I work for an electrical contractor during the day and for the past 6 or 7 years I have been working steady at a manufacturing plant as the resident voice and data tech. We had a great thing going there and I did my best to provide the best service I could going above and beyond much of the time. About 2 months ago they hired a new finance guy who came from, of all places, one of the big three auto makers. I cannot understand why anyone would hire a finance guy from a company that has been begging billions from the US Government and is still about to go under. I have (or had) a sparkling reputation there. Received many comendations and letters of thanks from the management over the years. I worked hard to consoladate as many of the jobs as I could to give them extra bang for the buck and save money time and time again.
This new guy requested to speak with me and had "questions" so I was forthright with all my answers and basicly a good doobie. He took the things i said and imedeiatly sent out an email requestion to get my pay reduced, suggested I was unqualified to do parts of the work (programming the phone system) and suggested that we were charging them no matter if I was there working or not!! Of course when I confronted him with this he denied it and said I was out of line and that he was very complementary of me. It has been a long long time since i have met such a lying SOB as this guy. Now they have brought in his pals to try and take over my job. All the people that I had worked for there are begining to run for cover to save their ass's. It is a sad end to a great place. I made many friends there that i shall cherish and miss; Walter, Madeline, Ann, Sue, Cindy, Barb, Jeannie, Pat, Bill, Gerry, Linda, Brad, Chuck, Jennie, Clem, and even some of the plant people like Greg, John, and Chuck. You all made me feel so welcome and like I really belonged somewhere for the first time in my life. I shall cherish the feeling as long as I live and be greatful to you all forever. My wish for you all is that you can survive this man who seems to hold everyone's fate in his cold lying hands. He has a couple of helpers in all this too. For the time being they will reign supreme but things always change and they will fall from grace. When they do it will be a friendless cold fall. I will celebrate silently when I hear the news.
To my good friends; Love and luck.
Mark
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Jobber Musicians
I hate to use this forum to vent and I know I will probably take a beating for this one. I live in St Louis Missouri. Over the last few years I have had to search for replacentments for my band now and then when a player decides to move on. Reguardless of the position each time I place an ad I would get answers from what I call 'jobbers'. These are musicians that are like hired guns. They will play with anyone anytime anywhere. Some of them are players in weekend bands and try to get fill in gigs whereever they can during ther band's off days. So why, you might be asking, do I have a problem with this/
I will tell you. These are musicians that could not make it as a professional but didnt want to join society and get a regular job. Many of them work part time in a music store or giving lessons but play for a living. My problem is that guys like me go to work, earn money to buy the PA equipment nessessary to do the gigs and do all the legwork to book the jobs and whatever else is required to put a band together and keep it busy. The 'jobber' player shows up just to make his/her money and thats it. They share no risk or responsibility. What'a more, they have a personal schedule that they are constantly trying to fill so while you are working to put money into everyone's pockets by booking work they are actually working against your interests by booking their own personal schedule that will in all likelyhood conflict with yours. And when it does conflict with yours guess who will get the short end of things? Well, It wont be them, I can assure you. The the majority are drummers and to a man they are really great guys. It's a livestyle for them. I feel a little sorry for them because sooner or later father time will catch up with them and they will have to join the working world. They will be old with no skills, no pensions living in an apartment or trailer somewhere eking out a living hand to mouth.
None of the bands I know around town job out with 60 plus year old guys unless its the symphony.
I will tell you. These are musicians that could not make it as a professional but didnt want to join society and get a regular job. Many of them work part time in a music store or giving lessons but play for a living. My problem is that guys like me go to work, earn money to buy the PA equipment nessessary to do the gigs and do all the legwork to book the jobs and whatever else is required to put a band together and keep it busy. The 'jobber' player shows up just to make his/her money and thats it. They share no risk or responsibility. What'a more, they have a personal schedule that they are constantly trying to fill so while you are working to put money into everyone's pockets by booking work they are actually working against your interests by booking their own personal schedule that will in all likelyhood conflict with yours. And when it does conflict with yours guess who will get the short end of things? Well, It wont be them, I can assure you. The the majority are drummers and to a man they are really great guys. It's a livestyle for them. I feel a little sorry for them because sooner or later father time will catch up with them and they will have to join the working world. They will be old with no skills, no pensions living in an apartment or trailer somewhere eking out a living hand to mouth.
None of the bands I know around town job out with 60 plus year old guys unless its the symphony.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Drummer Joe Donahue
It is with sadness that I report that our drummer, Joe Donahue, will be leaving the band. I have been with Joe a little over 2 years now. When I was looking for a drummer I auditioned many guys and had not found anyone that was what I was looking for. Just when I had reached total dispair over the situation Joe emailed me. He had been in a very popular wedding band in Boston and had relocated to St Peters. I had figured "wedding band drummer. . yeah right. . .this guy is probably pretty average".
