Rant About Name Spelling and Some Other Things

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

Today I’m not going to complain about the mild annoyance of a fire alarm being triggered at UNSW. I’m also not going to complain about the stupidity of an announcement stating that everyone being able to return to the building after everyone has returned to the building.

I’m also not going to complain about whoever responds to emails not being able to read and spell a name, but today that shall be the choice, I think.

After getting a wonderfully patronising response in regards to a request to get after hours access to the computer lab to be able to do some of my coursework on programs that are only available in the computer lab, I found myself quite irate. Whilst I didn’t appreciate the email, partly due to it assuming that I was an idiot, what really grinder my gears was the person’s inability to spell my name despite it being right there in front of them.

People at UNSW leave something to be desired.

Wait.

People who are working in administration, as well as a number of the professors and course coordinators leave something to be desired. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe my expectation of having a basic standard of treating people with a bit of respect is asking for a bit too much. Maybe I do demand too much from people. I don’t know. I don’t think it is too hard to have at the very least a basic attachment to reality and the ideal of not treating people like they’re idiots or not worthy of respect.

My name is not hard to spell. It’s straightforward. It can be seen in writing. However, many people seem to decide that the best course of action is to spell it how they see fit instead of bothering to actually pay attention. A name may not be much to some, but to others it is quite a lot. Despite it just being a word, it is part of someone’s identity. I can only speak for myself (unsurprisingly). I strongly believe that it is quite disrespectful to spell someone’s name incorrectly if you have a clear indicator of how to spell their name.

If you have the information in front of you, then you have no excuse. What you’re doing is putting on an indication that you don’t care enough to bother to pay attention to what someone is saying or requesting, or even who they may or may not be. It’s rubbish.

Admittedly it is almost as disrespectful as sending a patronising response that ends in a “no”. The ability of the staff at UNSW to actually formulate an email that is not insulting or patronising is almost entirely nonexistent. The staff need some serious training in order to not talk down to students. They may be “educated”, but lacking in the ability to not be shitty people when not face-to-face is not acceptable.

Not all staff, of course, but most of them.

People piss me off as well, but that does not justify providing customer service in a less than acceptable manner.

One last thing: When a fire alarm is going off, having students walk around the perimeter of the building that may be on fire before going to a location that is only about fifty metres away and has a fairly clear space from said building is both dangerous and stupid.

End rant.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 475: Managed to Score a Gig

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

So I’ve managed to score a gig, aside from the other one that I landed with the aid of asking a friend.

Whilst I was in Melbourne I interviewed two artists (as, whilst on holiday I thought the best thing to do would be to do more work, but at least this is more enjoyable work, as it were, or something and so on and so forth).

So I did the interview for the first one on the first day of being in Melbourne and after the interview wrapped up we talked a little about music and studies. I was then asked if I wanted to play between two bands during a gig that the artist was performing in Sydney. I agreed as, well, it’s an opportunity to play music.

I finished typing up the interview last week. It was a combination of working slowly as well as laziness. Still, I got it finished, sent it through to the artist a few days later (just to make sure that everything was okay, no misrepresentation, etc. etc.). Got no response.

I followed up this morning and they said they’d get back to me today and asked if I still wanted to play between sets. I asked how long I have.

Ten Minutes.

More than enough time.

Now I’m proverbially shitting myself and to stay calm and collected, I’m having my second coffee of the day.

There’s some smart ideas that rattle around in my brain.

So I’m freaking out and all kinds of excited and fearful but of course I’m going to get through it the best that I can. However, I need to write new music in this time so I have something that is worth performing to a crowd.

I was going to write about other things this morning (I think), but I’m feeling quite overwhelmed at this point. I can’t begin to describe as to how excited I am as I’m too lazy to describe just how excited I am.

I guess that it would be fair to say that I am quite excited.

I think that I’m a bit more freaked out than the opportunity in October as I have only two-and-a-half weeks to prepare and make sure that I can do this.

Woah. I think. Maybe. I don’t know. Freaking out a little. Probably shouldn’t have had that second coffee. Now I’ll be racing off to other planets, other dimensions and will rip through time like a rocket ripping through a bag of peaches.

Screaming. Screaming internally. Outwardly calm. Freaking out a little. Calm. Screaming eternally. Internally. Externally. Exhaling. And so on. Inhaling. Going on. Relax, you have work to do, you have to start doing work soon. Soon the calls. You can do this.

A gig. Okay. I have a gig that is coming really soon. This is something that will happen. It can be done. I hope it will be done. Just need to relax.

Maybe I should go and get a third coffee.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:53:17

This bit of writing is probably really bad, but it kind of captures the moment really well.

Written at work.

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A Side of Glenhuntly Station

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

Whilst in Melbourne I ended up at Glenhuntly Station for various uninteresting reasons.

I like the lines all leading to near the centre of the photo, and I like how the different colours really help set the scene.

There’s a slightly “blue” tint in this photo, I think.

It being overcast doesn’t make everything pop and I think it works well to highlight how mundane an urban area can appear.

