I sometimes sort my emails into folders

I named the folder 'Bane'

I'm not a fan of politics but some of my friends are and because I'm a good friend, I get involved in politics.

I think that you should have your friend's back; that's one of my most self hated virtues.

I noticed a competitor's mailer on her desk so I picked it up. I think it's important to see what the competition is doing and also I like to see what other designers are doing with political pieces. I'm not ashamed of stealing ideas.

It was a glossy piece, full bleed, 11 inches tall by seventeen inches wide, folded in half. Inside was a layout I did a couple of months prior for the campaign we were working on. I said, "Looks familiar."

Someone laughed.

The premise and the layout were the same; it's one thing to steal one or the other but to steal both in one piece is too much, classless and unimaginative.

I was slightly flattered, though, before I was disappointed that there was nothing for me to steal.

(I learned the word bane from a Tony Curtis movie*)



*that's sort of true.

The Pros & Cons of Muffins

"How's the accent?"

"It comes and goes but I did bake con muffins."

Get it? I said Con muffin instead of Corn muffin because I'm from Boston and we don't pronounce our R's.

I do actually say con for corn when I'm not careful or not in mixed company. Mixed being outsiders.



And I actually did bake corn muffins that I added blueberries to. I don't think I'll be adding any blueberries to my corn muffins in the future though. It's not that I disliked them in the corn muffin but I like blueberry muffins and I like corn muffins and both together do not improve the muffins but distract from it.

I don't go to many ball games

She had said one of the things that she wanted to do after flying in from Vegas was to see a Red Sox game.

I don't go to many baseball games but she was getting the tickets and all I had to do was to show up; so I did.

The $12.50 seats weren't good or at least I don't think they were, we never actually saw them. When started off in standing room only almost directly behind home plate and then we moved down to some vacant seats. It turns out some folks don't like watching a team most likely out of the playoff picture and ten runs down.

They were good seats, at least $75 a piece and the some guy two rows down was being a douche bag to the elderly lady taking photos for the ball park; and we made mention of it frequently, to the point where the lady in front of us turn around to said "Enough already."

I usually don't go around calling people douche bags and I think the lady had I point, so I apologized but my friends really didn't agree with her concerns and after we drove her away, I was asked why I apologized.

"I think she had a valid point. She's at the game, the home town team isn't doing well and she's got a bunch of yahoo's saying douche bag every four seconds. I think that can bother some people."

"This is a ball game! There aren't any kids around. This isn't the 'no cursing section' you have to expect to hear that kind of language."

"I'm just saying that I see her point. I think it's valid."

"She's not your mother. She's not my mother. She's not his mother or his mother."

There was a good chance she was somebody's mother.


...

I know the power of language but I also know that most of the power comes from within the recipient. I've desensitized myself to a lot of language. You can call me a douche bag, a mother fucker, or any other assortment of hardcore obscenities and most likely, I will not care but I can see where some folks may not want to experience that.

I've said, "If it's not true: who cares? Why should it bother me? They're lies. I don't know that guy and he doesn't know me and if it is true, then why would I be upset? It's true, and either I'm okay with the truth or if the truth bothers me them I should change."

You shouldn't be bothered by the truth.

I should be on the roof but....

They will tell me the purpose of the piece. They will hand me the components or tell me of the components that are coming and then leave me along. They trust my design skills. I get free range to edit.

He was holding two versions; one, I think expressed more of his vision and one was more of what I thought looked good and still got the message across; the tie breaking voice sided with mine but he still wasn't convinced.

I did two designs because, even after a few questions, I still was uncertain of what was precisely wanted and either I wasn't getting what was being said or they were having difficulty explaining the vision; and I've found out that instead of searching for the right questions, it's better to give people choices and then go from there.

It's like going to the Optometrist: "Is this one better, or this one? One or two?"

