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wiredmason61 said:I feel the same way. I really miss the live shows and just the whole energy surrounding them—the feeling of pushing through a crowd, the anticipation waiting for the band to hit the stage... honestly, all of it. 🕺

That’s exactly it. Trivia nights and concerts are my absolute favorite ways to go out, but lately, there isn't a single one to be found.

The angry river

they won't be _))

oh 😁 of in the dirt

I’m good with everything—as long as the beaches and the churches stay open. I'm not a big fan of grocery shopping, but honestly, being in church helps me clear my head and find some peace through prayer.

The Boss

Post-rock vibes on a Saturday morning 🙂

The smell of woodsmoke... and a setting sun.
Today feels different, caught in the rhythm:

One last look at Jerusalem... ☼

Lisa Davis46 said:There’s a scent in the air... a mix of woodsmoke and a setting sun.
Today is that kind of day, defined entirely by the rhythm:

One last glimpse of Jerusalem... ☼

I really can't get enough of this track; it's absolutely brilliant.

I honestly can't stand this place—whether it's the South or whatever this mess in New York is supposed to be. 😁According to the US Census Bureau, we really ought to be shifting our schedules to avoid those peak heat hours, sticking to light meals, staying hydrated, and following whatever medical advice is being handed out—but honestly, I think I’ll just settle for a little rock 'n' roll instead. 😁 I was essentially trying to say that my dear boss informed me he’s working on this year's schedule, which means I'll be getting an extra day off during the week in addition to my weekends. 🙄 🤣 Oh, for heaven's sake. Is this really how we're starting things? Just pure, unadulterated chaos right out of the gate. 😁

I’ve honestly been quite lucky with the people I’ve been working with in this city since I arrived, and frankly, I can't complain.

Absolutely not. No.

this one definitely hits harder,
it really paints a picture... cinematic:

hiding behind fake names ♡

there’s just something weird in the air today, but I guess it's way nicer outside than inside, mostly thanks to this wind.

yesterday morning something just clicked for me (though I totally stumbled into Yersalem right after 'remain in light')...
maybe Rundek or Sacher were just hypnotized by Talking Heads (maybe they caught them live at a show?), or whoever the producer was just knew exactly what they were doing with that mix. Out of all the Haustor tracks, 'Third World' is probably the closest thing to a perfect album.

rules... man, it's nice to get lucky like that!

oh, and once upon a time I actually had a really great boss,
who even gave me a few vinyls from his own collection...
now I'm my own boss and there are no more bonuses, no free records, and definitely no long weekends.
🕺

Cheap Trick—he’s basically a sellout 🙂

Lisa Davis46 said:rules... must be nice to have that kind of luck!

well, once upon a time I actually had a boss who was genuinely decent,
he even gifted me a few records from his own private collection...
now I’m my own boss, which means there are no more bonuses, no more vinyl, and absolutely no weekends.
🕺

total garbage 😁

Why?

I’m actually kind of jealous you’ve had such luck with bosses. I think I got lucky exactly once.
At all my old jobs, I felt pretty much used...
(I guess that's part of why I decided to go out on my own, though it turns out it isn't nearly as easy as it looked.)

"A life spent reading would be enough for me." — Houellebecq

Work is just this soul-crushing category of existence. Unless you're part of that tiny sliver of artists, optimists, or true vitalists—though honestly, who knows how many are actually real versus just lying to themselves—it’s pretty much true that "work made man from ape, and now work makes a horse out of man" (Borivoje Todorović, "Hot Wind").
Seriously, everywhere I look—especially in folks over 50, and sadly more and more in my own generation—I see people who are basically walking ruins. They're spiritually hollowed out and mentally drained, just dealing with constant back pain and varicose veins. All because of this whole liberation through labor nonsense.

So yeah, hymn.

Lisa Davis46 said:Why?

I honestly envy how lucky you've been with management, because I’ve only ever had one decent boss in my entire life.
At every single job I've held before this, I felt like I was being worked to the bone...
(which is actually part of the reason I decided to strike out on my own, though I'm finding out the hard way that it isn't nearly as easy as it looks.)

That isn't luck.

Furthermore, when I said things were a "mess," I was referring to the regulations and the general chaos of the situation, not to you 🙂, because I think you're doing an incredible job.
And I am fully aware that what you're doing isn't easy.

Okay, you actually startled me there.
😁

It’s just tricky because you have to handle every single segment yourself, including all the bureaucracy which—let’s be honest—is a massive headache here in the States. But honestly, the worst part is that I feel like I’m working twice as hard as before, and it’s not even about the money. Not that it matters to me personally, but still. I guess the one real perk is that you get to pick your own jobs, project types, and the kind of clients you deal with. There's some satisfaction in that, I suppose...

But you had to take advantage of those small business startup grants, right? Isn't that right, Dennis Hall41? 😁

Anyway, which country in Scandinavia was it that started doing a six-hour workday plus
those "boozy Fridays"?

Lisa Davis46 said:Alright, you caught me off guard there.
😁

The tricky part is having to handle every single aspect solo—especially the paperwork, which (in this country) is no joke. But honestly, the worst bit is feeling like I’m pulling double the hours compared to before, and it’s not even about the money—not for me, anyway. The only real perk is being able to handpick the gigs, the projects, and the clients you actually want to work with, which does feel pretty good...

But you really had to tap into those small business grants to make it happen. Right, Dennis Hall41? 😁

Anyway, which country in Scandinavia started doing that 6-hour workday +
free/boozy Fridays thing?