This is my submission into the first Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

Week 1 – Patti of https://pilotfishblog.com/

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya of https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/

Week 3 – Amy of https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/

Week 4 – Tina of https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/

I suggest following and considering participating, but also seeing how other people have responded to the photo challenge from The Daily Post ending.

Anyway, I hope you  enjoy.

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Santos Owns a Clothing Store Dream

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

I went into a clothing store looking for cargo pants.

It was a clothing store owned by Santos of Old Man Gloom.

Whilst perusing I was trying to work out as to whether I should say “hey” to get him to appear as there were two other people in the store but they were also customers, so Santos and his crew must’ve been in the back.

I decided to call out and said “Hey Santos!”. Santos walked out from somewhere and said something along the lines of “Hey, what’s up?”.

“Firstly, your shit-posting is excellent”, or something very similar is what I said.

“Yeah thanks”, Santos replied with as though he had been told that far too many times.

“I need help finding some cargo pants.”

“Alright.”

So Santos took me to where the cargo pants were and pulled out a pair of really white cargo pants that were either a 3XL or 4XL. They were really large.

“These are too big for me Santos”, I said.
“Don’t worry, you can adjust them with the belt”, Santos retorted.

I took them to the changing room and I felt the material. The cargo pants were those ones with the layer inside the leg that’s kind of separated from most of the leg and attached near the waist. The material was of a water resistant type and therefore did not breathe too well.

I took them out and went back to Santos.

“Santos, the pants are nice but they don’t breathe very well.”

Santos looked at me and said “Oh, okay then”, in a manner that implied I didn’t know what I was talking about as we both knew that those were the same brand of cargo pants that Aaron Turner wears when he goes hiking in the woods.

I told Santos that I was going to have a bit more of a look around and then he disappeared.

I saw some jackets and liked the look of them. They were all pretty cool. One of them was brown and had a furry-looking collar but then I noticed that it and some of the others were missing sleeves. I was looking at the fishing vests section.

I turned around and saw the jacket section. Instead of jackets in the jacket section, there were some small nondescript spherical objects in packaging hung up, among other objects that were small and nondescript hung up in the jacket section. It may have been fishing gear but I’m not sure.

“I should let Santos know that the sign needs to be moved”, I thought to myself.

Then I woke up.

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Rakali

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

Saw some of these smallish mammals at St Kilda.

They would come out from the rocks and get a little bit of food before going back into hiding for around a minute.

Most people would walk past without realising, instead looking at the things they shouldn’t have been looking at were they looking to see the rakali.

There’s something really cute and interesting about these mammals.
I think that they look “soft” and have some great colouring in their fur.

This is my submission into the first Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

In the wake of The Daily Post‘s photo challenge a few people have banded together to keep the weekly challenges going. The one that I’m following will be hosted by these four in alternating cycles:

Week 1 – Patti of https://pilotfishblog.com/

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya of https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/

Week 3 – Amy of https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/

Week 4 – Tina of https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/

I suggest following and considering participating, but also seeing how other people have responded to the photo challenge from The Daily Post ending.

Anyway, I hope you  enjoy.

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Angular Tree

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

A tree that has grown away from St Kilda Beach.

I find myself wondering as to how much this has to do with coastal winds.

The tree looks massive and strong, and has some strong leaf growth on it, I think.
However, some of the branches appear to be a bit bare.

Despite the cold, this would have been a good spot to have some “time to relax“.

This is my submission into the first Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

In the wake of The Daily Post‘s photo challenge a few people have banded together to keep the weekly challenges going. The one that I’m following will be hosted by these four in alternating cycles:

Week 1 – Patti of https://pilotfishblog.com/

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya of https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/

Week 3 – Amy of https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/

Week 4 – Tina of https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/

I suggest following and considering participating, but also seeing how other people have responded to the photo challenge from The Daily Post ending.

Anyway, I hope you  enjoy.

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Afternoon at St Kilda Beach

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

My partner and I walked by the beach at St Kilda after having lunch in the area.

Even though it was a little cold, the weather was “cooling” further.
This may have to do with it being winter when these photos were taken.

I like the lighting of this photo and the way it softens some of the objects in the distance.

Not sure about the people in the photo.

I like that they’re doing something and this doesn’t feel like one of those “cool people doing cool things” photos, but I don’t think they add much to the scene.

Oh well.

This is my submission into the first Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

In the wake of The Daily Post‘s photo challenge a few people have banded together to keep the weekly challenges going. The one that I’m following will be hosted by these four in alternating cycles:

Week 1 – Patti of https://pilotfishblog.com/

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya of https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/

Week 3 – Amy of https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/

Week 4 – Tina of https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/

I suggest following and considering participating, but also seeing how other people have responded to the photo challenge from The Daily Post ending.

Anyway, I hope you  enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 474: Drill Whinge

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

It is foggy in my mind, but outside of all of this it is a nice day that will inevitably warm up and the drilling sounds downstairs shall continue, buzzing like bees being busy as they fly around, collecting pollen and thus taking it back to the hive, except instead of that the drilling is an annoyance and one that should probably stop whilst we need to do our work for the day.

