Trials and Tribulations

Hmmmm...

A personal post once again...I know I don't do many of these but then I only really feel the need to vent when I'm upset or something is bothering me....I'm not a depressed person by nature (ok I am sometimes but I try not to let it overtake me)

What's killing me right now is managing this band, I have never had to do anything so challenging ever...why so ??? not because I cant make the music (I do have writers block from time to time but you learn to deal with it), no, its because of the members...

Now I don't know how normal bands run and tbh I have tried to throw bands together many times with no success...peeps just don't seem to be interested, sure they want to play in the band and sure they are passionate about music but you have to deal with their emotional states and lack of enthusiasm...

Currently I have 4 members, myself that, if not writing music then setting up the actual set, buying gear to make sure that the gigs work and just making sure that everything's works well in general, a vocalist who is now finally realising that there is a helluva lot of competition out there and has lost faith in what we do, a bassist who has decided that he will only need to rehearse when he wants to and a new keyboardist who is still trying to find her feet in the band...I have to somehow, once a week, get all these members to meet at my house (alot harder thing to do than you can imagine), motivate them all and try and get the whole thing to move forward...

Its not as easy as it sounds....the keyboardist plays in a number of other bands and gets gigs here and there and sometimes they fall on rehearsal nights....count her out...the bassist and the vocalist come together so at least its guaranteed but I have bigger problems....the bassist is allergic to cats, so unless the flat has just been cleaned the poor guy suffers (luckily, cleaning day falls on a Wednesday, the same day we rehearse)....add to that, the many system crashes we have on the studio machine and we are looking at alot of downtime sometimes...which leads to total boredom with the parties not involved in the recording...

I know what it takes to be in a session, ive been doing it for years so it doesn't bother me...these guys don't tho and it takes some getting used to...problem is, is that I'm starting to lose faith in what I'm doing...and asking myself the question, wtf is the point anyway ???

We have a gig coming up on the 24th of Feb, 3 new tracks and an entirely new set to rehearse and we still need to finish one of those tracks...so what that means is that we seriously need to start bumping up rehearsal time...a month may seem like a lot but it goes very quickly and with bands there is no guarantee that next week there will definitely be another rehearsal...

I phoned all of them yesterday to make them aware of my intentions of stepping up the rehearsals...the bassist is not playing on the gig night since he is in Durban so he doesn't see the reason in rehearsing ??? great....the keyboardist didn't get back to me....hmmmmm...brilliant and the vocalist...well at least she said she would come thru but if she is in any mood like she was last time we should have a delightful time...

Fuck and now I have to be the motivated one....get all these guys to be enthusiastic about the upcoming gig...mainly cos we need to rehearsal time if we want to do a great performance...

I question my ability as a manager in this regard....what am I doing wrong for this not to work...why are these ppl not as enthusiastic as I am....and wtf is the point of spending an absolute fortune on gear when nobody even really appreciates it ???

I'm down I'll be honest...I haven't slept a good nights rest for 5 days now, my back is killing me, im sore all over and the band keeps entering my dreams in the most bizarre ways...

Is this all worth it at the end of the day ??? I'm not doing this for glory as I've never really cared for that, my only reason is because I love making music...why should I have to force other ppl to want to feel the same ????

Proudly South African

Here is something interesting; it is a speech by Guy Lundy of Dimension Data Business Solutions:

Below is a speech I gave the other night. It went down so well with the audience that a number of people asked me for copies of it. So I thought I may as well share it with other people too so they can spread the message,
especially those living overseas and those who care about spreading a positive message about South Africa.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Many years ago I was an exchange student in the USA, and every morning in my school, as in all schools across America, all classes came to a halt as the Pledge of Allegiance came over the loudspeaker system and every student stood to repeat these words.

I was quite amazed by this display of daily brainwashing in so-called "land of the free". But in hindsight it isn't actually that amazing, because we've all experienced how Americans are just so proud to be American. No
matter how big their problems, and heaven knows they've got a lot of them, Americans will still spend hours telling you how fantastic their country is, and in fact, how it is better than, pretty much anywhere else in the world.

