calamity jane movie

I watched another DVD on loan from the library today, 'calamity jane', starring doris day, from the 1950s. I didn't recognize the other actors in it, but there was somebody playing wild bill hickok in it. this is a musical, so it was about an actress coming to entertain people in deadwood, in Dakota territory. hard to know what else to say about it. this is decidedly not a bio-pic, so it did not get into the life story of the title character.
    I also went to the library to print some things, and take the four assessments an agency assigned from the previous day. I found out when I called to respond to a voicemail that I did well on all four. there is an appointment now scheduled for next week. and I was pleased to see the results from this week's exam, where I have been invited to an interview with them as well.
   this will also be a night of performing some karaoke. I did one song, 'ain't no rest for the wicked' by cage the elephant. while I was driving to the venue the public radio station said that ex-president bush (41) had died. it was not on the 10pm news, so it must have just been made public.

north pole express train

this evening I went to union depot in st. paul  as I had a ticket for the north pole express train. I wanted to do this last year but was told it was sold out. I liked knowing it was on a former metra train, as I saw those often when I lived in suburban Chicago. the ride was a fairly short one, as we did not leave the railroad yard. I saw the holiday gas station off in the distance, I knew this is the one on east 7th. I recognized one of the performers, she is a children's entertainer I have seen at a karaoke venue I once went to. there was also a magician, and a guitar player. even a face painter. I had to ask who was manning the shop that was selling candy canes, it was one thing we saw from the train. it looked like it was closed. I also saw an outhouse. it was nice to have cookies and cocoa inside the depot after the train ride was done. one thing I said is a reminder of my insurance background, understanding liability on a 'common carrier'. it explained why we stayed in the yard. plenty of kids on this train, but it wasn't full. so hard to understand why they claim it was 'sold out'.
   I went to another job fair this afternoon, in Shakopee. I saw somebody that recognized me there from previous job fairs. I was also on the phone with an agency, they were responding to applications I had filed this week after speaking with somebody at an earlier job fair. I was asked to complete some assessments, and it sounds like one of the jobs I applied for is the same place I worked at for a month. so it was hard to ignore that when he saw it on my resume, so I answered questions about my time there. I said I was fine with returning, but to a different department. and this was understood.
   I went to perform after being on the train, and of course it was karaoke. I sang 'ho hey' by the Lumineers. it was kind of crowded at the venue, and I was tired, so I was fine with doing just one song. I decided to step outside for a few minutes for some air, but it proved to be a mistake. I ended up getting annoyed with a man there who was trying to act smarter than he was, and liked hearing the sound of his own voice. sadly, this is still a problem for me at times: trying to reason with people that can't be reasoned with. but I have gotten better at just leaving the situation, so this is a rarer occurrence than it was.

math exam, taxes

in the early evening I went to the state capitol complex and completed a math exam. it was for a job I had applied for with the state, the revenue (or tax) department. it was delayed a few minutes due to the winter weather, expecting a few more people to show up, and they did. it was 20 questions, I ended up using most of the 1-hour time allotment. I finished shortly after the 5-minute announcement was made. I am confident that I will get an interview next week, based on questions asked before the exam began in terms of what is a passing grade. I brought my own calculator, it was a little-used gift from a non-profit that wanted donations from me. then I went home and ate, watched some reruns for a while, and ventured out again to perform. once again, somebody wanted to join me onstage and I said I wasn't comfortable with that. there was also a man that claimed to be homeless, having a beer, and was asking for help. I saw the spoken word performer outside the venue as I arrived.
    I went to another job fair in Burnsville just before midday, hard to say if it made a dent in my job searching. one agency advised me to apply to postings online and make a note of the phone numbers and contact names on the posting. I made some calls after I got home, but I was getting bored with having to make all of those calls- 6 offices for the same agency! and I turned in some change at the bank, it was just over 2 dollars. the lady in front of me had way more, and some of her coins were rejected, she said they were Canadian quarters.

blank menu screens

I had two appointments today, and between them I had to have lunch so I went to a Wendy's. actually I went to an arby's first, but the line seemed to be too long for my taste so I knew there was another option nearby. when I went to order, two of the three menu screens were blank. due to the limited information, it was harder to know what to order so I stated what I would normally get. so there was a 'way through'. although I didn't like how they asked me twice if it was for here or to go.
   the first appointment was a job interview. I drove there due to being double-booked, otherwise I would have taken public transport. it was a struggle to find parking, I passed on a few places as I planned on being there for an hour and didn't want to overpay. I actually met with two different people, one of them gave me a packet which I am told has benefits information in it. but it was disappointing to find out there would be a third interview before any offers would be extended. the most I can recall is having just two interviews before.
   the second appointment was with a job coach. and I couldn't hide my frustration with them. I keep telling them 'i don't celebrate moral victories' and this time I heard things repeated to me. I found it to be condescending, even said so. I want somebody that can help me get back to work, and they've done very little in this area. and in some cases, what I did with them-apply for jobs on indeed- I can do on my own, and I have. it appears that signing up for this program has been a mistake, and a complete waste of time, when I am stuck with 'incompetent fools'.
   I am thankful I have performing throughout this ordeal. I feel more at home there, since I am good at it and it is good to see my circle of friends there. this night was no different. at one point, the show runner tried to tell people to be more respectful since some were talking in the back. but this proved to be only marginally effective. I know well enough to try to plow through when this happens, as I know somebody still might be paying attention and like what I am doing.

