But ah my foes and oh my friends / I make a lovely light

[jazzfish]

What's on TV? Oh, the usual sci-fi fantasy, read by women in bed: "They've put a lot of imagination into appearing to be foolish." [via skreidle]

Best poster ever. [via tirani]

United States ex. rel. Gerald Mayo v. Satan and his staff [one-page PDF]: "We note that the plaintiff has failed to include with his complaint the required form of instructions for the United States Marshal for directions as to service of process." As an added bonus, the judge finds that damned Stephen Vincet Benet story as judicially improbable as I do. [via Making Light]

Rhino Records puts out some damned fine compilations. Their sadly out-of-print Seducing Down the Door is almost all the John Cale you'll ever need (it's inexplicably lacking anything good or famous from Sabotage), and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead is the definitive pre-2000 Warren Zevon compilation. (This in addition to all the Tom Lehrer there is.) So when I say that they've put together the greatest Nineties boxed set ever, you understand that I'm not just saying that for effect. (Seriously, folks. Any compilation with They Might Be Giants, Jesus Jones, and M.C. Hammer gets mondo bonus points for covering all the bases-- and that's just the first disc.)

---

I'm burning out something fierce. I've been feeling it since at least this spring. Maybe since longer ago than that. I dunno.

I'm tired of classes, of homework and busywork and crap I've not been taught to do and have no interest in doing and will, in fact, never be called on to do again. I'm tired of retail, of smiling at everyone who walks in the door and saying "Wouldyouliketosave fifteenpercentonyournextpurchase bysigningupforouremailnewsletter?" and wondering if we just got Shopped. I'm tired of VirPack and of where I live but I've been over those at least once. What I'm really tired of is not being able to come home and just crash, leave work at work (for all flavors of "work") and not have to worry about it.

Last night I dreamed of running around from place to place, carrying books. All sizes, all shapes. Had to get them from one place to another, though I don't think I ever actually reached that place. I kept finding more books I needed to move, navigating around people with my arms full and wondering why that one guy was just in his underwear.
"You know what that's about?" "Yeah. Not having enough time." "Time?" "To do all the things I want to." --Heat

But the second Blake paper is done, and unless Dr Welch changes the assignment again the third paper builds off the second one, so it won't be any worse. So I can spend the late-evening putting things in boxes and sorting out the ones I'll never want again for a yardsale.

It's really only on bad days that I think Neal McCauley, and by extension Stephen eight years ago, were right.

Comments

[pictsy.livejournal.com]

wondering if we just got Shopped

You mean by a secret shopper?

And you're almost done with school, right?

[jazzfish]

You mean by a secret shopper?

Yeah. I hate that shit. I mean, I understand why they have it, so that they know we're doing our jobs, but the laundry-list of crap we have to try and sell is ridiculous.

And you're almost done with school, right?

Nominally. If I get the projects for the incompletes done. If I don't fail Blake (okay, that's rather unlikely). If I can manage to get in touch with my independent study professor. But, yeah.

[laughin.livejournal.com]

Sorry dude! Hugs and all that.

BTW, I am a secret shopper too, but since I know you I can't shop Waldens.

[jazzfish]

Thanks.

[absolutliz.livejournal.com]

Retail sux, this much is true. But...you have an awesome icon, so all is not lost.

[jazzfish]

*grin* Thanks. Didn't work out so well for Rat, but maybe it'll do better for me.

[skreidle.livejournal.com]

At Petsmart, if anyone (including a manager) saw someone they thought might be a Secret Shopper, they'd spread the word so we'd all be sure to treat that customer "properly." :P

[jazzfish]

We do the same at Waldens, but it's less effective when there's only two of us in the store at any given time. :)

[skreidle.livejournal.com]

True--kind of hard to deliver a surreptitious heads-up in that environment. :)