79 thoughts on “November 17, 2011: Happy 5th”

  1. Oy.

    I had it out with them, and they've hung this on the work assist. I was to assume that I'd be assisting artists with lithographic printing, and assistance means preping stones, proofing, and printing to work. Where I come from that's called being a contract printer. You get paid cash money. In fact it's the definition of contract printing.

    @hj Edition printers / contract printers are asked to prepare the stones / plates for lithographic drawing materials and then oversee the artist creating the image, making some suggestions, helping them understand the process, assisting them if you will, and then the printer is responsible for ensureing that the image is chemically processed correctly. