Wings?

2008-07-10T03:53:09Z

It's been suggested to me that I might want to run a panel at MFF08 for people with avian fursonas. While I've become a bit of a minor celebrity for public speaking in certain circles(and do such as a job as a tour guide), I was wondering if anyone who reads this journal has any thoughts, or suggestions about me doing such. Would you even want it?

Any ideas for what to chat about would be welcome, but I don't guarantee I'll bring them up if I do actually go through with this.

AnthroCon 2008!

2008-06-05T19:34:40Z

Who's going? Anyone want to meet up?

Thoughts on the Super Bowl.

2008-02-01T17:57:12Z

While I am not a football fan, I do feel the need to note that if I’m hoping about who wins the Super Bowl, it’ll be the Giants. Because the Patriots don’t deserve it.

While chess is my preferred non-video game competitive activity of choice, I do read the news, and I personally believe that the 2007 season of the New England Patriots should have ended on September 13th, 2007, when the NFL levied punishment on them for videotaping the play signals of the opposing team during their game on September 9th against the New York Jets.

Having been the mark used for cheating in an academic setting on more than one occasion, I am particularly harsh against it. While the coach was fined half a million dollars, the team a quarter million, and their first round draft pick was taken away for the 2008 draft, I think they should’ve been harsher. Their season should’ve been canceled, or at very least, they should’ve been deprived of all draft picks for this year as well as being ineligible for the 2007 playoffs.

I’m a college student. If I got caught cheating on a test,(Since my moral standards are comfortably above this mark, this will never happen) the best I can expect is for the professor to take my test, throw it away, and give me a zero on the test. If I get caught plagiarizing a paper or essay, I get an automatic F for the class. If I get caught plagiarizing AGAIN, I face expulsion. It should also be noted that cheating would almost certainly invalidate any scholarships I am currently recieving.

Getting a 0 on a test could be compared to having a game automatically assigned as a loss. Getting an automatic F for the class can be compared to having your season ended or not being allowed to enter the playoffs(no matter how hard you work after, the F is guaranteed). And scholarships, which are free money for education based on fulfilling certain conditions, can be compared to draft picks, which are free players(they have to be paid, but not actively recruited from other teams and they get no say in who picks them).

While 750K in fines and a first round draft pick being denied isn’t getting away with completely it in my understanding, it’s still significantly short of sending the message that cheating while in full knowledge of the fact that what you are doing is against the rules of your organization will absolutely not be tolerated.

Arrow Quivershaft

P.S. Open comments allowed, of any style. I don't punish people for speaking their minds, regardless of whether I agree.

While I doubt the relevant person will ever see this, I'm posting it anyways.

2008-01-28T18:37:04Z

Happy 49th, Keith. Sorry it's a day late!

Back to the grind...

2007-11-19T15:34:25Z

Back from MFF. Heading out to a test being held in 30m. Full con report to come later this week.

I'm gone!

2007-11-16T20:15:31Z

Leaving for MFF now! Seeya there! :D

...and counting.

2007-11-14T06:02:56Z

60 hours till I leave for MFF! :D

And another question...

2007-11-08T01:19:04Z

Who'll I be seeing at MFF in Chicago next weekend? Anyone want to set aside time with the bird, or anything?

Arrow Quivershaft

Would anyone be interested...

2007-11-08T01:15:15Z

Would anyone be interested if I started an IRC-based RP heavily borrowing from(or possibly wholesale stolen from) the now-defunct Augusta Falls RP setting?

Just trying to gauge possible interest, because I miss the setting and have begun considering restarting it, but I don't want to donate time if there won't be any interest.

Arrow Quivershaft

Minesweeper: The Movie

2007-10-25T03:04:29Z

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1770138

Apparently, I'm somewhat of a minor local celebrity. ovO

2007-10-15T00:59:58Z

The local autism group was planning another panel discussion on Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. I wasn't even informed of it, to be honest; they wanted to get some of the younger kids onto the panel to talk, and discuss things. Which was/is fine by me, even though I didn't know about it. I'm real busy, and my ego isn't so huge that it hurt.

Here's where it gets interesting, though. I just got a phone call from the leader of the group. Apparently, while handing out invitations, she got a number of people saying things on the order, "Oh, is [Arrow] gonna be there?" So she was seeing if I wanted to get on the panel. Which, of course, is somewhat of an ego boost; I accepted. If the public wants me, I guess I'll show up. But yeah...just thought I'd write this up.

Arrow Quivershaft

P.S. Does anyone want me to record the panel?

What happens when you die?

2007-09-29T00:32:42Z

Vhshier> Seriously though, is that how it works?
Vhshier> I don't believe, I die, I go to damnation.
HawthornCockatrice> No, you get a prompt saying: Do you want your possessions identified? (y/n)

Character design 101

2007-09-19T04:59:49Z

I've decided I want to add some form of identifying mark to my online avatar. This is a thread for people to suggest ideas/markings for my character to have, since I'm totally uncertain what to have. Just leave your idea in a comment. Thanks.

Arrow Quivershaft

red_tailed_hawk @ 2007-08-25T12:26:00

2007-08-25T17:32:37Z

If you haven't heard, I recently got a job at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, giving tours on the USS Cobia, a decommissioned WWII submarine. Since it's in my best interest to be as knowledgeable as I can about the sub, and since some of you could be interested, I'm opening this post up as an open forum to test my knowledge, or just ask questions.

Anyways, fire away!

Arrow Quivershaft