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[valley_parade]

Neither am I.

On the other hand, that Firebird served me well for a few years.

[Barmymoo]

I wish I had gone to see my godmother before she died. I knew she had cancer, I knew it was likely to be the last time I would see her, but I was too busy flirting. Stupid twelve-year-old self, she was far more important than that boy whose name you can't even remember. But I think she would have understood that I was finding it hard to take it all in - she was the first, and so far (incredibly) the only, person I knew who died. But I learnt my lesson and am going to visit my elderly and not very healthy grandmother next month, even though she probably won't know who I am.

Guys guys guys I just applied for the BEST JOB EVER I really hope I get it! 28 hours a week helping organise family events at a local National Trust house. It would be so great! I love the National Trust and I love kids and I could actually get to this place by bus unlike most National Trust places and oh it would be so perfect. Also I have an interview for the cleaning agency next week and that would be once a week and I just started volunteering at the hospice once or twice a week, although that's unpaid, and soon hopefully I'll get an interview for the cafe job in town which is two days a week. Basically after months of desert it looks like lots of little springs are starting to appear and soon I'll be drowning in work opportunities! I hope.

[Patrick]

Oh May, I hope you get the job with the National Trust! It'd be really good to see you get a job you like! I've been having a similar springing-up of oases lately. I think it might have something to do with the whole "it is turning into summer in this hemisphere" thing, but that's a good thing anyway.

One of the things that sprung up today was the fact that I called to check up on a resumé at a brewery/alehouse in Berkeley called Triple Rock. I checked back in person a while ago, but they weren't hiring. So I called, asked for the manager I'd spoken to, and explained why I wasn't there in person (it's time and money consuming to get there from Livermore!), and he was like "Oh hey, glad you called! Yeah we're gonna be making some phone calls within the next couple of days. Yeah man, I definitely remember you, you're on the list of people I'm calling!" So that really made my day.

Another good thing that's happened is that my bandmate and I finally got some of the video from a show we played early last month! We had a lot of fun at that show (thanks, fo'ties of Olde English!) and we were really happy with our performance. The only one that's been uploaded so far is our performance of "Rust." The very beginning and the very end got cut off, but I'm really proud of it anyway. Here's the link for anybody interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN9TfL4z9lk

[Jimor]

Good luck, May, that sounds like an awesome job! Lots of other good things heading your way, I'm sure.

(Sorry, another long one)
Yesterday was my debut as a TV director for the music show the access station I work for produces. We tape 2 acts each shoot, and for the first one I was in my usual position on camera. That was a 4-piece metal act that was pretty good. Also cool guys and very professional. 2nd act was a 7-piece experimental industrial goth-ish act led by a guy who was really into establishing a "good vibe" for the shoot. No you can't burn incense because the last time we allowed any kind of smoke in the studio, the fire alarm was set off and we got a $1500 fine from the fire dept.

So I got to tell the 3 cameras what to shoot (yelling into the headset so they could hear me on the floor in the middle of a very loud band), and call which of the 3 cameras was live for the recording.

The directing part worked out ok, and once I was into it, the nervousness went away, but on the floor it was easily the biggest disaster we've had for a shoot. Because of the size of the band and the limits of our sound system, the band brought in their own sound guy and PA so they could have proper monitors to hear themselves. This is actually the preferred setup for louder acts. We just plug into the feed from the sound guy and go.

(Editing out a long paragraph): in short, the band sucked, the sound guy didn't know shit, and the leader of the band was easily the biggest drama queen we've ever had. I'm not sure why the rest of the band put up with him, though I'm sure the turnover is ridiculous.

Directing is a weird phenomenon (For school I directed an episode of a news magazine show, and a game show, so I wasn't totally a rookie). There's a tunnel vision focused on the transitions more than the actual content. So even though I'm watching and listening to everything in the performance, I'm looking for when to switch cameras in time with the music and thinking ahead to the next possible shot, so hardly any of it is processed into memory.

