BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?

Subject: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:15 AM

I know that we have a doctor, a lawyer and an indian chief on Mudcat. I was the Director of a Museum for thirty years before I retired a couple of years ago. So, as I often ask folk musicians, "What do you do in real life?"

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:28 AM

Of course, I should add that some friends of mine like Art Thieme, Gordon Bok, Rick Fielding and Chris Shaw are folk singers in real life...:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Amos
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:45 AM

Hi, Jerry:

I help manage a large impossible software project.

But sometimes it doesn't seem any more real, just more compelling,

A

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Edain
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:52 AM

I'm a student, although I intend to become a Geologist

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:55 AM

Hi, Edain: I have a B.S., an M.S. in Geology from the University of Wisconsin and two years toward a Doctorate from Columbia University...

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: black walnut
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:56 AM

Early childhood music teacher - for children aged three months to three years, with their parents or caregivers. If babies aren't 'real life', nothing is.

~black walnut

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: C-flat
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:57 AM

I spent most of my working life in the wholesale/retail business which was enjoyable and occassionally profitable. These days I work for an old friend in the credit/finance industry and have the luxury of knowing how much income I will have month to month.
Somehow it's never enough!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:05 AM

In 3D I was an automotive mechanic and shop owner and then sold auto test equipment for Sun Electric Corporation. I left them as a Divisional Director in '86 and taught school for a few years before going back on the road for Airtex UIS. I hated being on the road again because I was now married and missed Karen plus we had our first child, Tristan. Michael came along so we talked it over and decided that one of us should be home with the kids and we agreed on me. So now I'm a househusband. I have also been working on my medical degree for about 5 years now from Ugotit University.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: allanwill
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:26 AM

Used to (half) own a pub, where we had live bands Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Unfortunately for me, these bands were the heavy metal, grungie types - you know, the ones where the singer(?) sounds like he is having a series of five-minute throat clearing sessions.

Currently work for a sports bookmaking agency - it's legal in Oz, and in fact most of our customers are US, hence I have to work midnight to 8.00AM Oz time to fit in with afternoon USA.

Spaw - is that U-got-it University or Ugo-tit?

Allan

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:36 AM

I am currently unemployed. I graduated university last September. I want to work for an airline based at a London airport in the customer services department. This is proving quite difficult to get into. I have check airline websites and been into the local job centre. If anyone out there knows how you get into working for the airlines please PM me and let me know!!!

cat

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Deckman
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:37 AM

Hi Jerry ... nice to see your name pop up! I've been a builder most of life, tho I did teach school for a while in the 60's. I started out building houses (very boring) then I found my niche in custom remodeling. I got tired of falling off roofs so I've been concentrating on decks and garden structures the last ten years! I love it. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:40 AM

That's U-Got-It University, as in I've had it!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Allan C.
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 10:57 AM

Two years ago I quit my previous job (of nearly ten years) as a supervisor of a photocopy and graphic design shop for a state college in order to move to West Virginia and to take care of my aged mother. A history of prior jobs, as posted in a thread called, "Brief Mudcat Biographies" includes, but is not nearly limited to:

...gas station attendant, movie theater usher, personnel clerk (USAF), apple picker, photographer's assistant (it was also a florist shop), junior executive trainee at a poultry plant, electronics salesman (remember Lafayette stores and catalogs?), furniture salesman, sporting goods salesman, beertender, bouncer, waiter, donut baker, construction gopher, concrete pump operator, surveyor's helper, water treatment plant operator, gardener, carpenter, youth employment program supervisor, hospital aide or geriatric aide or CNA or nursing assistant (depending upon the hospital nomenclature and the level of training I had at the time), highschool custodian, nightwatchman, 7-Eleven clerk, dishwasher, baker, office services aide, photocopy technician, and... a photocopy supervisor.

My gig here with Mom is over. I had to place her in a nursing home a couple of weeks ago. Now I am in the process of readying her household goods for storage while packing my own goods for my return to my house in Charlottesville, Virginia sometime in August. Necessity dictates that I will be having to seek new employment. My old job no longer exists and I am extremely unsure as to what line of work to pursue next. My main goal is to avoid any jobs associated with french fries.

Meanwhile, I will continue to hang out here on a daily basis, (as I have been doing all along, although I rarely post anymore,) enjoying the company of old friends such as many of you have become.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,MarkS
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:17 AM

Sell machinery into corrugated box plants. If you ever held a box in your hands, chances are I had something to do with it somewhere along the line!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: artbrooks
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:19 AM

I retired last September after 32 years with the (US) goverment, military and civilian service. Now I'm a mostly-full-time student and househusband. I read a lot of science fiction and drink a lot of coffee.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Edain
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:20 AM

Jerry, I've just done A Level Geology along with maths, physics, computing and general studies and aim to start a degree this autumn, either a BSc or an MSci depending on my A Level grades

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Lane
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:31 AM

A Fire Chief

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jeanie
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:31 AM

I've got two very different jobs, both of which I love doing: I teach drama and I'm a freelance technical translator, mostly of Patents.

- jeanie

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Troll
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:48 AM

I retired with 30 years from the post office and am now a folksinger working for Disney in Japan. It is a six month contract. Dunno what I'll do next. Maybe nothing.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:00 PM

I make pots. After 27 years of selling a necessary but extremely unpopular commodity that nobody really wanted to buy anyway, I retired/resigned about a year ago and am now in search of the perfect ceramic form. I take my attempts to area art/craft shows and people actually pay me money for them! Amazing!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Willie-O
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:03 PM

Internet help desk, for the past 18 months. Probably not for too much longer. All the stories are true about the dumb questions, but that's easier to take than the dumbass corporate bullshit involved in getting along in a huge evil convergence driven juggernaut. It is not an environment that encourages individual or creative thinking.

I'm applying to go to school in the fall for a one-year technical writing program.

I also do as many gigs as I can find time for. Seems a lot more real than the other, actually.

W-O

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,Melani
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:19 PM

I run the Library Associates' office at San Francisco Maritime Library, and hang around the Maritime Park the rest of the time, though my husband keeps telling me this is not real life. Oh well.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: RichM
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:24 PM

Worked for nearly 30 years in federal public service, in accounting. Last job was training people to use new computerized accounting systems.

