completed my first training day at the floor store. so... very... tired. can't even... begin sentences... with capital letters. i'll write more about it another day, when i get into it.
the first day is always the hardest, right?
2006-10-30
my first day...
completed my first training day at the floor store. so... very... tired. can't even... begin sentences... with capital letters. i'll write more about it another day, when i get into it.
the first day is always the hardest, right?
2006-10-28
2006-10-26
one floor, two floor, three floor, four...
I got a trainee-position today, which could very well lead to a full-time job. It's not a very stimulating job (basically secretary work and helping out in the store), but it could bring in some serious cash my way. Besides, it's easier getting another job when you already have one. Kinda like getting a new girl when you already have a girlfriend.
The company sells and installs floors, by the way. Hardwood, linoleum, tiles, stuff like that. I guess it's not that bad.
Hi, my name is Ricard. I sell floors for a living.
2006-10-25
2006-10-24
everything will be ok...
if i act like myself everything will be ok
if i tell her what's in my heart everything will be ok
if i eat salad everything will be ok
if i work my ass off everything will be ok
if i smile everything will be ok
if i am supportive everything will be ok
if i drink everything will be ok
if i wear proper clothing everything will be ok
if i am talented everything will be ok
if i have friends everything will be ok
if i clean my room everything will be ok
if i listen everything will be ok
if i am funny everything will be ok
if i forgive everything will be ok
if i erase my mind everything will be ok
if i smile everything will be ok
shamelessly stolen and modified from http://happyllama.livejournal.com/
2006-10-21
just for the fun of it...
I forgot these clips in my last post, so here they are.
Oh, awkward...
Exaggeration, hm? Like everything you say is one of those "lies"?
Oh, awkward...
Exaggeration, hm? Like everything you say is one of those "lies"?
come on, doesn't everyone enjoy a good rape joke...?
In light of the public whoopsie Vladimir Putin made recently, I'd like to show two clips of world leaders who actually have a sense of humor. Enjoy.
(Maybe the last one counts as multiple whoopsies. I dunno. What do you think?)
(Maybe the last one counts as multiple whoopsies. I dunno. What do you think?)
2006-10-19
hell on earth...
What's more depressing than actually being out of a job? I'll tell you; being forced to work for free, which is what is on my agenda for the next month. I have a week to either get a trainee-position myself, or being put to work into the community workshop, which I hear is worse than death itself. I guess I'm just gonna have to bite the bullet and hope that something good comes my way. Maybe I can try to weasel out of some hours, but still... It's gonna be really frustrating. And depressing.
I'm gonna buy a lottery ticket tomorrow, and hope for the best.
2006-10-17
little people scrub and clean my teeth when I sleep at night...
Well, I'm all better now. The cold has gone bye-bye. Nice knowing ya. Don't come back, ever. Enough about that, let's talk about a little something that was dropped through my mail-slot this morning.
Don Hertzfeldt is an amazing film-maker. His unique style, his meticulous attention to detail and sense of humor has captured the hearts and minds of many many many, and mine as well. The first time I got exposed to Don's work was when I saw his short "Billy's Balloon", a sadistic portrayal of an evil red balloon and a boy who is subject to the balloons torture. I was about 16 or 17 when I saw it on TV, I think, and I kicked and cursed myself repeatedly for not recording it so I can show it to my friends.
"Billy's Balloon", 1998
A couple of years later, I saw a movie called "Rejected" on TV. Shorts like these don't usually get aired on Swedish TV. I don't know what the reasons were for showing "Billy's Balloon", but in this case I can make a qualified guess, although I don't really know for sure. I may be wrong. Anyway, the animated shorts that are nominated for an Academy Award usually become a part of SVT's (Sveriges Television - Swedish Television) Oscar Evening, which means that SVT airs the nominated shorts before the actual show. "Rejected" was nominated, so I guess it was aired for that reason. I wasn't aware of this at the time, but it has been so the last years I've followed the Oscars. I, once again, failed to record it, so I did the kicking and cursing myself again. Hard.
"Rejected", 2000
So, I was watching "Rejected", and I knew I recognized the style from somewhere, but I couldn't figure out from where. I wrote Don's name down on a piece of paper, so I would remember it, but I lost it somehow. It wouldn't occur to me until years later that Don had done both movies, when I stumbled on to a link to a video online. After a long time downloading (56k dial-up, woo) I saw that I had stumbled upon a low-quality version of "Rejected". For what it's worth, at least it made sure I would remember Don's name from now on. Searched it on the IMDb, and the rest is history.
On to what fell through my mail-slot this morning;
"Bitter films - vol. 1", a collection of all the animated shorts the Don made during 1995 to 2005. This DVD really has everything one could ask for regarding Don's shorts, and more. Once you see his movies back to back, you really take notice on how he has developed as an animator. From the somewhat simple and geniusly wicked "Ah l'amour" to the playful cinematic parody that is "Genre".
"Genre", 1996
The misery of two humans is portrayed in "Lily and Jim", which is about an awkward blind date gone terribly wrong. On to his most evil film, "Billy's Balloon" which I mentioned earlier, and his most popular film to date, "Rejected", which is about the fictional mental breakdown of Don himself as an animator, and about the evil of commercialism that is jammed down our throats on a daily basis.
Buy more. Buy more now. And be happy.
"Lily and Jim", 1997
Last feature on the DVD, but definitely not least, is the overwhelming piece of art that is "The Meaning of Life", which explores the past and future evolution of humans, where we are going, and where we are now. Are we nothing more than ants on a hill, droning and strolling around the world, or can humanity rise to be something more?
