cutting through all the noise

If you're interested, there seem to be several vids of other pieces the LAGQ played for this particular concert. See YouTube for details.

Something to make when you'd rather you didn't have to

Do I find him slightly annoying in his unending upbeatedness? Yes, I do. But he's breezy and charming in his puppyish enthusiasm. And I have made Martha's version of this, and yes, it DOES work, and it's kind of a parlor trick, but in the end it's a one pot dinner on a weeknight when you'd rather be watching a show shot along the Hudson about a cult.

Game plan

Did I ever think I'd need another one? I guess we are all tripping up over the curb that was supposed to have been ground down to accommodate our various needs. The loss of this particular client is a bit of a blindside; I really enjoyed working on the books, each one so different. I learned a lot; D called each one a "seminar." No one is immune to a job being outsourced to cheaper labor overseas in India. Dear reader, if you have any suggestions for dealing with a sudden downturn of events, please leave a comment. And how to write a punchy cover e-mail; that would help.

It's official . . .

Yes, one of my clients had an internal shake-up and is now using a packager who sends everything overseas to India for proofing and editing. It's a sad,

sad day; this is what we've become as a business/publishing model. When I started doing this freelance, a person could actually earn a pretty good living as a copy editor. Thanks, globalization; thanks neoliberalism. Thanks 1%.

Mending

One of my clients may be sending editing work "overseas." Now I'm looking for a new client. Or two. Or three. I've also been very interested in reviving my sewing machine, now that I can actually see again. I may have all the time in the world to fiddle around with it. Further to searching for jobs: I did find something to apply for at a large magazine conglomerate. We'll see how that works out. Job searches of yore were downright cozy compared with the impersonal form-filling of today, heading off to HR's black hole. Ack. Musings from the chair.

Watch This Space . . . Really

I've had enough of political stuff over on Facebook; too shrill, too clawing, too strident, too fill-in-the-blank. Beyond the local, does it really matter . . . does it? I'm keeping my attention focused on the town, the school board, the zoning board rife with developers and real estate agents (because who's more in the know, right?). I'm going around looking for blogs to read. This one caught my eye. I've already gotten some of Ian Sansom's Mobile Library mysteries out of the library because of a recommendation. Irritatingly, irrationally, my town's library has books 2, 3, and 4 of the series. But NOT BOOK 1: The Case of the Missing Books. Why? Why? I also borrowed Elizabeth Jane Howard's books. Now if only my eyes worked properly, it would be smooth sailing. Happy May, all and sundry.