Now retired: househusband, occasional busker, and in 3 bands that play wherever we can: retirement homes, hospitals, small festivals, special events.

Highest profile gig so far: bouzouki player with the Lyon Street Celtic Band, on Canada Day (July 1)---outdoors at a local museum, and paid by the government!

Got a free flag out of it, too.

Rich McCarthy

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:33 PM

I run a small steering wheel manufacturing company, which fortunately takes up very little of my time. With the rest of my time I read books about spiritual philosophy and/or Bob Dylan and various folksingers, play chess, watch the occasional video, collect and work on model kits (mostly WWII airplanes), meditate, do yoga...chat on Mudcat (obviously)...play computer games (way too much sometimes), mostly historical wargames like Civil War General or Carriers at War or whatever...

and...

I try to understand what is the meaning of life and what is my proper place in it. That about sums it up.

I used to play music and write songs a lot, but that hasn't been happening much for about a year now.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:40 PM

Thanks for the responses. There's probably another thread in here about the weirdest jobs you ever had. My two were doing psychological testing on the first monkey in outer space, and being a navigator on an iceberg in the Arctic Ocean.. I see some others have had weird jobs, as well. If you were ever a teenager, I know that you had at least a couple..:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Bullfrog Jones
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 12:56 PM

Up until now I've always had pretty interesting jobs --- I started off at The Roundhouse in London doing different things when it was an alternative theatre/music venue in the early seventies, then I was House Manager on the original Rocky Horror Show in the Kings Road. After a brief (but interesting) spell as road manager for The Nolan Sisters (a kind of female Osmonds)I settled down at Capital Radio (London) where I worked up from Technical Operator to Promo Copywriter to Producer to the giddy heights of Assistant Head of Fm Production. Along the way I got to work with some of the great (and not so great) names in British radio like Kenny Everett, Alan Freeman, Chris Tarrant, Tony Blackburn and David Jensen, producing outside broadcasts from places like Cannes, Seattle, the top of the Telecom Tower and the Centre Court at Wimbledon. After 22 years at Capital I took redundancy a couple of years ago and now I have the most boring job ever. When I tell people about it I can see their eyes start to glaze over. Last year the beloved and I started our own company doing telemarketing for accountants and solicitors. What we do is call businesses in ..... hey, wake up!!!!
Ah well,l at least I'm finally working for myself!
BJ

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: kendall
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:02 PM

I'm retired from the US Fish & Wildlife service, and, most of my time is taken with doing just what I want to do.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Tig
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:09 PM

Which bit of me?

At the moment you can have the choices of Supply Teacher in primary schools (I prefer the infants and nursery children), aromatherapist, badge maker or Mum. At one time you could also add Folk Columnist to the local paper but that went by the wayside.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Janie
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:09 PM

I have 2 1/2 jobs. I'v been a social worker of some type or other for 30 years. I went back to graduate school at age 40 to get my MSW and am now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I provide psychotherapy to adults and couples at a Community Mental Health Center, as well as some case management for people with severe mental illness. I also grow commercial cut flowers on a relatively small scale, selling at farmers markets, doing weddings, restaurant tables and a (very) small subscription bouquet service. I am my husband's bookkeeper for his medicinal herb business. (Also wife, mother, maid, cheif bottle washer, and lawn maintenance person---Geez, no wonder I have insomnia) Thanks for asking.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Tweed
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:16 PM

I had a small custom leathershop in central Indiana. After starving at that for a couple years I got a job digging tunnels under roads and railways with Armco Steel. Rough work but it was good pay for that time. A 6'2" guy doesn't fit real well inside of a 42" diameter pipe;~) Went from there to forming concrete basement walls and then on to millwrighting at the co-ops and feed mills in the rural areas. Learned to weld and cut steel and climb up high to my work station, much better and more air than the tunnels. We got married and moved to sunny Florida in '79 and I finished concrete slabs for new houses for a while. The contractor went bust and I got a job rebuilding concrete mixers for redi-mix trucks, probably the hardest job of the lot! Skinning the outside wasn't so bad but cutting out the old skin from the inside of the mixers was awful. No overtime pay and my coveralls kept catching on fire in there. It was so bad the whole crew quit the guy and he folded up shop. Went on to a pump and tank company (underground service station tanks and lines installation)and have stayed put for twenty one years. They stuck me in an office about eight years ago and I wish I was still on the outside, but I'm not as young as I used to be. Seems like it was just the other day..... Now I work from 8-5, come home fairly clean and fool around with building a blues music website of sorts, and play my guitars since I'm not too tired to play 'em these days;~)

Tweed

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:29 PM

Jerry Rasmussen and Edain:

All right, you've got all those degrees. But what do you _DO_?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:42 PM

Edain says that he's a student. Me, I do whatever I feel like doing, as I am retired. I studied Geology because it was interesting. The further I got into it, though, the less I enjoyed it. I tried to get the riots at Columbia University going, but was a little before my time. The year after I quit school, the riots sprouted up, full force. After all that schooling, I was never a geologist, but the education opened my mind to any books I could get my hands on, and led me into the Museum field, which opened up all the collections. It also gave me a chance to teach kids, which I loved. I taught them about nature, astronomy, weather, Native Americans, Colonial life, farming and hopefully, how to see and appreciate the wonder of the world around them. They probably taught me about the wonder, more than I taught them. I also ran a folk concert series at the Museum for 27 years, booking several Mudcatters before there was a Mudcat. The degrees in themselves weren't all that important to me. Satisfying my curiosity was, and still is. What do I do now? Mostly music on my own and leading the Gospel Messengers. And enjoying people. :-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Gray D
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:43 PM

Sorry, Jerry, but I don't think you've got the question quite right.

Doing the music is real life, surely?

You should have asked "What do you do the rest of the time?".

By the way, slight thread drift, we used to have a Prime Minister here who ran away from the circus to become an accountant. Tells you all you need to know about him.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:51 PM

I start spurious political threads, copy and paste long articles from other online publications (claiming them as my own).

I start offensive threads that I know will gain lots of responses.

I personally insult mudcat members.

Sometimes I write useful replies and answer lyric requests.

