blog
- Started 22 years ago
- Last post 5 days ago
- 76,306 Responses
- hans_glib0
bah - posting that earth gif has blown my bandwidth :(
- canoe5
I'm thinking of going to my Dad's this weekend, plopping down on his couch for two days and reading this:
https://www.amazon.com/Higher-Lo…Just like he comes to my house, plops down on the couch, picks up the remote and watches sports all day... even to the point of him having his eyes on the game while we sit down for dinner... and I make shit like Cassolet.
Bugger!
- https://pbs.twimg.co…Gnash
- Yes... I like a lot too when my father comes to my house to lunch and finish the day watching to cycling races with himOBBTKN
- Would love to see Amstel Gold Race this sunday with him... Shit, now i miss himOBBTKN
- haha, so basically just switch places with him for a few hours :)monospaced
- awnotype
- futurefood2
coffee for breakfast. fish for lunch.
made me do a two-step to the baño
- pinkfloyd1
Has anyone used H&R blocks for freelance taxes? Yeah, deadlines soon
- April 30th. Get your shit together fast!pango
- LOL. Good advice.DRIFTMONKEY
- deadlines april 17th :(pinkfloyd
- Oh 17th?! Shit shit shitpango
- Oh wait I forgot you're not Canadian.
Pffffpango - complex taxes?notype
- Above averagepinkfloyd
- Why not get a CPA? The one I used in upstate NY took care of it when I freelanced, complex work ($110). LMK if you need his name.notype
- ********1
i see so many missed opportunities for solar power grids, it's not even funny
- renderedred0
just finished watching "i love you, daddy" by louis ck. i was pleasantly surprised. great writing, acting and photography.
- Yeah, I found it enjoyable.DRIFTMONKEY
- Have you seen the directors cut? He masturbates in front of everyoneautoflavour
- SteveJobs4
Just realized today for the first time ever OSFA is an acronym for One Size Fits All... :/
- what? i swear it means Ocean Sex First Assholecapn_ron
- I prefer what capn said.pango
- Only Safe For Animalsshapesalad
- I had one of those moments recently, listening to Anthrax. Spreading The Disease = STD. Only took me a shade over three decades. All right.DRIFTMONKEY
- I miss OSFA.slappy
- ^Continuity
- Only Small Fists Allowedgarbage
- notype2
Things don't unfold quite like I imagine it to.
- autoflavour0
jeez.. I had the new active thing on, I couldn't make any sense of the blog thread.. it was just random posts all out of order. it was chaos.
- way more than usualautoflavour
- just noticed that. i've been gone too long.sea_sea
- Continuity4
Had a chat with one of the headhunters I've been in touch with over the years, and he told me that it's generally the case that it can take creative directors a year+ to find a new job.
On the one hand, I suppose it's comforting to know I'm not alone — despite the fact being long-term unemployed robs you of everything you hold dear: your sense of security, your independence, your dignity, and even your sense of self and self-worth.
On the other hand, when I think that my three last full-time jobs only lasted six months each before I got the sack (ostensibly for 'financial reasons') and had long multi-month gaps between them, I can't help but think my career is finished, despite this headhunter's assurances.
And it's all my fault, in the end. Despite the stated reasons — if I'm absolutely honest — all three of those are agencies where I had trouble fitting in socially, and that's probably a more important retention criteria than the quality of your work.
It's even so problematic, that temp agencies offering minimum wage jobs have turned me down for it.
So on Monday — now that unemployment benefits have run out since the middle of February — I will do what I never thought in my life I would have to do: apply for welfare, what's known in Germany as Arbeitslosengeld II (or, colloquially, Hartz IV). Like everywhere else, there's definitely a stigma attached to it. If I don't do it, though, it means not being able to eat and not having a roof over my head (and I'm already three months behind on my rent).
And yet, somehow, I get up every morning — very often at 6.15 or 6.30, because the stress and fear and depression prevent me from getting a good night's quality sleep — and send my CV off (in many cases for the fourth or fifth or sixth time) to agencies, in the vague hope someone will give me another chance.
