<

Up Here In My Tree

I'm trading stories with the leaves.

Book

Film

Album

Memory Bank

Other things
Thursday, November 23, 2006
My Harassment Hell - Part II
So, I did say I was going to share more of my horrendous nightmare and, for your pleasure, here it is. If you remember from my earlier post, I had been sent to a different store to do my training. I hadn't been working there long before I had members of staff coming to visit me and telling me about what was going on in my absence. It turns out, that my manager had turned around in front of my staff and said that the woman who was temporarily replacing me was a 'breath of fresh air'. To my staff. The bastard. So, of course, lots of rumours went around that I wouldn't be going back, although nothing was said to me.

During the course of the next six months, I only ever saw/heard from my manager once, and that was in the first few weeks. For ages afterwards, he never once got in touch to see how many training was going or to talk to me about my return date. Of course, towards the end of this six month period, I suspected that he was attempting to manoeuvre me out of my position (something he was well known for in other stores). With that in mind I braced myself for the inevitable.

At the end of the six month period, my Area Manager came down to see me. He was very close with my manager and thought the sun shone out of his arse. I was rather taken aback that he had come to see me and I wasn't quite sure what this was about, but I had my suspicions. Unfortunately, they turned out to be true. My AM told me that he thought it might be best if I stayed in the store I was then working in, and drop down to a sales assistant. You can imagine my reaction to this. I had developed a very good reputation amongst many store managers over the years and I was a little surprised to learn that suddenly there was an issue with my performance. I told my AM that it would not be acceptable for me to do that, particularly given my qualifications. I mean, I was 28 at this point, stepping down would be career suicide for a graduate. Why the hell should I step down just because my manager wants to get rid of me??

So I awaited the day of my return with a very real sense of dread. I knew that getting rid of me was part of my manager's grand scheme, how would he react when he discovers his plan has failed? Not only did I decide to go back to my job, I also decided I would seek employment elsewhere. I felt like this was a good way to get back at him. He tried to force me to leave on his terms, but I was intending to leave on my terms. First, I would screw up his little plan by returning, then I would hand in my notice and teach him a lesson for trying to manipulate me. Little did I know that the next five months were going to be a living hell. A hell I thought I would never escape.
posted by korova @ 1:56 pm   0 comments
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
So You Like Seinfeld?
Then I suspect you are as shocked as I am by this tirade from Michael Richards (who played Kramer in the series).


scum
posted by korova @ 10:34 am   1 comments
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Gomez - How We Operate
After the weirdness, time for some light relief via a band that are very much underrated:


posted by korova @ 12:35 am   2 comments
Saturday, November 18, 2006
What the F@$k????
We were out having a few beers, when the conversation turned to what we would take to the past with us if we had a time machine. B suggests a dictionary, believing that that would be the best thing by far. I cannot get my head around the idea that a dictionary would be the best thing to take back. According to him, having a dictionary with the word 'radio' in would give you the imagination to make one. This is where we come in......

B: AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY IMAGINATION DID THEY? I MEAN YOU CAN'T SEE FURTHER THAN YOU ACTUALLY CAN, CAN YOU? IF SOMEONE SAID BICYCLE. THEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. IF YOU SAID WHEEL THEY WOULD SAY WHAT THE F@&K IS THAT? A WHEEL IS A BLOODY ROUND THING.

N: YOU COULD LOOK UP WHEEL...

B: YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT A WHEEL IS....

N: BUT WHAT USE IS THAT TO YOU?

B: WELL, IT WOULD BE F@$KING EXCELLENT FOR PEOPLE WITH TRANSPORT WOULDN'T IT?

N&K: [LAUGHING]

B: YOU'D KILL HIM WOULDN'T YOU?

N: WHO?

B: ADAM. I MEAN WE LIVE THREE SCORE AND TEN NOW DON'T WE? WE BELIEVE THAT YEAH? BACK IN ADAM'S TIME THEY LIVED FOR 500 YEARS, EVEN A THOUSAND. ABRAHAM LIVED 'TIL HE WAS A THOUSAND.

N: DID HE?

B: YEAH. IN THE BIBLE. SO I'LL LIVE A THOUSAND YEARS OLD AND MAKE ALL THAT MONEY.

N: OFF WHO?

B: WHO I, WHO I CHOOSE TO AT THE END OF THE DAY.