That's it really

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:51 PM

GrayD: Of course, I could have worded the thread, "What do you do for a living." That sounds too boring. When people ask me how long I'm going to keep singing, "I say, as long as I can afford to lose money." For a lot of people, earning a living is a sentance to eight hours of doing something they hate, five days a week. That may be real, but life doesn't really begin until you walk out the door at the end of the day. I was blessed in that I enjoyed my work days, most of the time.

Now, this being Mudcat and all, we could try to define "Real.":-) But, if there's any confusion and you want a more mundane question, how do you earn money to keep you in food, clothes and shelter? (Some of the more talented Catters are able to make a living making music.) Then tell me what you really love about your life...:-)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 01:58 PM

Guest: Not offended...

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 02:59 PM

Mom----(cook,maid,laundress,char,psychologist,driver,Dr.,nurse,policewoman,garbage lady,pet therapist,negotiator,personal shopper,general support staff,banker,accountant,etc,etc,etc,)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: John P
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:05 PM

I'm the general manager of Dusty Strings, a company in Seattle that builds musical instruments and operates a large acoustic music store. I also play in a band called Telynor and am the the guitar and cittern accompaniment guy for a fiddler named Lauryn Shapter. I recently did a stint as the board president and camp director for a music camp on the Oympic Pennisula.

I've been mostly lucky in my employment, spending long stints in bookstores and selling crafts at the Pike Place Market. Worst job ever was as a plater operator for a company that put chrome plating on plastic car parts and thought personal protective equipment was too expensive to be entrusted to factory workers, especially those too young to know better than to work around poison gasses.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:08 PM

From somewhere in the early Fifties to 1966, singing folk songs was what I did in real life. Made a modest but thoroughly enjoyable living that way. In 1966 I hired on at the Boeing Airplane Company as a production illustrator (something like drafting) and among other things, I worked on some of the original drawings for the 747 Jumbo Jet. I got caught in the big lay-off in the early Seventies (when Boeing's workforce went down from 102,000 to about 35,000 and someone put up a sign on the Seattle city limits saying "Will the last person who leaves please turn out the lights?").

Fortunately, I had the voice, the knowledge, and the necessary licenses by then, so I got a job right away working as an announcer in a classical music radio station. Over the next eight years or so, I worked at several radio stations:— as a rush-hour traffic reporter, as a disc jockey (one short stint as a rock-jock), as a producer, newscaster, and news director, and my last broadcasting job was for about three years as a classical music announcer. I also produced and voice a lot of commercials (sorry about that).

Deciding that radio was too chancy and competitive, I went to work for Ma Bell as a telephone operator (from broadcasting to narrowcasting). The pay was pretty good, the bennies were good, the physical surroundings were pleasant, and most of the supervisors, both male and female, were descendants of Simon Legree. I hauled on the oar in that galley for eight years! Now that's endurance!

In 1988 I got a job working for an accounting firm under contract to provide services to the Bonneville Power Administration (so I was indirectly working for that same outfit that Woody Guthrie worked for). I didn't work as an accountant; I was a technical writer in the BPA's residential weatherization project. Instead of trying to promote the use of electrical power, we were trying to talk people into conserving it. I also kept track of a database of people who inquired about the Washington State home heating oil conservation program (a separate program from the BPA's) and answered questions on the phone. Kind of a fun job. When the contracts ran out, I decided to retire and devote myself to some serious writing.

All this time I've been singing, certainly not as much as I did in the Fifties and Sixties, but I've participated in folk festivals, sail and chantey festivals, song circles, a few small concerts here and there, and, of course, "hoots." I also read voraciously and I watch a fair amount of TV, selectively and without guilt.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:13 PM

Nope, it was 1986 that I went to work as a technical writer.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:19 PM

Parent,(Also kids taxi) half a partnership with Ms V, then special needs school teacher(but teaching and prep etc takes up most time)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Deda
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:19 PM

I'm an Admin Assistant during the week, for some consultants who evaluate programs in the fields of mental health, human services, etc. On weekends I teach Latin to homeschool kids, and when the local university is in session I tutor Latin students from beginning through Virgil, Cicero, Catullus, whoever they happen to read. I used to teach Latin full-time but I wasn't really able to scrape together a decent living, and the amount of energy I had to pour into the work, even though I loved it, just wasn't justified by the piddling amount of money I got.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:22 PM

Sorcha: Yeah, I'd guess that's a list of about 20% of your jobs. Some of us were luckier and worked in a job that you could leave at the end of the day...:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:26 PM

Jerry: you started the ball rolling with Doctor; Lawyer & Indian Chief. I haven't yet noticed any suggestion that we go for the whole of the old button counting rhyme, was that the intent ?

Tinker; Tailor; Soldier; Sailor; Rich Man: Poor Man: Beggar Man: Thief; Lawyer; Doctor; Indian Chief (at least in one version!)

Nigel (Banker)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 03:36 PM

O.k., Nigel.. I suspect that we've got a lot of folks who tinker around, although not in the old meaning of the word. I know we've got someone in the Air Force(at the time of the rhyme, I'm not sure there was an Air Force,) I know that we have some sailors, there might be ONE Rich Man(It' ain't me, Babe,) Certainly some Poor Men(but not in spirit,) Maybe a thief or two at some time in their lives, and I'm counting on Little Hawk being our Indian Chief.:-) Thanks for the complete rhyme..

I looked up the definition of a tinker, by the way.. First definition is"A Traveling mender of metal household utensils" (My Grandfather was a tinsmith in Denmark, but I don't think he went from house to house.) The second defintion could be Spaw:"A person who enjoys repairing and experimenting with machine parts." The third definition is most of the rest of us guys:"A person who is clumsy at his work: a bungler." :-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 04:15 PM

I'm recently unemployed! Not a bad thing, but I'm looking for work I can do from home via computer. In the past I've been a math teacher, chemist, veterinary assistant and have designed a few web pages. Since I have a patent (actually my boss was just very unselfish to include my name on a polymer patent) I've thought about technical writing. PM on the way to Jeanie. Anybody else that has ideas, please PM me.

This morning I helped with the nursery at church. I'm soooooooooo glad I'm an empty nester! The hardest job I ever had was the full-time mother of preschoolers!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: mooman
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 05:32 PM

I'm a biologist by training and worked for my first six years postgrad as a forensic scientist. I'm now Scientific and Environmental Director of the major European medical technology association in Brussels. My specialisation these days is risk management and safety of medical technology equipment and processes for which I also work in relevant ISO committees internationally. I also help the European Commission write Directives on the safety and efficacy of new technology medical products since they don't seem to know how themselves.