And, because my residence permit doesn't allow it, I can't freelance to keep food on the table and new work in my portfolio, so I'm locked into finding a full-time job.
Happy fucking Saturday, people.
- Re-reading this makes me want to vomit in sheer terror.Continuity
- :(
Wish I could helpmonospaced - Cheers, mate. I suppose all I needed right now was to type it out, see it in black and white.Continuity
- Maybe expand your search beyond agencies. Try design shops and in-house positions too. More stable long run too.monospaced
- Write. Write feverishly about where you want to be. Do it for a couple hours. Look at it every day. Write some more or write it again tomorrow.notype
- "fitting in socially" is everything, so now you have free time then improve your body and your mind, this should be your main goal.robotron3k
- Also, if you're not getting CD gigs, which are difficult to get, then tone down your resume and pick up AD gigs...robotron3k
- Woah... Sorry for you mate, let me know if I can help someday, you've got my mail.
I'm serious. Stay strong!!OBBTKN - Same in the states, it's become an ideological club of nepotism where agencies cheap and bloat with account service bs.Hayoth
- What type work do you do?Hayoth
- Thanks for the kind words and support, chaps. You're all lovely. <3
@OBBTKN: Will do!
@Hayoth: Integrated advertising, so everything from TVCs to digital.Continuity - At least you're alive to fight another day. Try something new.********
- What's your exact specialities? Can you design, well? Why not apply at smaller shops, design/ AD positions?********
- Good luck buddy. Something will turn up. Even if you have to change direction for a bit.Hayzilla
- what's your email?dyspl
- Sounds simple, don't be a Creative Director.shapesalad
- My comment isn't meant to sound mean. Just seems like your constraining yourself to a cd role that sounds so problematic.shapesalad
- "And, because my residence permit doesn't allow it, I can't freelance..." - Can't you work from cafe's or coworking spaces?********
- 3 months behind rent? Ok you need to stop the current situation and make changes. Priority #1 is to earn and clear debts. Any job. Don't let debts grow.shapesalad
- Temp jobs not working? Ok go to all the restaurants in town and see if they need a dish washer. Anything, get going. Forget pride. Debt is your #1 enemy.shapesalad
- Priority is Debt. Can you be 4 months behind rent? 6 months? 12months behind rent?shapesalad
- You got to turn over every stone and be ready to work any job possible to clear that debt.shapesalad
- My father got behind on his rent, got into debt, kept his pride, wouldn't lower himself to a job of less status... got evicted. He was in a daze.shapesalad
- ^ I was unaware of it all, working in a different city. But had previously lent him money. But he kept spending on stupid stuff, wouldn't make cuts...shapesalad
- .. wouldn't take a simple job as he had his pride. Eventually the debt ruined him.shapesalad
- Good luck, Hope you clear the debt and get on track to where you want to be in life.shapesalad
- W hats your email? I can't help you but this message resonates so much with me. I know exactly what you're going through.Kiko
- The best I can think of is to send you an email with story in the hope it will help you through this.Kiko
- Company a friend is Design director at is hiring in Berlin, I can't promise anything but I can forward him your contact and resume.dyspl
- Hey man, in that boat for a year and finally getting out of it, in part thanks to a personal project (content I was sitting on and made something out of).spl33nidoru
- Like others have said, take care of yourself, be more social, and if you have no work right now keep busy with whatever you can do on your own, it feels goodspl33nidoru
- and gives you something to reconnect with satisfaction and pridespl33nidoru
- @shapesalad, you're right about the debt thing. I think this is the real killer for me, and I totally agree about finding any old job to pay the bills.Continuity
- @Kiko and dyspl:
Email is http://tny.im/dag, you have to do a Captcha-type thingy, though, to see it.Continuity
- notype2
Off to Dublin at the end of May for work. Any qbn'ers out there? Drinks?
Also first time visiting... a little nervous to be honest. I think I knew one black guy who visited Dublin, he didn't tell me much about his experience.
