This is a picture of Point East, and a reason that I charge from the time that I arrive at the security gate. While security is a good thing, that only applies to the point where it becomes massively inconvenient. This lineup was twenty minutes long. Hey, I can solve the homeland airport problems practically for free. This is America. You post a list of the ethnicity of each passenger on the overhead, and don’t tell me the government does have all that on file. Then, in true democratic fashion, the paying public will decide for themselves whether they want to get on an airplane with Abdullah. End of problem.
Sometimes I wonder where all the suckers were when I began programming web pages. It just becomes incredulous how much money some people paid to “web programmers” and now little they will pay to fix it up afterward when they realize how badly they’ve been had. Enter Dr. Skrbc (Is he really a doctor?).His web page was so bad, you could not tell where one offer ended and another began. It basically says, “Send me $992.00.” Mind you, I do understand the mentality of giving anything new [like a web page that claims to make you a physician] a stab if you honestly feel you are one of the first. It worked for Amway.
Music was not idle today, either. I got a nearly unwelcome supply of responses [from guitar players]. I had to turn down the “LA 1990” crowd, the kind who thought I might be impressed by how many award winners they could name. That means Tom Foxx is on my list. I sent him an email saying get in touch fast. Nothing yet, but you really have to read my entire email to figure out how to get in touch, I do that on purpose. It weeds put the dummies.
One of the replies was a group that does a Wilton Manors gig (a homosexual club just north of here). Billed as “Dude Ranch”, the reply clearly states how they love country music. I sent back a note saying I am not averse to rooms that love dance music. I’ve played many gigs where the crowd was blurry-eyed drunk. He is describing just such a room. It was curious how he tip-toed around homosexuality. I assured him, that although I’ve played a room full of lesbians, today I am no such being (not a homo). The same goes for pig-farmers back in 1982, but that is another story, except to say playing their gigs does not make me one of them.
Have I mentioned the crackpots who’ve answered my ad? It states I want a guitarist who can sing. My ad is clear. I’ve gotten replies from people who can play, among other things, harp, ukulele, pipe organ, Bb saxophone, and clarinet. Of the lot, I’d like to see how anyone could possibly sing while playing the clarinet.
I heard an interesting take off on the question, “do you swear to tell the truth”, etc. “Only insofar as the question is both clear to me and relevant to the matter at hand, does not go beyond what I myself personally understand, and my objections, if any, to deliberate misinterpretation will not be overruled as guaranteed by my Constitutional right against self-incrimination, “Yes”. It seems a long-winded way to say the question is potentially leading. The discussion was against the reply, where I feel it is a perfectly good condition to demand if you are going to be cross-examined.
My newest student is something else. He is your typical “active retiree”. This means he is always in a rush to get somewhere. I’ve explained to him that he is eventually going to wind up paying double for all his lessons because he has no time to practice. On the other hand, he knows a ton of people who may be interested and remember, most of my new people are referrals. (I’ve described how advertising does not work because there are so many liars out there.)
He has also been attending one of these “free” computer lessons at the library. Ha, what a joke those are. They did not show him how to log on at home, how to get the right kind of service and the whole series of decisions involved in setting the thing up. He says himself that he could never have done it without me. This folks, is what you get for free – nothing.
[Author's note 2016-02-01: I eventually took Point East off my list. They eventually began photographing license plates, demanding ID, and questioning you for "the purpose of your visit". That is so wrong, because it is none of their business. It is also a breach of my client's confidentiality to say that I'm fixing his computer. And anyway, don't say that because they'll demand to see your "contractor's license". This is what is wrong with America. On the excuse of catching a few known bad guys, they make rules that inconvenience everybody. Because that is their real goal.]
Return Home
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