But all of this, while useful and interesting, is still a distraction from my real love which is music.

All the best

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: mooman
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 05:36 PM

P.S. For instrument nerds my postgrad research was on the relationship between the microscopical structure and properties of different woods....hence my intense interest in all "wood" threads!

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Joe_F
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 06:48 PM

I am a freelance copyeditor specializing in mathematical manuscripts. It seems best not to argue about whether that counts as real or as life.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: CarolC
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 07:06 PM

What is this "Real Life" of which you speak?

Here's some stuff I used to do in my Surreal Life... wildlife rehabilitation worker, veterinary assistant, interpretive naturalist, museum exhibits technician, zookeeper, backpacking outfitter sales person, weaver/textile artist, whitewater rafting sales person, and some other assorted stuff.

The most important and satisfying job I've ever had is being a mother.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 07:12 PM

Spin plates from place to place
As welcome wears thin as my jeans
Late leave on the morrow's grace

Poetry payment where my head has been.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: bbc
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 08:18 PM

I am an elementary school librarian at a grade 3-5 school in a small rural district near Folk Legacy Records. I make jewelry & play a little autoharp on the side.

best from NY,

bbc

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Tweed
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 08:20 PM

Hmmm...I notice a direct correlation between higher education and physically less-demanding occupations amongst the responders so far. Maybe my old dad was right again.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 08:42 PM

I print t-shirts, mostly political and union stuff, in my father's shop. I've been there... maybe six years. Exciting. Before that, I was unemployed, or at least tried my best to be. And before that, I was a teenager, etc.

When not working, I'm usually listening to music (traditional, not), watching movies (usually at home, sometimes at theaters), reading (Right now: "The Tenor Saxophinst's Story," {English trans, bleh} by Josef ?kvorecký. Always: news.), or playing video/computer games (damn, I need some new games).

Oh, yeah: I also enjoy "hanging out with friends," going to concerts (though not many, lately), eating Korean food, and making very bad music with Jew's harps... Muaha.

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:02 PM

I make stuff from wood...'mostly' round stuff on a lathe, as in this Black Locust bowl

and these Sweetgum bowls

(these are the pics I had online for the moment...for showing to the woodturning newsgroup)

I do also make little chairs and wooden pens and lamps sometimes.

my great claim to fame *grin*...is that I was once a genuine bean counter!...I did cycle inventory in a bean canning warehouse.

All this is what a degree in Philosophy can lead to!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: toribw
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:15 PM

Right now? Web master for a drug development company. By training, historian. I do teach history part time at a local community college, so I do get to keep doing what I really love to do. Besides music, that is.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,ozmacca
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:19 PM

Like I keep telling people, for the mundane everyday payment of bills and upkeep of family, I'm an engineering technician / draftsman / tech writer / etc etc, BUT, in real life, I'm into folk music........

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:26 PM

Most of the usual early stuff, from basic labouring through museum work and translation (American to English, last time!) to drystone wall building etc. etc., but for about 20 years I've made a modest living as a cartoonist; for the last few, working mainly for a very well-known football club. Football rather bores me, but I get plenty of spare time to devote to music.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Benjamin
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 09:54 PM

I'm a student at the University of Washington.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:09 PM

Writer, always, working almost full-time, finally! at finishing a couple of books right now. Lucky enough to have a partner who has always supported me as long as I did what made me happy...his only criteria.:-)

Before that, mom since I was 17 and all that entails through three great kids, pharmacy clerk, health & beauty aides dept. manager, certified nurses' aid, emergency medical technician, radio advertising "account executive," *bg*, radio credit & collections manager, owned a pseudo-ad agency with a partner back East, sold specialty ad products (oh, all that PLASTIC!), BEST job back East was as assist. to the dir. of development for a center for the arts (great music!!), and, through it all, for about 25 years, chief promoter, booking agent, sounding board, therapist, soloist, copyist, editor, page-turner, hand-holder to my brother, the classical composer and pianist. It was just like having another kid, as he lived with us for 9 of those years!

Now? I feel kind of lazy if I don't put in several hours at writing, but I am the type of person who enjoys variety, so I am getting ready to get a small counter-top kiln so that I can practise at ceramic tile-making which I love doing. And, I play dulcimer, pluck a little psaltery and need to practice up my fiddle, and I sing. Oh, and, like Joe Offer, I consider my volunteer joecloning to be a part-time job which I dearly love and feel privileged to experience.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:23 PM

Mr. Rasmussen is also the only person I know personally, unless some aren't as forthright as Jerry is, that can hypnotize a chicken.

Jerry, there must be a practical reason for your having learned that fine art. Please, pray tell us why one would wish to have a passive chicken on ones hands??? A sheep, yes, that I might but probably wouldn't understand !! But a chicken?????

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Anahootz
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:25 PM

I am a partner in, and Operations manager of, a caviar processing plant in Alaska. I work like a dog all summer (as long as the salmon run), and have 7 months off to enjoy the fruits of my (considerable) hard labor. I recently decided that having more than half the year off was very stressful...more so for my wife than I, so I took a position at a local salmon hatchery doing plankton research in the off-season (my OTHER life, as a triple-degree holder...Bachelor's degrees in Fishery Science, Aquaculture, and Seafood Technology)...music, that's the other stuff. I don't play professionally, but am willing to give it a go one of these days.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Jul 02 - 11:47 PM

All interesting stuff; thanks!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Deckman
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:33 AM

Hi Art ... It's a fine art (hee hee) the charming of chickens! Who knows where it might lead? Maybe on to bigger and better things. And besides, when Jerry is busy casting his spell on the occasional chicken, at least we know where he is! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:37 AM

1. I design and build special equipment for people with disabilities.

2. I play in a band that specializes in Irish folk music done as if the Kingston Trio was from Cork and had a drummer.

3. I am a silversmith.

Remember when we could get by on just two jobs?