This also means I'm judging my own performance based on that part of what happened rather than on all that other crap beyond my control. The producer was actually pleased with how well it turned out despite the issues and thanked me for working through it all. The sad thing is that the bad taste from how the singer acted and the incompetence of the sound guy means that I'm not particularly interested in seeing the final product. There will be lots of other opportunities, though.

One thing I learned from this is that as I do my own show or other videos with the local music community, I really don't have time for people's bullshit. There's far too many good people who are amazingly talented that I'd like to help promote with my videos for me to waste time and effort with those can't be arsed to care or are just going to make it difficult. The weakness of the station's show is that they are beholden to certain outside influences in choosing the acts, while for my show or gig shoots, it's purely based on the fact that I find somebody I feel is worth supporting, both as musicians and people.

[Barmymoo]

Thanks guys I just got an email back from the guy I applied to and it said basically "fill out this application form and we might get in touch but probably not because lots of other people have applied as well" which was less encouraging (it said on the website to apply by email with a CV and covering letter, and now they are saying they can't accept CVs? Make your mind up) but it would still be an awesome job so I guess I'll just re-apply with the form. I hate application forms, they always ask irrelevant and intrusive questions like the one that wanted to know how much I weigh. I was so angry about that one that I reported them to BBC Watchdog.

I also got a call from the office job I applied for yesterday, and they wanted to interview me tomorrow, but in the course of arranging that he realised I didn't have a car, which would make it virtually impossible to get there - the job will start at 6am. Why do they not put these things on the job adverts?! It definitely implied office hours. Bah.

[valley_parade]

One of the things that sprung up today was the fact that I called to check up on a resumé at a brewery/alehouse in Berkeley called Triple Rock.

It's 3:00 at the Triple Rock, another round of watching Paddy talk

 

[Thomas Edison]

Directing is a weird phenomenon (For school I directed an episode of a news magazine show, and a game show, so I wasn't totally a rookie)

Bah, I'm really gutted I missed out on our third year's news magazine show. All the first years were filling in as and where they were needed (from runners to camera ops), but I was in the editing suite with my editor trying to put the final touches on our end of year film. The annoying thing is the studio was right next to us so I could hear all the hubbub and it sounded like so much funnnnnn.

[Patrick]

One of the things that sprung up today was the fact that I called to check up on a resumé at a brewery/alehouse in Berkeley called Triple Rock.

It's 3:00 at the Triple Rock, another round of watching Paddy talk

 

See? NOFX at least thinks I'm cool.

[David_Dovey]

Damn shame no one thinks NOFX is cool then 

[Scandanavian War Machine]

i did!

like ten years ago

[Patrick]

Whatever my mom still loves me

[Spluff]

nobody thinks your mum is cool either

[valley_parade]

Damn shame no one thinks NOFX is cool then 

That and it's about the Triple Rock bar/venue in MINNEAPOLIS, Patrick. Geez dude.


So uh, I'm not sure what/why/how this happened, but last night, my local McDonald's had cheeseburgers for $0.24 each. After a fun night at the bar, where we did bad at trivia but very good at Drink The Beer, my friend Jay (who I will be going to Boston with tomorrow for PARADETIEMZ) decided we should stop in and order a Horton (18 burgers and a high-five).

We each did this and ate a few, and gave some to friends. There's now a bag in my fridge containing a dozen cold cheeseburgers that I really don't feel like eating. Hurray, capitalism and gluttony?

