Thursday, February 26, 2004
Sinus infection redux. Does someone have a home remedy to recommend? Flonase only offers temporary relief, and most any OTC medication containing decongestants knocks me out. (This is the second go-round of the bug I've had since mid-January. Blugh.)
Much drama from the office today. Maybe someday I can fully disclose what's going on, but as it stands, I don't have many options. I'll just leave it at that, and say, whew. Stressful day.
Perhaps I can consider this recent tenure as résumé-gussy-up material. It is incredibly frustrating, especially being surrounded by people with decades of tenure. My recent go-round at WCOM was the longest stint I've had anywhere. I'm beginning to believe that the wave of the future (other than outsourcing, anyway) is working a series of jobs for relatively short (~5 year) periods. It's basically long-term temp work. Hey, low-wage earners can't escape it, so exempt employees may as well be next.
Next task: Figure out how to distill Concord Network E-Health reports in other ways, using only Microsoft Excel, because there's no way someone's going to drop $10K in my lap to get a decent statistical analysis package. (You'd think someone would learn how to use the custom options inherent in Concord, but nooooooooooooo.)
OK, whine mode disengaged.
On to Bosco's for a few semi-cold ones. I hope they have the Altbier in the cask.
Much drama from the office today. Maybe someday I can fully disclose what's going on, but as it stands, I don't have many options. I'll just leave it at that, and say, whew. Stressful day.
Perhaps I can consider this recent tenure as résumé-gussy-up material. It is incredibly frustrating, especially being surrounded by people with decades of tenure. My recent go-round at WCOM was the longest stint I've had anywhere. I'm beginning to believe that the wave of the future (other than outsourcing, anyway) is working a series of jobs for relatively short (~5 year) periods. It's basically long-term temp work. Hey, low-wage earners can't escape it, so exempt employees may as well be next.
Next task: Figure out how to distill Concord Network E-Health reports in other ways, using only Microsoft Excel, because there's no way someone's going to drop $10K in my lap to get a decent statistical analysis package. (You'd think someone would learn how to use the custom options inherent in Concord, but nooooooooooooo.)
OK, whine mode disengaged.
On to Bosco's for a few semi-cold ones. I hope they have the Altbier in the cask.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Y'know, I really need to drag out my old cassettes.
When I started amassing anything remotely resembling my own music collection, I was a cassette tape fanatic. That coincides with my favored mode of listening to music at the time, which was jacked into a Walkman.
I probably have something on the order of 300 - 400 factory cassettes, and heaven only knows how many dubs.
I've been considering a number of ideas for submissions to the next HH issue, and one of them is how the music of my youth stands up for me today. After recently acquiring a copy of Bad Brains I Against I, and having listened the bits off the disc, I gotta say that it holds up for me like a comfy pair of Doc Martens. Going even further back, I have found that even Adam Ant still has this thing for me which transcends nostalgia. That is, I can listen to this stuff today, and it appeals to me in ways that I would not have even expected at the age of 17. At least, I don't think so. 17-year-old me hardly conceived of making it to 21, much less 35.
Which, by the way, I surpassed that mark on Feb. 6 -- sharing my day of birth with Babe Ruth, Bob Marley, Tom Brokaw, and ... Ronald Reagan.
When I started amassing anything remotely resembling my own music collection, I was a cassette tape fanatic. That coincides with my favored mode of listening to music at the time, which was jacked into a Walkman.
I probably have something on the order of 300 - 400 factory cassettes, and heaven only knows how many dubs.
I've been considering a number of ideas for submissions to the next HH issue, and one of them is how the music of my youth stands up for me today. After recently acquiring a copy of Bad Brains I Against I, and having listened the bits off the disc, I gotta say that it holds up for me like a comfy pair of Doc Martens. Going even further back, I have found that even Adam Ant still has this thing for me which transcends nostalgia. That is, I can listen to this stuff today, and it appeals to me in ways that I would not have even expected at the age of 17. At least, I don't think so. 17-year-old me hardly conceived of making it to 21, much less 35.
Which, by the way, I surpassed that mark on Feb. 6 -- sharing my day of birth with Babe Ruth, Bob Marley, Tom Brokaw, and ... Ronald Reagan.