dude goes west movie

i watched another DVD movie on loan from the library this afternoon, 'dude goes west', starring eddie albert. of course he is best known for his role on the TV show 'green acres'. this movie is a western from 1948. was it making fun of westerns? possibly. it sure had many of the same things in the storyline. but also some jokes with the character names used, such as eddie's character name being close to 'Daniel boone'. and the love interest was named 'crockett', of course boone and crockett were well-known names in the history books about exploring the wild west, along with kit carson. and at one point the story arrives in carson city, Nevada. the main character is a gunsmith, but appears to be a tenderfoot even though he isn't. there was an actor named james gleason in it, not to be confused with Jackie gleason. it was all right.
   I performed tonight, near the end of the show, and I held the mic-stand up during my set. you do what you have with what you've got. also did a phone interview this morning, as well as some follow-ups with jobs I have already interviewed for last week.

andy warhol baseball art

I watched some of the pro football games today, and after a while I decided to look at my collection of books, especially the baseball books. some of them cover baseball art, and I noticed there was two artworks by andy Warhol. one was of pete rose- a baseball card- and the other was tom seaver. I am familiar with how he liked doing pop art of the famous people of his time, especially during the 1960s. although it reminds me of when I got laughs while at an art museum in Minneapolis. I still don't see why anyone considers his campbell's soup cans to be art. but I think by that time of his career, anything he produced would be considered art. and I think both of these baseball artworks were in the 1980s, near the end of his life. I hadn't looked at most of those books in a while. but it is one way to stay interested in the sport during the off-season. the two games I watched were seahawks-panthers and steelers-broncos. both were wild games.
   I didn't go anywhere today, no need to go anywhere. in the evening I watched 'the simpsons', it was about krusty the clown trying to be a circus clown. after watching some 'big bang theory' reruns I decided to turn off the TV and get some other things done, such as apply for more jobs on indeed. of course there was also doing the dishes. I also went through my organizer and looked at notes about jobs I have upcoming interviews for, or have already had the interviews. so it means making some calls soon to follow up with some of these companies.

expired chimichanga

i went to aldi for my weekly grocery order this evening and was going to get two chimichangas, one chicken and one steak, but before I reached the check-out lane I noticed how one of them was expired, back in may. so I put it back. this meant looking for one at cub foods after I was done singing karaoke, along with a few other things such as egg nog.
   this of course is an errand running day. I went to check my post office box and three orders were there, a postcard and two trading cards. then it was on to the library, to return two DVD movies and get two more, as well as print some things. one item printed was a message from the local alumni chapter stating when the annual outing at a twins baseball game will be, in july. I also placed some more e-bay orders while there. I went to a target and bought two charlie brown items from their dollar section near the front of the store, as well as some lunchables, which served as a late lunch. when I got home I got out a DVD I own, and did my annual viewing of it, 'planes trains and automobiles'. since it is about getting home for thanksgiving, this is the weekend to see it. I said that 1980s movies now look dated due to the defunct airlines in it. I said there were three in this movie, but noticed there are four that are either shown or mentioned. this would be eastern, trans world, America west, and US Air. the fourth one I didn't notice as easily as the others, but it is in an early scene at O'Hare. I still enjoy this movie, but I notice one thing that I hadn't for a while. it shouldn't take all that long to get from st. louis to Chicago.
   after getting back from aldi, I spent some time this evening looking for something and finding it- an order form. then it was seeing about how many sheet protectors I could free up, and it was three. two of them have already been re-deployed. much like before, it is either doubling up on them or deciding to stress quality. then I went out again after the 10pm news, and did karaoke. I did one song, 'here I go again' by whitesnake. I heard it on my car radio while getting there, and it sounded like a good one, especially mention of 'walking alone'. but now I am considering changing my normal venue for this night of the week, to a closer one. proximity is a good factor, especially when I rarely see people I know. and tonight, I got annoyed with somebody rather quickly, answering a question I didn't even ask. I even said so. I pride myself in figuring things out on my own.

lady sings the blues movie

i watched another DVD on loan from the library this afternoon, it was 'lady sings the blues', about billie holiday, the musician. it was produced by berry gordy, the Motown records boss. I recognized many of the actors in it, such as diana ross as billie. also billy dee Williams, who had a big role in it, along with Richard pryor, and Isabel Sanford. of course I know Isabel from her role on 'the jeffersons' as louise. it covered plenty of her struggles, such as prostitution and drugs, as well as legal problems. the big thing at the end of the movie was her concert at Carnegie hall in new York city, and newspaper clippings of her life after it were shown, including mention of her death in 1959, at age 44. there are also scenes from a concert tour in the south, where she sees a lynching, and the klan marching in the streets next to the tour bus she is in. so of course it was hard to watch in many places, but these are stories that need to be told. I had seen another story about her life, a play back in 2008. it was 'lady day at emerson's bar and grill'. the play was memorable as there was a brief interruption due to a couple arguing, then deciding to leave the venue. in the tour that led up to the Carnegie hall gig, I liked seeing how one of the venues depicted was the Chicago theater, as I have seen a concert there. the movie was from 1972.
    I got started early on things to do, making it to a costume shop shortly after it had opened. I was a little standoffish as there was a dog barking at me from the upper level, even said so to the employee. but I stated what I needed and got right down to business. then I headed home to watch a football game, as my school- the iowa hawkeyes- was on TV, against Nebraska. iowa won 31-28 on a last-second field goal, but Iowa let Nebraska get back into the game as iowa led 28-13 at one point.
   in the evening I watched my DVD copy of the charlie brown thanksgiving special, of course I like to watch it annually. I did this after watching two 'frosty' specials on CBS. first there was the original, with jimmy durante as the narrator. then there was the sequel, with john goodman as the snowman. I am ambivalent about the sequel. john goodman does well, but as a big charlie brown fan I didn't like how some of it looked like a rip-off of charlie brown specials. it seemed obvious in what some of the characters looked like, and their mannerisms. I noticed how bill Melendez was involved with it, much like with charlie brown specials, so this might explain some of it.  I watched some of the high school football championships as well, Lakeville north edged eden prairie 28-21. then after the news I went to sing karaoke. I did 'human' by Christina perri. I was asked to switch mics early in the song.