Don

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Deckman
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:43 AM

Don ... I'm so olde that I can remember when we could get by with just ONE job! Bob

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Escamillo
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:57 AM

I'm an applications programmer/analyst currently overemployed and underpaid. I've developed many interesting real-time systems in the golden days of the Digital PDP and VAX machines, for example the Automated Voting System at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, but now I am fully involved in a Commodities Trading system in use by 24 companies. Sometimes it frightens me to think about the millions of dollars that are being moved through my system everyday, and wondering to where I would run away if an error occurs.

Part of that real life is music. Former classical guitarist, mainly symphonic chorus tenor, I do make some performances as soloist accompanied by piano or a jazz trio. No great arias for me, I prefer afro-American, traditionals and some jazz (so does my audience) and that's why I came to the Mudcat once, and got caught.

Tomorrow, as another part of real life, I'll participate in a multitudinal protest against the appropiation of our savings by the local and international banks, and the mandatory deposit of new income, and the miserable allowance of 80 dollars/week cash withdrawals. Since the march will be peaceful, I'll only bring a baseball bat. See you at the newspapers ! :))

Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 01:16 AM

I retired in 1999, after 25 years of doing security clearance investigations for the U.S. Government. Now I study folk music and work on Mudcat, travel, raise a family and maintain a rural home, and do volunteer work for a women's center and various Catholic activities.
Oh, and I very much enjoy being a newlywed (January 12).
A nice way of life.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 07:38 AM

Maybe I can qualify as the thief. I work for the Tax Office. I think I'm not the only one - Liz the Squeak once confessed to working for Inland Revenue.

It's wonderful what you can get with a pair of boltcutters and a blowtorch.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 07:48 AM

"You are getting verrry sleepy..." Thanks for spilling the beans, Art...:-) To tell the truth, I don't remember how I learned to hypnotize chickens. I started out hypnotizing pigeons and it became an obsession with me. When I was a kid, I raised pigeons... basic crappola type for starters, which we'd catch, shimmying out on barn rafters at night, and then graduating into racing pigeons when I got older. Somewhere along the line, I learned how to hypnotize them. What you do is hold them on the ground on their back with one hand, and then slowly wave a feather or a stick (A wand would be more professional) back and forth in front of their eye (about three inches away at a seventeen degree angle:-). (Birds have their eyes on the side of their head, and don't have peripheral vision, like we do..) The bird will watch the feather with the eye that's facing up from the ground and become mesmerized. Then, you can slowly remove the other hand that is holding the pigeon down as you continue slowly waving the feather. Finally, you can stop waving the feather and move that hand away slowly, and the pigeon will lie on its back for a couple of minutes, completely motionless.

In MY real life, I worked at a Museum that had a working farm.One day when I was teaching a class of nine and ten year old kids, this rooster came walking into the classroom. On a whim, I picked him up and told the kids that I was going to hypnotize him. I went through my whole routine, embellishing it with a lot of wise cracks "When you wake up, you will be a dog.." etc. I think that I hypnotized the kids in the process. After that, that darned rooster would come wandering in to class almost every day to get hypnotized. When I became Director of the Museum, I didn't have much use for chicken hypnotizing, but many years later someone remembered(as Art has)that I used to hypnotize chickens. So, as a special treat on the last day of summer classes, it was anounced that the great Rasmussoni would personally hypnotize a chicken. All the kids at the farm came, and most of the staff, and I was nervous that maybe I'd lost my touch. A volunteer chicken was taken out of the coop and brought into the classroom, the room fell to a hush, and I did my act. With great success. Then, after that, it became an annual event.

If you ever need a chicken hypnotized, I am your man. My wife and I go to a nearby farm that has an ice cream stand that has the world's largest rooster strutting around and intimidating the customers. Maybe I should tell the folks that run it that I'll hypnotize their rooster, free, as a publicity stunt. I can see it now. Better have my wife iron my cape...:-)

The Great Rasmussoni

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: RangerSteve
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 07:58 AM

I started out with a string of unsatisfying jobs, which I made up for by being a volunteer firefighter. For the last fifteen years I've been with the New Jersey State Park Police. I'm also an unpaid musician (traditional country music).

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: MMario
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 08:22 AM

Slightly different technique - but I actually learned to hypnotize chickens (roosters actually) in college! (WHY is not really something you want to know - believe me!)

Chained to a desk in "real life" - doing telephone support of computers for 47 school districts; the job(s) that feel more real to me are helping out on the MudCat; time traveling to various eras - and being "Uncle" to various kids (related and not)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,Foe
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 08:37 AM

I've had many "jobs" over the years but my career is my painting (I show but don't sell much). In the mid-sixties I went back to grad school in Arizona and answered an ad for a chainman on a survey crew. Arizona desert in July (110 degrees). One week into the job the head said if anyone stopped by and asked what we were doing not to talk to them. I asked what were we doing? "Claim jumping," he replied. Seems we were jumping copper claims that had not been worked after the original filing. Worked at that one more week then went to work for the Tree Ring Lab at the U. of AZ.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 08:45 AM

Gee, I dunno, Guest Foe, maybe you could be the thief....:-)

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: C-flat
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 08:52 AM

Warning!......if Jerry approaches you wearing a cape and carrying a feather............

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,fred in louisville
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 09:51 AM

Hi Mary in ky. I wrote a patent that issued jan of this year on a completely different kind of wearable guitar pick, and I'm trying to start a business with it. I used to work at the Speed Art museum, where the director, though he couldn't hypnotize a chicken, was an annual judge of a dressed poulty contest. Chickens in costume. I once printed photographs all night, and I can't go anywhere now without deja-vu. People take a lot of the same photos, which is odd. Every night there was a roll of The Girlfriend Taking A Bath, and always at the end, one frame of the boyfriend's face, in a blurry closeup. I paint portraits of kids, sometimes, and have a couple of them myself, around here somewhere. My wife teaches drama. I have an unusual knowledge of the obscure and funny history of musical instrument picks, from doing some research about it. fred

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: dwditty
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 10:08 AM

Jerry,
I go to that same ice cream stand on Route 67...making the trip all the way from North Haven. Next time, I will look for a rooster that keeps jumping up thinking it just sat on a thumbtack.

dw

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Trevor
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 10:27 AM

I used to run up and down mountains and sail boats with people, and then sit around and talk about what they'd learnt from the experience. Now I just do the sitting around with them and other people get the fun bits. It's called 'being an experienced facilitator' apparently.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 11:04 AM

I am the supervisory Contract Specialist and Small And Disadvantaged Business Specialist for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Engineering Field Activity, Northeast, Resident Office In Charge Of Construction, Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine.

