the world in which I live......

I'm struggling to hang on the job, as the door isn't closed all the way. I'm a hot topic at Adelphia Media Services. The news that I am probably available is grist for the gossip mills down there They are the hucksters who go to businesses to sign them up for commericals. "You can come join us"

I know cults with more enticing recruiting. What makes the whole thing a fucking sitcom is that there actually are Sales Representatives for Adelphia who work on a door to door basis, jehovah's witnesses without the warmth. These characters are the result of somebody calling central casting and saying "Send me the most charmless creeps you can find and if they have body odor, more's the better." These gifts to society now reside in our building. We used to keep them safely stashed over by UB. A few of the matinee idols are grooving through the building trying to find out who got the call from Time Warner and who didn't.

Their inquiries have gotten progressively annoying to the point where the two women I share an office with laid them flat. They both have my eternal respect and today reeled off lines I wish I would have thought. One DSR was told "he made it to Day One with Time Warner, best of luck with Day Two."

Not terribly innovative, but it gave me a chuckle over my morning quart of coffee. My ego got a much needed boost too. There has been a big hullabaloo over Major League Baseball coverage and we got to the bottom of it all. A release was drafted but the big bosses weren't comfortable turning it loose until "Mike reviewed it."

Score one for me. Gotta take your victories where you find them.

It needed to be said, better now.

More later

New on HBO

Picture of a horrible highway accident in Germany.
The picture may be kind of hard to take for some of you.
If you look closely you can see what appear to be some survivors of the
accident still in the wreckage.
Although the picture is quite graphic, it makes you realize how quickly
our loved ones can be taken from us.

Some stayed on the scene to help and even though they performed mouth to
mouth on quite a few, none apparently survived.

I'm sort of a jerk of all trades at this gig, but there are somethings that pop out that can be pretty friggin cool. All the adelphia commericals pop up because of some shuckin and jivin I do. It's mostly paperwork, but it has can have some high profile results. One of the annoying commericals pops up during West Wing reruns on Bravo and I can say I did. Very geeky, I'll readily admit, but an ego trip nonetheless.

As a former college dj and host of one of the worst rock shows in WBFO history, it was fun to start doing voiceovers for a few ads. That too is a powertrip. A couple production guys kissing your ass. The microphone does have the little spit cover/filter on it. The slightly frazzled production chief goes from a high-pitched, high decibel near fury to talking in a near-librarial tone. In the most inside of inside voices, gently instructs you to stand a little closer to the microphone. We do a check for levels. He reels me in with a silent count and away I go.

Given how insane it can be around here lately, it's a blissful chore to do, frees you from all the other bullshit that usually captures my brain and slowly failing last nerve.

It's only 7 to 10 seconds of vocal glory at a pop but it's still fun. My Dad was watching something on Discovery the other night and called me "that was you on American Chopper, wasn't it."

Made my day. Let pop try to stick that to the refridgerator.

You know the day is wrong when your journal hiccups....

Anybody need a 40 yr old soon to be former publicist/marketer/former techie/lost dj who probably should just go tend bar?

Being a grown up is nothing like it looks like in the brochure

Holy cripers! When it rains it pours. I've been slaving away in various capacities for Adelphia, most recently in the marketing department. I've endured the Rigas nonsense, decision-making on an epically bad scale and other intelligence insulting atrocities that are too numerous too mention. We just went through the dignity insulting process of having to interview with Time Warner for our jobs. Time Warner doesn't want me continuing beyond the transition. The Fuckers!!

There I vented. Corporate culture is like military intelligence, ya know.

I got three months to work with.

Worst part is that I actually liked the job.

Holy cripers! When it rains it pours. I've been slaving away in various capacities for Adelphia, most recently in the marketing department. I've endured the Rigas nonsense, decision-making on an epically bad scale and other intelligence insulting atrocities that are too numerous too mention. We just went through the dignity insulting process of having to interview with Time Warner for our jobs. Time Warner doesn't want me continuing beyond the transition. The Fuckers!!

There I vented. Corporate culture is like military intelligence, ya know.

I got three months to work with.

Worst part is that I actually liked the job.

I'm a part time parent and it feels weird. My kids are reasonably well adjusted, helps that we limit their exposure to the grandparents (I'm kiddin). I've been separated for almost two years now as amicably as you could be, but occasionally things come along that kick you in the shorts.

THe ex who I get along fine with and her partner (who I get along fine with too) were having a small gathering at the house formerly known as mine a few weeks ago. It was supposed to be a small thing, but the organizer invited a handful of people over to cake and whoop it up. I'm still not sure if that included me. I knew everybody who attended. I was over at a friend's house simutaneously bemoaning the sabres game, listening him bitch about his marriage while he listened to me bitch about all the women I know are either married or gay or both (to each other). My wise middle child called me and gave me this riotous account of the goings on and alluded that I should have been there. There was no distress in her voice, it was more of a good time and you're missing it, stoopid sort of statement.

I figure if I was meant to be invited, one of the principles would have done so. I was driving home and started sobbing a little because you can't help but wonder if I lost these folks (the other partygoers) as friends because my wife and I are now single. Tne parenting angle is working, I see and participate in the kids' goings on just fine, but the amicable Elmwood circle sometimes renders people disposable.

While I'm not putting rocks in my pocket (Hang in there LMK), occasionally you wonder. I was closing the Adelphia Zone at the arena a few nights ago. I had to duck down to shut off a pc that controlled some lights and the most epic back spasm shot through me. It hurt like hell so I just stayed semifetal till it passed. As it started to subside, I couldn't help but laugh a little. 20,000 friggin people in the building and not one of them would coming lookin. Good thing I fell but could still get up.

Whoever said if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger seriously needs his ass kicked and I think I have just enough "character" to pull it off.

Thinking of deleting myself and putting spongebob back as a user pic