I just reviewed footage of the SWAT dynamic entrance/hostage rescue at the supermarket in France. I really, really hope that was GIGN, because the initial entry was fucking embarrassing on an international scale.
Protip: If your point man makes entry you FOLLOW HIM THROUGH THE FUCKING DOOR. CQB is all about dynamic, high speed violence, the hostages do not have the time for you to peek around the door and pussy foot about, you need to be through the entry, clear of the vortex of fire and engaging targets as quickly as humanly possible, because the faster you are the better chance everyone who isn't a bad guy has of living.
I hope the French officer who made entry and got left with his ass in the wind is handing out some serious lumps to the rest of his stack in the squad bay tonight.
Seems the woman hostage that was killed - a mother of three and a barrister by profession - was hit by police bullets that ricocheted. When I first heard this, I thought it was a shame, but in such a situation.... now, after reading the above, I wonder just how badly the police fucked up, and who's going to pay the price.
OK, blog time. So I got a job at Macy's for the holidays, and have been asked to stay on. It's part time. I've also been hired by the church as sexton (which means cleaning and maintenance), also part time.
With the Beer Barn and teaching online, that's
four part time jobs. Ends still aren't meeting, but the gap is a little smaller, my mom's still helping. I sleep when I can, and am only on here now because things are a bit slower after the holidays (although it's inventory time at macy's, I have an overnight shift Monday 7 PM - 4 AM).
At Macy's I started on the dock unloading trucks, and moved on into "fulfillment", which means filling, packing and shipping online orders. I actually enjoy it - it's a challenge, computer heavy and I don't have to deal with customers. Hell, most days I'm all by my lonesome in the shipping room.
The church is... a challenge. It's huge, and I keep finding things that need serious repair, or haven't been cleaned in
years. But I love the place, the architecture, the people - it's a privilege. It's also $12 an hour, where Macy's is $7.75, and the Beer Barn's $8.75.
The Beer Barn, you may recall, lost its lease. We found a place nearby, which is good because all our clientele is local. It's actually a
much better location. And to top it off, the owner has told me that after the move, she's going to make me manager (rather than her nephew, who never filled out the state liquor control board's paperwork to be manager). We'll see how it shakes out, but that would mean a raise (almost double the money) and a minimum of 30 hours a week (mandated by the state LCB). If that happens, I'll be dropping Macy's like a hot potato, but keeping the sexton job and the online teaching. I'm... hopeful, but not hanging everything on it. The place has issues. I can probably fix several of them, but it's a weird business that can be upended anytime by the state legislature changing the archaic liquor laws. Or by a well-heeled competitor moving into the region, which may be happening. We'll see. It may be a case of being given the wheel of a sinking ship...
And my mother has been bugging me to go back to school for something useful. I start classes at the online school where I teach in February. Decided on accounting, just an associates, so I can take care of the beer barn's books - the old man (the owner's brother in law) who does them has been slipping a bit, he's missed a few local filings, and at one point inventory was off by over 60 cases (it was an invoice error). February's also when the beer barn moves, if all goes according to plan and the LCB moves at a decent pace. It
is a state agency, though...
So the upshot is, you probably won't see me much around here for a while.
Again.
I miss you guys. It's nice to be able to just show up once in a while and say hi!
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Topic: Blog Thread 4; Live Free or Blog Hard - 'cos we all like blogging (Read 557945 times)