- we're everywhere but just curious.notype
- https://www.youtube.…notype
- Dublin is international, on the EU tourist map.shapesalad
- there's a few dubliners on here, but you don't see them on that often. i'm in the north, don is talking about the west (which is like another planet)...kingsteven
- dublin has some beautiful spots but it's just a big european city really. you'd be grand in rural ireland too, not at all the same racial tensions as the US.kingsteven
- I've only ever been to CA, Sweden and Netherlands I'm so fucking excited to renew my passport, haven't gone out of the country for 8-long-years (long story)notype
- Eye opening to hear that there's not the same racial tensions as here. Mind boggling that the US is so far behind in its thinking and its policies.notype
- The tensions are within regions is that right? In any case I'll be on the Northside of Dublin :) feel like a kid about to board a rollercoasterin my excitement!notype
- Head to Temple Bar if you want to party like a tourist. The National Gallery of Ireland has an impressive collection. The library in Trinity College..garbage
- ..is really impressive as well. Also Joyce Tower is nearby, if you're into that sort of thing.garbage
- love checking out libraries in diff cities & countries to see how they run things... totally up my alley. and yeah, if dancing is a thing i'd be remiss if inotype
- didn't party it up like tourist, but i'd like to be where the locals are ;)notype
- I haven't been in years, but I remember Temple Bar being kind of like Bourbon Street in NO. Loads of drunk Americans.garbage
- Look up the Trinity College Library, it's intense.garbage
- Not into partying with drunk Americans, avoid it like the plague here.notype
- ...the library is beautiful!notype
- yeah temple bar is a bit of a tourist nightmare. unfortunately most of the locals are priced out of the city. bit rougher in the north part of the city but somekingsteven
- nice spots. dublin also has some lovley coastline that they don't tell the tourists about and a lot going on in the suburbs out to the south like rathmines.kingsteven
- there's a great bar on the north side called the hacienda, it is an absolute gem but the owner will only open the door if he likes the look of you...kingsteven
- if it's close you may as well give it a go but be warned he turns away a ton of folks every night/ occasionally it's private parties.kingsteven
- hah, kingsteven i'll report back and let you know if he shut the door in my face.notype
- BusterBoy-2
I made a tweet yesterday that has had 386,165 impressions and 57,561 total engagements!
Wut?
- And the tweet was?Hayoth
- https://www.axios.co…whatthefunk
- я не говорю вам, что твит былBusterBoy
- Ok. Then don't tell us.Hayoth
- Cool.notype
- 416,172 and counting! Ridic.BusterBoy
- Donald?mekk
- Something like that...BusterBoy
- doggydoggdog0
I meet a lot of people randomly at events or at the gym and strike up conversations with people and get to know them a little. Lately I starting to think a lot of girls are flirting with me and I don't really do anything about it and later find out they have a boyfriend already.
I don't know how anyone ever asks anyone out. I'm terrible at reading signals. Or maybe I'm just hopeful that anyone being friendly with me is actually really into me.
- "Hey wanna come out for coffee sometime?"
Really just need to say those words.pango - Or "Netflix and chill" do people still say that? Lol. whats the worst that can happen? Probably kick to the ball. But hey you gotta risk it.pango
- asking the lady how much is the croissant when you're standing next to it... must be really hard :Dsted
- https://www.youtube.…shapesalad
- "Hey wanna come out for coffee sometime?"
- drgs-6
All allergic people must die
- how so?sted
- Drgs thinks he's master race********
- People shouldn't antiseptic their babies upbringing and allergies and common illness for the most part wouldn't be an issue********
- a lot of allergies start v,young, like as a baby so not true unfort. I know this from personal experience. Allergies are still pretty much a medical mystery asfadein11
- wellfadein11
- complaining about your allergies is the most impolite thing around a dining table, ever
i cant stand anymore of this shitdrgs - wait for drgs, there must be something else here lol :Dsted
- aaah now we see...
yeah that wins the everyday complains contest in this time of the year :Dsted - that's what nature wants, kill all these conversation hijackersdrgs
- lolfadein11
- the weak must be culled from the herdGnash
- @fadein parents immune system weak, low on certain nutrients etc********
- yep lots of factors for sure, that was my point.fadein11
- Continuity9
As an update to yesterday's post, I just found a letter from my landlords' lawyer telling me to either pay my rent arrears, or clear out of my flat on 26 April.
