I’ve known for a couple of weeks now. A couple Thursdays ago, a bunch of people at my office received emails to “discuss organizational changes” with the company. My meeting had three employees and three managers and the HR person. We were informed that our positions would be eliminated in approximately 60 days, and if we were willing to sign the contract and stay we’d get a retention bonus. The meeting 45 minutes later had considerably more people. They were sent home that day with the promise of 4 weeks pay. Boxes were waiting outside the conference room (which were not there when the meeting began).
I guess some third-party consulting firm came in slashed positions. I’m not supposed to take anything personally.
I agreed to their terms and my last day will be June 30th. The survivors were subjected to meetings in the afternoon which prevented going to lunch with people who were let go. It’s been a strange position to be in, being part of meetings and the recipient of mass emails as if I weren’t being let go– the company I worked for was bought out, and the new company has dropped off a bag of swag (well, not cool swag, just office supplies) and an email offering the first shirt with the company logo free! I kind of wish they’d taken me off their mailing list.
I’ll admit, that first day I was upset. I cried, but mostly because any sort of rejection hurts. I got angry shortly thereafter, but I’m okay now. If things go by my plan, I’ll find a position (preferably teaching) to begin in the fall and have most of the summer to work on the Simpsons book. No matter what happens though, I vow to be one of the people who enjoys being unemployed. I’m going to enjoy having time for me, and I’m not going to freak out.
Remind me that I said that if I don’t have a new job lined up by June 30th.
Weird Al Yankovic: Actor, director, singer, songwriter, accordion enthusiast, performer. Brilliant, underrated, and handsome.
It saddens me that so many think of Al as “The ‘Eat It’ Guy.” Even some urban hipsters with whom I hang have called him “just a parody artist.” I have two major issues with this. Number One: Indeed, he is not just a parody artist, and Number Two: What’s that supposed to mean, “just a parody artist”? Do you think it’s easy? Would you say that Christopher Guest is “just” a mockumentary filmmaker because he is most famous for the films This Is Spinal Tap and Best In Show? Hell no you wouldn’t, and Weird Al deserves the same respect. It takes Al’s singular talent to create parody with scathing satire and a keen wit that’s also listenable.
Because Al is often erroneously seen as fluffy, I am sharing my top ten best original Weird Al songs. And by “original,” I mean songs that are not parodies of any one song (although the style of music may be inspired by a specific artist or genre).
11. Since You’ve Been Gone (1996)
Al has a myriad of terrific breakup songs, and this one is my favorite to sing along with in the car, not to mention that it showcases yet another of Al and the band’s amazing talents: singing a capella do-wop style. Sure, anyone can try it, but few can pull it off as mightily as Al and the band.
10. Trigger Happy (1996)
In the style of a zippy Beach Boys tune, “Trigger Happy” cleverly juxtaposes the happy-go-lucky, hanging at the beach feel of the music with lyrics that offer insight into the disturbing mind of a gun nut.
9. One More Minute (1985)
This song magically whisks the listener back to the time of sock hops, malt shops, and suicide doors. It marks the the moment the romance dies, not unlike Elvis’s’ “Are You Lonesome Tonight.” However, while Elvis’s backup singers never had the chance to sing “leeches,” Al also gives us the best line that Elvis never could: “I’m stranded all alone in the gas station of love / And I have to use the self service pump.”
8. Christmas At Ground Zero (1986)
While the song is brilliant on its own, the video (which is the first video directed by Al himself) adds even more. The label didn’t know what they were asking for when they wanted Al to do a Christmas song. What they got is a perfect little holiday ditty juxtaposed by horrifying images of nuclear holocaust which begs the question: how do we go about shopping, humming, and baking with unrelenting terror constantly hanging over our heads? But then again, how do we not go about our business?
Or, don’t ponder and just enjoy the song. Fun to sing along with.
7. Melanie (1988)
“I have to go through your garbage / Just to learn more about you.” Need I say more?
6. Dare to Be Stupid (1986)
This song has been described by Devo members as “the perfect Devo song.” The combination of Grandma’s cliches and commercial slogans is deeper than you think.
5. The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota (1989)
Al often ends his albums with a big ole extra long track. “Albuquerque” and ”Trapped in the Drive-Thru” are others of note, but “The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota” is my favorite. And with good reason. It’s a funny jab at the campier sides of U.S. culture, but it’s not completely free of respect. In some ways, Al is picking on himself for getting some kitschy joy at the silly things.
4. Weasel Stomping Day (2006)
If you liked The Simpsons episode “Whacking Day,” you’ll love this catchy exploration of the Appeal to Tradition logical fallacy: “It’s tradition; that makes it okay.” Translation: the argument “this is how it’s always been done” does not hold water. And the use of music strikingly similar to the “Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner” commercials reminds me of another episode of The Simpsons, “Lisa The Vegetarian.” Remember the edutational film: ”I was a ’Grade-A’ moron to ever question eating meat.”