I've known Charlie for years. I met him during a mayoral campaign. A friend volunteered to be Campaign Treasurer, so I got access to the inner workings. Charlie was a senior adviser or maybe even campaign manager.

Charlie's son and I have the same name.

He was still staring at the two versions when the third opinion walked away.

"Why?"

"What?" I asked because my mind was elsewhere.

"Why do you like this one?" he said as he waved my version only I couldn't see it was my version because I could only see the back and the backs were the same.

I think I smiled. I appreciated the question. I know sometimes it's hard to articulate but I think you should be able to explain how you feel about something when you have just expressed an opinion on it. I don't think, 'I don't know. I just do' cuts it. He was putting me to task but it was just so he just could know. He was hoping that my reason for liking it would convince him to like it too. I like the opportunity for discussion.

Charlie's visions are a bit hokie-er than my own person design choices but I can see how his style works in certain areas. Sometimes, hokie sells. I had already relented to his hard edged hokie vision for getting his message across. We were now working on getting something that had the most visual appeal.

"I think, it's a cleaner design," was my simple answer.

"Okay, we'll go with it."

I tried to remember some of the Spanish I was taught.

I guy couldn't speak English all that well. He told me that he had been in the country for a month but then he said that he had been in his country for three months and then he said something about going back.

His son owns a moving company and his son set him in to pull permits. There was a potential problem with one of the permits and normally we will just send then down the hallway to try to figure things out but I was a bit worried that the people down that hallway might not have too much patience for a guy with broken English, so I walked down with him after he had me fill out the business check that his son's company was required to pay. And it was his first time in the place so I figured he could use the escort.

He read out loud the signs that direct people to where we were going. I turned and smiled and nodded to let him know that he was correct.

I liked the guy. It's got to be a little bit tough trying to function in a foreign city and working for you son to boot. The guy seemed to be making a large effort and if folks were to show him a little patience, he could get things done. You could see him learning. Or at least I could.

I stood with him at the desk and explained the issue. While that was being worked on, the head of the division walked out of her office. She didn't look happy. She knows me, she knows my sister, she knew the guy who retired and left me the job, she's been around for awhile and she is feared by most and respected by me.

She looked right at me like she had something to say.

I smiled and said, "Hi, Ann."

"Hey, listen. We've got to do something about people bumping phone calls down to us. It's getting out of hand. We're busy down her too and we can't be handing all of these phone calls. Someone keeps bumping them down here."

"I'll sent the calls down for bonds-"

"No it's not you that's doing it. It's someone else and it has to stop. I know it's not you. You're at least reasonable."

I think I might have cracked a slight grin when she said that I was reasonable. It was rather high praise from her. And I do try to be reasonable.

We have an incompetent person answering the phones and it's a major frustration for those workers who care about doing their jobs well but the bosses refuse to do anything about. They also refuse to properly staff the divisions.

Whatever. My job sucks at times but so what?

tick tock

Things are running slow today. When things are slow or when I'm waiting on others. I'll pop around the internet; usually one by one I'll go down my bookmarks, unless one link gets noticed.

Ray got noticed today. Today is Ray's last blog post.

I left a comment on Ray's last post, or at least I tried to, when I hit publish, I was told that that service was not available or some such error message.

the comment was:

I hear ya. Posting is different when you're not writing for yourself.

Good fortune, Ray.

You, Melissa, King, Tracy, Radio, True, Anti, Angelina have made me have to reevaluate what I thought I believed at one point in time or another.

Or something not dissimiliar.

I miss my need to write. I've never had any great stories to tell but there was a time or two when I had something to say; something I had to get out of my head.

I think retreating inward has caused some change. Actually, retreating is not the correct word; it's not an active thing. It is inactive. I don't venture out.

...

He was calling my name from the stairs as he ascended. If you call out my name, I'll answer but if you try to continue a conversation with me by shouting, when shouting is unnecessary I will not respond. I will wait until we can speak normally.

He poked his head into my office and in a slight panic told me his problem.

Yeah, I can fix your problem but first you need to settle down and second you need to get me some information.

He needed an ad resized. Someone was trying to reduce the size of one of my ads but the text was getting too small which is what happens when you try to squeeze an 11x17 ad into a 6x8 frame. And he needed it done within minutes.

He stood over me while I did it. I wanted to tell him to go screw but I figured it was driving him crazy watching me adjust things minute amounts while time was ticking away.

I very rarely ever miss the opportunity to be a bastard.

Oh. Yeah.

He signed into work using Saturday’s sign-in sheet. There is only one person in the office that works on Saturday and it isn’t him and it was Monday.

When someone pointed it out to him he said, “I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”

Yeah, and you’re a dumbass.

This is the same guy that came back from two weeks of vacation and asked where the keys to his company car were. I pointed out that there were keys hanging up and he said he saw them but that they were to a Ford. He then asked if he drove a Ford. I said, “You drive a Taurus, don’t you?” because seven of the eight vehicles are Taurus’.

He said, “Oh, yeah.”

Hand Job Security

Often there are things only I know or things only that I can do and my co-workers will suggest that I keep those secrets for job security but I think the Department runs better if more people know more things so I always share my knowledge.

I'll teach you everything I know to date because I know that I'm going to learn something new tomorrow.

...

She asked me to design the letter. She typed the text. After I was finished with Thank You letter that was going to be from her son, the Candidate, she asked my opinion. I told her, "It seems needy." So, she had me change some things. I would have changed a lot more but then it would have been my letter and I didn't feel like lending my voice.

...

The Owner said that when she spoke to the printer, the boss said that she just needed my application file. The Owner inquired as to which application was preferred and it was stated that any application would do.

I had my doubts. I can produce a file in the format of the most common applications. I purchased $1200 worth of Adobe products to be able to do such but I like using CorelDRAW. I've been using it for over a dozen years.

I doubted but I sent my Corel file anyway. I got an email back that the printer couldn't open it.

Yeah, I didn't think so.

She also wanted me to tell her what fonts I used in the design. I've been around long enough to know that unless all your fonts are super standard, you have to convert your text to curves before it leaves your computer.

I doubted her skills.

...

I apologize that this post didn't live up to the title.

The space before the exclamation point is how it was written

I couldn’t remember making the file and I couldn’t remember saving the file, so I opened it.

There was a phrase written twice.

The power behind you is stronger
than the fear in front of you !

The power behind you is stronger
than the fear in front of you !

I couldn’t remember whose file it was but it was a short list of whose it could be. I thought it was a co-op's but then I looked at the file's properties and found out who authored it. It was my predecessor, and that struck me as odd.

He didn’t seem like the type of guy that would have to give himself a little pep talk.

Maybe he wrote the note for someone else.

I wondered way I saved it. I think it’s a bit silly, which could be why I saved it, and if I were to try to convey that message, I would say: “The power within you is stronger than the power in front of you.” I know that it looses some of its poetry but I think it’s a stronger statement and it puts you more in control of the situation. When I hear about the power behind me I want to look behind me to see what that power is.

Both the power and the fear ultimately lie within, you get to choose which is more powerful.

Fear's probably a more common companion for most.

"Hope for the best," I was told - I was hoping for something better

I've been away even though I haven't been anywhere different. I'll drop by the old places when I get a moment and everyone asks what I've been up to; "Nothing much. Just busy," is the usual answer that I give.

You would figure that being busy would afford me some stories to tell; but anything that I can think up is usually more boring than usual. I seem to be racing with the rats more.

I can't speak of the political things I do to my associates because those things are contrary to what the boss of the city wishes and whether I like it or not the city and me have the same boss. I often try not to make things difficult on me.

...

The owner told me that the postcards have brought in some business. I think she said it to encourage me but it just made things worse. It cost me time and effort to help her make money and I will not see any of it. I'm a sucker for staying.

If she were ugly, I would have left a long time ago.

As I was leaving, I nearly ran into her mother, who lives across the street from the office. She asked about whether or not the checks her daughter gave her were any or or not. I said, "The gas is off," as I motioned to across the street, "So I'm guessing, No."

There was so little life left in her mother's eyes; more life gone than having a pig's heart value put into your chest would take.

sincerely,

Nine o'clock on a Saturday morning was an odd time for my cell phone to ring. I didn't recognize the number but I flipped it open anyway.

It was the Candidate. At first I thought, "What the fuck are you doing calling me? You need to be seen with the troops."

The piece I did earlier in the week was being dropped to the whole of the voting district. It takes a lot of volunteers to drop the whole district and the Candidate, the one they are doing the favor for, needs to be seen.

But it's not my race. I don't even live in the district. I'm only in the game because of a mutual friend.

"Yeah, Tim. I just wanted to say thanks. I have a lot of volunteers dropping your piece, and I just wanted to say thanks. I couldn't have done it without you."

I was a little quiet. I didn't know what to say. The last that I heard was that he wanted some design changes so I didn't know where he was coming from, and I still thought he should be spending his time with the troops and not phoning to thank me. Me, I'm safe as house, until the campaign is over or until our mutual friend stops helping him.

I told him that he was welcome and that it wasn't a problem. I had sent the piece to the printers three days prior. I had already moved on, mostly. There were some things that did cross my mind to say but I didn't feel that it was the right time.

I wished him luck.

The next day I was with our mutual friend. I wanted to know if she knew anything about what motivated the Candidate to call me.

"The Candidate called my yesterday to thank me for the piece."

"Aww, that was nice of him."

"Yeah but last I heard he didn't like it; he wanted to change the inside."

"No. He likes it. But that was after he was told to trust our design instincts."

I still think someone put him up to calling me.

I think it was his mother.

I see trouble a brewing

It was 9:27AM. I was waiting for the 9:00AM meeting to begin. My cellphone started to do its impersonation of a dying horse fly by buzzing on its back across the conference table.

I checked the caller ID and then flipped open the phone.

It was the Senior Campaign Manager, he wanted to discuss changes to the piece that was sent to the printers eight hours prior to him calling. He was present when I told him that the piece was sent. The four of us in the room said, “No changes.”

“No changes,” doesn’t actually mean that there could absolutely be no changes, it just means that there will be no design changes. It mean that I’m not going to go moving this thing up a little and that thing down a little, I’m not changing colors and I’m not changing text size or style; or at least not without very good reason.

I worked on the piece for over three days; about twenty seven hours, and that includes working one of those days after an eight hour day job; and it was all for the donut. I get nothing but verbal thank you’s, if I get anything.

He wouldn’t tell me what the changes were, he wanted to discuss them when I had time. I told him that I wasn’t going to get any time. His manner of speaking clued me in that he wanted design changes and if he had told me that on the phone, I would have told him, “No changes,” which is why he probably didn’t tell me.

He shouldn’t be calling me directly anyway and he definitely shouldn’t be calling me at my day job. I work at the request of a friend who is his friend. In my mind, I “work” for her, any changes would have to go through her; and when I’m at my day job, there is nothing I can do to help even if I had wanted to.

I got a chance two hours later to call her; the one I “work’ for, to let her know, the Senior Campaign Manager seemed to be going behind her back and plus I knew she would still agree to no changes.

“Did Jimmy call you?”

She paused before for she said, “Yes he did, and I was very angry that he called you. He shouldn’t be calling you at work.”

“Yeah, I know, but did he tell you the changes he wants? Because he wouldn’t tell me.”

“He told, and I told he we agreed to no changes.”

“Okay, but what did he want changed?”

She told me. They were design changes.

