the passenger movie

I watched a DVD on loan from the library this morning, 'the passenger'. it caught my eye when looking through what was 'in stock', as I like thrillers and it stars jack Nicholson. it is about a journalist in Africa that assumes a dead man's identity. he later finds out the man is a gun runner and this is what makes it a thriller. naturally I liked seeing jack at his best, as it has been said before the voice is one thing that usually doesn't change. when he ends up in Europe, he meets a young woman that becomes his companion. I found out she had been in 'last tango in paris'. when I was looking at the credits I didn't understand why one of them said 'murderer' but I do recall a scene where somebody is executed by a firing squad, so that may be the one. it was part of the journalist work that jack's character was doing in Africa.
    looks like more things of note were happening on the job front. I was called with an offer just as I was putting in the DVD so I had to pause it. but there is more paperwork to do, and a call-in appointment for me on Friday afternoon. I had a back-to-work meeting this afternoon, where I spoke of the recent activity such as the interviews- by phone as well as in-person. I like how I have more to talk about since I am doing more than I was.
   I went to the karaoke bar in the evening, and did two songs. I did 'tush' by zz top, and 'the passenger' by iggy pop. of course I had the movie in mind when choosing it, although the song is not in the movie. for whatever reason, I looked in the binder for something by iggy pop and was reminded of this song. the bartender spoke of business being down due to the cold snap.

madame curie movie, 1943

I watched a DVD on loan from the library this morning, 'madame curie', a bio-pic from 1943. in recent years I had seen a bio-pic about her at a film festival, so of course I was interested in how an earlier version covered the story. this one covered the death of her husband, pierre, in a road accident, but the newer one does not. it does remind me of many other bio-pics I had seen, in terms of them covering the highlights of the main character's life. so at times I could predict what would happen next. since I often watch 'big bang theory' I am familiar with how the show has referred to her multiple times. the movie does depict some of their science experiments. I liked pierre's parents, they were the funny because of their comments about pierre. the bonus features included movie trailers from movies starring greer garson, who played marie curie. there was also a short film called 'romance of radium', one of the elements discovered by her.
    I had a phone interview this morning, then I watched the movie. I am told I will hear more about it next week. I applied to more jobs with the state of Minnesota as well as 'apply on company site' positions I found on indeed from the periodic email I print. I decided to stay in for most of the day, due to the subzero weather. but I am thankful I ventured out in the evening, as I was booked to do a comedy show at a micro-brewery. mason city was the show closer, a last-minute replacement. since I got stage time here, I added the show runner to my 'ring of honor', he talks about being from Philadelphia and has a joke about 'ghostbusters'. after the show a lady talked with us as she wanted to take the 'ring of honor' photo. she said her name was a color.

employment questionnaire

I had a phone interview this morning, then I had somebody call me in the afternoon. I completed an employment questionnaire by the afternoon in preparation for it. some of them seemed to be the type that they would ask over the phone though. then I was asked for birthday and partial social, and I said I don't give that out over the phone. it's just how I am. so I was advised to get to a nearby office to present this information. I arrived in a quick fashion, they said just get there by the end of the workday. I didn't know when he would call me from Arizona, so I started working on something else so I needed a little time to finish up what I was doing. it was applying for more jobs on indeed.
   due to the cold I decided to stay in this evening. it meant not going to an open-mic, but no big deal. I was afraid of my car not starting while I was out and about, and being stranded. so I watched a program on CBS about super bowl commercials.

sewing buttons on coat

I knew it was time to sew some buttons back onto my winter coat. there was two that had fallen off, and I noticed another was close to the same fate, so it was three in all. we had some subzero weather last week, and more of the same is due for this week. I also took the time to take care of a problem with one of the pockets having multiple holes in it. no big deal to do the sewing there as well, to close the holes. I like how some maintenance is fairly simple, but it is all about taking the time to do it. I figured it was a good idea to have all of the buttons on it, so it is more functional when it is really cold. but it wasn't the only preparation I did today. I also got an oil change done for my car, it was time as it had been more than three months. and I went out to shovel around it first. I may not use the shovel much, but I like having it when I really need it. I was satisfied after a little while and then went back inside to have lunch. then in the early afternoon I drove to the dealer for the oil change. it ended up taking just about 30 minutes, the cashier said there were some cancellations. I was pleased with how it didn't take long. I hadn't even finished reading a newspaper article.
    I was on the phone frequently about jobs. there was a phone screen, then another agency called me and sent me assessments to do. one appointment for Tuesday was moved to Friday. I actually got two calls while I was out shoveling out my car, but one of them was a wrong number. the other was moving an appointment. I would like to think this means there will be an offer soon, but it is hard to tell as it doesn't always mean much to get interviews.
   I liked seeing some of my friends at the comedy club. it meant seeing Worthington, and much like when talking to Stillwater it led to writing down something to look up later on. I liked how the former took the time to ask about my family. I was also at the same table as brawler, and happy meal. there was somebody who came to our table and recommended getting isopropyl alcohol for the upcoming cold snap for the car's windshield washer fluid reservoir apparently. I parked at a different place than typical tonight as I wanted to avoid getting towed due to the snow emergency. it worked fine on my set, some of it was weird things I would hear others say when I was young. also notable was when I was on my way home I was at a stoplight and somebody approached the car. I couldn't hear them, but figured they wanted money and mouthed the words that I was turning them down. I had my car radio on and I could hear the song 'take a chance on me' by ABBA. weird.

rent on fox

tonight I stayed in an watched 'rent' on fox. I turned on the TV at 7pm expecting to see 'the Simpsons' but seeing this instead was fine. I had seen the show on Broadway in 2005, during a week-long visit to new York city. and then I saw the movie version less than a year later, which was released after the show had completed its run on Broadway. this was one of my 'super bowl movies', meaning, I see an early screening of it that is done well before the game begins. I had bought the soundtrack on CD, a used copy. I liked seeing this show for the first time in a while. the most compelling characters to me were the one using a video camera, the crossdresser that was murdered, along with roger and mimi. when I had posted on twitter that I had seen it, I saw some other postings about it. something about some words were left out. of course some things had to be changed for TV if they wanted it to air on that medium! seeing it on TV proves that this show truly captured the 'zeitgeist' and few shows are able to do so.
   I had no problem whatsoever with staying in for all of today. the weather report said the winter weather would get bad by mid-afternoon, and all I saw on facebook that was of interest was an open audition. I later saw mention of how there will be another session, Tuesday evening. so I did some things that needed to be done, such as shred more junk mail. and I listened to a basketball game on the radio, the Iowa-Minnesota game from Williams arena. Minnesota won 92-87. I think I fell asleep at least once during the game, but this tends to happen when I lay down while tired. and I did the dishes while watching the news, after 'rent' was done.