Not just those, but also the ones meant for cultural production and helping out struggling artists—as you can tell, I'm in the rap scene making G-funk beats.😁

Lisa Davis46 said:Well, you certainly gave me a bit of a scare there.
😁

My apologies! 😁 I didn't mean for things to turn out this way.

Lisa Davis46 said:It is honestly exhausting having to manage every single moving part on my own, especially since the bureaucracy in this country is such an absolute nightmare to navigate. But the real kicker—and I say this with no sense of exaggeration—is that it feels like I’m pulling double the workload compared to what I used to do, even though there isn't some massive windfall of cash involved, which isn't really the point for me personally anyway. I suppose the one silver lining is that you get a certain level of autonomy to hand-pick your projects and decide exactly which clients you want to deal with, and there is a small, quiet satisfaction in that.

But we really should have put those small business startup grants to good use, shouldn't we, Dennis Hall41? : D

Hey, does anyone actually remember which Scandinavian country started testing that six-hour workday?
Is it finally time for a little Friday freedom—or perhaps just a reason to get a little tipsy?

When I first moved to the States seven years ago, I spent an entire month doing absolutely nothing but firing off resumes and spiraling into these endless, exhausting thoughts about what my life was actually going to become.
I eventually tracked down a local elementary school near my place and reached out to see if they needed any volunteers for their youth programs, mostly because I figured it would be a decent way to feel useful while keeping my finger on the pulse of what's happening in the community—who knows where that kind of involvement might lead. They actually took me up on it, only for me to discover just forty-eight hours later that the veteran headmaster is retiring next year, so clearly my timing was just impeccable.
I’ve been volunteering my time here every single day for the coming year, essentially living off the savings I managed to scrape together after grinding through two different jobs for five and a half years—one full-time position during the week and another freelance gig on the weekends.
Based on my resume, I’ve actually been scouted a few times by a local public high school for subbing positions, which could have easily turned into something more permanent, but I ultimately decided that working at the preschool was a better fit for me since I craved more variety in my daily routine. Honestly, I’ve done quite well for myself there, especially since the director and my supervisor are absolute gems, and plus, the commute to the center is barely ten minutes from my apartment.

Unfortunately, following this year's earthquake, returning to our old place just isn't an option, so we’re relocating to a large apartment complex that's only about ten minutes away, though it's in a somewhat different direction. 😁 Classes don't even kick off until 1:00 PM instead of the usual 8:00 AM, which honestly just feels like another way for the administration to mess with our schedules.
Based on my current schedule, I seem to have a rotating day off—it’s Monday one week and Tuesday the next, at least for now.

Well, I managed to secure a decent mortgage and finally closed on my rental property under some pretty stellar terms, mostly because I’m lucky enough to work for an incredible boss and director, and even more so because my previous landlord was actually a decent human being. 😁 He really went above and beyond with the pricing, likely out of respect for our previous history together, and honestly, I’m quite pleased with how everything eventually fell into place. 🙂

I have to give you credit, truly! I honestly think starting your own business from scratch and navigating all the chaos that comes with it is no small feat. 👍 You’re basically running the show!

I can't for the life of me remember the movie, but the soundtrack is absolutely killer._))

Biohazard-Each Day

Right here, drifting through the cosmos

Jamie Davis9 said:When I first moved here seven years ago, I spent my first month doing absolutely nothing but blasting out resumes and stressing about what comes next.
Then I spotted a little school near my place and asked if they needed volunteers to work with kids. I figured it was a solid idea; I’d feel useful and be plugged into some kind of info network, and who knows where that might lead.
(...)
I volunteered there every single day for the following year. I was living off my savings since I'd worked two jobs for the previous five and a half years—one during the week and a freelance gig on weekends. Unfortunately, after the earthquake, we can't go back to the old spot. We're moving into a large building that's still only 10 minutes away, just in a different direction. Plus, classes start at 1 PM now instead of 8 AM. Also, based on the current schedule, I have Mondays off one week and Tuesdays off the next.
(...)
So, yeah. In the meantime, I managed to get a decent loan and buy my rental condo under really great terms. Aside from having a killer boss and director, I had an amazing landlord who gave me a great deal because we had such a good relationship. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how everything fell into place.

🙏
Well, that's just my experience. Especially since working with kids is arguably the hardest—and most important—job out there.

As for having a wonderful landlord, I had one too. And the place was lovely, but it wasn't for sale...
That proximity to your place sounds awesome!

I don't know about you guys... I'm not someone who gets cold easily and I actually hate summer,
but yesterday and today I've been sitting in the office wearing thermal socks and a heavy sweater.
What is this, fall?

autumn's child ♡

🙂 Yeah, I actually love what I do. Especially dealing with my high schoolers, who tend to be a bit too much of their own people to fit into the standard public school system. <3 :-))

p.s. I am having a blast! The weather is absolutely perfect right now.

btw., yesterday the legendary big man celebrated his 75th birthday, so in honor of him, here is our absolute favorite song. 🙂 😁

Lisa Davis46 said:I don't know about you guys... I’ve never been someone who gets the chills, and honestly, I'm not even a summer person,
but yesterday and today I’ve basically been sitting in my office wearing thick thermal socks and a heavy sweater.
Is this autumn already?

Now we’re finally hitting the best part of the year—that sweet spot where late summer bleeds into early fall. It’s not scorching during the day, and the nights actually get cool enough to get some decent sleep.

Plus, you get those incredible autumn colors. It's the perfect time to head out with a camera and just wander.

Butchered at birth