New (to me) acquisitions on compact disc:
Tommy Womack, Positively Na Na (Checkered Past, 1998). For those of you who've read my screed in The High Hat's #3 issue, you'll already know that I like Tommy's work. This CD is no exception. Of particular note is his paean to The Dead Boys et. al, "Whatever Happened to Cheetah Chrome?" His tale of childhood revenge fantasies, "Skinny & Small," is also a lot of fun. That's what you get with Tommy. Fun. (I'm serious, find yourself a copy of Cheese Chronicles if you like music, and you like a good laugh. This book is a fast read, and it's indispensible if you've ever longed to live the rock 'n roll life.)
Superchunk, Tossing Seeds (Singles 88 - 91) (Merge, 1991). What I know about Superchunk could fill a thimble. Common wisdom says that if you're going to check them out, look to their early stuff. Based on at least 4 listens, I would say that's worthwhile advice. Crunching guitars, intelligent pop lyrics, uptempo bruisers. I can see what the fuss was about.
Joe Ely, Streets of Sin (Rounder, 2003). Venerable rocker in cowboy boots sneaks a release in under the radar, just as The Flatlanders issue their 3rd album (Wheels of Fortune, (New West, 2004)) in 3 decades and change. It's encouraged me to dig out copies of Musta Notta Gotta Lotta and Honky Tonk Masquerade. Joe's style might not be as juke-joint-shakin' as his "Fingernails" era output, but this is worth having if you're a fan. And I'm a fan.
Guided By Voices, Jellyfish Reflector (live recording, 1996). From the Under the Bushes, Under the Stars tour. Gotta say, this one doesn't grab my attention until they run through what they call their "new stuff." Maybe that's because that's about the time Bob would have gotten a decent buzz on. This is so-so quality bootage. It sounds OK, but Bob loses pitch a few too many times for my taste. I do like 'em live, but as the saying goes, "You really had to be there." RIYL GbV, otherwise, it's an easy pass.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Beasts of No Nation/O.D.O.O. (FAK via MCA Recordings, 2001). Two half-hour cuts, zero bullshit.
Tommy Womack, Positively Na Na (Checkered Past, 1998). For those of you who've read my screed in The High Hat's #3 issue, you'll already know that I like Tommy's work. This CD is no exception. Of particular note is his paean to The Dead Boys et. al, "Whatever Happened to Cheetah Chrome?" His tale of childhood revenge fantasies, "Skinny & Small," is also a lot of fun. That's what you get with Tommy. Fun. (I'm serious, find yourself a copy of Cheese Chronicles if you like music, and you like a good laugh. This book is a fast read, and it's indispensible if you've ever longed to live the rock 'n roll life.)
Superchunk, Tossing Seeds (Singles 88 - 91) (Merge, 1991). What I know about Superchunk could fill a thimble. Common wisdom says that if you're going to check them out, look to their early stuff. Based on at least 4 listens, I would say that's worthwhile advice. Crunching guitars, intelligent pop lyrics, uptempo bruisers. I can see what the fuss was about.
Joe Ely, Streets of Sin (Rounder, 2003). Venerable rocker in cowboy boots sneaks a release in under the radar, just as The Flatlanders issue their 3rd album (Wheels of Fortune, (New West, 2004)) in 3 decades and change. It's encouraged me to dig out copies of Musta Notta Gotta Lotta and Honky Tonk Masquerade. Joe's style might not be as juke-joint-shakin' as his "Fingernails" era output, but this is worth having if you're a fan. And I'm a fan.
Guided By Voices, Jellyfish Reflector (live recording, 1996). From the Under the Bushes, Under the Stars tour. Gotta say, this one doesn't grab my attention until they run through what they call their "new stuff." Maybe that's because that's about the time Bob would have gotten a decent buzz on. This is so-so quality bootage. It sounds OK, but Bob loses pitch a few too many times for my taste. I do like 'em live, but as the saying goes, "You really had to be there." RIYL GbV, otherwise, it's an easy pass.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Beasts of No Nation/O.D.O.O. (FAK via MCA Recordings, 2001). Two half-hour cuts, zero bullshit.
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