snowplow sandwich

i was running errands this afternoon and when I reached an interchange I had no choice but to go after one snowplow and before the other one. first time, more than likely, that I had been part of a 'snowplow sandwich'. I didn't like the feeling so I changed lanes at my first chance to do so. there is virtually no margin of error when this happens, so I had to do something about it. once it was all done, I went to the annual twins fan-fest, held at the stadium. I had some pizza and hot chocolate there first, then did my exploring of the event. the 'flea market' section is what I like, plenty of cheap souvenirs available such as postcards. it was in the sub-basement, and the 'farm club' section was moved there. I liked getting four postcards, three of which were those yellow hall of fame plaque postcards. the others were four trading cards, two of which were from a minor-league club. I didn't see much of the interviews, no big deal. but I still did what meant the most to me, including picking up a pocket schedule for the season. I am aware that it says 'winter edition' so everything is still subject to change, and of course it doesn't list the gameday promotions yet. I also got a free photo, much like on previous visits. it reminded me of the personal baseball card I got at some of the all-star game fan-fests I had attended.
   I also did some karaoke in the evening, 'until I fall away' by the gin blossoms. I did my grocery shopping after getting back from the fan-fest. I knew it still had to be done, no big deal doing it later in the day as there are fewer people there when closing time is less than an hour away.

unfaithful movie

I watched a DVD movie on loan from the library this afternoon, 'unfaithful'. I chose it because it is considered to be a thriller. the closing credits say it was based on a French movie, which explains one of the characters in it being French. the main part of the storyline of course is a woman having an affair. but what I found to be more compelling in the story was when somebody gets killed, as this made it more of a thriller. I hadn't seen that many movies before starring diane lane, but I had seen Richard gere before. I also liked their kid acting in a school paly, as a rabbit. since I liked the lines in that scene. 'what's the point of dreaming if it is small?' so I will have to admit that I have seen some better thrillers than this one.
     I went to an interview this morning, the one I requested earlier this week. I feel better about doing an in-person interview instead of just a phone interview, since I have more information than I did earlier. there was a different interviewer than before, and I met an earlier one as I was leaving. I submitted plenty more applications today, and I scheduled a phone interview for early next week. I am still waiting to hear the result of last week's interview, the 'cattle call'. I sent a follow-up email I the early evening about it. late in the evening I did some karaoke, 'only the good die young' by billy joel. I also did a renewal on my membership with the American historical association, after getting another prompting email about it. I found out I was able to go to a lower price point, since of course I am still unemployed and could claim a lower income than before. I did the same with another one of my memberships, paying a lower fee- the one with the loft literary center. those are likely the only two I will be keeping going forward, as I value them more than the others.

pleasantville movie

i watched a DVD movie on loan from the library this afternoon, 'pleasantville'. I do recall this one being promoted when it was at theaters, but did not see it until now. at times I predicted what was going to happen next, not sure what this means other than I've seen plenty of movies before. there was a good cast, I recognized many of the actors in it. this includes tobey maguire, reese witherspoon, William macy, jeff daniels, and don knotts. I recognized one scene as being straight out of the bible, as we see a woman offering an apple to a man. I liked seeing 'across the universe' performed by Fiona apple near the end of the movie. it also means looking up some things mentioned in the movie, such as DH Lawrence, a writer that one of the characters likes to read. I saw some things in it as being social commentary on some level, so this can probably be described as a 'dystopian' movie.
   I had two appointments this morning. the first was a job fair, but I didn't stay for long. I gave my name and email and asked them to contact me about the positions I had already applied for. the second was an actual interview. I arrived early for it, but it helped that I had been at that venue before. it will be a 3-week wait to hear if there is an offer. on the way to the second appointment I was called and then went to a parking lot to take the call. it led to getting another interview for Friday morning. I actually was getting called multiple times while watching the movie this afternoon. and when I got home I turned my phone on and there was 3 messages waiting. so as the saying goes, when it rains it pours. but it remains to be seen as to if there will be any offers from this latest crop of activity. of course I am still waiting to hear about last week's interview.
    I went to perform at the karaoke bar tonight. it was a light crowd, possibly due to the subzero weather. so I did three songs. it was 'across the universe' by the beatles, 'criminal' by Fiona apple, and the 'pina colada song'. the third one apparently is officially known as 'escape' by Rupert holmes. the song reminds me of a fellow comic who has a joke about it, I think I call her number 25. so when I heard it on the radio tonight and needed another song to do, I knew that had to be the one. 

gift card holders

i was at a copy store before midday and I noticed some of the charlie brown and snoopy items there. one of them was a gift card holder, in the shape of a mailbox. so I got a photo of it. I had bought a soup bowl with a handle there before, and they do have those as well, but a different charlie brown theme than what I have. I wanted to print a job description for the interview I am having the next day. and I didn't feel like going to the library for it. before then I left a voicemail in reference to an interview and got a response to it after I got back, while washing my hands to get ready for lunch. it was an offer, and now I have to figure out if I will accept it. I like being armed with information, and I researched some things online. one of them was other applications with this company on indeed. and I called an advisor about it. I left a voicemail near the end of the workday and said I needed more information. so it was essentially a counter-offer. I don't know yet if there will be an offer from last week's interview, but I hope there will be, and it will likely be a better than this one. and I really would like to hear about the other applications, that were filed later on, as those roles are more long-term than this one is at this point. my advisor responded, and I was given some options as to what I can do. so I am thankful for calling an advisor. but it is a big deal to me that I did not accept right away, since I tell myself it is best to take the first offer when there may not be another one.
   I performed this evening, and it was nice to see the button there. also saw blake, who did a story about being in Canada. there were two headliners tonight, one of them is a radio personality and she was there when I first sang karaoke a while back, saying I was better at it than some of her friends. I made a point of saying how I now sing karaoke fairly often now. I did ones about the library, furniture, and karaoke bar patrons.