plenty of pie

I picked up my order from buca dibeppo this afternoon, and when I looked at my order in the bag I said there was plenty of pie. but I was not complaining about that. I am used to one slice, there was three. I can find some use for all of it. it proved to be two meals for me. I went home to eat it so I could watch the rest of the bears-lions football game, it was at halftime when I left. the bears went on to win 23-16, aided by a 'pick-6' late. this is my favorite play to see. there were other games on after it, but the 'lead-off' game was the only one of interest to me.
  my day started fairly early, as I wanted to get to a meetup event. it was a walk at the como zoo in st. paul. it started shortly after the zoo opened for the day. an old man in the parking lot asked me when the zoo opened, I said I didn't work there. much of the tour was familiar from previous walks, such as of the conservatory. it meant walking outside some to get to animal exhibits such as the giraffes. on my way home from the zoo I stopped at a speedway and got a bottle of Heineken beer to go with my thanksgiving dinner.
   In the evening I went to do karaoke, after watching 3 different 'big bang theory' episodes. I sang 'midnight girl/sunset town' by sweethearts of the rodeo, and 'why does it always rain on me' by travis. it was great to see the button there, and many of her friends were there as well. the button let me know of a fairly new show to perform at, and I will see when I can make it.

wedding singer movie

I watched another movie on loan from the library this afternoon, 'wedding singer'. I had heard of it before, and I noticed it had plenty of 1980s fads and clichés in it. just the way the movie started, it seemed to say the ending was a poorly kept secret. we know the adam sandler character eventually ends up with the drew Barrymore character, it is just a question of how. or what I usually call 'the thrill of the chase'. I am thankful I finally saw it though, as adam is at his best if you want to see him as a goofball. I recalled clips from the previews such as him yelling 'yesterday!' at the lover that spurned him, so seeing the movie meant I had more of the context as to why he said it. I recognized a few other regulars from 'Saturday night live' having small roles in it, such as kevin Nealon.
  there was plenty of things that I got done today. it started off with an earlier morning than typical while 'on vacation', as I had an appointment with an agency. but I get there and it is only warehouse positions, didn't like how they waited that long to tell me is it seemed to be a waste of time. I still walked around the downtown area for a little while as I wanted to get my money's worth on the parking fee, as I had paid for just over an hour. during that time I walked to places such as the saints baseball stadium, and the train station- union depot. while at the depot I got a good idea- responding to the original text message with 'stop' as ending those messages would save me a lot of trouble. I also got plenty of pictures, but when I often speak of Vivian maier this shouldn't surprise anyone.
   in the early afternoon I made it back home, after stopping to pick up orders from my p.o. box, to have some lunch and take a call from an advisor about my resume. I like how they are willing to help, as I keep comparing them to other places who seem 'incompetent' by comparison. I spoke of some recent interviews, and some others coming up. I also made it to dairy queen and used the 2 for 1 blizzard coupon which was expiring today. I had to line up alternate plans as some of the flavors I wanted were not available. they claimed they were out of bananas, so a banana split was not possible. reese's peanut butter, and the brownie flavors, were the two I chose.
  in the evening I went to the Minnesota wild hockey game, the wild beat Ottawa 6-4. the wild led 2-0 at the end of the 1st, and 4-1 at the end of the 2nd. the first Ottawa goal was the middle one in the 2nd. the wild switched goalies in the 3rd, after the game was tied 4-4. the final goal was on an empty net. it was nice to see my college roommate and his family at the game, I found them during the first intermission after finding out where he was from a text message.
   after the game I went to perform, but it is hard to keep going to this venue when there is such a small crowd. in addition, some annoying things happen there. a crowd member kept wanting to talk during my set, and I don't know him. before I took the stage, he reached for some of my popcorn and I stopped him. I said there was plenty of popcorn available in the machine in the bar area, I even pointed it out. so there was no need to do what he did. especially when the popcorn thing happened a second time, when I was onstage. the show runner tries to do as much as possible, but it often seems like it is not enough.
  I found more inspiration from music as well. I found a country song on my car radio, called 'midnight girl/sunset town' by sweethearts of the rodeo. proof of how you can take the kid out of iowa, but not the iowa out of the kid. hopefully I can find it at a karaoke venue as I would like to sing it sometime soon. 

simple math assessment

I finally decided to do an assessment for a job I had already done a phone interview for. I let them know that their links didn't work, had to enter it manually. this was a big reason why I hadn't done the assessment yet. but this time they said in the email how they wanted it done in two days. much of it was simple math and language skills that I was being tested on, so it was no big deal to complete. I also had an in-person interview at a credit union. I went to a teller and said I was there for an interview, didn't know what else to do. then I was asked if I was there for safe deposit boxes, since I was waiting at a table with this sign on it, but I wasn't waiting for that. I was advised to sit in a waiting area which had various books, and I chose the children's book 'velveteen rabbit' as it was mentioned in the movie 'up in the air'. it of course means more waiting after the interview, since this week has a holiday. even at the end of the workday I got a text message from an agency, and got scheduled for an appointment with the agency for the next day. but for a while this afternoon, I didn't know what else to do with the time so I just laid down and slept for about an hour.
   also in the evening I got my ticket ordered for a Minnesota wild hockey game, since I knew my college roommate is expected to be there. it was ordered from stubhub. I also went to perform, and I was pleased to hear from so many who said they liked my set. it surprises me to hear how people are really paying attention, even filming me on their phones.

cell phone advocate

I was at the bar tonight before the show began and I saw a fellow performer who kept telling me about the cell phone he just picked up, and I was getting bored with his being an advocate, even said so. I worked it into my comedy set later on.
   I had some phone interviews today, as well as handled the new anti-virus protection that my computer has. although I didn't enjoy the three calls for it as there was two dropped calls. but hopefully I won't have to deal with it again for a while. I followed up on an interview from just over a week ago, still waiting to hear something. there was also an email I responded to. it was for a job in records management, much like what I had before I would expect, but I turned it down as the pay was too low.
   I called my dad while sitting in my parked car while between shows, since I won't be going to iowa for thanksgiving. I have made some plans for the holiday, such as a food order from buca dibeppo. and signed up for a walk through meetup. he spoke some about the election, as well as the weather.

