Friday Five

There’s another site for The Friday Five.  I admit, I’m not digging it is much as its predecessor, but sometimes I can poke around and find something.  For today, it’s retro-spirit, The Big ‘80s:

1) Favorite movie of the 1980s?
Sid and Nancy.  I really think schools should show this movie instead of the lame anti-drug stuff we had to sit through.  I cannot imagine anyone picking up a needle after viewing this film.

2) Favorite musician/group of the 1980s?
The Smiths, without a doubt.

3) Favorite TV show of the 1980s?
“St. Elsewhere,” my all-time favorite.

4) Favorite invention of the 1980s?
Well, since my spikey hair (often highlighted with unnatural colors) was a creation, not an invention, I’d have so say Walkman.  I’d like to say computer mouse (I was a Mac user in the ‘80s), but I know it was invented years before Apple popularized it.  I’m sure the clunky predecessors to today’s cell phones were invented pre-1980, too.

5) World Event from the 1980s that stands out in your mind?
The fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet bloc was my first thought, followed by the AIDS epidemic.

Happy Long Weekend!  (For me anyway.)  Wish me luck in the second annual bowl-off against somnambulist.  If he wins, he’ll probably unlock, just so he can post his brag.  Heh.

Nine Inch Nails and Bauhaus (6-23-06)

 So, Nine Inch Nails and Bauhaus, Friday night.  Friggin’ awesome!

Admittedly, I was somewhat wishing it could have been Radiohead or Tool instead.  Both bands made recent stops in Boston, but that meant snarly Boston traffic, crazy ticket prices, and an indoor venue.  Sorry, kids, three strikes.

But then, there was Bauhaus.  Big plus.  So much so, in fact, that Tim’s friend Neil joined us.  That’s one of the nice things about lawn seats.  You can always add on, provided the show hasn’t already sold out.

My coworker, Tina, made it a foursome.  Tina, who always has razzed me about digging the music I so dig.  Tina, whose last concert was Barry Manilow.  It turns out she heard some of NIN’s new stuff on the radio (on that metal station that is too stuck in the hair band ‘80s for my liking), and SHE LIKED IT.  She proudly confessed this to me a few months back.  And when I mentioned getting my ticket, her ears pricked up.  “Yeah?  Where are they playing?  When?”

Welcome to the dark side, Tina.

(We’ll discuss a ritualistic destruction of those Barry CD’s some other time.  Just kidding.  That is, unless you really want to…)

Since Tim and Neil live on one side of the Bay and Tina and I on the other, we decided to go in two cars and meet up in the parking lot.  The plan was to skip the first band, whoever the hell they were, and enter in time to see Bauhaus.  We ascended the stairs to the lawn, and part way up, I noticed a sign I don’t recall seeing before.  I took a picture of it with my (new toy) camera phone.

ATTENTION

MOSHING MAY TAKE PLACE

BE AWARE OF YOUR
SURROUNDINGS

MOSHING AND ENTERING A
MOSHING AREA MAY BE
DANGEROUS AND BE AT YOUR OWN
RISK

(I question the grammar in that last sentence.  Nevertheless, I want a sign like this.  Just to have.)

The lawn was wet, of course, but we brought garbage bags to sit on.  Others had done likewise, but a lot of people were sitting on blankets.  I guess they like that peed your pants feeling.  We ended up not sitting at all but rather standing at the three-foot chain link fence that separated us poor folks from the elite class of concertgoers who purchased actual seats in which to sit.  Bully for them. I  prefer lawn seats, and not just for the lower price.  I prefer to be free to move about.  I prefer not running the risk of being trapped next to some assholes for an entire concert.  I prefer not to swelter in crowded quarters.  I really prefer not hyperventilating in dense crowds.  And if it should rain (thunderstorms were predicted), I will enjoy the cooling effect and/or don my hooded windbreaker.

Bauhaus did a nice one-hour set.  It’s been many years since their last album, and I was pleased that they didn’t come off looking and sounding like musical dinosaurs who just needed some money in a bad way.  (I will say, though, that Peter Murphy could have eased up on the bird flapping towards the end of the set.)  Unfortunately, much of the audience was too young/too clueless to know the band.

I was certain they would close their set with a nice, long rendition of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.”  When they exited the stage, sans Bela, Tim and I presumed they would be back for a brief encore.  Not so.  No Bela.  Not at all.  Tim, Neil, and I all would have lost a lot of money on that bet.  But still, a damn good set.

By this time, those unsold seats abutting the lawn area were starting to look good.  No roof overhead (yea for crowded crowd loathing me), but an actual seat nonetheless.  Some young guns standing nearby were working the area, hoping to incite a mass storming of the fence when NIN took the stage.  That is, too many fence climbers for a paltry few security folks to stop.

I knew better.  I’m experienced.  If, at showtime, the number of unsold open air seats was roughly equal to the number of us lawnies, we would be PERMITTED to take them.

I was right.