unsane movie

i watched a DVD on loan from the library this morning, 'unsane'. it was about somebody that ended up in a mental hospital and didn't belong there. a subplot was about somebody posing as an inmate that was actually an investigative reporter. I didn't recognize that many actors in it, really just matt damon, who had a small role in it. this film was directed by steven soderbergh, and I know I have seen some of his other films, including 'sex lies and videotape'. Wikipedia called it a 'psychological horror film' and this fits since it feels like something that could really happen to somebody. she makes an appointment, was told to sign some papers, and then gets committed.
   there was two phone interviews, one this morning and one in the afternoon. I understand that an in-person interview was scheduled due to the first one, but so far I have received no message confirming it. and it was confusing when I was called in the afternoon, while at the library, by the same company, albeit a different role. in the evening I watched the season finale of 'the conners' which had a cliffhanger ending. it seemed kind of early to have a season finale, but I know some shows have short seasons. I checked Wikipedia and it listed declining ratings for the show since the first episode. so I don't know what this means in terms of renewal. eventually I went out to perform, but not before helping a neighbor move in some furniture. he likes to do bow hunting, and this was evident in what I saw, seeing some trophies such as a deer head. he spoke of moving here from new mexico. I usually don't take the time to get to know my neighbors, so I guess this means I grew as a person by helping them out.

jamaica coin

i am pleased to find foreign coins when out and about. tonight it was a Jamaica coin, 10 cents, from 1982. it was the size of an American quarter. there is a coat of arms on one side that said 'out of many, one people'. so this reminds me of a motto for America, 'e pluribus unum', which means basically the same thing. the other side has flowers on it. I ran out of space in the albums I have so it will go into a tin that once held mints, along with many other coins in my collection. according to Wikipedia, there are many coins in this nation that are worth a dollar or more.
    I applied for more jobs today, some with the state government. others were 'apply on company site' much like the ones for the state. this was in the afternoon, and then I just decided to sleep for a while. there was a 'phone screen' as well, which I didn't like as it was unscheduled. it will lead to a 'phone interview' the next day. in the morning there was a back-to-work session, although much of the time I talked about the interviews I had since the last meeting, and the upcoming ones as well. I spoke about performing some, when it was relevant, and was asked about performing. apparently to some, it is a big deal to perform six nights a week. I of course made my way to the performance venue in the evening, and found some material such as the coin on the same day. this has happened before. one never knows when I might be inspired. I enjoyed a chat about where movies have been filmed with the laundry comic, and about godfather's pizza. and with brawler, he said a movie I heard more about recently was depressing but this wouldn't bother me at all. happy meal was wearing a weird hat and he let people touch it.

stan and ollie movie

I went to see the movie 'stan and ollie', a bio-pic about the entertainment duo known as laurel and hardy, in Edina this afternoon. I had seen a flyer for it last month when I was at the same theater. so this one was on my list to see. I did not recognize many of the actors in it, just john c. reilly, who played oliver hardy. but when the flyer said it was a british movie, this may be why. if most of the actors in it happen to be british. most of this movie was about doing a live theater tour in the british isles in 1953. this was at the end of their performing career. I had hoped that there would be more about the movies that made them famous. there is a reference to another comedy duo in the movie, abbott and Costello. there was a decent crowd for this screening, the first one of the day. this would be considered an 'art film' and the only theater in the metro area showing it. I know well enough to try to see them in the first week as sometimes I only get one week for a limited release movie. I chose the time not only because it was a bargain matinee, but also because I wanted to watch most of the NFL playoffs at home.
    when I got home I needed to get lunch going, and I turned on the TV to the first game of the day, rams-saints. it was near the end of the first quarter by then. I got a few things done while watching the games today, such as pay a bill by phone. also did some shredding of junk mail. then the dishes after the games were done. both went into overtime, rams beat the saints and patriots beat the chiefs. so the super bowl matchup is set, and the game is two weeks from now. I also applied for some more jobs on indeed, after the dishes were done.

usual suspects movie

i watched a movie on loan from the library this morning, 'usual suspects'. it was 'postponed' from the previous day. it was on a list of thriller movies when I was looking for ideas, and it no doubt kept me guessing until the end. memorable is the quote by the kevin spacey character, about convincing people that the devil didn't exist. I did not recognize all of the main actors in it, but I am familiar with kevin Pollak and Stephen baldwin. much of the movie surrounds the interrogation of the kevin spacey character, after the explosion of a ship in los angeles. the movie starts and ends there, so of course there are various flashbacks to fill in the story. the DVD said 'special edition', likely referring to how the movie was released originally in 1995, when VHS was the thing. there were some ridiculous scenes in it, such as seeing somebody smoking in a hospital.
   there was the typical errand running to do this morning and afternoon, such as check my p.o. box. five e-bay orders were there, but not the one from Israel which was placed nearly a month ago. I wonder if it is being held up by the government shutdown. but I like the ones that did arrive, four of them were postcards. this included one of a chessie system train, inspired by seeing the video for the song 'driver 8' by the band REM. I stopped at a cub foods to get some TV dinners, and there was a banner celebrating the opening of their adjacent liquor department. there was an ice sculpture near the main entrance of the grocery store as well. I had a sample of the hangover remedy drink. I also turned in some change at the bank, over two dollars. when asked what I am doing this weekend, I said I can't afford to do much while unemployed. In the evening I was able to shave a few more sheet protectors, three in all, by doing some more doubling up of what is there. I have re-deployed two of them.
    after the late news I went out to sing some karaoke, and the song was 'people like us' by Kelly Clarkson. before that I found a video on youtube that proved to be inspirational. it was about tragedy inspiring great songs. I knew four of the five, but not one by jim carroll, who did 'people who died'. I guess he also wrote 'basketball diaries' which became a movie. the song floored me, and inspired me to write some poetry about some of my friends that have died. I know full well to avoid ignoring when I am inspired. I still refer to a lyric in an anna nalick song, 'threatening the life it belongs to' as to the power of being inspired.

hershey's gold, peanuts and pretzels

i like trying various items in the discount bin at the holiday gas station. one of those I found tonight was Hershey's gold, peanuts and pretzels. it had 9 sections. the wrapper said 'sweet meets salty, creamy meets crunchy'. it tasted all right. I liked seeing some stripes on the edges of the wrapper, blue yellow and caramel colors. it says it is 'caramelized crème'. I got some cheese as well.
    I went to an interview this morning, no problem finding the place but it was a big complex. so I knew when I got close I had to pay attention to what the building numbers are. it looked like a 'cattle call' to me, based on how many were waiting along with me and how some were waiting after I was done. I would like to think this means the odds are more in my favor of getting hired. I asked what it meant about doing a credit check, as I am only used to hearing about the background check. but it should be no problem whatsoever on both, as I was told it would be finding out if there was any fraud or defaulting on loans and I haven't.
   in the afternoon I was watching a DVD movie but paused it when somebody called me. and I did not resume the movie after the call, it was a fairly long call. it was an advisor from Burnsville. I did say how I had an interview today, and another one scheduled for next week. I was advised to put more mention of awards on my resume but when I am getting interviews I said that honing my interview skills may be a better idea. also mention of brushing up on Microsoft excel skills, and I was sent an email with a link where I can do just that.
   I considered going to perform at a new (to me) open-mic this evening, but I saw the winter weather and decided I could stay in a little longer. it was snowing then and I was unsure how long it would last, and how slick it was out there. but the 10pm news said the twin cities got just a trace. after the news I went to sing karaoke, and the song was 'sunday morning' by maroon 5. I was reminded of that one due to last night of course, finding out there was another song with the same title.

nina (simone) movie

i watched another DVD on loan from the library this morning, 'nina', a bio-pic about nina simone, a musician. I am not too familiar with her, aside from recently singing 'feeling good' at a karaoke bar. I did not recognize any of the actors in it, but I still like watching bio-pics so this didn't matter to me at all. it sends the typical message: how it is not easy to be famous. I would have liked seeing more of the music being played, and I know I had said this before about another bio-pic- the one about billie holliday. I know this part of the story needs to be told, the troubles away from performing, such as the mental illness, but the parts with the music are more enjoyable. much like Josephine baker, it appears that she was an American ex-patriate living in france. there was a scene depicting comedian Richard pryor, as a comic of course I was interested in that one.
    there was more movement in the job front. I do have an in-person interview scheduled for Friday. and somebody with the same company emailed me about an interview for a different role, albeit next week. but I didn't feel the need to tell anyone that. this was why I moved up my trip to the library, as I had planned on waiting until the weekend. I wanted to print more things, such as the interview invite that was emailed to me. and I returned one of the two movies on loan, while picking up another.
    I went to perform at the karaoke bar tonight, after going to an event at the loft literary center in Minneapolis. it was a member event announcing the lineup at the book festival in the spring. one of the writers slated to be there is Stephen king. there was cake after the announcement, I had two pieces though I was told I could have even more. I had some godfather's pizza at the bobby and steve's nearby and went home for about an hour before heading out again for karaoke. I did two songs, 'sunday morning' by no doubt, and 'vogue' by Madonna. with the former it was meant to be the one by maroon 5, but it was no big deal for me. I saw the couple from before, the guy is a truck driver but his lady did most of the talking, she was the one that wanted to hear me sing Madonna. they tell me they want to get married at this venue in the summer.

wayne's world 2 movie

i watched the movie 'Wayne's world 2' tonight at a bar after I was done performing. it was hard to ignore because of where I was watching the show, something I had said before about many venues. I don't think I had seen it since I saw it at the theater, and I was at college in iowa city at the time. I will admit that I didn't like it as much as the original one. some of the jokes just weren't funny with me. it is proof of how long ago it was made, as some things have changed since then. such as chris Farley has a role in it, and of course he has died. I am aware of how they spoof various things in it, such as the final scene being a ripoff of 'the graduate'. I haven't been to the donut shop in this movie, stan mikita's, although I have visited Chicago-land fairly often. according to facebook it is still open, in the town of aurora. and it is kind of nice to see where movies have been filmed, so I might want to see it on my next visit. I have a rental car on those visits so I can find my way there. naturally it is harder to watch a movie while in a bar, as it means reading the closed captioning. but it still 'translates' fairly well.
    it was an active day on the job front. I had a back-to-work meeting in the morning, and I had more to talk about than usual as I have had a decent number of interviews lately. and it helped that the boss was there as well, who I find easier to work with as he understands me better. then in the afternoon I had a phone interview, and hopefully it leads to an in-person interview, although it does less than half the time so far. but one has to keep trying.

apply on company site

I have been applying for most jobs on indeed. but sometimes a listing will say there 'apply on company site' and it means I am directed off indeed. I stayed in for much of the day, not only applying for jobs, but also for two phone interviews. one of them was in the morning, but it sounded like a collections position so I am not interested. the other was in the afternoon, and I asked them about all three applications filed with the company. almost forgot about them as I filed them two months ago. and they were filed on the company's site. I would like to think I did well enough on the second one to get invited for an in-person interview. I have another phone interview scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. I was kept busy applying for jobs from the printed list from the previous day. and then I knew well enough to look at the previous week to see that I handled all of those sending me to the company's site. of course it is easier to apply on indeed, as it is just a few clicks and you are done. but on the company's site, it means setting up a new account. so much like I was taught in college, when taking an exam, I do the easiest ones first as it saves time. there were some rejection messages today as well, but I know it goes with the territory of applying more than I was.
  in the evening after watching 'the conners' I went to a holiday gas station to use the ATM. I liked getting some cheese, as well as a pearson nut goodie. the latter item was from the discount bin. I went home for a few minutes but then went out again, this time to perform. one crowd member said I looked like an actor I hadn't heard of, after my set, showing me photos on his phone. a fellow performer let me know about a show he had been performing at, on a different night of the week, and I will have to consider going there as I like my stage time any way I get it. I said I probably had been close to that venue before, since I get around to various places. I spoke of a 'bank clock' being near there, serves as a good landmark. it is a cool concept, showing the time and temperature. 