3. Truck Drivin’ Song (1999)
Al shows that he fully understands country music: the flavor, the themes, the passion, the joy.
2. You Don’t Love Me Anymore (1992)
In this beautiful, elegiac ballad, the narrator woefully ponders the subtle clues he’s picking up on that his partner might not love him anymore.
1. Frank’s 2000″ TV (1993)
A perfect little pop song that satirizes our cultural love of excess, television, and outdoing the neighbors. And I don’t say “perfect” lightly. There are only a few songs that I think are perfect pop songs: “Overkill” by Men at Work, “What’s So Funny (’bout Peace, Love & Understanding), and “Frank’s 2000″ TV.”
The Cloud Cult Experience: A New Indie Music Doc by Denise DuVernay (April 12 column at matchflick.com, but here with added fancy stuff).
No One Said It Would Be Easy drops April 21
The film opens with fan testimony about the band Cloud Cult, and cuts to footage on the Minowa farm north of the Twin Cities. A modest house sits in the background as a couple tends to a garden. They are the kind of tree-hugging, vegetable-growing, animal-loving, reducing, reusing, recycling people you’d dislike if you had any inkling that they weren’t the real deal. But they are the real deal, and you have no excuse to not like and admire them. The themes and ideals in Cloud Cult’s music are the principles by which bandleader Craig Minowa lives his life. Craig is an old friend of mine, and it’s quite strange but lovely to hear his music on the radio and see an animated version of him and the band performing “Lucky Today” on television, including this Esurance commercial*:
My first memory of Craig is him sitting on the couch in the living room of one of his Minneapolis apartments, eating bean soup that his mom had sent home with him after a visit to his parents’ place in Owatonna. I had gotten disastrously ill at school and couldn’t imagine driving all the way home, so Jeff, the guy I was dating (and later married, and then later divorced), gave me the key to his place so I could wait it out (and puke if need be) there. Craig was put in the odd position of looking after a sick chick he didn’t know. It was awkward but sweet.
A couple weeks later, I met painter Scott West. I was nervous out of my mind because the others had warned me that Scott could be a bit abrasive. Craig and Jeff could be called sensies, but Scott could not. He said what was on his mind, pretty or not. After a while, his paintings stopped giving me the willies (this was a good thing, as several of them adorned the walls of my apartment and contributed frequently to my dreamlife).
Most recent album Feel Good Ghosts
When I first met him, Craig had just finished many of the songs that would later be known as The Shade Project. Craig and I were members of a family of friends who nurtured and inspired each other for 10 years. Correction: the family existed before I joined it and lives on without me, but those 10 years will always enrich me. Not that it was all fantastic: there were personality conflicts between Connie and me that catalyzed behavior that I’m not proud of. And of course, my ugly role in the breakup between Jeff and me will nag at me forever, I suspect. But there’s plenty I don’t regret, and I will always be grateful for the time I had with some of the warmest, most talented people I have ever known. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve shared my history with Craig, Connie, and Scott (let’s be fair: I have a bias) but that should not Recent album: Feel Good Ghosts Recent album: Feel Good Ghosts negate any praise I give about the documentary NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY: A FILM ABOUT CLOUD CULT, if only because I am not alone in my praise for the band and the film. Check out the trailer:
The documentary gives any Cloud Cult fan the chance to get to know all the bandmates in a truly intimate way. But film viewers who are unfamiliar with Cloud Cult will appreciate this film on its merits alone. NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY is an important documentary about the rise of an indie band, American music and the touring life, plus it shares a green message, it’s entertaining, and a truly accessible documentary. It’s enriching and educational, while still being intriguing and fun to watch—all elements of a good documentary, no? Filmmaker John Burgess, along with Scott West, filmed interviews and live shows and collected footage to create a film that illustrates why seeing Cloud Cult live is a much different experience than the average club rock show. Not only does the live art being created on stage bring a unique quality, but the music itself is innovative and beautiful. Craig Minowa is a bandleader, singer, and songwriter, but he is also a composer who has written full orchestral works. Like a true wunderkind, story has it that his high school orchestra teacher was moved to tears by compositions he penned as a teenager. With this uncanny ability to hear full arrangements in his head and put them down, it only makes sense that he would seek string musicians. Violinist Shannon Frid is a recent addition to the band; Cloud Cult had already established a name for themselves, thus were easily able to make use of the Internet, but Craig’s approach at promulgating his need for a cellist over 10 years ago was considerably lower-tech, and the story of how Sarah Young and Craig found each other is shared in the film. The relationship and camaraderie of the band is shared, but not in an uncomfortable, Behind The Music voyeuristic way . . . the film contrasts the bandlife like a Pixies song: quiet, loud, quiet. Traveling in the bio-diesel van, while sometimes funny, can be long and dull. Next, the band throws themselves all in to their stage performance. And in the time between tours, we are shown the quiet of the farm. In reality, these moments could be those of any indie band– it’s a fantastic glimpse into that world, like younger versions of Thurston and Kim. The documentary NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY drops April 21, but is available on Cloud Cult’s homepage (www.cloudcult.com). The special features include live performances and music videos, and comes with digital downloads of live performances printed on plantable seed paper.
One of the videos on the DVD (and one of my favorite CC songs):
Chloe, my lovely cat Craig rescued off the mean streets in 1999.
* they didn’t sell out by agreeing to be in a commercial– Craig had been approached by many companies, and he agreed to do Esurance because their paper-less, eco-friendly approach matches Craig’s personal ideals.
I knew we were in trouble when we walked in and the conference motel smelled like a Tom Waits song, or, as John said, “cigarettes and despair.” The closest coffee was two hallways and an elevator ride away.
There is absolutely no way this instructor had ever taught a tech writing seminar before. There’s no way he had written anything besides email in the past 10 years. He had never heard of any software besides Word. (His flummoxed face when John brought up Adobe Technical Suite was priceless). He had us do a cluster mapping activity, like the kind you do for brainstorming in developmental freshman composition. The PowerPoint slides were riddled with spelling errors, superfluous apostrophes, and random capitalization. But the best and most ironic error: “Proofread” was spelled “Proof Read.” Hilarity!
The instructor never asked us what we do or what kind of businesses we work for, but made sure to ask for a show of hands of those who were in management positions and who had master’s degrees. He wanted to know what he was up against, but his knowledge didn’t stop him from going on a series of anti-education tirades. His lecturing was shaky, but with ease he blasted professors. He blasted tenure. He blamed teachers for all the items on his list of disturbing (and, I suspect, completely made-up) statistics regarding graduation, shrinking vocabularies, and reading levels.
Du and Jenn at one of the many coffee & voicemail breaks.
The only other times during the day that he actually seemed comfortable was when he slid into sales mode. We were subjected to quite the book pitch. Some of the items made some sense, such as books and CDs that were related to business writing, but the longest pitch was for a money management collection. He started by asking the class, “What is the number one cause of divorce?” I think the answer he was looking for was financial issues, but Jenn, without a pause, answered “Marriage.” The class erupted into joyful laughter (we were due), and the instructor had a hard time getting back to the task at hand (not teaching, of course, but selling us $100 worth of money management books on CD).
He was not pleased.
He dove into his pitch, nonetheless. It went a little bit like this:
When he wasn’t blasting educators or trying to sell us stuff, he busied himself by making a series of racist coments. I’m not sure if this was just him or if it’s a new Southern trend, but his equivalent expression to “bless their hearts” was instead ”no value judgment.”
You do know what I’m talking about, right? I lived in the South for three years, and I was often charmed or disgusted (heck, sometimes impressed) by the way some people believe they can say ANYTHING about someone if it’s finished with ”bless her heart.” Examples:
1. “She got caught cheating on her husband, bless her heart.”
2. “Our neighbors don’t take care of their yard and the city threatened to clean it and then send them the bill, bless their hearts.”
3. ”He has a problem with the cocaine, bless his heart.”
The seminar instructor made sweeping generalizations about ”Asians and Orientals” and added “no value judgment.” He made similar comments about urban youths and immigrants in general. Oh, the whole day was painful. I am not proud of the cruel way I wrote in my notebook the words he mispronouned (such as “singular” & ”jargon”), but at least I didn’t correct him. (Okay, I kind of did, but it was only because there was no way around using the word “singular” in my response).
When it was memory map time, he referred to it as a Gantt chart.
Ellyn tells us what a Gantt chart actually is.
Have you seen Important Things with Demitri Martin? He starts the show with introducing the Important Thing for the evening, and on his huge sketchpad he shows a cluster map of many topics related to that Important Thing. Now, I’m no chart expert– I’m not sure I’ve ever even made a Gantt chart– but I’ve always thought that a Gantt chart was used to show project progress with graphs and timespans and such. (Not at all the same thing. He was just trying to sound fancy).
The class closed with, naturally, paper airplanes:
not the sexiest of paper airplanes, but they flew . . .
We learned from the seminar, though: a very valuable lesson– if something sounds like a good deal, it’s probably not (buy three get one free!), and under no circumstances will we ever attend one of that company’s seminars again. As Jenn said, if it’s less than a grand per person, it will probably suck.
Bless his heart, but was he a weird, racist little man.
Denise