the front runner movie

this afternoon I went to see the movie 'front runner' at the southdale in Edina. I have seen most movies directed by Jason Reitman, including 'tully' in may. he has become a favorite director ever since I saw 'up in the air'. I was familiar with some of the storyline, as it is 'based on a true story', as I was around when it happened in the 1980s. but I was very young then, and I just recall things like Colorado senator gary hart being on a boat called 'monkey business' and the name of the lady, donna rice. most of the movie covers a fairly short timeframe, from when he announced his candidacy to when his campaign ended, about a month later. many of the actors in it are familiar from other Reitman-directed movies, such as j.k. simmons, and vera Farmiga. simmons plays a campaign manager, and Farmiga plays hart's wife. I changed my seat because I grew tired of one couple that kept wanting to talk during the movie. I didn't feel the need to scold them, I figured just plain moving would be a louder statement than anything else I could do. I went from the back of the theater to the front of it. the review in the Minneapolis paper said the movie left it up to the viewer as to what their opinion of the scandal should be. I feel this is a fair assessment. in the end, the main thing I couldn't understand is why this movie is in limited release, at least in the twin cities. there was just one theater in the area showing it. this was why I went to see it on the first weekend, as I wasn't sure how long it would last. much like before, I had some popcorn that was left behind by another patron. I like popcorn and I still hate to see things go to waste.
   I watched some of the pro football games this afternoon, steelers-jaguars was on CBS. steelers were trailing at the half but found a way to win. shortly after it was done, I hit the road to see the movie. and I still can't get NBC on my TV, so I caught the bears-Vikings game in the evening on the radio. I must have been really tired, as I recall it being scoreless and the Bears had just picked up a fumble in the first quarter. when I woke up it was in the 3rd, and the Bears were up 14-0. they went on to beat the Vikings 25-20. after that I did some chores, such as the dishes. I also watched some youtube videos, recommended by somebody from the workforce center that I just met this week.

thank you cherry much

I just finished some ice cream from aldi, called 'thank you cherry much'. pretty good. I got it today as part of my weekly grocery order. I went there in the evening after I woke up. as usual, I must have been really comfortable in my easy chair. I did my typical weekend errand running, going to the post office. there was three e-bay orders waiting, and that leaves 8 orders outstanding. then I went to the counter to pay for the next 6 months on my box. I got the employee that likes to joke around, but I said I really needed to be serious here. but then we got back to me responding to his jokes. then it was on the library to return two movies and get two more. and of course print various things.
    after I got back from the grocery store I was online for a while, and was kind of paying attention to the movie channel, which was showing 'giant', starring james dean. I got caught up on getting comedy souvenirs in the binder as well, but it meant freeing up some sheet protectors to do it of course. then after the news it was on to perform at the karaoke venue. I did 'looking out my back door' by creedence clearwater revival. I saw the bubbly lady, and her husband as well.
   while I was online I found out that the iowa hawkeye football team won big against Illinois. I checked the paper from the previous day that projects them in a bowl called 'redbox' if they win out. this is the one in northern California, at the 49ers stadium. I am familiar with how there once was a bowl game that was sponsored by blockbuster video, in florida. I still use redbox from time to time, and the emails I am getting tell me there is a free night waiting for me. this is likely due to their loyalty program, as I recall I needed 15 rentals for it.

invisible man movie

I watched another DVD on loan from the library today, 'invisible man'. I didn't like the main character in it at all, as he wanted to commit crimes while invisible, a 'megalomaniac'. I watched the special features as well, it included mention of a bio-pic about the movie's director, called 'gods and monsters'. this movie was short by today's standards, made in 1933, and just 71 minutes. I liked seeing an NRA 'we do our part' logo at the start of the movie, as I am familiar with this Depression-era program. of course it has nothing to do with the gun lobby, which has the same acronym.
  I got another email inviting me to another interview, this one would be Tuesday of next week. but other than that, no real movement on the job front. it is annoying to hear how low the unemployment rate is, and when they say there is a shortage of workers, and yet I am still unemployed.
   in the evening I did some karaoke, 'mr. jones' by counting crows. kind of loud there, but I didn't mind. on the news there was mention of former Vikings player, and former state supreme court justice, alan page getting the president's medal of freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. it was one of seven awarded this year, three of which were posthumous- babe ruth, elvis Presley, and Antonin scalia. two others were retiring senator orrin hatch, and pro football player roger Staubach. I was unfamiliar with the seventh, the wife of a big contributor to the president. but it did lead to me recently ordering a few items from e-bay, either trading cards or postcards, since I have been doing this for a while. I now have postcards of 10 of the 13 baseball people, mostly their hall of fame plaque postcard. not many football people had been honored yet- just the fifth. it really was no surprise how Trump honored some football players, as he once owned a pro football team in the now-defunct USFL. and of course Obama honored some basketball players since he had played college basketball. I will have to check my p.o. box this weekend to see what has arrived.

3:10 to yuma movie

i watched another DVD on loan from the library today, '3:10 to Yuma', the 1957 version. I will admit that I was interested in seeing this one as I had seen the 2007 version, starring Russell crowe, at theaters. I had heard of glenn ford, who played the villain, but not van Heflin, who was hired to get him on the train to Yuma. there was plenty of suspense in it, which made it a good movie to watch. I do like a good western every so often. it was based on a story written by elmore leonard, and I know this name as he has written other stories that have become movies. a song of the same name is also in the movie. for some reason the song sounded a lot like the one in another western from that time, same year if I am not mistaken, 'gunfight at the o.k. corral'.
   there was some activity related to job searching. I have another phone interview scheduled, but it is over a week from now. I made some calls as well, to agencies I had contacted before. and I called the rep from the workforce center and said I have two phone interviews on Monday of next week. but there will be a longer wait to hear more about what to do to get a more attractive resume. I didn't recall hearing a time-table on Wednesday so I figured it was a good idea to follow up. I was asked to send an online version of my resume.
   In the evening I went to perform and it was great to see whopper and some of his theater friends at the venue. he said they were there after a long 'give to the max' day. he sang some, the first one was by Suzanne vega, and the other was springsteeen. I liked being able to talk at length with him, as it is rare to get this chance when there are usually so many around at his theater shows and the comedy venues. I did three songs myself. it was 'round and round' by perry como, 'low' by cracker, and 'muzzle' by smashing pumpkins. of course I had the recent target commercial in mind for the first one, since I was thrilled to hear Sia's version of it in the commercial.

sideroom resume help

I went to a job fair in Burnsville around midday and spoke to only one employer, with the state. it was the only one that I really wanted to see. somebody said that being frustrated doesn't work and wanted to look at my resume to see if re-writing it would make a difference. so it meant going to a side room for advice about it. naturally, it remains to be seen as to what help I will receive. but I left three different versions with this employee of the workforce center, and was told to expect some kind of follow-up by email or phone since this is listed on my resume. I am not sure what difference it will make though. I have said before how I will get five completely different answers about a subject if I go to five different people for advice about it. this applies to not just job searching but also dating. she said she understood frustrations, due to being out of work for three years at one point. due to divorce, health issues, and the recession. I do have some more phone interviews lined up, both on Monday of next week. and one interview from last week is still in play. I filed a few more applications through indeed this afternoon as well.
   I performed this evening, and it was memorable to say the least. a crowd member jumped onstage during my set, thinking I needed help but I didn't even know his name. thankfully the show runner coaxed him offstage. it is weird that such a thing happens, but I think it is more likely to happen at a mic where most people get used to seeing musicians and they don't know how to respond to a comic. or, as I have said before, they 'just don't get it'. but I know well enough to 'plow through' as I have an agenda of subjects to cover.

round and round, sia

recently I have been excited about a song I found in a target commercial, it is 'round and round' by sia. it is a happy song, and that sets it apart from most songs by sia that I know about. it is also a cover, and this song was a big hit for perry como in 1957. much like a jess kent song before it, 'get down', hearing part of it in a 30-second commercial was enough for me to look for it on youtube. I was not immediately aware of it being a cover, but once I found out I listened to the earlier version as well. both versions sound good to me.
   I had a meeting with a temp agency in the morning and I took the light rail to get there. when I got home I saw an email about a position with them but it would be a long commuting distance so I turned it down. there was even a 'robo-call' from one place saying there was a job available, but I was getting annoyed because they kept asking if I wanted to go back to school and I said I already have a degree so I don't expect much to happen with them. not sure how I got on their calling list either. in the evening I performed, and another performer spoke of stage time at his show next week. he was playing trumpet earlier in tonight's show, and I recognized some of what he was playing. at one point it was from 'my favorite things', also heard some from church hymns such as 'ode to joy'.

beerfest movie

i watched another DVD on loan from the library, 'beerfest'. one big reason why I chose it was knowing that cloris leachman is in it. I didn't recognize any other actors in it. this is from 2006, something that was mentioned in the movie at least once. as the name suggests, it is about beer, drinking lots of it. actually a 'drinking team'. I called it a 'farce' early on when there was one slapstick scene in it since it was ridiculous, and unlikely to happen. it covered some drinking games that I had very little knowledge of. \
   I had a phone interview this morning, though it started 30 minutes late. and another interview is scheduled for Tuesday morning. a third organization called me this morning as well, although I was getting a little annoyed when three calls took place and it could have all been done with just one.
   I performed tonight, near the end of the lineup, and there was a drunk lady in the crowd that had some outbursts every so often but I tried my best to ignore her. I also knocked over a music stand while onstage, but after my set was done I decided to correct that.

the great buster movie

I saw the movie 'the great buster', a documentary about silent film star buster Keaton,  this afternoon at the lagoon in uptown Minneapolis. I know these 'art films' don't last long, so I figured it was best to get there during the first week. I learned something as usual, how he had a career after the silent film era ended, but of course had to re-invent himself. he went all the way into the TV era, doing some commercials such as for northwest orient airlines and Alka-Seltzer. as a fan of 'the simpsons' I recall one time when he was name-checked, when his Hollywood walk of fame star was taken out to make way for someone else's. there was a 'simpsons' clip in it, a parody of one of his stunts. much like some other profiles of famous people, it had some lowlights in it such as mental health issues and a drinking problem. we comedians understand how mental health is a delicate thing. I even recall an episode of 'family ties' when he was name-checked, that one made sense since the family on that show was known as the keatons. this may have been a reference to buster. there were interviews with various entertainers, such as dick van dyke.
   it wasn't the only movie I saw today, but the other was a DVD on loan from the library that I watched at home. it was 'the grifters', starring john cusack. this was a conman movie I recall seeing part of on a movie channel when I was in high school. but I told myself I probably hadn't seen all of it. this was more of a character study than actually covering con games, since the characters were inter-related and all con artists- the mom, the son, and the son's lady friend. I saw how martin Scorsese was listed as a producer of the movie, but he did not direct it. the movie is all right, but I would have enjoyed it more had I seen more about how they pull off their con games. I have seen some other conman movies such as 'American hustle' so I had some to compare it to.
   I watched some pro football this afternoon, since the bears-lions game was on fox. the bears won 34-22, despite four missed kicks. it is a reminder of how I haven't seen a game at Chicago's soldier field in a while. there was plenty of things on TV about the centennial of the ending of world war one, which explains why the game in Chicago got plenty of attention as it is a war memorial. I saw the football game on TV and then left for the movie theater about an hour after it ended.

empty spaghetti can

when I was coming back from the dollar store I noticed an empty can of spaghetti-o's near the bus stop. so I got a photo of it, and said 'uh-oh, spaghetti-o's'. then the can went into the trash bin. I bought two items at the dollar store, a can of spaghetti and some toilet paper. so it was a weird coincidence to see the empty spaghetti can at this time.
   this was after I got back from my weekly grocery store visit, to aldi. I briefly misplaced by re-usable grocery store bags this afternoon when I was there. I was distracted by wanting to use a 'stray' cart after arriving at the 'cart corral' where I likely left them. when I didn't see them after paying the cashier I was told they were brought inside and next to an inactive check-out lane. so I like how they were still there.
   this was an eventful day. I checked my p.o. box and five online orders were there, four from e-bay and the fifth from delcampe. so it leaves just one order outstanding. both stamp orders from Germany were there, the charlie brown and snoopy stamps. one was the actual stamps, the other a first day cover. the moe berg card was there, as well as two postcards.
  for much of the afternoon I watched the iowa-northwestern football game on TV, the fox channel. iowa lost 14-10 but was leading 3-0 at the half. some late turnovers doomed the iowa hawkeyes. in the evening I first went to a CD recording at a micro-brewery, neck tattoo invited me to it and he was the first performer after the MC. I hadn't seen him performing much lately. I briefly went home after it and then headed out again, this time to perform. first venue didn't have karaoke tonight, so I had to line up alternate plans. I got one song I  near the end of the night, 'take the money and run' by the steve miller band. I saw them take the books off of the table before I sang. I think it is my second time performing there, the first was Oktoberfest weekend.

popcorn improv

I didn't see any of the typical 'boats' when I went to the popcorn machine at the performance venue to tonight so I decided to 'improvise'. it meant getting a to-go container meant for a sandwich. it worked just fine. I got a photo of it full of popcorn next to my bottle of grain belt beer. It reminded me of a time I had done this before, when I used a coffee filter. I did one song, it was 'get rhythm' by johnny cash. I liked how one couple decided to dance during this song. in many ways this tells me that people really are paying attention.
   this was a busy day for interviews. I had two, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I had lunch between the two and went to Walgreen and got a paper as well. the clerk that knows me from the photo department was my cashier. I spoke of what happened with my most recent job but said hopefully I won't be out of work for long. I tried to watch a DVD movie after I was done but fell asleep. I know I've said this before, but this really does happen a lot to me. I enjoyed the first interview more than the second, even though it lasted longer. we spoke a little about movies, I think that is a big tip-off when one can discuss less serious things. I actually said I didn't like one of the questions at the second, but still did my best to answer it.
   in the evening I found some good TV programs to watch. it started with watching a rerun of 'big bang theory' and a high school football game was on after it. it is now the playoffs, and this game was broadcast from the Vikings training facility in Eagan. this is a place I want to see a game at, but the first two sold out and now of course it is winter, snowy and cold. I watched most of the game, Lakeville north beat st. Michael-Albertville 35-8. L.N. went ahead early, leading 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. the first two TDs were aided by turnovers. after it I found the movie 'copland', starring Sylvester stallone. I watched most of it but joined it in progress and left before it ended as I wanted to go perform. I recall seeing it at the theater. it was about the 'sheriff of cop-land', a new jersey suburb of new York city where cops liked to live. I liked how janeane Garofalo was in it, one of my comedy influences. it is a reminder of my time living in west des moines for a year and a half after college in iowa city. I recall a write-up in an alternative publication that referred to the lead actor as 'sheriff rocky', of course in reference to his most famous role as a boxer.

war eagle, arkansas movie

i watched a DVD movie on loan from the library today, called 'war eagle, Arkansas'.  I got it because I understood it to be a baseball movie, and it was, kind of. but I would have to say it was a little disappointing. for one thing, one of the main characters refuses a college scholarship. why? it made no sense. in the end, it was more about a friendship between a boy with a stuttering problem, and another who was in a wheelchair and had cerebral palsy. there were some actors I recognized in it, such as brian dennehy and mare winningham. it said it was 'based on a true story', and it became more disappointing to me when I saw the special features. it said the friends actually lived in a suburb of little rock, the capital city, and not some rural town. and no mention was made of the 'real ones'
being baseball players. sure, it was a compelling story on some level about a friendship, but no doubt misleading. one thing I liked in it was talk of the sr. louis cardinals, my favorite team. this fits well with the area, since the cardinals once had a minor league team in little rock. and of course it is a neighboring state to Missouri. they talked about great cardinal pitchers, dizzy dean and bob Gibson. then I got it returned to the library as I wanted to get some things printed there. some of this was emails from employers that have scheduled interviews, I have two for Friday. a few other things were printed as well, such as a dairy queen coupon and a receipt for a holiday train ticket for the end of the month.
   I did some karaoke tonight as well, two songs. it was 'cathy's clown' by reba mcentire and 'hold on loosely' by 38 special. it was slow going getting there as it had snowed, and I stayed on secondary roads getting home. I know why I chose the first one, as I had my dad in mind. I once heard the everly brothers version of the former and I said I was more familiar with reba's version. I like trying different songs out. I got annoyed with one patron there and then ignored him after that, while I was waiting my turn to do the first song.

