From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V3 #236 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Sunday, September 6 1998 Volume 03 : Number 236 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Alloy: Goodbye Goodwill ["Charles E. Kemp" ] Re: Alloy: Goodbye Goodwill [DThurkirk@aol.com] Re: Alloy: Goodbye Goodwill ["Charles E. Kemp" ] Re: Alloy: Scotland! [TBlagg@aol.com] Alloy: salon fun [RThurF@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 22:27:27 -0700 (PDT) From: "Charles E. Kemp" Subject: Re: Alloy: Goodbye Goodwill The ever-so-incredible Ms. Melissa writes... > However, I felt my blood pressure go down several points immediately, > and I'm filled with a sense of, if not well, at least, better being. I know the feeling! When I got fired back in June, I had been having lower abdominal pain for over 2 months, my back was in knots, and I had a constant headache. Then, I saw the termination notice on the bosses' desk, started smiling, and didn't stop until I went to sleep that night. Within 3 days, all my apparent health problems had disappeared. I've been sitting around enjoying all things Alloy and the other little pleasures in life for the last two months, all the while watching the funds in my checking account dwindle...but having so much free time on my hands has given me the chance to reflect on my life to date, and try to think of something to do from here on out. I've still not reached a decision, but I do start in on my new part time career as a burger flipper on Sunday, just to keep a little cash coming in. Your friend in Unemploymentville, Chuck This message powered by that beautiful sound of crickets chirping on a moonlit Indiana night, and the whirr of my computer's power supply fan. ****** Charles E. Kemp ****** cekemp@netcom.com ****** (812) 597-5950 ****** Just for the sake of it make sure you're always frowning, it shows the world that you've got substance and depth. - Neil Tennant ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 01:46:25 EDT From: DThurkirk@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: Goodbye Goodwill In a message dated 9/5/98 1:28:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time, cekemp@netcom.com writes: << I know the feeling! When I got fired back in June, I had been having lower abdominal pain for over 2 months, my back was in knots, and I had a constant headache. Then, I saw the termination notice on the bosses' desk, started smiling, and didn't stop until I went to sleep that night. Within 3 days, all my apparent health problems had disappeared. I've been sitting around enjoying all things Alloy and the other little pleasures in life for the last two months, all the while watching the funds in my checking account dwindle...but having so much free time on my hands has given me the chance to reflect on my life to date, and try to think of something to do from here on out. I've still not reached a decision, but I do start in on my new part time career as a burger flipper on Sunday, just to keep a little cash coming in. Your friend in Unemploymentville, Chuck >> Chuck that is the best alloy statement I've read in ages. If there is anything I despise in current society it is that people equate their identity with their method of earning income. It is true that cash is necessary, but I truly believe that people would be so much happier if they spent more time enjoying their lives and less time worrying about the status of having a high paying but miserable job. Give me flipping burgers any day to high pay, high pressure and no life. __Dave Thurlow ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 01:01:57 -0700 (PDT) From: "Charles E. Kemp" Subject: Re: Alloy: Goodbye Goodwill (my stuff snipped for brevity, but Dave sez...) > Chuck that is the best alloy statement I've read in ages. If there is > anything I despise in current society it is that people equate their identity > with their method of earning income. It is true that cash is necessary, but I > truly believe that people would be so much happier if they spent more time > enjoying their lives and less time worrying about the status of having a high > paying but miserable job. Give me flipping burgers any day to high pay, high > pressure and no life. Don't read too much into it. :) I do define myself by my occupation, in fact I'm downright proud of it. Granted, I'm not in posession of any of the really cool titles that life can bestow upon you such as "daddy" or "husband", and I have virtually no social life...which leaves me with...well...my work. I love being a salesman. I love getting to listen to people bitch and moan about things dying, and what they had before that was so great, and the peculiarities about their house that makes certain things work out while other things just won't do. I like being able to take someone who looks at me distrustingly because of my apparent age, and then dumping them on their ass by showing them I really *do* know what I'm talking about. And just for giggles and grins, I like showing up at family gatherings so that my lawyer/cousin has some competition in the "professional scumbag" category. I am a salesman. I'm not perfect, but I'm not the antichrist either. I enjoy what I do, even though truth be told I'm not very good at it. I've found something I love to do, while most in my field loathe doing it. My only problem is that occaisionally I don't care for who I'm doing it for. And that's really my point. It's alright to be defined by what you do, but it really sucks to be pouring your heart and soul into somehting you love while those around you are discounting your contributions and making you not enjoy those things. Let's use the example of TMDR, ferinstance. Here we have a guy who's a fabulous musician, he loves making