Just prior to NIN taking the stage, we got the go-ahead.  Now, don’t you know, most of those damn fools headed for the first two rows.  Nuh-uh.  Ain’t gonna work.  Too many people, too few seats.  Some of them would end up WAY off from center stage, possibly with a view of a BEAM.  We scooted in the eighth or tenth row and sat just a tad off from center where we could also get a nice view of one of the jumbotron screens, with no one around us.  Sweet.

We enjoyed the between bands concert ambience – balloons (courtesy of the generous people from Trojan) and Clove cigarettes.  Not much pot, at least not where we were.  Fine by me; cloves are a nicer fragrance by far.

Then Trent and his boys came out and blew Bauhaus away.

There was no mistaking who was headlining.  This was the fourth time I’ve seen NIN (the first being the maiden tour of Lollapalooza in ‘91), and I’d say it was hands down the best.  Certainly, this is, in part, because they have more material to draw from, but, perhaps even more so, it could be that this band was tighter than previous versions of Trent’s touring band.  Because they were TIGHT.  They sounded like they had been playing together for far more than a year or so.  Of course, when you have Josh Freese (drums) and Jeordie White (bass) of A Perfect Circle’s latest incarnation, yeah, you know the rhythm section is going to be solid.

Mmmmmm, Jeordie.

The digital light screens and panels added just the right amount of visual accompaniment.  Very cool shit.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much material from Pretty Hate Machine was performed.  And when Trent made one of his switches from guitar to keyboard for “Something I Can Never Have” – yeah, it might have been a shift in climate – but, geez, my nipples got hard.

NIN played for an hour and forty-five or so.  The predicted rain? Thunderstorms?  Not a drop.  All along, I had a feeling it would work out for us.  The weather gods were on our side.  Thank you.

A reconsideration:  Lately, I’ve been thinking that Maynard was taking over the god of the genre pedestal from Trent.  Not so fast there.  I now believe there is room for two.  And as I reported to Suzanne, who wanted to go but was in New York attending her daughters’ dance competition, Trent is Trent, but I’m liking me some Jeordie White right now.  Yeah, baby.  Yeah.

Best t-shirt:  I SCORED HIGH ON MY DRUG TEST

My verdict:
Good noise.  I’m still in heaven.  Or should that be hell, but at a really good party?

Comments:

Reined

Did that last entry go off in different directions without making any real sense?  Talk about going ‘round in circles!

In a nutshell:

Janna, although a nice person, is incompetent.  As a result, the burden falls on Debbie, John, and me.  And as frustrated as Debbie, John, and I have become, we would feel a twinge of guilt if we were to be successful in “getting her fired.”  This is worsened by the fact that Janna recently has become a homeowner.  I do not want to be responsible for her unemployment and possible mortgage default.  (Of course, it would be Janna herself who is ultimately responsible for such a turn of events.)

It just seems unfair that we have to work a little harder to make up for her shortcomings.  To add insult to injury, the attorneys don’t give a shit.

Okay?

Now, to prevent a similar rambling, a meme:

When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Bed hair!

When is the next time you will have sex?
I’ll say that would be when a man inserts his penis into my vagina.  What the hell kind of a question is that?!

What’s a word that rhymes with ‘DOOR’?
Boor

Favorite planet?
How about the B-52’s Wild Planet?

Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your mobile?
Jeannie

What is your favorite ring on your phone?
Any of the ones that sound like normal rings and that are loud enough for me to hear and quiet enough for the general public not to hear.  I think there are three.

What shirt are you wearing?
White twin set – tank top and three-quarter sleeve cardigan.  I heart three-quarter sleeves.

Name the brand of shoes you’re currently wearing?
Aerosoles

Bright or Dark Room?
Bright

What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
She IS AWittyKitty who should rebel against her own shyness.

What were you doing at midnight last night?
Making today’s lunch – a ham and cheese and pepperoncini sandwich.

What did your last text message you received on your mobile say?
N/A.  I don’t do text.  I’m an adult, for crying out loud, and I have my very own direct telephone number at work.  Why would anyone need to TEXT me?  To find out if I’m skipping study hall?

Where is your letter box?
Oh, you mean my mailbox?  It’s across the street, at the corner of Greg’s yard, on the street perpendicular to mine.  No mail delivery on my street.

What’s a word that you say a lot?
…

Uh…

(Brainfreeze.)  (Mindfart.)  Geez, it’s like going to the video store or music store without a plan, because you know that there is SO much you want to see/hear, and when you get there, it’s like you’re numb from the neck up.  Duhhhhh….

Who told you he/she loved you last?
Emma

Last furry thing you touched?
Rory.  He doesn’t know he’s not an outdoor cat.  I have to push him away from the door when I leave the house.

How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
Define “drugs.”  I took a couple of Aleve on Monday.

How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
I have several disposable cameras that are partially used.  Do they count?

Favorite age you have been so far?
22.  My first full year of freedom and independence.  Big fun.  MUCH big fun.

Your worst enemy?
My job.  I resent the number of hours it takes from me.

What is your current desktop picture?
Home:  a close-up of Sam.  Work:  Our “backyard” lagoon in Hawaii.  To remind me how much I don’t want to be at work.

