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alloy-digest          Saturday, June 26 1999          Volume 04 : Number 179



                               Today's Subjects:
                               -----------------
  Alloy: new autobio page, employment worries (ot)           [RThurF@aol.com]
  Re: Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell  ["I T Admin @ Govt Of]
  Re: Alloy: new autobio page, employment worries (ot)  [MacSuirtain <wearar]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 19:29:29 EDT
From: RThurF@aol.com
Subject: Alloy: new autobio page, employment worries (ot)

I've put up another section of my labrynthine page:

http://members.aol.com/RThurF/RobinsHomePage.html

I'll be fussing with it some more but I thought it might amuse you to see 
some photos of me at various ages, in the midst of Alloy's summer lull... I'm 
going to have to flesh out the 'interesting facts' section (too depressed 
right now to think of interesting things about myself!) and unbelievably, 
conspicuously absent are any photos of my own wedding!!! Our wedding albums 
are still packed away in boxes, in temporary storage, since our move. Though 
you can see my sister's wedding, anyway :) 

I'm depressed because my independent violin restoration contract work with my 
longtime former employer seems to be going belly up all of a sudden. They're 
simply not holding up their end of the deal... even though they were the ones 
who had insisted on the whole set-up to begin with!!! I've been restoring the 
violins & sending them back exactly as agreed, but I haven't been paid for 
over a month now & they owe me nearly $2,000. I just phoned today & was told 
my former boss is disputing some of the work I charged for (even though I'm 
following our agreement & charging what we'd agreed upon, and my work is high 
quality as usual) I feel as if my integrity and the quality of my work is 
being questioned, when there is no reason whatsoever to question either. 
They've always been exceedingly happy with my work before, and I've always 
been absolutely straight and honest with them as far as what I'm charging 
them for. I don't know what's wrong. I get a funny feeling they just want to 
back out of our agreement (maybe they found someone who would do it for 
less?), but they don't have the courage to just talk to me about it. I think 
they're waiting for me to end it, if they hold out on me long enough. 
Meanwhile, I haven't had an income in over five weeks in spite of having 
worked my butt off, the rent & car payment are due & the phone company is 
shutting off our phone on the 30th. I insisted that my former employer send 
me *something* in payment, even the minimum of what they agree to, and that 
they overnight it to my apartment so I can get it into the bank before the 
30th. They agreed, but said they'd take the overnight mail fee out of 
whatever amount I'm being paid (even though it isn't my fault I need them to 
rush it to me!! ugh!!!)

I've got an interview for a great job coming up, though, as an archival book 
preservation assistant at the university here (the interview is on July 6th, 
wish me luck!) I'm absolutely certain everything will work out for the best, 
in spite of it all. But I'm really angry at being treated so shoddily by 
people I thought I could trust. Do I deserve to be treated this way?? I don't 
think so! My plan is to wait till they actually pay me what they owe, and 
then just find something locally like I had originally planned anyway. I 
never should have gone along with this idea. What a waste.

Anyway, sorry about the extended whining session. I'm off to find some classy 
interview clothes for finding a new job, 

Robin T

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 00:46:23 +0100
From: "I T Admin @ Govt Office North West" <help.gonw.st@gtnet.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Alloy: Dolby's collaboration with Joni Mitchell

At 15:05 23/06/99 EDT, Robin wrote:
>
<snip>

>Thanks for referring me to this website.
>I like reading interviews with Joni Mitchell, she speaks from the heart in a 
>very no-nonsense manner, which I admire. It's interesting to read her take on 
>the partnership with Dolby in the Chicago Tribune article. 
>
<snipped>

I haven't had the opportunity to read any of the articles as I've been away
on holiday all week. (The Isle of Wight;  do you like my tan? My nose is a
little overcooked as I didn't put enough sun block on during my cruise
around the Solent yesterday. From the lack of mail while I've been away it
looks like quite a few others might be on their 'ollies as well.) 

One question that springs to mind is WHY they got together in the first
place.  They don't seem like an obvious pair for collaboration.  Was there
some mutual admiration, did one of them approach the other, or was it
coincidence that they were working in the same studio at the same time?
This is something I often wonder about when I see guest artists on albums,
as they often appear to be strange choices.

Slarv

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 22:39:23 -0400
From: MacSuirtain <wearart@erols.com>
Subject: Re: Alloy: new autobio page, employment worries (ot)

RThurF@aol.com wrote:
> 
> I've put up another section of my labrynthine page:
> 
> http://members.aol.com/RThurF/RobinsHomePage.html

Marvelous stuff, Robin. I love visiting my friends' personal pages.
Sometimes there are just neat tidbits, sometimes people offer up things
they'd never vocalize. Someday, I'll find the time and the skill to do
my own personal site.
 
> I'm depressed because my independent violin restoration contract work with my
> longtime former employer seems to be going belly up all of a sudden. They're

That sucks, to put it succinctly. What a bunch of crap. I have this
serious chip on my shoulder about people & companies that seem to forget
about agreed upon arrangements (doubly so when THEY are the party who
insisted on the deal). NO ONE (particularly nice people) deserves to be
treated poorly, Robin, especially by people who know you and your
valuable skills. 

I have my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for you that the archival job
comes through. I should put you in touch with my friend Linnea, who was
an archivist at Columbia University and worked with all the folks who
did book preservation there.

> think so! My plan is to wait till they actually pay me what they owe, and
> then just find something locally like I had originally planned anyway. I
> never should have gone along with this idea. What a waste.

Oh, you are a far nicer and more patient person than I am. I would be
zapping off a letter, noting the breach of an oral contract, entered
into at their behest, and suggesting that they stick the nearest bow
where the sun don't shine. Then again, I think I may have an attitude
problem.
 
> Anyway, sorry about the extended whining session. I'm off to find some classy
> interview clothes for finding a new job,

YPA!!! (That's "ooh-rah!", hooray in Russian.) Hope you found some
spiffy threads - knock 'em dead! And, of course, report back with good
news!!! I'll light some candles and send some good karma your way. You
will, of course, charm them off their feet and impress the hell out of
them with your talents.

Oh - for the record, I chose the prudent path and did not spend my rent
for the next three months buying a life size Anakin Skywalker. Common
sense and a desire to not be broke until the next millennium won out
over the shopping impulse from hell. :-)

Cheers,

Melissa

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End of alloy-digest V4 #179
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