if at first

it has been said before, 'if at first you don't succeed, try again'. well I applied to two banks today for the first time in months. I already got a rejection from one of them, but I would like to think I can get at least one interview from the others as I filed 20 applications in all. having some mortgage experience, albeit just a month, on my resume has to look more attractive. I had a phone interview this morning but it didn't pan out. I found out it was essentially a sales job, so not my thing. I returned the DVDs to the library and got two more. it helped to do an online search for ideas on more thriller movies and no surprise how the top 100 had some by Alfred Hitchcock. of course I was at the library to print some things, such as the weekly list from indeed. it is emailed to me daily, but I am already aware of how there can be some duplication so weekly is enough. I got another interview scheduled as well. although just getting an interview doesn't mean much, as I keep finding out from the ones I have been doing lately.
    I performed this evening, and I got a photo of another performer in costume while a musician, he looked like the mad hatter from 'alice in wonderland'. then later on he did a comedy set. I also liked hearing somebody do two songs, it was 'bridge over troubled water' by simon and garnfunkel, and 'friends and lovers' by carl Anderson and Gloria loring. the night started off with the show runner saying that some performers would be honoring a friend who had recently committed suicide. apparently they had performed on that stage but I am not sure if I knew them. there are so many people that I meet while performing and it is hard to recall everybody. but it is sobering to have reminders such as these how fragile life can be. 

nocturnal animals movie

I watched a DVD on loan from the library this evening, 'nocturnal animals', starring Amy Adams. I had picked up a postcard advertising it but did not see it at theaters. it was likely at an arthouse theater such as the lagoon in uptown Minneapolis, as I see postcards there more than your typical mainstream theater. The card depicted it as a thriller, so it piqued my interest. and since I saw the card whenever looking in the photo album where it was kept, it was often in the back of mind to try to see it at some point. it is about a woman reading the manuscript of a book written by her ex-husband that was dedicated to her. this movie started out kind of weird, apparently at an art gallery where one sees overweight- and naked- women as art on display. what I noticed was how the main character of the movie experiences some powerful emotions while reading the book, often a mirror image of the main character of the book itself. what made it a thriller was what happens at night in west Texas, hence the name 'nocturnal animals'. and it leads to sex, violence, and murder. there was a few times where I had to 'rewind' the movie and go back a minute or two to make sure I heard what was said correctly. I don't know if 'stunned' is the right word to describe how I felt while watching it. but I will admit I liked the 'story within a story' concept here. one way this concept was used was how it led to flashbacks to when she was married to the author. one memorable scene was when she is walking through the art gallery and seeing one piece of art that just said 'revenge' which suggested the book she was reading was revenge of some sort. the ending was anticlimactic, but otherwise I liked this movie. hopefully I can find some more thrillers while making a regular visit to the library.
    I stayed in for all of today, and for much of the day watched the NFL playoffs. the patriots beat the chargers and the saints beat the eagles. although I am aware how I was paying attention to the second game more than the first, likely due to the second being a closer game. in the evening I watched 'the Simpsons' after the playoff games were completed, it was about Lisa finding a family she wanted to live with more than her own. then I watched the movie, and after that I did the dishes while watching the news. there was something about a man making 'cigar box guitars'.

bad news bears movie

i watched a DVD on loan from the library this afternoon, 'bad news bears', the one from 1976 starring walter matthau. I am familiar with later movies in the franchise, and a remake as well, starring  billy bob thornton. naturally I noticed how things will look dated since it was made over 40 years ago. this would include things like the beer cans and bottles. they looked like steel cans, and no-neck or 'stout' bottles. if I had seen it before, it had been a while. sometimes I can predict what happens in a movie, and I did so here, saying 'a prank is coming up' and I was right. no surprise how the villainous opponent in this movie was a team called the yankees, as the major league version is known for winning a lot. I noticed how the coach was drinking various kinds of beer, including Budweiser, miller, Schlitz, coors, and possibly pabst. the thing I recalled best was the sponsor of the team, chico's bail bonds. it was funny to see their slogan as well, 'let freedom ring'. I was not familiar with most of the child actors in it, just tatum O'Neal, who was the team's pitcher. I was looking for cards of baseball movies on e-bay, and from this one I bought the one depicting the juvenile delinquent, who became their best player.
   there was the typical errand running to do, such as check my post office box but nothing was waiting there. It was still a good idea to go there as I wanted to mail in my entry to publishers clearing house, which arrived this week. and of course there was going to the grocery store. it was much less leisurely because of wanting to get to an event in the evening, the timber-wolves basketball game. it was a big ten alumni event, so I went to a bar first where many of us were gathering. it was called 'last call', and it was a block from the arena, also near the light rail stop. I took the light rail to get there, and at my stop was a man and his son, who were asking me if it was the right train. I found out they were from out of town, Rochester. I said it meant taking the one going to Minneapolis, otherwise you are going to the airport or mall of America. I liked getting a winter hat as part of the ticket order, as well as a chance to shoot from the foul line after the game. my shot rimmed out, but I said it was better than the previous one, two years ago. oh, and the wolves won, they beat new orleans 110-106. after I took the light rail home I watched some of the news and then read an online article about general electric, my former employer. they have became a shell of their former selves, as the stock price is much lower and they have been de-listed from the dow-30 index. it was from the wall street journal, a long article. then it was on to a karaoke venue, where I sang 'soul to squeeze' by the red hot chili peppers.

family dollar plastic bags

I noticed how there was a sign at family dollar about plastic bags. I made my customary weekly visit this afternoon, to get a can of macaroni and beef. the spaghetti was sold out. I liked seeing how they would now be charging for plastic bags as it is an incentive to get re-usable bags. I have been using them for a while. and I recall seeing at O'Hare airport how the city of Chicago had already been doing this in recent years. hopefully it will cut down on the litter. just this week I saw a family dollar bag being blown around by the wind. I shared it on facebook and I have one like already, from my writer friend in Houston.
   I got plenty done today, including applying for more jobs with the state of Minnesota. I mostly did this after getting back from an interview with a lending provider. I was more enthusiastic there than at most interviews. it may have helped to see a connection with credit unions, as there was a bobble-head in the interview room from spire credit union. they told me I would need to do a second interview. the receptionist asked me more than once if I wanted coffee, I said I wasn't big on drinking that. I was content with reading a neighborhood publication, as there was an article about mall of America plans now that sears is leaving soon.
    when I went to a Walgreen after the interview, I got more than just the paper. I also got a bag of Christmas candy that was discounted some more, to 70 percent, it was m and m's. a little surprising how there is some left, but it is no doubt dwindling as I saw no reese's peanut butter this time. that was last week's purchase. it was nice to see a friend there as well, the employee in photo.
    I panicked a little when I got to the evening, watching the news, and I came across bills in my letter sorter. so I knew I needed to call in the 3 payments on these bills before going out to perform. I sang karaoke, one song. it was 'love song' by sara bareilles. I heard the receptionist sing some of it as I was leaving the interview. I saw friends of 'billy the kid' there, they went by al and lou, and I saw them do a boy band song.