Try to fit that in the little space on a loan application where it asks for employment information.

It's a decent job and I don't hate it. I just passed my 25 year mark. In 5 more years I can retire. Next April I hope to leave Brunswick and move to Vicenza, Italy, for 3 to 5 years to do the same job for an American military base there.

Once I retire I hope to go into the highly lucrative folk music industry...

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 11:25 AM

Doowahdiddy: Who are you? and what's this about a rooster sitting on a thumbtack? You must know the song I wrote, Robert's Rooster:

CHORUS:
Robert's Rooster is red, and his dog Jack is black
And they never talk back to their Mother
And when it would rain, they would never complain
They would sit and they'd play by the hour

Sometimes they would play at the big parade
And the rooster would ride on Jack's back
And he'd jump at command, when he raised his right hand
Like a lady that sat on a tack

Sometimes they would play at the big parade
And they'd march all around the room
Jack would carry the fowl, and the dog he would howl
And the rooster would carry the tune

Sometimes they would sail on the storm sea
And the wind it would roar and howl
Jack would cover his eyes, and the rooster would hide
While Robert stood watch on the bow

And when they got tired of playing
The dog would curl up on the floor
And Robert would lie, with his rooster beside
And Jack would look happy and snore

You can e-mail me at [e-mail]

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Wincing Devil
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:00 PM

I am a computer programmer

I enjoy programming computers

I really enjoy programming computers

I enjoy programming computers way too much

 

I am in desparate need of a life!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:08 PM

I am in marketing, right now I market law school books. I used to do a lot of number crunching but since the last merger, all I really do is direct mail.

I am also an adjunct professor of psychology at our local community college.

And, last but NOT least, I am also a single parent, of 7-yo twins (sharing custody with their other parent).

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: bob schwarer
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:10 PM

I retired about 3-4 years ago. I guess now it is a terminal condition.

Graduated from U of Wisconsin with a BS in Chemical Engineering. Worked at things from synthetic fibers to fertilizer to waste water treatment for providing cooling water for a power plant.

Back in the '40s kids(14 or 15) could get a job in the local cannery during the summer. Jerry, do you remember the old Fall River/Libby cannery on the south end of town? One of the best years was 1944 when we had a lot of German POW's there. Sure learned a lot that summer.

Someone has recently written a book about "Stallag Wisconsin". I need to get a copy of it. Probably could tell a few tales for a Part 2.

Spend much of the summers now at the ball park. Class A Lakeland Tigers and major league spring training.

Bob Schwarer

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Hecate
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:19 PM

I publish stuff, edit stuff, do a bit of freelance writing (none of which is going to make me rich in the forseable future, financially speaking I am a kept woman.)

I am also a useful means for carying one large as yet unborn baby around.

I want to keep bees. (Not that this is much of a carreer path either, but it seemed like a nice idea.)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:35 PM

Spent ALL my working life making airplanes in some way shape or form. That is except for the two+ year period when I was laid off(nothing to do with chickens) I spent that time setting up a business as a Blacksmith. Benn back at the airplane stuff for the past 6 years now. It's nowhere near as much fun as the Blacksmithing but it does pay far better, without even breaking a sweat in my case. I do most of my performing a capella, not only do I form iron like a Blacksmith, I play guitar like a Blacksmith too. JohnB

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 12:44 PM

Bob: You've reminded me of another God-awful job... working in the canning factory. When the crops were coming in, you worked twelve hour shifts, seven days a week. When I worked there, they had mostly Mexican laborers who worked BOTH shifts. They'd catch little cat naps of fifteen minutes during their two breaks a shift, and if they were lucky, sometimes catch as much as an hour nap between shifts. I worked one day there, loading big buckets of canned vegetables by winch into massive cauldrons. The guys who were working there showed me the massive scar burns on their arms with great pride, as if they'd won them in battle. All that for $.75 an hour at that time. I quit after the first day.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 01:08 PM

I do 'what it says on the tin' i.e. sell lemonade! I doss around all week watching every body else work - then on the weekend go out and enjoy myself selling lemonade to those who are out enjoying themselves. yea, it's fun.

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: annamill
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 01:19 PM

Main (and only money making job) - computer programmer/analyst consultant.

Own a video store in a beach town in New Jersey.

I am a working Realtor.

I have a small retail web site I just started.

I am ready to retire and sell pencils.

Annamill

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: bob schwarer
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 01:41 PM

Yeah! The good old cannery days. I ran the cookers for a while one year. Only got burned one time. I learn fast. Hung on after the harvest one year and unloaded box cars from other plants at the old sugar beet factory. Remember that? Had a carton dropped on me from about 20 feet one night. Glanced off my shoulder so no real damage, but I took off the next day and when I came back the foreman said he thought he really hurt me. I just wanted the day off. Used to spot the cars by taking the brakes off, getting them rolling, then quick jump on and try to apply the brakes at the proper spot.

This was the 50 cent per hour days.

Bob S.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: pattyClink
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 01:50 PM

'nother geologist, Jerry and Edain! Come on, there must be another one out there, come out from under yer dang rock and show yourself!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 01:56 PM

Ex-archaeologist, currently midway through my doctorate in computer science where I get to do bits of archaeology too (graphical representations). Have had part time jobs as: shelf-stacker, shop assistant (x 2), waitress (x 5), cinema staff, and a wee bit of web stuff. All quite mundane, but these days I get my fun travelling the world for conferences. Have never tried hypnotising a chicken but as for --(SNIP! sorry, thought of a minor crudity here, but decided it was too obvious).

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 01:59 PM

Jerry, I had a job as tedious as that once. It wasn't very dangerous though until...well, here's how it all went down.

I was going to college at Chicago's Navy Pier----then a 2-year branch of the University Of Illinois.(1961 or so) I went there for 3 and a half years and never got past a 101 level course 'cause my parental units said I ought to be in school. All I wanted to do was pick guitar and/or banjo back then and that is all we pretty much did----all day in the college coffee shop or the lounge when the restaurant tossed us out. Never did get any degree----unless being a graduate of The University Of The Open Road (La Universidad Del Camino Abierta Folklorico ) has any merit to it.