What a contrast then, when I later spent a few years in London and I ended up actively avoiding other South Africans. Why? Because frankly their negativity about our homeland irritated me so much! These people who will gladly put new South African flags on their cars and support a whole cottage industry importing biltong and NikNaks to munch on as they cheer on the Springboks at Twickenham, will spend hours telling anyone who will listen just how awful it is in South Africa, how lucky they are to be in London and how they are never going back because it's in such a mess. At the time I put it down to the fact that they were justifying why they were
holed up in their dingy little flats under grey London skies while their friends and family enjoyed the sunshine on Camps Bay beach. However, when I came home, expecting to be greeted by the smiles of new South Africans
everywhere, I was very disappointed to find that exactly the same attitude is pervasive right here. The number of people, who asked me why I came back here and why on earth I had brought my French wife with me, simply amazed me. I would have thought the answer was perfectly obvious.

I was later very disturbed, although not surprised, to hear that our president found it necessary to make a point to South African businessmen that they should stop running down their own country on overseas business trips. Can anyone tell me what it is that makes sense about running down your own home to foreign people that you would like to visit here and invest here?

It seems to me like inviting your boss to dinner at your house in the hope of getting a promotion but discouraging him from coming because you're a terrible cook and your dog bites. Yes, we have problems, but so does everybody else. Sure, the Rand is down the toilet, but if you look closely enough, you'll see that just about every other emerging market country has suffered from the same woes - and that includes Australia and New Zealand,
which everyone seems in such a rush to get to. And aren't we lucky that we aren't living in Argentina with their currency crisis? Sure, our neighbour, Zimbabwe, is run by a mad, despotic fool, but man am I glad that I'm not a
Pakistani. We have AIDS and we also have an army of people trying to find a cure for it * possibly more vigorously than anywhere else since we have the most to lose from it. We do have corruption, and the Americans have George W. Bush, whether they like it or not. We've got all sorts of problems, yes, but must we be so hard on ourselves? In many ways we are far better off in South Africa as a whole than we have been at any time in our history.

Our people are getting educated and housed at a world-beating rate, we have amongst the world's cheapest electricity, our inflation is the lowest it's been in my lifetime, we have an economic growth rate and there is development everywhere you look.

We have so much going for us; we have so many good people, such an interesting mix of cultures; we have so much beautiful countryside and natural resources that we can draw from - we really have such a bright future ahead of us. Let us concentrate on the positive things that surround us every day, the sunshine, the people, the beauty, and the progress. Constantly criticising our country can only do harm for you personally, your personal feeling of happiness and well-being and for the country that you know from the bottom of your heart that you love, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I implore you, do not run down South Africa, neither at home nor overseas. Become ambassadors for your country. Welcome foreign guests and point out how far we have come and how far we're going to go how they need to watch out for us on the world stage. And if you're overseas on business or holiday (if you can afford it), tell people how much South Africa has going for it and invite them to come and see for themselves.

I have devised my own pledge of allegiance and I'd like to repeat it to you now : "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Republic of South Africa and to the interesting people, places and idiosyncrasies for which it stands, one nation under several religions, languages and cultures, yet indivisible, with freedom, basic needs and progress for all."

That is my pledge of allegiance to my home, our home. I pledge to help others see what is so good about it.
Our Beloved Country!!! South Africa, almost alone amongst emerging market economies, is set to escape virtually unscathed from the latest bout of investor panic sweeping the developing world's fragile economies (The Times, London, August 2001)

The SA banking sector has been consistently ranked in the top 10 in terms of competitiveness (MD, Switzerland). When Nelson Mandela was inaugurated President in 1994, SA was insolvent (liabilities exceeded assets).

Today the Government's deficit is negligible - one of only a handful of countries in this position. We've had single digit inflation since 1993 - following 20 years of double-digit inflation.

Mortgage rates are at their lowest level since 1988. South Africa is one of only 12 countries, where we can drink water from a tap. Our tap water was found to be the 3rd best quality in the entire world.

Remember 15 years ago, in 1986: A state of emergency was declared White men did two years compulsory military service * 64 184 black people were removed from "white areas" * 3989 people were detained without trial * Our economic growth rate was 0.7 percent - today it is 3% * 64 countries had sports boycotts against SA!!!

South African wines win international awards every year and we have the longest wine route in the world. Nelson Mandela, an international icon of forgiveness, tolerance, and humanity is our favourite son. The Kruger Park has the most innovative management of a national park anywhere in the world - and is the world's most profitable game park. Eskom is the largest producer of coal-fired electricity in the world and South Africans pay the least for electricity in the world. South African Breweries is the 4th largest brewer in the world and produces over 50% of China's beer!

