Idealcrap

OK, so I have a couple of reasons why I haven’t been writing.  The first is, someone hacked my website and screwed everything up.  Some of you will remember a couple of weeks ago you would get some kind of error message; that was because my website was completely screwed.  It’s still not right but I think I have it fixed enough to start posting again.  I will have the time in the next couple of days to see if I can fix the problem for good and get back to things.

There are several other things that have caused me to stop writing and I’m going to get into them in just a minute.  I’m not going to get into them in any depth at the moment because it would be too much to write.  However, I’m going to write out some simple, declarative sentences and hope that most of you get the point.

I don’t work at the Hard Rock anymore.

I now live in Desert Hot Springs, CA with OMD.

OMD and I are engaged.

I don’t have a job but will begin looking for one shortly.

Luckily, OMD has a very good job.

We have a beautiful house in a very small town with no furniture.

My furniture will be here by the end of the week and I can’t wait.  A tile floor is not nearly as comfortable as it looks.

I just got done driving out here from Tampa and I learned a few things on my long trek across the county.  I learned…

… that Oklahoma is the only thing uglier then west Texas.

… that Desert Hot Springs looks a lot like west Texas.

… that I will risk running out of gas in the middle of nowhere instead of buy gas from BP.

… that people in west Texas don’t clean the bathrooms in gas stations.

… that Desert Hot Springs is hot as hell in the daytime but actually very pleasant in the evening.  I’m currently sitting on my patio in my underwear typing this and it’s beautiful.

… that Desert Hot Springs looks like hell after the fire’s go out.

… that I really missed OMD.

Now, since I have nothing to do for the next week while I wait for my furniture to be delivered I will finally have the time to put into the website and see if I can fix it.  Then I will begin writing again because there is plenty to write about.

I’m thinking of trying to restart the forum for all of the people that still work for the Hard Rock to discuss things since I won’t be writing about them anymore.  Let me know in comments if that is something that you would like for me to do.

In the near future I will tell you about my departure from the Hard Rock and my overall impression of them as a company.

I hope everyone is doing well and I will weigh in on what happened before I left and try to keep the information flowing about the new openings.

Peace, love and good happiness stuff.

Matt

I’m sorry that I haven’t written in awhile but I’ve had a lot on my mind and have made some very big decisions in the past week.  I will write about that tomorrow or Thursday to keep everyone up to date.  Until then I do need to pass on what I know about the transfers and stuff.

I’ve checked with several of my sources and this is what I’m hearing about Coconut Creek.  Evidently, last year when they did the hiring for Coconut Creek they promised people they would be hired for that property.  I had heard about this at the time but never really believed it.  Evidently I was wrong.  Anyway, all of those people are going to be offered that spot first and I’ve heard they are over staffed with just those people.  I’ve also been told they are only going to open 10 tables which would explain the fact they are overstaffed.  With that being said, it would appear that unless you have been offered the job at Coconut Creek last year, you won’t be getting in there.

That leaves us with the other properties.  There has been a note up at that scheduling office that tells everyone to be on the look out for transfer opportunities to the other properties.  The note says that all transfer opportunities will be posted internally.  I haven’t seen any postings and I look everyday because I’m hoping there will be a posting for poker dealers.

What makes that last paragraph seem utterly pointless is I actually know someone who has already been offered a job in Hollywood and will be transferring next week.  He’s transferring as a full floor but I still never knew that any positions had been posted.  Since I’m not trying to transfer down there I’m not really on top of everything that is going on.

I’m going to quickly address a comment from Jeannie on my post about the Arizona immigration law.  First, I would like to thank you for the intelligent and well thought out comment.  If I have the time I will make a full post but for now let me say this.  I agree with almost everything you say.  Illegal immigration is a huge problem in this country and something needs to be done.  However, this is a federal issue that needs to be addressed by the federal government.  I understand the frustration of states when the feds seem to be averse to taking on a problem that is so obvious.

My problem with the law is the implementation.  The wording of the law makes it legal for an officer to stop someone because they believe the person might be illegal.  This type of wording makes racial profiling legal.  I’m waiting to see whether or not the police use the wording to enforce the law.  They may choose to only ask people for papers when executing a normal stop.  (ie, the example you used about being stopped for speeding.)

Without the authority to grant citizenship it makes it impossible for a state to ratify immigration laws.  Our immigration laws are broken.  You will get no argument from me on that score.  I just believe this is the wrong way to go about trying to enforce the law.

