MORNING
Here’s on of the monstor cruise ships in Port Everglaces. At least ten stories high, these are primarily designed so that you barely know you are on a cruise. I find it ironic reading about the “America”, the last ocean liner from the 1950’s because these new ships have nothing like the service and décor. The local press dubs them “cruises to nowhere”, as mostly they just get far enough offshore to be in international waters.
I’ve never been on one of these cruises. The primary focus is gambling and I hear from others there is tremendous pressure to do so. Right down to the staff needing to clean your room first in the AM if you weren’t up late at the tables. I find it odd that there are not more reported incidents from people who just want to be let alone. Notice that fence? That's going to be between me and any cruises for at least the next 18 months.[Author's note 2015-12-14: one of the biggest disincentives to musicians is not getting paid under the table. The vast majority of American musicians do not work at it full time. These cruise ships do not post their rates of pay in their want ads and I've never been able to find out really what those rates are. It seems to be a couple grand per month plus tips plus room and board, but hot-bunking, mind you.
My point is that really good musicians tend to not fill out job application forms or work for unspecified amounts of money. That is why, I think, all cruise ships have "cruise-ship" grade entertainment. Fine for drunk, undemanding landlubbers on holidays. Has anyone ever heard of a cruise ship band making a hit recording?
Also, it is fairly common with musicians to not announce they are capable of making a living with music if they had to. Almost universally, most of the really good performing musicians don't want that fact sitting on some government file. Musicians, in fact, seem to be the keenest of all trades for not wanting to work above the table unless they start making millions.]
NOON
Cancel my plans for an Arduino for Xmas. I still want to invent the fan that follows you around, and now add to that the radiant heater. But this month has proven so expensive plus my decision to pay the full Decembers expenses. All this won’t stop me from continuing to study but I’m first to admit book-learning is frail without some hands-on. I’m also half through Patterson’s “3rd Degree” and noticing another commonality with this crop of writers.
They have distinct negative connotations of how “poor” people work. Stay with me here. Not the jobs per se, but what the authors seem to think are bad habits of anyone who is not a doctor, lawyer or policeperson. It was barely noticeable at first but the pattern is becoming distinct. If it becomes clear enough to define, I’ll do so. Right now it is detected as a condescending manner toward anyone who isn’t directly connected to the so-called professions. Because they aim at book sales, I doubt any writer is conciously doing it. Maybe even writing about crime imparts a them vs. us mentality?
I notice it in the methods used to investigate crimes. People at street level still see the police detective following up on clues. It is not done like that any more. The clues are used to access files of masses of innocent people on the presumption if they really are innocent, there is nothing to worry about. Wrong. Be very worried. It is other people watching your every move that brought you wonderful things like income tax, credit ratings and the department of motor vehicles. Some folks never learn.
NIGHT
This weather ceases to be any fun. I need shirtsleeve temperatures to get things done. How do you know when you are a computer addict? According to strangevehicles.com, you are if you e-mail the person sitting next to you and if you tried to enter your password on the microwave this morning. The same source wants to know why you press the remote control buttons harder when you know the battery is dead. I spent last night under two quilts and a Mexican blanket. In my day, it would have been no quilt and two Mexican women. Sigh.
The major accomplishment today has already been re-writing the bass line to Patsy Cline tunes. The real challenge is to do this right, as her music can’t be faked. Her original bassist was either too far into jazz for redemption or his upright was tuned to 5ths. I’ll get it right, but there is a point of no return with this older material. Cline’s music accompaniment is a study in itself.
Here’s an interesting episode. I must go back to Craigslist and find what the fuss is about. I ran into the Hippie at the coffee shop, well aware of his reputation for violence and deep-rooted resentments, and that sooner or later he fights with everyone he knows. But until today he’s known better than to mess with me, so we chatted.
ADDENDUM
Later, on the way back from Barnes & Noble, with the temperature dropping into the mid-40s, I stopped to warm up at Capt. J’s and in he walks. I’m used to his superficially friendly manner because I’ve heard lots of stories that he is a nasty drunk. Well, we talk okay for a while, whence for some reason he pretends to not remember this blog and claiming I mean-mouthed him on Craigslist.
Duh, that only means he’s been posting again and has made more enemies. I don’t know what’s with the guy. I do know when a weirdo goes on Craigslist, he deserves all the flak he gets. I’ll check it out, because he said I was using his real name. That will be easy to prove, since it is spelled funny. He also claims his “music site” (possibly his marijuana addiction page) had more readers than this blog. Then again, he also likes to imagine he makes more in tips than I do.
Note this is the second time he’s caused trouble in public; the other time was at Walsh’s when Theresa and I were there. Turns out he didn’t have a friend in the place. This time he crossed the line. He can kiss his Dixie gigs goodbye, but then, he eventually gets fired from every place he plays. Oh yeah, he also said his music would overpower this blog. He is welcome to try to prove just that and you can make the time limit 50 years. Again ask the question why God would waste perfectly good talent on such a loser.
Oh yeah, he lost his gigs at the coffeehouses. Unlike myself, who admit I’ll spend most of my musical career in B rooms, he won’t admit he is coffeehouse one-night stand grade all the way. He claims other musicians getting out of hand caused the loss of his last gigs. Everybody knows it was because he tried to demand a share of the shop sales and got shown the door. He’s so vain he probably thinks this blog is about him.
Why not, he thinks he owns Craigslist.
46.6/30.11/76.8
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