[BrittanyMarie]

i watched the best girlfight with paddy once. one of the chicks was the bartender. she won. also the triple rock is a venue i like; they have free bacon wednesdays. i mean, generally the shows i go to in the cities are at first ave/seventh st entry but the triple rock is rad too (BACON)

also i am a hoarder for real. one of the best experts on it in the world says to focus your energy on one small part at a time, like the corner of a couch or like, a basket. not a full room or anything cuz that's too overwhelming. then you get three boxes, one for things to keep, one for things to donate and one for things to throw away. you put the things into the boxes-like if there's a shoe and you know you have the match, instead of going and finding the other shoe and putting it away, just put it in the box for now. after you're done with your target area, you go back through the box of stuff to keep and then you can put them away. most hoarders have a tendency to use too many categories and that's where we get stuck. the process has helped me a lot so far... though i still have like a 2 foot high carpet of dirty clothes in my bedroom.

[The Seldom Killer]

Just seven weeks since I started working at that great hallowed british institution The Royal Mail, and we've all had an "Annual Results Meeting". The news isn't good. Over the past five years business has declined 20% and the expectation is that it will continue to decline 5% year on year. This is all neatly spun in the public facing reports but internally the message is that the company is heading down the pan. As one of the most recent temps to start working there, I'm in the least secure position based on the usual practice of last in first out.

I'd been hired on the premise that the job should last at least a year. I suspect that it would be wise to start looking for work again immediately.

Shitty biscuits.

[pwhodges]

My only unmarried child, my daughter (age 39), got engaged last night.  Apparently he went down on one knee 'n all; also embarrassed her by asking her while they were out in the company of friends.

[Barmymoo]

Guys something very exciting has happened but it is not my exciting news to tell so I guess I'll have to wait until the person tells you themselves but I'm super excited about it (and you probably won't even realise that it was the thing I was excited about when you find out but here is me telling you right now that I'm excited about it).

[LeeC]

Damn, just got tagged in a video from an old friend of mine on FB.  It was pretty much a Farwell letter to me and others because the doctor just sent him an email saying that he is still on the mysterious disease list but he is suffering from multiple organ failure.  Damn. 

[pwhodges]

The doctor sent that by email ?

[richlitt]

That's pretty cool about your daughter, hodges.

And man, that sort of information should not be sent by email. Like...seriously.

[Zingoleb]

Congratulations, Paul!

I've found a book called Edward the Dyke.

[valley_parade]

Guys something very exciting has happened but it is not my exciting news to tell so I guess I'll have to wait until the person tells you themselves but I'm super excited about it (and you probably won't even realise that it was the thing I was excited about when you find out but here is me telling you right now that I'm excited about it).

*drumroll*


Nah, just kidding. It's not my news, either. I could just offer up a ridiculous guess at what it would be.

[Barmymoo]

ARGH so you might remember that I am trying to find a job but in the interim trying to claim JobSeekers Allowance. About two weeks ago I spent the entire day on the phone, talking to three different JobCentre offices, my college, and Student Finance, about getting hold of proof that I'm not currently a student and not receiving student finance. At 4.30 that day I'd managed to get college to fax over a letter (great) and Student Finance to agree to type a letter and post it to me so that I could take it to the JobCentre myself (less great but fine if it actually happened).

Well, it didn't happen. I have another JobSeekers appointment tomorrow (they're fortnightly) so I just rang Student Finance to see why the letter hadn't turned up yet and the guy I spoke to, who I have carefully noted down is called Craig, told me that it wasn't actually possible for them to send out letters from their office and my request would have to be referred to their assessors, who would think about it. ARGHHHHHHH first of all why didn't they tell me this two weeks ago, and secondly why the HELL can they not just type a few lines saying "This person no longer receives Student Finance, her final payment was on November 20th"?

ARGH ARGH ARGH this is just getting ridiculous.

[valley_parade]

Donc, it turns out I can get off the train I'm taking to Boston on Friday at Back Bay Station, which is a meer two blocks from my rather swanky (for a hostel) looking hostel.

With this newfound not-riding-the-T time found, I've made a reservation at a nearby restaurant/jazz club for dinner. This weekend will be awesome. Dinner at a decent restaurant, two friends that don't really post here anymore getting married, and a punk show! And I've never been on a proper train before, aside from commuter rails.