Not for nothing but I use to date a woman that was in this country illegally and she had a driver’s license so I don’t know how that is proof of legal status.

Peace, love and good happiness stuff.

Matt

A conversation I recently had with a friend I haven’t thought up a name for.

Her, “I’m not sure I like my new iPhone.”

Me, “Would you like me to show you how to use it?”

Her, “How do you know how to use an iPhone?”

Me, “I have penis.  I don’t need maps or instructions to electronic equipment.”

Peace, love and good happiness stuff.

Matt

Here is an article you can read if you want but I wouldn’t if I were you.  I wish I hadn’t.  Anyway, the important thing is that on page 5 it says that the new compact will go into effect in July.  It doesn’t say a date, just July but since we have been assuming it will be July 1st this works for me.

More later.

Peace, love and good happiness stuff.

Matt

Ahhhhhh, Ketel One, how I love thee.  Ok, I’m going to answer the questions raised by FoolsGold and X Roulette Queen in a minute but first I have to tell you a story about tonight.

In the lobby bar at work we have these eternal flame candles that decorate two walls.  I don’t have a picture of them but they’re frosted glass bowls, about the size of cereal bowls, which are hooked up to natural gas.  Now, from time to time the flames go out and anyone that’s had gas in their house knows that after a few minutes you can smell it.  So anyway, the smell of gas is starting to get pretty bad.  Have no fear, here comes a bar back with a matchbook.

Every heard the expression, don’t check for a gas leak with a match?  Yep, you guessed it, my boy lights a match and BOOM!  Now, here’s where it gets funny.  Evidently he learned his lesson because now he’s striking matches and throwing them at the bowls to get them to light.  I stood there, on a live game, mesmerized, just waiting for this kid to set the lobby bar on fire.

In the comments for yesterday’s post, FoolsGold and someone else accused me of being unprofessional for calling one of my bacc players a cocksucker.  I would love to argue with them but I can’t.  They’re absolutely right.  There is no excuse for that.  Instead, I’m going to try and let you in on my thinking at the time, not as an excuse, but in an attempt to let you into my mind.

First, I want to give you an example that will be relevant for the rest of the story.  A woman I didn’t know and had never seen before sits down at my table and I start chatting her up.  Turns out she’s George.  She only played for about 30 minutes but I made 150 dollars from her.   Just to give you an example, for the other seven and half hours of my shift I made 10 dollars.

Now, here is the problem with the Rock in particular and local joints in general.  You see the same people every night.  This is great for the players that are nice and tip because everyone is glad to see them and you can actually develop a good relationship with them.  However, for the fleas, it ruins you’re night because you know you’re working for free.

But it isn’t just the fact that their stiff.  They go out of their way to make your job difficult.  If you have a full table on Blackjack there’s a good chance that one of the people is an asshole.  That isn’t that bad because the odds are, the other six people aren’t.  You can go about your business having fun with the other six people and just ignore the asshole.  On bacc, this isn’t possible.

I understand that everybody’s job has something about it that sucks; that’s why it’s work.  But we all put up with those things because we enjoy getting paid.  Some people have jobs that provide them with personal fulfillment but mine isn’t one of them.

I would like for everyone that isn’t a dealer to take a second and mentally put your self in my place.  You have to stand for long periods of time doing repetitive work for eight hours.  You’re employee doesn’t care enough about you to even make sure the air you breath is clean and they only pay you minimum wage and tell you to fend for yourself.  I’m not complaining, I’m telling you what it’s like in my world.  I know full well that I pick this business and could leave if I wanted too.

Now, add to this seven people that are openly rude and going out of their way to make doing your job as difficult as possible.  To top all of that off, you have been putting up with this behavior for the last 14 months from the same people.  From experience you know you’re not getting a fucking dime.  Why would I bother trying to make their experience fun?

Imagine myself and six of my friends following you around at work, being rude to you and doing everything we can to make your job as difficult as possible.  Now imagine my friends and me  showing up every day.  For fourteen months.  Then imagine your boss telling you he’s going to pay you minimum wage and if you want to make more money then you should get my friends and I to tip you. 

You ask why I would say that to players that might tip me.  My answer is simple.  I know I wasn’t going to get tipped.  All of the people at the table were a known quantity.  I would never say something like to someone I didn’t know.  But seriously, if you’ve stiffed me for fourteen months, I know how the story ends.

Peace, love and good happiness stuff.

Matt