music, and he can think of worse things to be called other than "musician"...but, he doesn't care at all for the "industry" which is taking a lot of the fun out of it for him. I am a retail slave. I'm not ashamed. I even relish it. It's great to be known as a salesman. but, there are two things that can make my life miserable in a hurry. The first is others making you hate your job, and the second is not making any money. I'd be lying if I said I'm as happy flat broke as I am with a few bucks in my pocket. As you well know from your own experiences, collection agents have a nasty habit of making life a pain in the ass. I certainly know I'd be a lot happier at this very moment if I didn't have to worry about whether or not I'm gonna have enough cash for this month's MasterCard payment. Yes, being broke can be quite liberating. I freely admit to having a lot more funtaking delight in the simple pleasures of life because I can't afford anything else than getting a new toy. But, give me the painfree existence of money in my pocket over the hunger and simplicity of poverty anyday. :) And now, since I've already made this into my first online Alloy-novel, I'll go ahead and make it longer by telling a true story... Five years ago, I was still flailing away at Ball State University in dreary Muncie, Indiana. Muncie is a lot like Scotland, in that it rains constantly there. This is fine with me, since I love to go out walking in the rain anyway. Can't stand being wet, but I love being out in the rain. Go figger. After years of studying with an eye towards becoming a policeman, I suddenly found myself questioning whether or not I wanted to become a member of a profession that had such high rates of divorce, alcoholism, and suicide...not to mention being seen in the public eye as little better than lawyers or salesmen. :) I had been wrestling with this for a couple of months, and final exams were right around the corner and I'd soon be able to go home for the summer. I needed to pick up some toiletries or something, so I put on my overcoat and headed out through the rain with thoughts of dread marching through my head to the little store in the "village". I didn't speak to a single person the entire way, and I don't think I looked anywhere other than straight down. I was shrouded in my little black cocoon, and nothing or no one was going to disturb me. This was quite a feat, considering I once had a girlfriend who hated walking around campus with me because it seemed like every 20 paces we were running into someone who knew me. I got what I needed at the store, and then started walking back. about 200 yards into the return voyage, I gave up on walking and decided to sit down at the campus shuttle stop and wait for the bus. A rather lovely blonde was there, but I just kept my stern look and plopped down next to her with a sigh. Upon seeing my rather disgusted visage, the blonde gave me a look of half fright and half loathing. I just looked across the street and I saw it. the dogwoods were in bloom. From the looks of things, they had been for about 2 weeks. I hadn't noticed them. I normally eagerly anticipated the dogwoods, particularly their brilliance against the backdrop of gloom that is the Ball State campus with it's incessant rain and slate gray skies. this year was different. I had completely missed out on the miracle that is life reborn. For a moment, I had become even more depressed and then I noticed that not only were the dogwoods in bloom, but the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. I let out a little chuckle, which elicited another befuddled look from the blonde, which caused me to turn on the bench, draw up a leg toward my chest, look deeply in her eyes, and simply say "You know, I really should get out more often." Thinking I was the psycho that I am, the blonde got up and stood next to some other people, while I turned head and body back toward the dogwoods and resumed my maniacal giggle and said once again "I should get out more often". I boarded the bus, found a seat, and shook my head at the absurdity of it all, smiling and looking out the window and having fun for the first time in months. All because of the simple pleasure of seeing a small dogwood tree. - - Chuck This inordinately long message powered by Peter Murphy's "I'll fall with your knife" from _Cascade_. And it's a much more upbeat song than the name implies. ****** Charles E. Kemp ****** cekemp@netcom.com ****** (812) 597-5950 ****** Just for the sake of it make sure you're always frowning, it shows the world that you've got substance and depth. - Neil Tennant ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 17:58:45 EDT From: TBlagg@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: Scotland! Robin, You can get all that by visiting sunny Coventry by the sea! Except of course for men in skirts and that fum loving hippy the Loch Ness Monster.^^^^^ I've never been to scotland. It's one of those things you never get round to doing like visiting the inlaws or mowing the lawn! I supose you guys over the Atlantic could compare it to folk who've never been to Florida despite living in the States for all their lives! Anyway, Slarv, have a great time and be careful with the old Highland brew, I've heard it's like lighter fluid... Trev..... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1998 18:58:22 EDT From: RThurF@aol.com Subject: Alloy: salon fun I went to the hairdressers this afternoon & the little 18 year old shampoo girl asked if I was getting my hair colored or cut... I said "cut". When I sat down & she saw all the grey in my hair, she said, "Are you sure you're not having it colored?" LOL!! Just thought I'd share... Robin T ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V3 #236 ***************************