Things and Stuff

[morsla]

I'll write a real update one of these days, I promise. For now, here are some things that are happening over the next few weeks...

June 20th - 29th: Ignite at Docklands (thanks to kitling for the link). A free fire festival from 6pm - 11pm each night. Of particular note, the Pyrophone Juggernaut is playing at 6:30 and 8:30 each night. How's this for an introduction?

Based on a 250 year old experimental musical instrument, Hubbub Music's "Pyrophone Juggernaught" is the largest hand-operated multi-octave fire organ in the world. Deep growls, atavistic moans, and even choral sounding timbres combine with epic bell chords, industrial drums and acoustic bass to create a spectacular unearthly concert of heart pulsing rhythms, ethereal melodies and sub-sonic percussive drones.

It closes this Sunday, so aeliel and I are hoping to get out there on the weekend.

July 3rd - 6th: GenCon Oz in Brisbane. Looks like it will be fun, but exhausting. I'll be spending a goodly amount of time working at the Walrus & Carpenter booth, running Warmachine games. I have a heap of things that need painting before we leave next Wednesday, though they'll have to wait until after I finish the commission work covering my desk. We get back to Melbourne on the 7th.

July 3rd - 16th: Reel Anime 2008 at the Kino Dendy cinema. They're screening Appleseed: Ex Machina, Batman: Gotham Knight, Vexville and The Girl Who Leaped Through Time. I'd like to see all of them, but being more realistic I'll probably only make it to one. Vexville is looking good.

I'm... not winning, today. There's no single thing causing it, but it just seems to be a steep climb uphill in any direction I want to go in. I'm still working flat out, but I'll need to start looking for some sort of real job (tm) after the 7th - I'll keep my business running on the sidelines, but it just isn't stretching far enough to cover the bills at the moment. It's been a hell of a long time since I successfully got through the job application obstacle course. I wish I knew where to start.

Still, the winter solstice passed over the weekend. It only gets brighter from here, right?

Comments

[drwally.livejournal.com]

I've seen Ex Machina - it was gorgeous to look at but ultimately crap.

[morsla.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure whether the "gorgeous to see on a big screen" aspect out-weighs the "ultimately crap, especially when paying $15 a ticket" part. At the moment, it's down the bottom of the list of films.

[umbra-mentis.livejournal.com]

I wonder if there are any agencies you could go through - I had a pretty good experience with the one I last used; they had me an interview and a new job within a week. Admittedly it was a corporate/customer service agency and I'd gone in there and said, "I can probably do almost anything you want to throw at me" but it worked really well for me. And they offered temping roles as well.

Would you be looking at editing work or something other area?

[morsla.livejournal.com]

To be honest, anything that lets me save some money, and isn't about to suddenly disappear would be nice. I think I've been on short (or no) contracts for at least the last 4-5 years, and it'd be nice to know what I'll be doing in a couple of months' time.

I'd love to get some more paid work in editing, as it's something I really enjoy doing. I need to work around the "need professional experience to get paid work" problem though. Most of my odd-job work has been more related to layout/images/typesetting, as everyone is very protective of their existing editors... I guess that lots of small companies are started by editor/publisher types, who know their industry but lack the technical background to make the books happen.

[rendragon.livejournal.com]

Job going at LaTrobe Uni that made me think of you the other day.

Microscopy Technical Officer: ref number 50022927. It's only 80% time (ie not full time), but that might be a good thing ;)

Good Luck with the job hunting - I know the feeling.

[morsla.livejournal.com]

Thanks :) How is your own jobhunting going?

Did you end up moving closer to Bundoora? I don't have a postal address for you at the moment, but will need one shortly... could you send an email to morsla-at-yahoo-dot-co-dot-uk?

I can't believe it's not an email(TM)

[futurelegend.livejournal.com]

hey Ben, commiserative solidarity on the vague ennui and miasma. Even just saying that makes me feel smilier :) (see?)

Sounds like a good time for a trip up north - have fun in Brisbane! I think it's just the psychological effect of heading closer to the sun.

It does get brighter from here. Work has been a bit wearying for me lately: stuck in Khancoban where the sun no shine at this time of year, hurry-up-and-waiting, waiting in the commissioning travelling circus. But came home for the weekend for rest and much-needed sunshine.

There is a huge well of moral support here for you for job-hunting. Feel free to call on it :) Job-gaining is so much about luck and factors outside one's control. Which makes it all the harder, having to outweigh that with what you can do and say. Well. I (and I'm sure everyone else here too) know how capable and hard working and committed you are to all the stuff you do. Just have to make the job drongoes see that.!