two party rooms

i went to a pizza party tonight at the davanni's in Minnetonka. there was two party rooms, the first one I went to was the wrong one. I recognized no one there, said 'i am not here for meetup' but I think I found out later on it was for girl scout leaders. I liked their 5-meat pizza, more so than the barbecue kind. there was cookies later on as well. I liked looking at the art on the wall in the room we were in, and found out one thing bolted up was just a dry-erase board. the art was of an amusement park in excelsior, closed down many years ago. another was of a railroad depot in Wayzata, now on the national register of historic places. so there are more things to look up when I find the time.
   I spent plenty of time this afternoon applying for jobs on indeed. I did not keep count, but it had to have been at least 60. so there is a chance that there might be some days soon where my phone rings off the hook with requests to interview, unless they send them by email, and I prefer email. I went to a job fair at the same venue this morning, different state agency this time. it gave more ideas about where to apply. and after it I got home in order to do a phone interview. I apologized for being the least bit ill-prepared, saying I had been really busy this week getting to job fairs. after it I found the job description on indeed as I had applied there. it made it easier for me to know what questions to ask, so I followed up with those questions.
   I wasn't home for long after the pizza party, for about 30 minutes. I wanted to go perform and it meant doing karaoke. I did 'lump' by the presidents of the USA, and 'garden party' by rick nelson. the karaoke jockey said the second one was a good one for me. I said I like the line about 'you've got to please yourself'. there is plenty of knowledge to be found in music.

job fair extended

I know I could have made it earlier to a job fair, but I am thankful it was extended beyond the time allotment since there were many in line to talk to a state government agency. I was given a helpful hint by one of the HR people- try calling instead of just an email. I like having their perspective of having too many emails to look at. I just didn't want to be too annoying, wanting to hear about an interview I had a month ago. I also liked hearing about another 'bulk hire' position available, so I applied for it online later on in the day. this was the first of two job fairs to attend. the other was with an insurance company. like many other companies, there was call center positions available but my skill set is more than just that. so hard to say where it will lead. I was informed that my information will be forwarded to other departments. and I applied online a second time as well. the first time was before the job fair, per the advice of an email sent by somebody that happened to be who I interviewed with today. even though I like all of the activity that I have experienced in the job front so far this week, I really wish there was an offer already. but even though I am known for many things, patience is not one of them. I knew well enough to have breaks between the job fairs, and when I drove home from the first one I had lunch, heating up some chili. I arrived fairly early for the second one but I had things I wanted to do after it.
    I often watch the rerun channels, and today this included the conclusion of a 3-part story on 'the jeffersons'. it was the one about getting money back that was lost in a con game. I do recall watching this one when I was young, and this is why I wanted to watch it again. these episodes stand out to me more than most of them did. I performed this evening and it was great to see the button there. I said it meant a lot to say 'thank you' in person for finding me a newer venue. she did the joke about losing weight. I did one about how it was really windy, and a recent karaoke story. I liked seeing behind the curtain that was on the stage, there was not only framed artwork of yoda but also of a rural home.

LBJ movie

i watched another movie on loan from the library, 'LBJ', starring woody harrelson at the title character, the president. he looked quite a lot like the president, lyndon Johnson, which is helpful when playing a historical figure. much of the movie was about getting the civil rights act passed. there weren't too many other actors that I recognized in it, just Jennifer Jason leigh as his wife, lady bird. naturally, the events surrounding the kennedy assassination in 1963 are depicted, as this is what made him president. it was directed by rob reiner, and I had seen some other movies he has directed.
   once I had finished watching it in the afternoon, I went to the library to return it and got two more DVDs to watch this week. and of course I was there to print some things. while there I was called by an 'agency', the same one that called me three times the previous day. I couldn't hear them at first, but I said I didn't believe them in the email as to what they were willing to pay as a wage. so eventually I got tired of them and said 'goodbye, please do not call me again' and hung up. the stated wage just plain sounded too good to be true, as it was really high. one can't be too careful. in the late morning I did a phone interview, hopeful that it will lead somewhere. I didn't tell them I had interviewed with them over a year ago, as that might lead to be being disqualified way too soon. things have changed since then, so nothing wrong with trying again. looks like I have interviews and job fairs to attend for every day this week, and into next week. so I like being more active and engaged in the process, as it sure beats the alternative.
    in the evening I made it to two venues, first time in months at one of them. I was there as brawler said he would like to see me there, and I made a reference to EF Hutton, then had to explain it. I was also matching wits with perkins, so I gained from the time there in more ways than one. I performed at the second venue, and I like how some like what I do there. I started off riffing on what the show runner said about my sets, but I think some of it was being 'ironical' for lack of a better term. I also posed for some photos while sitting down after my set, after seeing one of me while performing. it was nice to see airway, who was wearing a timber-wolves winter hat. I spoke of the show that I did with the trumpet player last week. he tells me there are more photos of me to see, after I said I had been sent some of them. I gave my email so he can send them when they are available. sounds like the show runner will be unavailable for a little while, and he announced the fill-in MC. after the show I tried not to waste too much time getting back to my car as it was really windy out there and of course that makes one feel colder.