While attending that venerable school, the only university that could ever be torpedoed, actually, since it stuck out 3/4 of a mile into Lake Michigan, I took a job in a pier warehouse a short ways away that distributed coloring books. My job was to run a forklift thing that I rode on. It carried large wooden skids with 1200 coloring bookson each onto freight cars. One day Ernesto and I realized these things were pretty fast andgreat fun to race with. My job, which I was getting enjoy,----until I lost control cornering one lovely day and went through the wall and dumped all 1200 coloring books ( Mickey Mouse And Minnie's Big Shoes Fetish ) on my boss's desk. He was seated across from me on the other side of the desk at the time. That was the last day I held that job. In truth, it was the last minute I held that job and I never got the balls... er, guts, to go in for my final paycheck a few days later. But, hell, that was a Mickey Mouse job anyway...

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Genie
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 02:19 PM

music therapy and entertainment (primarily for all sorts of senior centers and residences) since 1993

in a former life, a college professor and lecturer (psychology), mental health therapist, and family counselor

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 02:26 PM

I am a bank manager -but it does not necessarily mean I am a bad person.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 03:33 PM

Charley Noble has a geology degree.

My brother does but he doesn't sing or play so I guess that leaves him out...

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 04:11 PM

I run the office and work in the lab of a small research station at the beach. mg

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: brid widder
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 04:28 PM

I'm a nurse and currently organise the day care facility in a hospice...I love it!!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Deckman
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 05:07 PM

One of the more interesting jobs I ever had was that of a casket maker. I took it one time, for four months, when construction work was nill. What a fascinating place to work, down on the Everett waterfront. The history of the casket industry is amazing. Early on, around 1890, the shingle mill owners started building caskets as a means to employ the shingle weavers that kept cutting their fingers off (remember the poem about Three Finger Jake). I worked with some of the best three fingers craftsman I've ever known. One thing I had to learn quickly was to deal with the traditions and superstitions of the casket industry. There are many. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 05:23 PM

Surely there's more than one doctor out there? I'm one of them, still love my job, even some of the heartsinks, but never enough time for music! Roll on the day that kids are no more dependent, but will be 60+ before I can say that! Then I will launch 2nd career as folksinger/multi-instrumentalist! (Those who know who I am will be rolling on the floor helpless with laughter! - what's the Mudcat acronym for that?) Certainly music helps me to deal with the current stresses of the "real life".

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: C-flat
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 05:27 PM

Here in the U.K. we have a very popular T.V. show called "Only Fools and Horses" which follows the exploits of a small time wheeler dealer in his dodgy-dealings selling stolen or second rate goods. In the show the main character "Derek (Del-boy) Trotter" is assisted by his hapless and slighty dopey brother "Rodney".
When I first left school and was trying to make a living playing guitar I took a day job working for a typical "Del-boy". In fact I could have played "Rodney" to a tee! This Guy had to be the most unscrupulous man on the planet. He used to run a travelling saleroom, setting up in town halls or community centres, advertising crazy non-existant deals, off-loading as much crap onto the unsuspecting public and then leaving town before they realised that the "5 piece pan set" they'd just bought was a pan and 4 lids in a box!
The thing was, this guy was so plausible and I was so naive, I believed him when he feigned surprise and outrage at the "discovery" that his latest "hot-line" wasn't kosher.
An experience nontheless.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 05:31 PM

I am a researcher, presently working on Indian claims against the Canadian government re residential schools. Used to be a legal executive, a professional singer (mostly educational gigs) and a grade school teacher. Throughout it all, househusband, folk club organizer, archivist, editor. My REAL life is all of this, actually: I feel I've been blessed.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 05:45 PM

Hey,Linda:

I've had a couple of friends who were bank managers and I really liked them. One of the best things about them was that they never asked me to loan them money. :-) I have a dentist who I find so entertaining that I *almost* enjoy going to him. We have so much fun laughing about stuff that before I know it, I'm out of the chair. It's tough, laughing with all that equipment in your mouth, though.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GUEST,Just Amy
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 06:04 PM

I am an Executive Secretary to a VP at a major movie studio! Sounds better than it actually is.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Amergin
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 06:20 PM

tech support...the art of telling people how stupid they are....as nicely as possible....

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Socorro
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 06:33 PM

Well, I used to be a Registered Nurse/Case Manager; I held on for 20 years, to get my daughter educated and off to a good start in life (i hope it worked; i think it did). Now, I have 2 "small-potatoes" jobs which i do enjoy, but don't pay much. But what I REALLY do (aside from music) is make greeting cards. If you'd like a peek, here's my 1st attempt at blue-clicky - look at the very last item, "Native Notes". Click here

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 06:48 PM

Very nice, Socorro. Looks as though Hecate might be able to use some of the other products listed there.

Hecate, congratulations and pleae let us know when you are done being an "incubator!" BTW, I think keeping bees would be fascinating!

Forgot to say, my current "jobs," the ones I really love, besides writing, which pay nothing, are family archivist; internet researcher; and, genealogist for myself and friends.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Celtic Soul
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 07:05 PM

Linda...there's hope. Become a Credit Union Manager! It's worlds different, and generally, people like you.

Speaking as an ex-Credit Union Manager, current Loan processor/member service representative.

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 09:19 PM

By Day

I play at being a Prognosticator and Soothsayer Extrodinaire proficient at peering into the mists of time using modern Difference Engines to fathom the future meanderings of our children's children at they scurry hither and thither in response to the stimuli of life. I also attempt to fathom how extending the eyes, ears, and "intelligence" of these new golems of the modern world can help each of us to minimize the impact of our scurrying on others.

(I forecast future land use and travel patterns, and also pretend to be an expert in Transportation Planning and "intelligent transportation systems".

GutBucketeer (JAB)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Robin2
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 09:33 PM

GutBucketeer,

uh?

I do traditional puppet theater during the day.

Really.

Robin

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Socorro
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 10:33 PM

katlaughing, Thank you for the kind words - discount to Mudcatters :)

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 11:07 PM

oh, forklifts!...I have driven forklifts in 3 different jobs, but never ran thru any walls!..I have driven outside in snow & mud,(in a surplus store yard in Kansas) and hoisted pallets full of Pork & Beans into the rafters

hey!...just as I was about to post, I had a hunch!...EVERYONE is on the WWW now!...here is the place where I drove a forklift in the mud...The Yard Store

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 08 Jul 02 - 11:36 PM

You people are something else !!! Turns out I'm mesmerized by this thread. Who'd a thunk it?

Art

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 12:22 AM

We have been making a living by playing folk music in schools for more than twenty years. But we are in the process of retiring from that because we've run out of places to store all the money we've made.

We are now pursuing an even more lucrative career as - Town Criers. In fact, we are the official Town Criers of San Luis Obispo County in California and the first husband and wife Town Crier team in the western hemisphere.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 07:27 AM

Playing folk music in schools. What an honorable profession! How many 'Catters had the spark ignited by someone at school or camp when they were a kid? We need more igniters. As I say, you can play for love or money, but very rarely for both. Some of my best paying jobs don't pay a penny.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Fortunato
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 09:08 AM

Jerry, I'm impressed. Hypnotizing chickens, eh.

Well, if you want to talk about animal husbandry, or was that animal flimflammary?
You see about 10 years ago I took one of my children to one of the last circuses still under tent. It was the real thing, you know, roustabouts and tatooed ladies and the dog-faced boy who doubled as a fire-eater and barker for the Mystic Ladies of the Nile and all the animal smells you can imagine. Anyway we got there a bit early and were drifting around the tents, digging the scene, when we came upon the elephant area. So we stop to watch a guy give a bath to an absolutely gigantic bull elephant. He's washing him down with a fire hose, and the elephant seems to like it. But then the guy goes around behind the elephant, lifts the pachyderm's tail and shoves the fire hose up the elephant back stairs, so to speak, and turns on the water. Well, pretty soon the elephant starts to trumpet and stamp and look extremely annoyed and the guy yanks out the fire hose. Holy mackeral you should have seen the shit fly. It shot out twenty feet if it was an inch and just covered this poor guy from head to foot. He goes over to a pump starts washing off his face. We're still watching, somewhat awed by now, and not a little disgusted, when suddenly I realize I know this guy. It's Stevey Dodson, with whom I was a boy back in school. So I go over to him and said, "Hello, Stevie, it is I, Chance from back home". He looks up in surprise, wiping the effluvium from his neck and ears, and says right back, "Well, Chance, I'll be damned, how are you?" "Fine, Stevie," I say, "but great time of day, man, can't you find a better job than giving elephants enemas?"

And Stevie, he says to me: "What? And give up SHOW BUSINESS?" <

cheers, Chance

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 09:08 AM

I just retired (in March) from 30-odd (and I DO mean odd) years as a Graphic Artist/Designer/Lackey in marketing and promotion. I've also taught Art (and art) and loved teaching (university level) but hated the politics and the rotten pay. I have both BA and MA from San Francisco State where I minored in Geology (really!) and in Student Uprising (for which I received numerous bumps, bruises and a few stiches). I've played "semi-professionally" in "outfit" owned establishments in Chicago but also made artificial Christmas trees, worked as a security supervisor for Pinkerton's and the Bechtel Corporation and even sold vacuum cleaners and worked in a Fosters restaurant. I am an amateur photographer and desert lover (Eastern California/Western Nevada - high) and travel as much as income allows. Next summer I'll be working up in Yellowstone, hopefully as a "Trail ride musician". I'm a kinda biker, riding an Indian Chief and also a "bikie" riding a Trek.

This is fun! I have found (in my travels) that the best way to get "into" a place you are interested in knowing more about is to ask people you meet what they do for a living. We love to talk about ourselves. Some of the stories that I have heard "on the road" are just amazing.

Thanks Jerry, as usual you seem to be able to get to the heart of things.

CB

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: dwditty
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 09:11 AM

Robin, I would love your opinion of the film "Being John Malkovich"

dw
Art, me, too!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 09:35 AM

Hi, Breath of Coyote: Good to see you around! Retiring is great, but it's a little like having a tooth filled. Leaves a hole that you keep running your tongue across to figure out what's missing. :-)

Anyone know how to make this a Part II thread with a blue clicky thing? I think it's about time.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 09:39 AM

Oooh, I like that! You're right! I keep thinking I gotta get back to work!.

Well the coffee's ready and I gotta go hang up some laundry before it gets too hot out to do anything but gasp.

CB

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 09:44 AM

I trained as a theatrical costumer so I'm.... Research and Development Officer for a non-governmental advocacy organisation promoting the interests of rural Wales. To be fair, I did work in theatre for the first few years after university, then arts admin., then I managed a film company, then European Telematics development and then here. I also seem to sit on a whole lot of committees; part of the job but one wonders if we couldn't live without one or two of 'em. Still, as a friend once told me, democracy is a messy business...

sian

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: An Pluiméir Ceolmhar
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 09:58 AM

Faceless bureaucrat in the European Commission.

I'm in the Education and Culture department which promotes cooperation between European universities, youth exchanges etc. etc., also some activities involving coperation with other countries including Canada and the US (note my scrupulous adherence to alphabetic order).

But we work through national agencies in participating countries, hence the facelessness.

BTW, I'm intrigued by Jerry's reference to being a navigator on an iceberg above. What exactly does that involve, is it something like learning to cope with thread drift?

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 10:30 AM

Hi, French sounding phrase! The summer I was navigator on an iceberg, I plotted the postion of the iceberg twice a day. The ice station I was on was originally part of the glacial shelf off Greenland. When large areas of ice break off into the Arctic Ocean they start a slow clockwise journey around the pole. The ice station I was on was about a mile by two miles in area. There was a lot of research going on from the Underwater Sound Laboratory in New London, Connecticut, Columbia University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Southern California. The research would be meaningless without an accurate trace of the direction of the iceberg. It was up to me to pinpoint oour location a couple of times a day. We were surrounded by pack ice, so I couldn't actually steer the darned thing. I also took core samples of the bottom of the ocean floor,chased polar bears(no exageration) when I was out on the pack ice, and worked with dynamite to send signals for studying underwater sound.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What Do You Do In Real Life?
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Jul 02 - 10:46 AM

As per your request, Jerry, here is Part Two.

Please post to the continuation thread, folks.

Thanks