Which means I have ten days to come up with 3275 Eur.
I feel like puking, now.
- And no, I have no friends or family I can borrow the money from.
I'm proper fucked.Continuity - there must be some shit you can sell?sted
- shit... it's that bad?pango
- Oh man. I want to help.monospaced
- I'm going to pop by the local Renters' Association for legal help, and I'm also going to pop by the local social services office that handles housing tomorrow.Continuity
- If I give up to despair and panic now, I'm really fucked.Continuity
- @sted: nah. I don't have any high-end electronics, other than my Mac, and I need that for job hunting.Continuity
- Otherwise, I just have cheap Ikea furniture.Continuity
- Sounds like a good plan with seeking help. If landlord is not a psycho, you should be able to negotiate and refinance it.shapesalad
- Are they saying move out 26th, but you don't need to pay up - as that could be a good chance to downsize and change your situation for the better.shapesalad
- If you don't have to pay it back, but move out 26 ~ just take a break - live/work on the Azores: https://goo.gl/xSrZu…shapesalad
- It sounds like a good chance to change your complete situation and find a new perspective.shapesalad
- ^ what shape says. Stay low and this also keeps you productive and busy which will improve your mood. You never know this might be the direction you need.mugwart
- what kind of residence permit do you have exactly ?d_gitale
- Not sure how it's in UK, but in US it would take at least 6 months after going to court for them to kick you out. Whatever lawyer told you is exaggeration. Hiszaq
- job is to scare you. Get legal help, things are not that bad.zaq
- So sorry man. But feels like you've waited for too long and focusing only on the CD role/ job instead of trying other stuff too and side jobs.********
- There have been friends of mine who reached out to community for help via fundraising sites (one, gofundme) where they offered service (or not) for $ in return.notype
- Almost certain that folks will buy if you legit post something up on here for folks to purchase (or donate).notype
- 1. Could you find a mediator first, instead of legal? Does your LL know your situation? 2. Take deep breaths & drink a ton of water.notype
- @shapesalad: Unfortunately, I'm still on the hook to pay them the arrears, even if they kick me out.Continuity
- @d_gitale: it's a standard residence permit that only allows me to stay so long as I have a full-time job. Right now, the permit expires 30 July, unless I ...Continuity
- ... find a full-time job.Continuity
- @zaq: I'm afraid things *are* that bad. German rental law is extremely clear.Continuity
- @M01XXX: I only have myself to blame, and I regret being so stubborn until now. If I'd put pride aside, I wouldn't be in this situation.Continuity
- @notype: I think my first steps are going to be as I outlined earlier: the renters' association legal help desk, then the welfare office.Continuity
- Where it goes from there, I'll need to figure out.Continuity
- Woof. Keep your head up.garbage
- If the permit doesn't specify a work field maybe it's a good idea to get any full-time job (not saying it's easy, I don't know if you're already trying this)...sofas
- ...just to maintain status and earn while looking for something in your field.sofas
- Yup, I'm trying this as well.Continuity
- If I can manage to get my way out of this mess, and my head back above water, I'm going to need shitloads of PTSD therapy.Continuity
- if only comments and upvotes could be converted to currency? have you tried facebook likes? I hear they can cure cancer. #gofundme?imbecile
- Sell it all and become a nomadic wanderer.********
- Having a bad day, imbecile? Not sure what good you're doing here or in naming monospaced, again.detritus
- If you want to keep current apartment, try to arrange spreading the €3k over the next 6 or 12 months. But without the full time, you're facing a change soon...shapesalad
- ..due to visa. I'd say embrace it, sometimes things like this can be the catalyst for a positive change to your life. You still got your limbs, eyes and ears.shapesalad
- So it's all good. All to play for. So many options before you.shapesalad
- I wasn't in nearly as bad a situation last year, but after 6 years in my Ldn flat, got a letter saying move out. 1 look at ldm rental prices and I knew it was..shapesalad
