From Shoe Level

Out of print. · 1184 days ago

Well we’re movin on up, To the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky. Movin on up To the east side. We finally got a piece of the pie.

Actually, the west side. After twelve years in the print and design industry, and about six and a half at my current position as Prepress Ninja, I’m taking a step of faith and shifting careers.

This whole thing was unplanned. Totally out-of-the-blue. I have been providing freelance Mac Tech Support services to my new employer since February, after hours and on weekends, on an on-call basis. Then, completely unexpectedly, the president of the company offers me the position. I think the title will be Operations Manager, but since it’s new even for them, that could change.

I’m really looking forward to it. It feels like the time is right to move out of the print industry and into something less volatile in these uncertain economic times. I am moving into the health services field, an almost recession-proof industry (if there is such a thing). The new gig is with a Canadian distributor of Orthopaedic Arthroscopy specialties, servicing surgeons in Sports Medicine and Extremities. Sure it’s a complete opposite direction from anything I am used to, but I DO love a challenge.

And it’s closer to home.

There ain’t nothin wrong with that.

Buy it on

Stick it to me [6]

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Stuff, and stuff. · 1457 days ago

Annie Leonard, an activist who has spent the past 10 years traveling the globe fighting environmental threats, narrates The Story of Stuff, a 20-minute film that takes viewers on a provocative and eye-opening tour of the real costs of our consumer driven culture—from resource extraction to iPod incineration.

Check it out.

Stick it to me

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Red Balloon · 1562 days ago

I recall when I was young (many many years ago) watching a film about a Red Balloon that a little boy finds one morning on his way to school. Although I don’t completely remember all the details of the film, not to mention the discussion that ensued afterwards.

Anyway, I was stumbling around the ‘net today, checking out a site that a friend sent me to, as a suggestion for Site of the Week at a little community I run. This guy posts a skull a day every day for a year. Cool concept.

And then he mentions the Red Balloon movie. Complete with a link to YouTube.

I love YouTube.

Stick it to me [1]

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Omigod You Guys · 1628 days ago

So I have this habit of downloading EVERY weekly free track on iTunes, and today I decide to just play through ALL my “purchased tracks”.

And I come across THIS

Yes, they made a Broadway musical about this fluff.

Stick it to me [1]

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Twelve point five · 1730 days ago

My wife and I celebrated a milestone on Saturday. Our Twelve-and-a-halfth Anniversary.

Yes, you read correctly. Twelve and a half years of wedded bliss. Apparently, the Dutch make a huge deal of it. It’s half-way to twenty-five, after all. And seeing how my bride is of Dutch descent (her parents both emigrated from the Netherlands to Canada), I saw no reason NOT TO celebrate it. “Let’s party”, I always say!

Of course, reality dictates that our daily lives go on. Which meant that I still had to put on my “pie-shilling” duds and go to market Saturday morning bright and early. Fortunately that was only til 3 pm, at which point I could go home and relax.

NOT! We were invited to my wife’s brother’s place for a BBQ, for “no reason”. So I figured I should at least put on a clean shirt. After driving for about 30 minutes, we arrive and pull in to their laneway.

Ah. “Bonita, your parents are here.”

“Yeah, Al said they were coming over too.”

“Looks like your sister’s here too,” I say. Then we park. MY MOM IS THERE TOO! I smell a trap!

A few minutes later a few more of our friends arrive. Ends up, my buddy Rob thought they should throw us a surprise shindig for our “anniversary”. Aren’t friends great.

Stick it to me [3]

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