What was the last thing you said to someone?
Something to Patrick, work-related.  Don’t remember verbatim.

Do you like someone?
I like lots of people.  Next question, please.

The last song you listened to?
“Steady As She Goes” by The Raconteurs

If the last person you spoke to was getting shot at, would you jump in front of the bullet?
No.  Maybe I would try to tackle him at knee level.  Sorry, Patrick.  I would not die 4 u.

What is the closest object to your left foot?
A pair of “walking” sandals (beaded thongs).

Back to work.

Comments:

Deadweight Champion

Two of my peers were out on Friday.  Unfortunately, Janna was not one of them.  It totally sucks when Janna and I are the only L.A.s.  Janna is easily and by far our weak link.  This means that I was burdened with the workload of four L.A.s.

Fortunately, Steve was on vacation, although I had some work to do for him in his absence.  Patrick and Fred, my other health care BFBs, have been very busy of late.  In addition, I was to assist T and J and M.

Janna, who generally works with K and E, was also supposed to be assisting D and R and M.

R, however, absolutely refuses to give work to Janna because she is, well, incompetent.  Lazyass D’s office is but two doors down from mine.  M is in litigation, and Janna “doesn’t know litigation.”

So, let’s do the math:

Me:  Steve + Patrick + Fred + T + J + D + R + M

Janna:  K + E

Can you say “inequity?”

And they ALL gave me stuff to do.

Then, to top it off, Janna came over and gave me something to do for her!

I mean, !!!!!

It gets better.

“Can I give this to you to do?  I know I could just ask you to show me how to do it like you did once before, but I’ll just forget again because I do these maybe twice a year.”

SO HOW ABOUT WRITING IT DOWN?!

And just two days earlier, Paul, the Boston L.A. I am in frequent contact with, called and said, “Is it just me, or is Janna clueless?”

Oh, no, Paul, it’s not just you.

As time goes on, and Janna continues to be unwilling/unable to learn what she should already know, the other L.A.s and I grow more and more resentful.

Clearly, the attorneys are too wimpy and uncaring to do anything about the situation.  As long as their work gets done, they don’t care.  And the work does get done but with little help from Janna.

So, do we (my peers and I) go to HR with this?  Would HR do anything if not prompted by the attorneys?  Doubtful.

What to do?

Patience is wearing thin.  My competent peers and I have discussed the situation on more than one occasion.  Perhaps to our detriment, we are compassionate.  Janna is not mean; she is not a backstabbing bitch; she is not unpleasant – she’s just totally fucking incompetent.  If she were to get the axe, there is the possibility that her replacement could be worse – some uber-psychobitch whose main goal in life is to make his/her coworkers utterly miserable.  Or, there could be no replacement at all – which really wouldn’t be very different from the current situation.  And our guilt would be worsened by the fact that Janna and her boyfriend just became homeowners.

I suppose it would be considered socially and professionally unacceptable for my peers and me to beat up Janna every other Friday, take her paycheck, and split it amongst ourselves.

It does, however, seem equitable.

P.S. It’s Monday, and Janna has called in sick.  Again.  Surprise.

Christmas in June

I just dropped off some documents on Sandy’s desk.  As I walked away, I noticed a box with Sandy’s name on it under the adjacent, unoccupied desk.  On top was one of those 12” Christmas trees with a burlap wrapped base.  It still had the miniature ornaments on it.

Sandy is out today.

I took the tree (and the two snowmen figurines I found beneath it) and did a little decorating in Sandy’s work area.  Falalalala.

Did I mention that Sandy is out today?

Feliz Navidad!

Comments:

Circles

On the rooftop with the Beatles, giant afro, musical guest on first ever Saturday Night Live.  And I’ll forgive him for writing “You Are So Beautiful.”

R.I.P. Billy Preston, 1946 – 2006

I’ve got a song, I ain’t got no melody
I’m-a gonna sing it to my friends
I’ve got a song, I ain’t got no melody
I’m-a gonna sing it to my friendsWill it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky

I’ve got a story, ain’t got no moral
Let the bad guy win every once in a while
I’ve got a story, ain’t got no moral
Let the bad guy win every once in a while

Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky

I’ve got a dance, I ain’t got no steps, no
I’m gonna let the music move me around
I’ve got a dance, I ain’t got no steps
I’m gonna let the music move me around

Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky

I defy anyone to listen to this song without moving.  It can’t be done.

Monday Morning

Okay, so I had to research some stuff at the Secretary of State’s office last week, and this morning I received a follow-up email from said office, which I then forwarded to all the health care attorneys with a simple FYI heading.  Except instead of typing FYI, I typed FYU.  Typo or Freudian slip?

Fortunately, I caught it before sending.

Hell of a way to start the work week.

Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day…

Past Season

Head colds in June really suck.

Simple Pleasures #1

A song has been stuck in your head all day (and it’s one you actually dig, not some annoying commercial jingle or anything by Coldplay), and later in the day, as you’re driving, you flip through some radio stations and happen to come upon that song – very close to its beginning.  Yesterday, for me, it was Tool’s new one, the hypnotic “Vicarious.”

Comments: