Month: March 2013

Tweaks

2013-03-25, 4:59 pm
Categories: Announcements

Made a couple changes to the blog over the weekend. Upgraded WordPress. Added a tag cloud (which I've been meaning to do since I first added tags and would have done a lot sooner if I'd known how easy it was -- all it takes is the wp_tag_cloud() function, though there are fancier ways of doing it). Maybe I'll move it; it might make more sense by Categories than down past Archives.

I also switched visited links from navy to indigo (in the main body; they're still navy in the sidebar), because the navy text was too hard to tell apart from black.

No major work on the backend, though I should probably overhaul it at some point. It works well enough but there's some ugly hard-coded shit in there that I have the good professional self-respect to be embarrassed by. I'll get around to it one of these days.

Keeping Busy

2013-03-22, 10:58 pm
Categories: Stream of Consciousness, Work

Kept busy enough today. Filled out more paperwork, got a drug test, submitted a voided check for direct deposit, had a brief and unexpected phone conversation with a prospective employer.

Spent most of the evening just kicking back with my brother; he's heading back to Maui in a few days. Here is a picture of the two of us at my wedding.

Groom Thad and Best Man Hannibal

Don't see enough of the kid anymore; it's been about three years since the last time. Will try and make it out to Maui again one of these days once I've got some money saved up. Which is why I'm filling out paperwork and peeing in cups.

Also, while my cold is getting better, my allergies were just awful today. Yeah, I get it, it's spring now.

Pauline Butcher Interview, Part 1

2013-03-21, 9:12 pm
Categories: Music, Politics

Uploaded by Pauline Butcher Bird herself, who says:

The Interview was made for a local radio station but it was never broadcast because it was too contentious for 1988 England (parts 3 and 4). Frank was on his final tour Broadway the Hardway though we didn't know that at the time. You can read more about why the tour collapsed in Andrew Greenaway's book, Zappa the Hard Way. Pauline had worked for Frank in California from 1968 to 1972 and has written about her experiences in her book featured above.

North Bumfuck

2013-03-21, 4:24 pm
Categories: Comics, Stream of Consciousness, Work

Well, I guess I did all right at at least one of those interviews, because I've got a job offer.

It's the one up at the damn northern border of Phoenix -- God only knows why I keep getting jobs way up there. It's a pay increase from my last gig, which will hopefully be enough to cover the extra wear and tear that a 70-mile daily round-trip will wreak on my car.

Still, pretty happy about it. Will be happier if I get one of the other offers, but still, this is a step up from my last job and a big step up from unemployment.

And it looks like it's good leverage. I met with the other agency today and it looks like they're pushing to get me more money and fast-track me into the opening. Fingers crossed, but the important thing is I've got a job either way.

Also while I was waiting in the lobby at the agency I saw the news that Quantum and Woody is coming back.

A job and new Quantum and Woody? This is, like, the third-best day I've had all month.

2 interviews down, 1 scheduled.

2013-03-20, 10:28 pm
Categories: Stream of Consciousness, Work

I've never been very good at gauging my performance at interviews. 'Cept maybe that one in 2011 where they misheard me and thought I called myself a slacker. I was pretty sure that one wasn't going anywhere.

Anyway, had two today. Neither the ideal company but either I'd be happy to take, under the circumstances. We'll see how it goes.

The first one was way up north. I managed to drive past my old apartment complex and two of my old places of business. There was a traffic accident on the freeway, so I had to take a detour, but I'd left early enough that I still got there 20 minutes early. Which was good, because I wound up waiting at the gate for 10 minutes while the security guard confirmed I was really there for an interview.

After that I still had enough time to stop by Ray's for a couple of slices of pizza -- provided I was willing to put up with the certainty that I would hit traffic on the freeway if I took half an hour to eat.

The 17 was actually surprisingly breezy, but I ran into trouble as soon as I got on the 10.

And when I say as soon as I got on the 10 I mean it. Like, no sooner had I merged onto the on-ramp when someone in the next lane decided it would be a great goddamn idea to merge directly into the space that my vehicle was presently occupying.

I made it out without a scratch and with only a little bit of leaning on my horn. And still managed to make the next interview a half-hour early.

I've got another tomorrow, sort of. It's not an interview per se, it's a meeting with a rep at a new temp agency to prep for an interview.

We'll see how that one goes, too.