The question is asked, but left to the viewer to answer.
"The Meaning of Life", 2005
As if these digitally remastered shorts (supervised by Don himself, who "hated every living second of it", according to the back cover) weren't enough, there's tons and kilos of special features to explore. Everything from camera notes, script pages, sketches, pencil tests, to photographs, audio commentaries, a trivia subtitle track, a documentary and much more. The sheer volume of interesting content that was put on this DVD is a really amazing effort. Simply put, if you're a fan of Don's, a fan of animation, or just a fan of film, you'll want to have this disc. You need it. You really do, you just don't know it yet.
Don is just about done with his latest movie, titled "Everything Will Be OK", which is part one in a future trilogy. If he's moving in the direction that "The Meaning of Life" was pointing to, I think that Don may very well become one of the most creative filmmakers ever.
"Everything Will Be OK", 2006
Visit http://www.bitterfilms.com to order "Bitter films - vol. 1" and for more info about Don Hertzfeldt and his movies.
2006-10-16
2006-10-15
late night staring contest...
I went outside the apartment a couple of minutes ago for the first time in days. I deemed it necessary, because my cough has just gone away, and I needed some fresh air. It was cold, but very refreshing.
As I was walking around the courtyard, minding my own business, I notice an attractive woman in one of the windows, staring at me. I try not to look at her, so I look at other things, like the ground, or the road, for example. I do this for a minute or two, and when I turn around, I see that she's still there, staring. At me. I try to ignore her, but I still see her in my peripheral vision, and guess what she's doing? That's right, she's still fucking staring. I'm getting freaked out at this point, so I walk back into my apartment.
Please, lady, stop staring at me! Can't a guy walk around his courtyard late at night without being stared at? I need the fresh air, dammit!
Next time, I'll stare back. See how she likes it. Nah. I'll look like a pervert if I stare into windows late at night. I hope she's not there next time. Stupid, scary lady, can't even be by myself late at night....
2006-10-12
2006-10-11
two ways of spending a holyfuckton of money...
Yesterday I unofficially jumped on the bandwagon for the next generation of high-definition home entertainment; I preordered a Sony Playstation 3 Home Entertainment System. I know, it costs a shitton of money, but it's not released until March, so if I feel I can't afford it come March, I'll just ninja-cancel my preorder. I can't lose.
The newspapers today reported that a Swedish politician hasn't paid any TV-fees at all for the last 16 years. Now, when the cats out of the bag, she says that she'd like to shell out the total sum she's previously failed to pay. Not adjusted to inflation, she's agreed to pay up about $3,112 and 65 cents (23 376 SEK), plus a fine for breaking the law. Serves the bitch right. Especially considering that she's handling the cultural branch of the government.
In the eternal words of Dan Castellaneta; 'D'oh!'
2006-10-10
cold and miserable...
My comic strip, which I wrote about here, has been published! Granted, they only used it as a reminder for the contest I submitted it to, but still... it's kinda cool. Check it out here (it's in Swedish.)
I've got a cold. So now I'm just at home, taking it easy. Not a major change from my usual unemployed life, but now I feel twice as miserable. Oh well, complaining doesn't help, so I'll stop now.
2006-10-09
youtube makes my day a bit more fun...
Ever had someone poke you on the side when you least expect it? Doesn't that just make you... MAAAD??
This caught me totally off guard.
Pure evil.
2006-10-07
2006-10-06
don't blow it...
Went to my second job interview today, and I'm glad to report that it went a lot better this time around. I was much more relaxed and comfortable.
The job I was interviewing for this time is about 60 kilometers (about 40 miles) from here. Not looking forward going back and forth that distance every day, but it beats doing nothing and not making any money. We'll see how it goes, if I get called back for a second interview or not.
2006-10-04
find yourself lost...
4 8 15 16 23 42
Tonight is the season premiere of LOST, one of my favorite TV shows. When we left season two, Kate, Sawyer and Jack were captured by the seemingly evil group they call "The Others", and Michael and his boy Walt were given a boat and directions away from the island, after Michael's betrayal.
The Hatch computer's timer finally reached zero, and we found out that it's purpose was to release some mysterious electromagnetic buildup from the island. The timer had reached zero one time before, when Desmond, the man that the crash-survivors found living in The Hatch in the season two premiere, failed to "push the button", as he called it. The magnetic buildup that followed his failure was what caused the plane to crash on the island, when the show started. Luckily, Desmond somehow managed to release the magnetic buildup this first time before it was too late, but not the second time, when season two ended, thanks to Locke.
Who are these "Others" really? And what interest do they have in this specific trio of people they have kidnapped? Is there really a sickness? What is the Dharma Initiative? How will the rest of the survivors go on without their leader, Jack? And What happened to Desmond, Mr. Eko and Locke after the finale? These are the questions we hope to find out now, when season three begins.
On another note, after my catastrophic job interview yesterday, I have been summoned to another interview for another company, to take place this Friday. I hope it'll end up a lot better than last time. As always, I'll let you know how it went.
2006-10-03
the first of many...
Still unemployed. I didn't get the job. Even though I had prepared myself with what kind of questions I might be asked, and tried to find out as much as I could about the company, I was way to nervous when I sat down and the interviewer started asking questions. At least I got some tips and pointers for my next time, and for my life in general, which was nice and honest of him. He even asked for the address to this website, which I gave. I hope he doesn't find the content too offensive for his taste. Or too boring.
Oh well, that's that. My very first formal job interview. Many more to come.
2006-10-02
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