family feud, mama's family

i have been watching plenty of episodes of 'mama's family' recently, on one of the two rerun channels I am aware of. this was a notable episode, as it was when the harper family was on 'family feud'. so of course game show host Richard dawson appeared as himself. I have watched the game show every so often over the years, but not much lately. I know I did see this sitcom fairly often when it was first-run episodes. 'mama's family' was a syndicated show, and there were a few other shows at that time that were also syndicated.
    I applied for more jobs on indeed, mostly ones where it said 'apply on company site'. all told since Monday, I have likely applied to at least 100 jobs. and I do have some interviews set up already. one of them was this afternoon, a phone interview. although I was disappointed how the caller was misleading. she represented an agency but the caller ID on my cell phone said it was coming from Colorado. I prefer to work with somebody locally, and after being cut early from a temp job I am more leery of accepting something from an agency. I did hear back from my agency and they said the time card for last week was taken care of by them. I didn't know what to do when I got locked out due to too many failed password attempts. unsure when they will place me again.
   I performed tonight, and it went better on the routine at the end of my set with the show runner. he likes doing a segment where we roast each other, and I am fairly warmed up to the idea of doing that now. it has been said before how I have a hard time saying anything bad about anyone, but once I understand the rules of the game- that it is all in good fun- and confident that the other party will also follow these same guidelines, then everything is fine. also notable was there was a crowd member this time, but only one. and he said 'tell me a new joke' and it just seems odd that anyone would want to prompt me to do what I am already doing. but one can see all kinds when performing, especially at a mic where they may not be used to comics or storytellers like me. some are more used to seeing the musicians. and I am not sure if there were any performers besides me, and the show runner's band. I do prefer larger crowds when I am performing, but I try not to be too picky about the stage time I get as it still can be valuable in some form.

text while voting

I went to vote in the afternoon, and while there I heard a text coming in on my phone, it was in my pocket. but I knew well enough to ignore it and looked at it after I left the polling place. it was from an agency that wanted to set up a phone interview. it has already been delayed though, first asking me if I wanted to chat on Tuesday then was told their Tuesday was full. hopefully I see something with substance soon. anyway, I liked how it was no big deal to vote. the wait for a ballot was minimal, about two minutes. I helped myself out by buying a paper before I went as I wanted to see articles about what is up for vote besides governor, senator, and judges. there was a school referendum as well, this is what prompted me to get the paper more than anything else. I got a test the day before saying there would be a referendum. one article directed people to a website, and it showed  a sample ballot. as usual, I checked my work before submitting it as I take it seriously when they say to fill in the box entirely. I noticed how an elderly woman needed help, so somebody was reading the names of the candidates to her. the paper had articles about not just the offices up for vote in Minnesota, but also what to expect on a national scale. I bought some more discounted Halloween candy while at Walgreen getting the paper, but this time just Reese's peanut butter. there is still a decent amount of candy left, but now it is 70 percent off instead of 50 last week.
   I applied to more jobs this morning, mostly with the state government. I hadn't done it there for more than five months, so I had a hard time recalling the username and password. in the evening I went to perform, after getting out of my easy chair where I had fallen asleep. I am getting used to the routine at this venue, in this case signing up for a slot on the chalkboard in the back.

10 items or less movie

i watched a DVD movie on loan from the library, '10 items or less'. I liked how it had plenty of actors I recognized, although it was from 2006 so some of them were not well-known at the time, such as Jonah hill and jim parsons. of course the star is morgan freeman, odd how he kind of played himself but we never hear his name. and his name is covered up on a movie he did with Ashley judd. there was even cameos from danny DeVito and rhea Perlman. it is the kind of movie I like, setting at a grocery store. so it can be considered to be an indie movie. there was a rare car in it, an AMC gremlin. it was also cool to see them go to common places such as a car wash, a target department store, and an Arby's fast-food outlet.  I wanted to watch it so I would have a reason to get back to the library with both of them and then get things done there, such as print some things. this included my updated resume and emails such as yadier Molina, the st. louis cardinals player, winning the gold glove. I filed plenty of applications on indeed, over 40. I figured it was best to try harder this time, so I am already proving it, wanting to be 'on vacation' shorter than before. already received responses from some of them, even if it was just an automated phone interview. another mentioned a job different from the one I applied for, and I said I wanted to hear more.
   I also enjoyed performing tonight at the comedy club, I am getting stage time there more often now, averaging once a month. I told a story about being an actor at a haunted house, and people loved it. I had a few people find me after the show and said so. my response to them was to tell management so I could get onstage there more often.

venus movie

I saw the movie 'venus' on DVD today. it was on loan from the library. it was about a male-to-female transgender person finding out about having a son. at times I was rooting for some of the characters, such as when the main character told their lover to leave. it was the right thing to do, since their lover was being a hypocrite. it was filmed in Canada, and I did not recognize any of the actors in it so this may well have been a Canadian movie.
   I also got the laundry done. and I made it to the sears liquidation sale in st. paul, near the state capitol. I got a pair of socks, with fox prints on it. it seemed like a good choice based on the mood I was in. I recall my dad sharing the family joke about 'skinning a fox' and I was thinking of francis marion as well, who was called 'the swamp fox'. I entered my phone number to see if there was any 'shop your way' points to redeem, and there was. but it was just 4 cents, and a pair of socks aren't much to begin with, but I will accept any discount available to me. I saw an email about the final u.s. senate debate between tina smith and Karin Housley being this afternoon, but when I arrived downtown I decided not to go as the public radio crawler said it would be at 5pm, on their radio station. might as well listen to it from the comfort of my home. I do like seeing debates as I want to know what the candidates are for. but I was tired and fell asleep during the debate. before it I took a long walk around my neighborhood, despite the light rain. it netted me 13 cents, as I know coins can be on the pavement anywhere. I hadn't done this long walk much lately.
  I watched 'the simpsons' in the evening, it was about a company making self-driving cars. I also did the dishes. and I went through the binders and found more pages to take out. I freed up 3 more sheet protectors, and some of them were re-used already. so it meant I am able to stave off a little longer having to buy more sheet protectors. although I may need to start another comedy souvenir binder soon since it looks full. I already have four.