If the requested changes would have improved the piece we would have done them but the changes would have ruined some of the designed purposes of the piece. The changes would have made the piece flat, robbed it of dimension and depth, all of which the candidate’s image needs improving in.

I had wished I was angrier with the situation because I had every right to be angry. Four people in the room approved the design. Four people with experience with design, marketing and campaigns; the candidate is young and the son of the Senior Campaign Manager; who the fuck is he to be questioning the rest of us. Why does his one vote override everyone else’s?

After my day job, I went to her office.

“I can’t believe he said that the Candidate wouldn’t approve the piece without the changes.”

“Yeah, I know. Who’s he hurting? I don’t care if he doesn’t use my work,” I said, motioning at the mockup still spread across the end of her desk.

“And you know it’s true that all of the successes that he has had are with things that we have had a hand in. Nothing else that they have been doing has been working out. He wouldn’t still be in the lead without us.”

“I actually wish that I was angrier with the situation. You and Charlie were more upset than me.”

“He crossed a boundary! He shouldn’t be calling you.”

I also found out that Charlie had not been speaking to the campaign over differences of opinions. They had been asking for his thoughts and then ignoring them. He told me that he only started speaking to them again because he knew that I would be involved with this piece. He said that he was tired of fighting with them.

I see trouble a brewing.

If that's what you really want...

I do most of the print work. If the agents need something printed, they ask me. She's been around since the start, so I don't argue too much with her about her ad copy or ideas for postcards and such; I usually just do it when she seems to have a strong opinion. With others, it would be my way or the highway.

She told me exactly what she wanted and I gave it to her and she liked it.

I hated it.


So, when the owner wanted to order up some more, I redesigned it to more of my liking.



Looking at the top one still makes me a little angry.

Customers were served but there was no smiling.

It was the worst week that I could remember but then I usually don't remember the worst things because I move on from them but towards the end of the week I was rather curt with most people; my patience was gone.

Someone was one vacation so that guy's work load get split between my and my supervisor. The split was about 60/40 in my disfavor. When I have to cover someone else's job, I'm still required to do my own job, only there isn't enough time in my day to do both, so my regular job suffers.

I get a little heated when I can't do my job due to reasons caused by others. It didn't help matters that folks were transferring phone calls from people with complaints to me no matter which desk I was sitting at, even though I had nothing to do with the complaint.

Take a damn message and give the message to the proper person and stop being a lazy complaining do nothing.

There is a whole system setup for folk to lodge their complaints. The system tracts the process step by step. Send the calls there.

All I want is for people to do their job. Why is that too much to ask?

MMmmm, Toasty

At my twenty-fifth high school reunion there were a lot of shaved heads, the easiest remedy for baldness.

I still have most of my golden locks only they are not golden.

I wouldn't say that I dislike my job but when I'm on vacation I'm reminded about how much I enjoy not having to do it.

We started having people over even though the house is still mostly in the remodeling phase. The embarrassment of living in a house in the state it currently is in motivates us to finish some of the remodeling.

We had two cookouts in under a week. The first cook-out was a little difficult to pull off with just my Weber gas grill so before the second cook-out, I bought a Weber charcoal grill. I've never grilled with charcoal before but what I did know was that I was going to grill using lump charcoal and I was going to start the charcoal with a chimney starter because that's what people who know how to grill on charcoal do it.

I can crank the gas grill up to seven hundred degrees when the lid is closed. The charcoal grill seems to get even hotter than that.

I'm learning.

Both times, I toasted the rolls, but just the inside and I brushed melted butter on them first. I got the idea of toasting just the inside of the roll from 'wichcraft, a cookbook by Tom Colicchio. Both groups of people nearly marveled over the toasted rolls and commented how they would always have their rolls toasted from that point on.

People, it was just a toasted roll.

I want to put a pizza stone on the grill and make pizzas. I think a commercial pizza oven is usually set to 700 degrees. My oven tops out at 525 degrees. I think with the grill, I can get closer to the 700.