I could not have been more wrong. Joe was far and away the best guy of them all. Joe saved me and the band and helped establish us as a real force in the St Charles area. Joe has a quiet leadership and wisdom that I could always turn to when I needed it. He helped me work through some trying times. That wisdom along with his solid drumming will be greatly missed. I am so very grateful that he took a chance on my band even though the time was way too short. Just in case I never said it before I want to say it now. Thanks Joe, thanks so much for everything. I will miss you terribly my friend!!
I could not have been more wrong. Joe was far and away the best guy of them all. Joe saved me and the band and helped establish us as a real force in the St Charles area. Joe has a quiet leadership and wisdom that I could always turn to when I needed it. He helped me work through some trying times. That wisdom along with his solid drumming will be greatly missed. I am so very grateful that he took a chance on my band even though the time was way too short. Just in case I never said it before I want to say it now. Thanks Joe, thanks so much for everything. I will miss you terribly my friend!!
New Singer
We have a new lead singer named Ron Smith. Ron is a great guy and a fine singer and I am real happy to be working with him. He brings a much higher vocal range to the band and allows us to play material by artists that we have not been able to do before like Forigner, Led Zepplin, and Queen.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Changes
Jim Gentemann is no longer with the band. His last show was at Dano's in Wright City on Saturday July 19th. I wont go into detail but we had some personel and creative differences and decided it was in the best interests of everyone to part ways. Speaking for the entire band I wish him all the best in both his personal life and him musical career. Mark and Chris will be handling all the lead vocal duties for the time being.
Monday, May 19, 2008
New Cardinal Ballpark
My wife and I went to the ballgame last Friday to watch the Cardinals play the Devil Rays in what was a really booring Cardinal loss. My daughter bought us the tickets, bless her little heart, for my birthday. We had never been to the new park before so I was pretty excited to see it for the first time. The seats were along the 1st base side but about 5 rows from the very top of the stadium. To me, from that vantage point the stadium seemed cramped and cheap. The people around us were more interested in drinking and screwing around than watching the game. Many were just plain drunk and obscene. We were constantly getting up to let people in and out that were just coming over to visit other drunk people. One girl dumped her 8.75 dollar beer all over a 6 year old boy and his grandmother who were actually trying to watch the game. She quickly disapeared and never returned. One young girl said to a guy sitting a row below her, quite loudly and within 10 feet of the aforementione 6 year old boy, "Hey Brian, if you go with me to get another beer you might get some pussy tonight". Thats just great. Hey, dont get me wrong; I'm not a prude, but that was real trailer-park-trash. I had serious doubts as to how many of them actually even knew the score. Maybe the experience is better if you have better seats but the 26 dollars it cost me for 2 hotdogs 2 fries and 1 coke is stealing where I come from.
I guess my real beef is that this is a cheap stadium that is hyped by the Cardinal media machine as being 'Baseball Heaven" and that is bullcrap plain and simple. The St Louis Cardinals are the greatest team in National League history and are near the top in attendance year after year. Only the Yankees have won more World Series than the Cardinals so in my mind this city and this team deserved one of the best stadiums in baseball and instead got a minor-leaguer. It even feels like a minor league stadium with all the noise and advertisements bombarding you and every chance. And the seats are fantastic if you weigh 120 pounds and are missing at least one arm.
The only way I will return to this place is if I get free tickets and they are field boxs. Personally im not expecting those would be a lot better. Shame on all Cardinal fans for letting them get away with building this second-rate park for our first rate team.
I guess my real beef is that this is a cheap stadium that is hyped by the Cardinal media machine as being 'Baseball Heaven" and that is bullcrap plain and simple. The St Louis Cardinals are the greatest team in National League history and are near the top in attendance year after year. Only the Yankees have won more World Series than the Cardinals so in my mind this city and this team deserved one of the best stadiums in baseball and instead got a minor-leaguer. It even feels like a minor league stadium with all the noise and advertisements bombarding you and every chance. And the seats are fantastic if you weigh 120 pounds and are missing at least one arm.
The only way I will return to this place is if I get free tickets and they are field boxs. Personally im not expecting those would be a lot better. Shame on all Cardinal fans for letting them get away with building this second-rate park for our first rate team.
Benifit for Regina
Not a lot happening really. The band has been off a lot and the weather has been rain and more rain for two months with more rain today.
We played a benifit yesterday for a young lady who had Colon cancer and I was deeply saddened to learn that she had passed last Tuesday before the benifit. I didnt know her and to my knowledge had never met her but I feel bad for her family and for her as well. They told me her name was Regina and that she was 41. The sad lesson here is that you are never too young to get a colon exam and that you must treasure every moment you have with your friends and family. I truley hope both she and her friends and family can find some peace.
We played a benifit yesterday for a young lady who had Colon cancer and I was deeply saddened to learn that she had passed last Tuesday before the benifit. I didnt know her and to my knowledge had never met her but I feel bad for her family and for her as well. They told me her name was Regina and that she was 41. The sad lesson here is that you are never too young to get a colon exam and that you must treasure every moment you have with your friends and family. I truley hope both she and her friends and family can find some peace.
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