If you can understand this, well done!!
posted by korova @ 1:13 am   0 comments
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
I'm Buried Up to My Neck in Contradictionary Flies
For the past few weeks now, I have been reading Heavier than Heaven a biography of Kurt Cobain by Richard Cross. I was a massive Nirvana fan in my youth. In fact, it was Nirvana that got me into the whole grunge scene in the first place. If it wasn't for Nirvana I would never have discovered Pearl Jam, Soundgarden etc. I have all of their albums and both of their major boxsets (the only albums I haven't bought are Greatest Hits and Sliver - Best of the Box - mainly because I feel they contradict everything he stood for). I know it sounds a bit pathetic, but if it wasn't for Kurt I wouldn't have become the man I am today. He didn't directly influence my political thought as such, but he got me to open my eyes more to the world around me. Got me to think about questioning the world around me and questioning the whole notion of fitting in with the majority. For this I owe a great debt.

I don't very often talk about my love of Nirvana and Kurt on this blog, I do tend to focus on Pearl Jam, but I will never forget the inspiration provided by the music and his life. I always remember thinking that he was such a complex character, full of contradictions. I empathised with his anti-corporate side as well as his individuality. And yet, he pestered MTV to play his videos and craved to be accepted by people. I also empathised with his sensitive side. I always remember seeing a drawing he did once of some jock with a moustache and a beer in his hand, with his pregnant partner. As he made lots of jock-type comments about what a strong son he was going to have, a foot burst out of the womb and into the side of his face. A graphic image, but the point was not lost on me.

Despite my admiration for Kurt, I do look back with a mixture of sadness and anger. It saddens me greatly that he felt so desperate that he had to take his own life. It saddens me that he felt like he was alone. Even now, sometimes I feel like I could have helped him in some way, like he helped me. It saddens me that his daughter will never know her father. It also saddens me that I will never hear about a new album by Kurt, but this seems so unimportant in retrospect. I will never have that rush of excitement when they have a new release. But I also feel anger, particularly after reading this book. I feel anger that he could let himself be dragged into a world of drug abuse that destroyed him. How could he have allowed this to happen? How could he be so pathetic? How could he do this to himself? Why? Of course, I know the answers to these questions. Despite everything, he was human. He had troubles, he had faults, he was not perfect. Every hero has a flaw, every hero lets someone down somewhere, sometime. No-one is perfect. No-one is pure. These are the last lessons his life has taught me. Sometimes, these things are easy to forget.
posted by korova @ 12:34 pm   3 comments
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
Now my sister-in-law has gone back to Spain, I can carry on from where I left off with my (occasional) look at the best alternative albums of the early 90s. Today it's STP's second and in my opinion, best album. I know that some real STP fans out there might be reading this, so I'll have to be careful with this one!! I'll begin with an admission: I am rather ambivalent about STP. I didn't have a lot of time for Core when it came out. Mainly because, at the time of it's release, there was a sudden rush of grunge imitators. Every major label signed up any band who sounded like they hail from Seattle. And unfortunately for STP, they were rather caught up in the crossfire. Many grungers considered them to be rip-off merchants, riding on the crest of the wave of the Seattle scene. Of course, this was a little unfair. They were plying their trade well before Nirvana broke through. Despite this, for me, they remained a imitators rather than innovators.

Despite this, I took the plunge and bought Purple because I had heard a lot of good things about it. It didn't disappoint. This release saw them start to develop their own sound and their own place in the alternative scene. There are some real cracking songs on this album including; Lounge Fly, Interstate Love Song, Vasoline and Big Empty. Lounge Fly really stood out for me when I first heard this album. I loved the riff to this song and I was always intrigued by the fact that they got someone else in to do the end guitar solo. I could never quite work out why. In fact, it was only while doing a bit of swotting up for this post that I discovered that the guitarist was in the Butthole Surfers.

Interstate Love Song was a bit of a major hit when it was released (it stayed at #1 for 15 weeks in the US). It has a kinda country feel to the opening of the song, before breaking into a passionate song about (according to Weiland anyway) Weiland lying to a girlfriend about staying clean while on the road (which would explain the video - see below). Although a short song, it is perhaps the stand-out song on the album.

After a couple of weaker tracks, Silver Gun Superman kicks in with it's heavy guitar riff. I love the guitar riff on this song. It's the kind of riff that you prance around imitating whenever you hear it, well I do anyway. After the song crashes to an end, you can hear the sound of someone (presumably Weiland) laughing and saying 'Oh God'. I like little touches like this on an album. It makes it feel like the album is recorded live in one hit, rather than a perfect rounded edges type effort that sounds too clinical.