girl on the train movie

i watched a DVD on loan from the library, a fairly recent movie, 'girl on the train'. I don't know Emily blunt that well, but she is in it. I knew some of the actors with smaller roles in it better, such as Allison janney, laura prepon, and lisa Kudrow. I will admit that the title caught my eye for some reason. and I do like seeing a thriller, as I want somebody to keep me guessing. and this movie kept me guessing for a while. I was able to understand well how the characters were inter-related. the setting was a suburb of new York city, in Westchester county. and a commuter train goes past these houses. although not much actually happens on the train. marriages, divorces, sex, drinking, and therapy all figure into it being a thriller. there was some good visual art in it as well, two paintings in particular, as well as the sketches by the main character. of course an art gallery is shown.
   the day started kind of early in terms of me opening up my email and seeing an interview request. although I was lost as to what job I had applied for. but I scheduled a 15-minutes interview for about two hours later. but there were some things that led to it looking unattractive. for one thing, I saw no receptionist to greet me upon arrival. eventually one arrived, she said she went to the bathroom. another thing was finding out it was basically a sales job, and I've said before how I would starve if I worked on commission. I even said 'I am used to seeing a directory' in reference to the business name out front didn't match the one inside. some other interviews were scheduled for later in the week, or early next week. while I was watching the movie I fielded multiple calls. one was just as the movie had started, right after the previews had ended. I was asked if I was still interested in a job I had applied to less than a week ago, and I can expect another call sometime soon to set up an interview. I know, readers. one would think 'huh?' as I am also used to when somebody calls, it is to set up the interview. and I have no idea when they might be calling again. another organization called me multiple times, three in all, two of them were about two minutes apart. they said they had seen my resume on monster, and I asked them to email me about the job. and yet, 30 minutes later, I was called again, asking if I had seen the email. even though I had already told them I would review it after I had finished watching the movie. so of course they were a little too impatient and didn't listen well. when I did respond, after the movie was done, I saw two responses. the first asked what kind of pay I wanted, the second gave an amount that was laughably high. when the hourly pay is not listed in a job description on an unsolicited email, I asked what it pays as I don't want to waste my time. so I am not going to pursue this one, too risky. I applied for some more jobs on indeed as well. most of them were in reference to a daily email I get, and I wrote down the titles on an earlier printed email.
  in the evening I performed at the comedy club. I was thrilled to get more minutes than typical, as well as going on later than typical. I was after two notable comics, one of them being happy meal. the other is a native of northfield, but I don't know him as well. I liked seeing brawler at the club, since of course with the holidays it wasn't possible the past two weeks. I was pleased with my set, and some others were as well, saying so after I left the stage. I usually step out of the showroom right after my set to reflect on it, but this time it also was to go to the bathroom. I spoke about the grocery store, family, karaoke, and popcorn. brawler said he liked the photo I posted from his book signing. I said in an interview that I would continue 'as long as it is fun' and it still is. I also liked seeing yemen native, and chalm-skinn, for the same reasons I liked seeing brawler. it is nice being able to talk about multiple subjects. of course some of it was about performing. but at the same time, I would get bored with just wanting to talk shop when I have more than that going on in my life. so I like it when I am asked 'how is life?' and it is understood this can mean various things. the circle of friends I have found in performing make it more worthwhile, something to look forward to at each venue. 

arriving at halftime

I watched some of the NFL playoffs today, mostly at home. but when one of those was the bears game and it was on NBC- a network that just doesn't scan- I knew I would want to see some of it on TV instead of just catching it on the radio. so I arrived at halftime at a bar in downtown st. paul known for catering to bears fans. the bears lead the eagles 6-3 at halftime, but lost 16-15, the final play was a missed field goal try. I had some beer, I also liked the popcorn there. no surprise how the bar was crowded, I was standing my entire time there. eventually I found a place in the back where I had a good view of a TV and I wasn't in anyone's way. every so often I saw servers coming through with food. it was the third game this season that I saw at least part of at this bar. I was served in plastic cups each time, but I already have plenty of those so I didn't keep any of them. near me on the steps was a woman who was sometimes yelling into her phone, beer in the other hand, with her head down at times. I knew well enough to leave her alone.
    I made it to the grocery store late in the morning, picking up some TV dinners for the week. I had hoped to see a display with a cheap box of cereal, as I had for the past two weeks, but not this time. so I got a small pack of donuts instead. I still have a variety pack of oatmeal in an unopened box so I have breakfast covered for most of the week. when I got home the first game of the day had just started, and the chargers went on to beat the ravens. although it became much closer at the end.
   I am fine with having one night off a week from the clubs, it was fairly leisurely today. it can help with recalling things I need to write down and look up, some of them were related to possible stage time. or just reviewing notes and having it transferred to another page, so I could send another page to my pile to be put in the shredder. I saw some mention of the results of the golden globe awards this evening, it said lady gaga won for her song in the movie 'star is born'- a song she performed, and co-wrote. in the video I found, she spoke of the help she got from the other three writers.

southern comfort egg nog

I lucked out on finding some more egg nog. I went to a target express store and figured I would check if they had any. and they did, 3 kinds. one I don't recall, but the other two were lactaid and southern comfort. I looked at the carton and it did say non-alcoholic. there was two employees in this section when I was there and I asked if I needed help, they seemed to recommend the southern comfort. I  also got a toothbrush and some clear tape. this egg nog tasted fine. but I know we are reaching the end of the season so this may be the last quart I have. before that I sent a card to my brother in response to his card this week.
    after I went to the aldi grocery store this afternoon I decided to lay down and slept for a while, for about an hour. I watched some of the NFL playoffs, the seahawks-cowboys game was on fox. it was the second game of the day, in the evening. I left when the 3rd quarter ended, as I wanted to attend a show. I stayed for most of it but left when I wanted to go sing karaoke at another venue. happy meal was one of the performers tonight, although not originally scheduled apparently. he did a good story about his thumb. when I got to the karaoke bar I sang 'feeling good' by nina simone. also notable about the night was two other things. on the way to the first show I saw a plume of smoke from a car in front of me on the freeway, and what looked like a lit cigarette being thrown out of the car. I slowed down a little and then eventually passed them. they put their blinkers on and they were out of sight rather quickly so there must have been a big problem with their car. and while I was singing karaoke I took my beer with me but not the popcorn. then a server came around and threw out the popcorn. it may have been free, but I was planning on eating it after I was done singing. but I know what servers are like at the places I perform at.