- ..time to quit. Sold/gave/recycled 75% of my stuff. Stored a few things in my mums loft, but could have sold that stuff too. Left the country...shapesalad
- .. not in a stable situation now, and had some low moments, but the change of perspective has been more than worth it.shapesalad
- Did you get my email?dyspl
- man oh man, been there myself, we should all try and help!renderedred
- dyspl, yeah, I got it but for some reason mails from my webserver (Lunarpages) don't reach Gmail accounts. So I've just replied using my Gmail.Continuity
- @Monospaced and rederedred: believe me when I say I appreciate the sentiment! Unfortunately, I brought all of this on myself, and couldn't ask anywhere here toContinuity
- QBN crowd fund********
- ... help bail me out. At 44 years old, I need to man up and accept the consequences of my actions (or, indeed, inaction). I truly appreciate the sentiment!!!Continuity
- At worst you could flee Germany. Shit for all concerned, but what could they do?detritus
- I'd need money for that. :P
Besides, I actually do want to do right by my landlords, and pay them what I owe.Continuity - You've got perspective on all of this. Sounds like you're making the right moves. Godspeed.DRIFTMONKEY
- I only know people in Berlin who possibly can hire people... I'll pass your site around and see what happens. Good thing your Facebook has all the info lolpango
- Ha! True ... cheers, mate!Continuity
- So what is the deal? Leave by Apr 26 and owe nothing? Leave and still owe? Have you explained your situation to the landlord?comicsans
- Leave and still owe. I explained it to them, and I'm sure they feel badly, but they're not budging.Continuity
- It’s tough that you have no family in Germany that can take you in...SoulFly
- It is, but on the other hand, I need to somehow sort this myself, and do it — with any luck — honourably.Continuity
- probably a bureaucratic hassle that can't be done in 10 days, but if someone could "hire" you on paper and you would pay them back the salary in cash that...sofas
- might buy you time while you get any job, also part time, and continue to look for something better.sofas
- start a www.gofundme.com page.utopian
- ^ thisMrT
- usually when someone is evaluating your debt they won't budge until you to come up with some sort of repayment plankingsteven
- i was in a similar, well financially 4x worse situation about 6 years back, borrowed to try and fix it and made it worse. got a job in a university, paid backkingsteven
- over 3 years. STILL HERE! had to move out of my place and share with some mates for a while... even that was a good decision mentally.kingsteven
- Not CD but I was running a small studio before that. Education / eLearning needs design and management skills ATM and great conditions to get over debt traumakingsteven
- in hindsight i should have asked for help. i met up with an investor after that had pulled out and started the ball rolling, told him what happened and he waskingsteven
- shocked, and told me one of the other lads involved had phoned him up and he paid off his debt. fuck that pride and fuck that debt.kingsteven
- This sounds like the beginning of a comedy moviecannonball1978
- Yeah. A particularly bad one with Rob Schneider and Brendan Fraser.Continuity
- Was gonna see what connections I have in Germany... But you definitely know more industry people there than me...pango
- Let us know what we can help man. I think people here genuinely wants to help.pango
- Thanks for the kind words, pango. Yeah, I do know some people here, though by no means a lot. In the meantime, I'm turning up at the social services office ...Continuity
- ... at 8.00, hoping they will approve me for them covering the rent debt (which is a service of theirs), and also get on benefits. That will buy me a couple ...Continuity
- ... of more months.Continuity
- So under that permit, you're not even allowed to freelance online? Seems counterproductive..yuekit
- Regardless if I were you, I would try to make the transition to working for yourself over the long term. It can be tough at first but will ultimately offer moreyuekit
- financial security than relying on someone else to hire you.yuekit
- Agreed, yuekit. Those issues aside, I can imagine it feels awesome to be one's own boss, even though it's a lot of hard graft.Continuity
- And no, I have no friends or family I can borrow the money from.