[Patrick]

I have open mic tonight, an interview tomorrow, and I am excited about neither. Maybe I'm just mildly depressed or something today.

[Tom]

I have almost had it with this city's abundance of roaches. I just found two 6cm long, jet black 4 winged crawling across an utterly clean surface. What really drives me mental is that I've never seen roaches this big in any other city than sydney. Americans, you think our spiders and snakes are obscene but you haven't seen anything.

[LeeC]

what city are you in that has all those roaches?

[Zingoleb]

sydney

[LeeC]

D'oh, still waking up my bad.

[Patrick]

I have almost had it with this city's abundance of roaches. I just found two 6cm long, jet black 4 winged crawling across an utterly clean surface. What really drives me mental is that I've never seen roaches this big in any other city than sydney. Americans, you think our spiders and snakes are obscene but you haven't seen anything.

Oh come on man, the American South has huge fuckin cockroaches. I grew up in Georgia and we had em bigger there, probably 7-8cm long. The kind that leave you standing 1cm taller when you smash 'em underfoot. Sorry to break it to you but our roaches reign supreme, you're just gonna have to be content with your toxic wildlife and be satisfied with that gold medal. Don't be greedy.

Most of my friends here in Livermore, as it turns out, suck ass. Nobody wants to hang out or do anything except for be stoned and antisocial. Fuck, when I'm baked I at LEAST have the goddamn common courtesy of being productive instead of just vegetating on the televisor. Ugh. I don't even know why people watch TV.

[Zingoleb]

I was just in the local tattoo shop, where this white, crewcut military guy was being asked lots of questions by a rather...slow individual:

"What kind of tattoo is that?"
"It's a tribal tat."
"Oh, really, what tribe are you from?"

[Darkbluerabbit]

Are they actually slow, or just being a discreet smartass about white dudes getting tribal tattoos?

[Tom]

Hey ah Pat, those ones are normal. I'm complaining about the domestic pests in Australia which are huge, numerous and varied. The ones you're describing are certainly big but they are a natural member of that ecosystem.

[Jimmy the Squid]

Do the roaches in Georgia fly?

The ones in Sydney can fly. It's completely fucked.

[Patrick]

Idunno if they flew, I never witnessed it myself, but they certainly made a nice big splatter on the floor

[Jace]

One time I saw some sewer roaches that were like 6"-9" long. all dead but all over the place at this apartment complex.

[The Seldom Killer]

Are they actually slow, or just being a discreet smartass about white dudes getting tribal tattoos?

Although I suppose it would depend on the nature of the "tribal" tattoo but what's the problem with that? People should feel free to hand their hat on whatever cultural peg they feel like as long as they do so with honesty and integrity. Of course I say that as a white person and realise that there is no culture that we won't relentlessly absorb, integrate and subsume, but hey, that's our culture.

[Zingoleb]

Are they actually slow, or just being a discreet smartass about white dudes getting tribal tattoos?

Actually slow. One time he was following me around the music store telling me when he was possessed by Satan and his skin turned red and he grew horns and a tail. I was like, "Dude, this violin here? I'm trying to play this violin here," but he kept going on about how he was saved by Jeayseusah.

[Lupercal]

ARGH so you might remember that I am trying to find a job but in the interim trying to claim JobSeekers Allowance. About two weeks ago I spent the entire day on the phone, talking to three different JobCentre offices, my college, and Student Finance, about getting hold of proof that I'm not currently a student and not receiving student finance. At 4.30 that day I'd managed to get college to fax over a letter (great) and Student Finance to agree to type a letter and post it to me so that I could take it to the JobCentre myself (less great but fine if it actually happened).