downhill, into curb

i performed at an open-mic tonight. I don't like having to park my car on a hill, but figured I had no choice. so I recalled a lesson from driver-ed class which was how to park downhill, into the curb. and of course parking brake on. I was caught off-guard by hearing a comic saying he wanted to hear me laugh. when I did my set I said I don't know if I should be flattered, when I didn't know him that well. we spoke after I left the stage. I asked how long he had been doing stand-up, he said one year. so this could have ended way worse, but I try to give people a chance with me before outright rejecting them. I was trying to make it to the venue on time, and it was tough when it slowed down a lot on my 'final approach'. then when I got there I found out the facebook invite listed the time when the doors open, so I was 30 minutes early. good. I spoke with two different people there. the movie 'the goonies' was on TV near the bar, and I said I hadn't seen it. then it led to talk of how I was out of work, so I may have a job lead. a lady said her company needed somebody, so I asked to write it down and I friended her on facebook. I have nothing to lose in terms of what jobs are available there.
   speaking of that, I did do more on the job front. I applied to plenty of jobs on indeed, and got a return call from an advisor. we spoke for a while, and I was sent another email with videos in it that I can review. so I would like to think it will be beneficial much like the others. but I of course hate all of the waiting involved after applying, and then if I get an interview as well. in the evening after getting home, and then watching the news, I went out to perform again. it was karaoke, and I did one song, 'SOB' by Nathaniel Rateliff and the night sweats. I liked seeing people really get into it, but I know this has proven to be a crowd pleaser. some were dancing while I sang, including the karaoke jockey. and it was nice to see somebody I knew from a venue I no longer frequent, I knew he was a friend of somebody I called 'billy the kid' figuring that mnemonic device would help with remembering his name.

redbox promo codes

i called redbox as there was an issue on trying to redeem a free night code on their loyalty program. I entered a phone number and PIN as requested but the kiosk wouldn't accept it recently. so I was given a promo code I can use. and it sounds like the way to make an 'end run' around the issue is to reserve a movie in advance. I am not used to doing this, normally I just go to a kiosk and decide there what I am getting. it was one of many things on my list to take care of today, along with applying for more jobs. I also sent an RSVP to an event for next week. and I did some cleanup on facebook messenger, knowing I could archive many of the conversations there. I found more photos to move to a zip drive from there, such as when yemen native helped me find an outfit for a date. some of these ideas were spurred by being sent more photos by email. these were from the show I did 2 days ago. there was 5 sent, I was pleased with seeing this many.
   in the evening I went to the karaoke bar, but did just one song as it was packed there. I got the last parking spot in the lot. the song I did was 'circles' by soul coughing. the line about 'languishing' has really stuck with me, explaining why the song was on my mind. one of the regulars I greeted when I arrived, and he had a Chicago bears jersey on. it was number 40, gale sayers. I said it reminded me of seeing the movie 'brian's song' since brian piccolo had number 41. I followed somebody who sang that carrie underwood song about cheating that is done at karaoke bars all the time. before I left for the venue I had to write down a few ideas, this has happened before. when I am inspired, I have to take care of the urge to write. in this case, I recall a conversation with whopper the night before about performing and I was reminded of how I could create my own opportunities to perform. 

inside voice

i performed tonight and there was microphone problems before my set. it was when whopper was onstage. so some of us had to go without one, including me. I spoke of how I really don't have an inside voice, so it should be no problem for me projecting out to others. not long after I left the stage the mike problem was corrected, I saw and heard the crow saying 'one, two' a way of testing it. I was told that people could hear me just fine, wasn't sure when bars can get loud and crowded. magic man showed up and had a short set during the crow's set, who was the show closer. I got a laminated card encouraging me to post a photo of it on facebook as it would get me a free drink. I like this newer mic but after the show I am aware of how I am spending too much time describing why I am there. what difference does it make? of course I am referring to how I started shopping for another mic because I was tired of performing to an empty room. I am reminded of what was said to me before, don't recall who said it. 'celebrate the triumph, don't just remember the tragedy'. I am also aware of how I hate to leave the venue after the show is over as I know so many people there, and talking or listening to them sure beats being at home. so I don't know if this makes me look needy at all. I liked talking with whopper before the show, I asked about his shows since he does theater as well. I know, I should talk more about the actual performing part of the night. I didn't want to do the same set as last night since this was a different kind of show. so it meant so I decided to talk about stopping at a gas station on the way there, as well as getting some discounted candy earlier today.
   on the job front, I had a phone interview in the afternoon, it actually started 5 minutes early but I was still ready for it. of course I am hopeful to get an in-person interview out of it as well. I went to the library to print some things before it. I got two more DVDs on loan from there, after taking a week or two off due to the holidays. and there was a stop at the post office, four items were at my box, all postcards from e-bay orders. I spent a lot of time applying for jobs on indeed as well as ones where it said 'apply on company site'. some of these were with government agencies. after the phone interview, and more online activity, I checked a grocery store but they were out of egg nog. I knew it was at the end of the season, but I liked having it as long as I did. I know, I could have bought two cartons on my most recent visit instead of one, but I know full well how I go through it quickly so I wanted to pace myself. I left the store without buying anything, no big deal to me. and I like getting in and out without saying a word to anyone.

repurposed shipping container

I performed tonight at a place that had a repurposed shipping container. apparently some of the beer is kept there on tap. I had met the show runner at an open-mic I have been frequenting for a few months now. it was nice to get some wooden nickels for the beer. we were also given pizza at the end of the night, I guess it otherwise would have been thrown away. there was a wide variety of people performing tonight, one of them was playing an animal horn.
   I also went to the comic brunch in Eagan. the resistable comic is the show runner there. plenty of people were there, it is why I like going there. I watched some of the outback bowl while there, iowa held on to beat Mississippi state 27-22.
   I made a nice discovery on the TV network known as 'movies!' although I was confused at first. the movie was 'the greatest', a bio-pic about boxer Muhammad ali, where he played himself. I was not familiar with this movie, as I had only heard of the more recent one known as 'ali'. this one was much earlier than 'ali', as it was released in 1977. I also learned something from it, I think it was when I was checking Wikipedia after it was over. I found out they have the song 'the greatest love of all' in it, and performed by somebody that wasn't whitney Houston. I found out her version was actually a remake or a cover, and this is more evidence of how it is not always widely known about songs being a cover at times. I like being self-taught on music, and this is more evidence of what can be learned and seen just by paying attention.