I guess it can’t be helped, but I’m pretty sure that there is something related to construction that means that you can’t be doing work in an office whilst an office is staffed due to noise levels and whatnot.

What would I know? I’ve just studied environmental impact assessment, so I guess I would no little to noting about the subject.

For now, it has once more stopped, but I am certainly looking forward to the harmonious vibrations and the sounds of the drilling as the people downstairs keep on working loudly whilst I sit here and attempt to do my job without being able to hear what the customers are saying as my mind is continually being pulled away from the call and toward a loud, drilling sound that keeps on happening downstairs even though it shouldn’t be happening whilst people are working.

I think I’ve said the same thing a few too many times.

These are heady days. Work, university, work and university but not always on the same day. There’s going to be a fair bit of running back and forth as I try to get as much done as I possibly can. There is the juggling of things outside of these two elements that must be juggled in order for things to get done. I’m keeping myself busy this semester and thankfully there are no field trips to worry about, which means no large costs that the course fees should cover.

Well, now the occasional hammering has begun. It is going to be a long four hours of hefty work this morning and partial afternoon.

I really should do my best to treat it as some form of meditative music.

It’s all drone, it’s all industrial. It washes over me the same way that music can wash over someone.

It pulled me into another world of sound. It pulls me elsewhere to something else away from the desk. It carries me away to the land of construction, where work goes on uninhibited and no one can complain about the fact that people may be breaking the rules and regulations that surround construction work during office hours.

It’s a beautiful sound that rattles inside my head and carries me home to something away from this desk and somehow will make the day pass on by so fast that…

No. I cannot do this. My only hope is for it to end soon sop I can get on with the rest of the day.

I wish I was stronger willed, but today I am not.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:52:00

Thought I’d have a whinge, which isn’t too different from usual.

Written at work.

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Stare

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

Here’s a photo of a face that is not a face, which is part of what I think makes it such a strong image.

Well, I think it’s strong. The photo is intense.

I think that in monochrome the details of face seems so much more than it normally would, although this particular face is already a bit full on, given the right lighting.

The creases in the face are emphasized, the details are sparse and even though there are defined features, much of the detail comes from the lighting rather than the face itself.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s Monochrome Madness for this week.

Due to being the first Wednesday of every month being themed, this one had the theme of “Circles”. I used this shot for the theme due to the eyes.

Monochrome Madness is predominantly-driven by its community. Please consider taking part , or at the very least checking out what other people are submitting.

You should also check out what Leanne Cole does outside of Monochrome Madness.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 473: Here are The Sounds

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Stupidity Hole

Here are the sounds.

They come in, marching one by one throughout all of our lives intertwine themselves in a scale falling down whilst hitting a baseline, then lead up to a string of split vocals and onto something else for our ears.

There is a beat that underlies the whole experience, but as we all know the beat, regardless of how funky it is will one day come to an end before making room for something a bit more lively and less funk-oriented.

There’s too much call and response, but so long as we are hearing what is said and allowing the vibrations to pull and push, we can be sure that there will be something at the end of of the multi-minute tunnel.

There’s space and in between the space there is noise that fills as much as it can. Starting and stopping, rhythm, loud crunch, low bass until the bass is no longer low, melody, chorus, calls, responses, sounds, voices, rumbles, rumbling, rumbling their way to our hearts through our brains.

Slow, yet fast and somehow expansive through its limited space, the sound widens and sees layering and sparse sound. There’s elements of the energetic punk being recontextualised into something else entirely.

It is always over far too soon, but of course that lends itself to repeat plays. Repeat plays allow the ears to hear more.

Sometimes there are singular guitars that enter the sounds in order to take the spotlight and usually they scrape and give too much to the ego and too little to the sound waves that penetrate into us.

Spacing out into some sort of future cosmic thing and floating away, yet still having us lead on into the grand infinite, leading and teasing before exploding into something else, hitting hard and hitting fast, breaking its own rhythm before becoming a real stomper of a beat and the bass is a lot harder and sharper than it could ever have been had it been handled by someone else, followed by some sort of whimsical approach to words that are now being expressed in an alternating scale of vocals, vocals and more vocals, and so on until the sun comes down and the stomping can only come to a sudden reach, but the cosmic power of the arpeggiating electronic sounds will still sit as some sort of memory and reminder to something that was before all of this that is now being felt more than it is heard.

Once it all ends, the repeat can be had for it is short enough to allow repeating plays in quick succession. This is, of course a wonderful thing to know for so long as the sounds are strong and the structure is fine, then there will be plenty of enjoyment to be had by all.

Unless, of course there is no enjoyment to be had, but then again there are certain bridges that must be crossed, regardless of how clear the other side can be seen.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:26:79

So I’ve just put on an album that has just been released and I will hopefully have a review of it done within the next two days.

It’s safe to say that this album has influenced this bit of writing.

Written at UNSW.

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