Well, it didn't happen. I have another JobSeekers appointment tomorrow (they're fortnightly) so I just rang Student Finance to see why the letter hadn't turned up yet and the guy I spoke to, who I have carefully noted down is called Craig, told me that it wasn't actually possible for them to send out letters from their office and my request would have to be referred to their assessors, who would think about it. ARGHHHHHHH first of all why didn't they tell me this two weeks ago, and secondly why the HELL can they not just type a few lines saying "This person no longer receives Student Finance, her final payment was on November 20th"?

ARGH ARGH ARGH this is just getting ridiculous.

That is quite shit. Student Finance are incompetent. Entirely. They can't use their own computer systems, the papers and post they recieve from parents trying to get a larger allowance due to lower income goes to a completely DIFFERENT building to the one they send it to (sorted etc) and so this is why so many of my friends and my girlfriend have all but given up trying to do anything with them. What baffles me is that they are in charge of thousands if not millions of people's livelihoods for 3+ years, essentially. And they never do anything right.

On top of that, I think that Job Center (if that is what you're going for for your Allowance) is pretty awful too. They'll pay you, but they really don't help people get jobs, as my brother knows first hand. He gets no calls and nothing from the fortnightly meetings he attends. Its one of those things I also wonder at because tax payers are essentially paying out for those who have no jobs to have money to live on - fair enough. But my brother has been perfectly able to work and just chooses not to, and is getting benefits for it. Its just a terrible system.

That was a pretty awful post of mine, but I guess I'm saying I know how you feel.

[pwhodges]

I have a new puppy; pictures in a while photo thread.

[Zingoleb]

My friend came over last night to wait in my apartment. Apparently my neighbours were fucking and he was waiting for them to finish and get dressed because he was giving them a ride somewhere. After about fifteen minutes, there's a knock on my door, to which I yell, "DON'T COME IN, WE'RE FUCKING" before throwing open the door to find my other neighbour standing there...and his five year old granddaughter.

[Patrick]

Dear blag,

I'll reiterate: ALL MY FRIENDS SUCK ASS. I have seriously made plans with like 5 different people, all of whom flaked because they were "Too tired" or otherwise afflicted with some lame excuse. Man, take a fuckin' nap and stop cancelling on a nigga every single time you make plans with him.

[0bsessions]

Oh hey, I'm relatively married now.

[McTaggart]

Neat!

[snalin]

relative to what?

[Barmymoo]

I never did get Student Finance to sort themselves out but for some reason the JobCentre decided to process my claim anyway so I am finally receiving JSA. And I have an interview next week for the amazing National Trust job that I really want! Fingers crossed

[The Seldom Killer]

Man, take a fuckin' nap and stop cancelling on a nigga every single time you make plans with him.

You do realise that on the most recent page of the Photo's there is a picture that you posted that portrays you as one of the whitest, Johnny Cash, motherfuckers around here.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of pan-cultural linguistic cross-pollination but somewhere you've got to clock a limit sunshine.

[The Seldom Killer]

Oh and thanks for reminding me to rewatch some Boondocks.

[Dazed]

Congrats Jon

[Tom]

So my older sister got a book at Christmas time worth $50, she already had a copy so she got the receipt off of the gifting aunt. Neither my sister nor my mother thought it was prudent to check the store's refund policy (store credit, within 30 days of purchase) and follow through. Fast forward to today, I'm on mid-year break and I need some books to read. When mum asks me what my plans are today I say I'm going to the same bookstore to use my gift-voucher, naturally: oh in that case you can return your sisters book and get a refund. I tell her to hold on a sec while I check the refund policy. She suggests taking the book with me and trying even though 6 months is a hella long time from purchase. I then send an email to store just to placate her. The reply email says: unfortunately we cannot return the book that you requested, simply because if we extended our policy for you it would mean we would have to do it for everyone. Yea fair enough, I know the world doesn't owe me shit. When I tell mum about it she tells me I would have had a better chance if I tried in store and once again it was my defeatist attitude that brought about this inevitable response. This is bull of course because regardless of how emotive and persuasive you are rules are rules and there are no speech checks.