Mercedes Benz C Class, BMW 3 Series and VW Golf/Jetta vehicles for all right-hand drive markets throughout the world are produced in South Africa. Didata grew from a local IT service provider into a huge, global networking company with branches in 30 countries. The Cape Peninsula has more species
of plants here per hectare than any other area of the world.

Magnificent highways, warm, friendly, vibrant rainbow people! The world's most progressive Constitution Kreepy Kraulies - a South African invention - Mrs Ball's chutney and biltong. The world's best looking population.

"For every guy who holds up a gun, there are 99 who hold out a hand of friendship" - Dennis Beckett, journalist.


Makes you think doesnt it ;)

New words for 2007

* SWAMP-DONKEY
A deeply unattractive person.

* TESTICULATING.
Waving your arms around and talking bollocks.

* BLAMESTORMING.
Sitting round in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a Project failed and who was responsible.

* SEAGULL MANAGER.
A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything and then leaves.

* ASSMOSIS.
The process by which people seem to absorb success and advancement by sucking up to the boss rather than working hard.

* SALMON DAY.
The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die.

* CUBE FARM.
An office filled with cubicles.

* PRAIRIE DOGGING.
When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on. (This also applies to applause for a promotion because there may be cake.)

* SITCOMs.
Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids or start a "home business".

* SINBAD.
Single working girls. Single income, no boyfriend and desperate.

* AEROPLANE BLONDE.
One who has bleached/dyed her hair but still has a 'black box'.

* PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE.
The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

* ADMINISPHERE.
The rarefied organisational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the "adminisphere" are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve. This is often affiliated with the dreaded "administrivia" - needless paperwork and processes.

* GOING FOR A McSHIT.
Entering a fast food restaurant with no intention of buying food, you're just going to the bog. If challenged by a pimply staff member, your declaration to them that you'll buy their food afterwards is known as a McShit with Lies.

* 404.
Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found" meaning that the requested document could not be located.

* AUSSIE KISS.
Similar to a French Kiss, but given down under.

* OH - NO SECOND.
That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just m ade a BIG mistake (e.g. you've hit 'reply all').

* GREYHOUND.
A very short skirt, only an inch from the hare.

* JOHNNY-NO-STARS.
A young man of substandard intelligence, the typical adolescent who works in a burger restaurant. The 'no-stars' comes from the badges displaying stars that staff at fast-food restaurants often wear to show their level of training.

* MILLENNIUM DOMES.
The contents of a Wonderbra, i.e. extremely impressive when viewed from the outside, but there's actually naught in there worth seeing.

* SALAD DODGER.
A phrase for an overweight person.

* MONKEY BATH.
A bath so hot, that when lowering yourself in, you go: "Oo! Oo! Oo! Aa! Aa! Aa!".

* MYSTERY BUS.
The bus that arrives at the pub on Friday night while you're in the t oilet after your 10th pint, and whisks away all the unattractive people so the pub is suddenly packed with stunners when you come back in.

* MYSTERY TAXI.
The taxi that arrives at your place on Saturday morning before you wake up, whisks away the stunner you slept with, and leaves a 10-Pinter in your bed instead.

* BEER COAT.
The invisible but warm coat worn when walking home after a booze cruise a t 3:00am.

* BEER COMPASS.
The invisible device that ensures your safe arrival home after booze cruise, even though you're too drunk to remember where you live, how you got here, and where you've come from.

* BREAKING THE SEAL.
Your first pee in the pub, usually after 2 hours of drinking. After breaking the seal of your bladder, repeat visits to the toilet will be required every 10 or 15 minutes for the rest of the night.

* TART FUEL.
Bottled premixed spirits, regularly consumed by young women.

* PICASSO BUM.
A woman whose knickers are too small for her, so she looks like she's g ot 4 buttocks.

"What Sarah Said"

And it came to me then that every plan is a tiny prayer to father time
As I stared at my shoes in the ICU that reeked of piss and 409
And I rationed my breathes as I said to myself that I'd already taken too much today
As each descending peak of the LCD took you a little farther away from me
Away from me

Amongst the vending machines and year-old magazines in a place where we only say goodbye
It stung like a violent wind that out memories depend on a faulty camera in our minds
But I knew that you were a truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all
And I looked around at all the eyes on the ground as the TV entertained itself

'Cause there's no comfort in the waiting room
Just nervous pacers bracing for bad news
And then the nurse comes round and everyone will lift their heads
But I'm thinking of what Sarah said that "Love is watching someone die"

So who's going to watch you die?..