- PonyBoy-9
Wow... you' stay classy' whomever DVs the shit out of a RIP post.
http://www.qbn.com/topics/634081…
What the fuck is wrong w/some of you? Or just one of you?
- hahaha, people.detritus
- Having read a few comments sections abuot his passing, I'm sad I'd never encountered him beforehand. Sounds like great late-night driving listeningdetritus
- Hahaha Kevin... upvoted!OBBTKN
- it is getting a bit daft. showing names on hover would be a great way to end this dickery and identify spam accounts.kingsteven
- Detritus... you can catch 'Somewhere in time' on a variety of stations (in the UK too I think) where they replay Art's shows from 20+ years ago.PonyBoy
- I always thought of him and Coast to Coast as bedtimes stories for adults. I will miss Art (his satelite show was just as good). :(PonyBoy
- ^ yup. entertained many sleepless nightsGnash
- Coast to coast was fun. He was a dude...********
- Can't believe you are surprised. You are talking about a group who wishes people dead because they disagree with something.Hayoth
- #citation, hayoth?detritus
- They downvote cuz they are sad. Like half raised fagpango
- *flag. Damn my phone is homophobic...pango
- ^^ haha 'half raised fag' - where is he going with this. its a couple of users with multiple accounts. considering writing a vote zeroing bot.kingsteven
- "Bedtime stories for adults" is an excellent way to put it. I will dearly miss Art Bell.fate
- kingsteven1
a few days ago i was washing some dishes and looking out at my cat dicking about in the garden, looked up to notice someone staring at me out of one of the rear windows of the houses on the next street... i don't want to stare in to their house, so I look away thinking that's a bit odd, but whatever...
since then, i've been looking up there every time i'm in the kitchen and every other time someones staring back, haven't made out what they look like but think it's a teenage kid... chubby face right up against the glass... how can i fuck with this person? satanic rituals? do a full jimmy stewart and stage a murder, dig a big hole etc.?
- that's a reflection in the windowFax_Benson
- *yourFax_Benson
- hah, old enough to take chubby teen as a compliment. thought it was a mask sitting on the windowsill at first but then it smiled and turned it away.kingsteven
- my first house faced a house up on a but of a hill across street, we moved in and noticed someone’s silhouette standing behind curtainsprophetone
- every time i looked across the street the silhouette person was standing at window, creeped us out as guy was weirdprophetone
- one day like 2 years later of noticing this he was peppeing to move and we realized it was a life size Don Cherry cardboard cutoutprophetone
- bothered us for years while it was happening, peeking out our blinds all ‘wtf?’ haha. anyway we’re idiots.prophetone
- hahahakingsteven
- There is always a cat watching my washed dishes through the window. "why aren't you licking it?"pango
- Cover yourself in fake blood and butcher a mannequin.shellie
- Then point at them with a blood soaked hand and mouth, "you're next"shellie
- hahah, yess... and count the houses from the end of the block.kingsteven
- Get a laser pointer********
- Find a way to make your lights flicker when you're in a staring contest again.Maaku
- shellie4
Continuity, do you use PayPal often? If you do, they offer working capitol loans to customers that use their service a lot. There's no interest and just a small fee (in your case probably $150-200) and the money is instant if approved. You're not supposed to use the money for personal debts. But, in this case you can buy yourself some runway. Just a thought. https://www.paypal.com/workingca…
- only in the US, UK, AU, and for business accounts :(sted
- Damn. :( Yeah I have a business account I use to process credit card transactions on a little store.shellie
- Thanks Shellz, I don't use PayPal at all, though. :\Continuity
- BabySnakes4
Neighbor had a yard sale and let me have a STAR-D tripod for free!! (pic not mine but exact same tripod)