Big Empty is another one of my favourite songs. It opens with a gentle guitar riff and soft drumbeat before exploding into life with a passionate chorus. I always kinda thought that it goes well with Interstate..., another song about difficulties in relationships. However, according to Weiland, the song is simply about 'f@$kin' in the back of a car'. Mmmm, somehow that cheapens it somewhat.

Following Big Empty are Unglued and Army Ants, both of which are straight out rockers. Army of Ants has always resonated with me as it plays with the same themes that many other grunge artists reflected on (the expression of your own individuality). For example, the lines:


Fall in those single file lines
Like army ants
Yeah, fall on into those single file lines
And complete the plan.
I love those lines, mainly because I have never been one to fall into line with others (much to most people's annoyance).
The album closes with Kitchenware & Candybars with it's delicate verses and passionate chorus it is a particularly good album closer, perhaps one of the finest of the genre. Of course, you get the obligatory 'hidden track' (it wouldn't be an early nineties grunge album without it!!). However, in this case it is more a throw away than most 'hidden tracks'. Sung by a Richard Peterson, it is a Johnny Mathis imitation called 'My Second Album' that is funny the first time you hear it, but after that you resolve to never listen to it again!!
I kinda checked out of STP after their follow-up album (the much underrated Tiny Music...), mainly due to the ongoing drug problems of Weiland and the perpetual cycle of splitting and reforming throughout the nineties. As for his new band, Velvet Revolver, they are pretty weak compared to the heights he reached with the other members of STP. I always feel that STP had the opportunity to be a truly great rock band and, although they fell short overall, this album certainly hints at the greatness they could have achieved had Weiland not succumbed to his demons quite so regularly.
Video for Interstate Love Song

posted by korova @ 4:45 pm   3 comments
Friday, November 10, 2006
The Coolest Thing This Year
Surely this must be the coolest thing of the year. A James Bond theme tune sung by Chris Cornell. Pinch me, this must be a dream. How can this be??? One of the Gods of the Grunge scene, singing the Bond theme.....words can't describe how cool this is.



This man is a legend...all hail Chris Cornell!!!!

posted by korova @ 7:19 pm   0 comments
Bye Bye Rummy.....
Spotted this and it made me laugh, so I'm sharing it with you....ok??



posted by korova @ 7:14 pm   0 comments
Oh My Word
I nearly had an accident in my pants when I read this story, I had to share it........

'A man suffered internal burns when he tried to launch a rocket from his bottom on Bonfire Night.'

FANTASTIC!! What a wonderful idea!! How cool would that have looked if a man fired a firework out of his arse??!! However, it does have its downside. According to the BBC he 'suffered a scorched colon and is now recovering in hospital, where his condition is described as stable.' A spokesman for the Fireworks Association apparently said:

"This incident is very concerning but hopefully an isolated one."

Maybe next year will see the first arse firing fireworks display. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that one!!!
posted by korova @ 1:10 pm   2 comments
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Spiderman




posted by korova @ 3:23 pm   3 comments
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
I've Waited a Long Time For This........
So indulge me just this once............


posted by korova @ 9:34 am   0 comments
Shit, Did I Say That?
I have a rather worrying habit. For years now I have spoken in my sleep, sometimes so loud that it has even woken me up. Of course, when I was single this wasn't too much of problem however, now I am married it is slightly more worrying. This worry was partially realised when I woke up this morning to discover, via my wife, the following:

  • I said: "You look sexy in that t-shirt"
  • "Phwoarrrrr!" and, most worryingly (although, just saying Phwoarrrr is deeply concerning)
  • I rose up from bed and blew a kiss.

Bugger is, I can't even remember what it was I was dreaming about!! Looks like I might have to buy some flowers this evening!!

posted by korova @ 8:59 am   3 comments
Thursday, November 02, 2006
A Lazy Post for a Lazy Day
In lieu of my trip yesterday (some of the photos were in real time, by the way!!), I thought I'd see what places I have actually been to. Quite a decent junk of Europe but nothing else. Maybe I need to broaden my horizons a bit!!





create your own visited countries map
posted by korova @ 10:49 am   6 comments
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Tower Bridge


posted by korova @ 6:02 pm   0 comments
The Tower


posted by korova @ 3:46 pm   0 comments
Oh Bum


posted by korova @ 2:39 pm   2 comments
South Bank


posted by korova @ 11:55 am   0 comments
About Me

Name: korova
Home:
About Me:
See my complete profile
Recently played
Previous Posts
Archives
Other Blogs
music quilt
further distractions
books I have read
On the MD/WMP

Stats

Powered By:

Powered by Blogger

Template by

Free Blogger Templates