furlough movie

I went to check my p.o. box this morning and there were two orders waiting. one was a postcard from e-bay, the other a DVD from amazon. the movie was 'furlough', found it when searching for the word online. Melissa leo and whoopi Goldberg are in it, as well as anna paquin. I do like road movies, and this is a kind of road movie. it is about getting a prisoner to see her dying mom. and of course, to make a story out of it, there are things that happen along the way. some involve the inmate, some involve the prison guard. there are parts of this movie where it is compelling, such as the subject of families, which is more of a thing for the guard than the inmate. one wouldn't usually think of the warden as comic relief, but here he is. since he talks about singing karaoke. so all in all, I am thankful I found this one.
    I also went to turn in change at the bank, it was just over five dollars. and I eventually made it to the grocery store, though it was after seeing the movie and after going to the library, I wanted to print a few things there, such as my updated DNA results from ancestry. I picked up two movies to watch while at the library, and I noticed how early voting was happening in a community room. I also got a few pages into my comedy souvenir binder, but there aren't many sheet protectors left. I didn't do much in the evening at first, watching a college football game as not much else was on that was appealing to me, it was UCLA-Oregon, and Oregon was doing well. I went out to two venues, first to a comedy show that is once a month. I noticed the show runner getting my photo on his phone, after he pointed out I was watching from a chair near a bathroom. I didn't think it was that big of a deal where I sit. I left before the show ended, and went to sing karaoke at another venue. I did 'man on the moon' by REM. I heard another song by that band on the way to the venue, on my car radio. for a while I was listening to a vince guaraldi CD, jazz music that was done for a charlie brown special. I found it at a goodwill store recently.

cashier sharing

i went to Walgreen after work and got the paper as well as some Halloween candy, since it is now half-off. the cashier shared a story with me, not sure why. something about a weird al song being stuck in her head, but didn't say which one. I said he was name-checked on a nostalgia show, 'the goldbergs', where one character said 'the guy who does all of those songs about food'. pretty much. and spent much of the 1980s imitating Michael Jackson.
    I had a list of things to do, and look up, for the weekend and got to some of them tonight. I looked at the timberwolves basketball schedule to see when they play new orleans, it will be this month and in January. still remains to be determined as to if it fits my budget, as I have cut back a lot on the non-essential spending. I looked up a song I had heard at the karaoke bar the night before, it was 'in color' bu Jamey Johnson. and I went to perform karaoke tonight, I did 'shout' by tears for fears. much like many of the songs I am doing recently, I hear it on the radio and say I haven't done it yet. before I went to perform I watched the final episode of 'barney miller' on a rerun channel. it still resonates with me in terms of being faced with transition. the news spoke of high school football playoff games happening tonight, but I did not attend one. I figured I probably wouldn't get around to finding out where one would be, and then get there, on time. I had some small chores to cross off my list that had been waiting for a few days. so sometimes it is fine to stay in to get mundane things done. this also included checking my phone. although the voice mail led to unwelcome news. it said my job has ended. and that is all I have got to say about that.

karaoke on camera

I performed at the karaoke bar tonight and while I was waiting to perform I had a KJ tell me the news media would be there to do a story about the venue. it was channel 9, the fox affiliate. I saw them interview a patron, as well as the regular KJ. I saw a camera when I did my song, 'walk of life' by dire straits, even said 'hopefully you're getting my good side'. I did well on the bar game in the back as well, on the second attempt. I was 1 of 6 on the first game, but all 6 landed during the second game. so I had to get a photo of it. plenty of pictures from the night, as I wanted to remember the media being there.
   at work the numbers were good again, 12 loans closed. I handled 3 rejects as well, hopefully the rejects will tail off soon. I like getting a variety in terms of the state, today I did plenty from Pittsburgh, of course this is Allegheny county in Pennsylvania. I like the exposure to the variations, then I know more what to expect. such as seeing 'borough' for this city, for a while I was only familiar with new York city having boroughs.

killer rabbit

the conclusion of a two-part episode of a 'jeffersons' rerun was on and I watched it. it was at a Halloween party and it was about a killer in a rabbit costume. no surprise, it ends with the main cast members being unharmed. it is the 'thrill of the chase' of course, how they get there. I also tried to watch my DVD copy of the charlie brown special, 'great pumpkin', but I was tired and I probably would have enjoyed it more had I played in when I wasn't tired.
   at work I closed fewer loans today, it dipped under 10. but I had more things to do. there was two online classes to complete, and two team meetings as well. I am not a big fan of meetings, I am hopeful that the frequency tails off eventually. I knew I had a few days to do the classes, but with people doing the trick or treating thing in the office it was kind of noisy. so it was the bet time to take care of things not related to my normal duties. I likes how it didn't take all that long to complete them, a total of 45 minutes. and I completed one of them on my first attempt, the other on my second. there was also a woman from an agency with Halloween candy. it led to an unpleasant memory of my job searching, since she represented an agency that I worked with for 9 months. I saw them fumble around for a while, only one interview, and then a site leader said he refused to represent me. she recognized me so I felt the need to say I finally got hired by another agency. I had no choice after the site leader said a lot of things about me that weren't true. I went through some printed emails and then sent a follow-up message to her, saying more about my experience. I knew it was my best chance at closure for a while. at the same time, I started to care less about that agency once I was back at work anyway. it wasn't the only agency I filed an application with, but it was the first.
   I performed tonight, but it is harder to do when there is not much of a crowd, or none at all. in this case I was hearing people arguing in the bar area, and I kept hearing the name of the president as well. but I know well enough to try to plow through as best as I can. but it is hard to ignore when I see  a bartender having to eject somebody. it was after I had left the stage, but this may well have started when I was performing. I know it isn't every week when somebody has to be ejected, and it isn't the only venue when I have seen somebody ejected, but it seems to happen at this venue more often than others. I think of the stage as a safe place for me, most of the time. but when it looks like it may not be, then what do I do? still not sure.