Reheasals last night :)

What I love about rehearsals is that everything that could go wrong generally does, your machine freezes, cables that have been working for years tend to die and that all important input signal disapears, not to mention midi deciding that it was his day off...I mean why come to work when I actually need him :)

Add to that the cramped working conditions and tripping over cables and its a generally glorius affair...peeps generally dont seem to realise the amount of work that goes into recording something and they just things just happen...in my experience it hardly ever does with everything being a rather trying affair... :P having said that tho, I wouldnt trade it for the world....I love the challenge and when everything does go right its a marvelous thing... :)

The new edition in the corner is Larah from ElectroMuse on keys... :)

Cats..

Ok...so my land lady loaned me 4 antique chairs when I 1st moved in. At the time I had no furniture whatsoever so they were very welcome...I then got 2 delightful kittens that decided that the best thing about antique chairs was their jungle gym like character and given claws, you could race up the back of them vertically like spiderman...

Now as kittens they actually caused no damage suprisingly, we use to keep 2 towels over the backs of the chairs to protect them and it worked...but...the cats got older and bigger and before I knew it they had destroyed the back brace of 2 chairs (how the hell does something that small do that ???)...dammit...anyways I took the chairs down to the garage where they safely stored until now...

My land lady called me on sunday, she's upping the rent (fair enough, I dont pay a lot in the 1st place) and she wants some furniture back...including the chairs... :o(

Thats fine, i was expecting this day to happen sooner or later and I explained what happened, having dogs, she understood what pets can do so she wasnt upset, I would have to repair them tho....again, fair enough...where did she get them fixed originally and how much did it cost ??? and antique store and R2000 a chair !!! yup R2000...gulp...if I knew that they wouldve never stayed in the flat from the start...

Anyways....luckily the upholstery is still fine but the backs need to be fixed...being antique they need to go to an antique repair store (which already says its going to cost me a packet) :o( hopefully it wont cost me too much...

From now on the cats have to work for their dinner...im just trying to figure what they would be good at...

Not for the faint hearted...

Okies....

So I just had to share this mainly cos its probably the most grim thing that's ever happened to me...

On my 2nd day of being in CPT, my mates and myself decided to go to a place called Crystal pools....evidently a really pretty spot by Gordons Bay....so keen to have a great day in the sun, we donned the slops and beach towels, a cooler box of beers and off we went....

On arriving at the venue we realised that somebody had failed to mention to us that this was going to be a hike rather than a mere walk as was previously expected....anyways a bit trepidous but confident that we wouldn't let this spoil our day we started up the trail in slops, shirt off and carrying a 10kilo cooler box....now it was agreed that I would carry the cooler box half way and then I would swop with my mate...

15 minutes into the hike the cooler box was getting a bit heavy so I shifted the weight....unfortunately with the shift I unbalanced myself and slid down the rock I was standing on...at the bottom of the rock there was a number of newly pruned branches that had for some reason beyond me had been cut at a 60 degree angle effectively making them extremely sharp...sadly my foot was on the receiving end and I managed to tear a nice hole the size of a R5 coin in the inner arch...


With blood pouring all over the place, I wrapped my foot in a towel and secured it tightly with my belt...I then had to hike 15 minutes back to the car (which was not a pleasant experience I can tell you)...at the entrance we asked for a first aid kit which was unsprisingly not available...(I mean why would there be ???)..

It took us 45 minutes to find a medicross in Somerset West, another 45 minutes of waiting and then probably the most painful 35 minutes of my life when they had to stitch it all together...

Now im no idiot and i've actually gone on many hike's and if I had known it was going to be a hike I wouldve worn the corect shoe's (as one does)...I just decided to take a chance and paid dearly for it....if we had been a little further on the hike, it would've been a lot harder to get back to the road and with no reception I would've been buggered...I had to leave CPT 2 days later as I couldn't really get around too well and I really didn't want to spoil my mates NYE...Im still on crutches after 2 weeks...

This is no sympathy plea, just an interesting story that I found to be quite an adventure, its not something I would like to do again though...

A lesson well learnt...Never ever go on a hike in slops....(let this pic remind you of what could happen if you decide it may be worth the chance....rather turn around and go home :))

Oh and I wasnt pissed either, I was stone cold sober when this all happened ;)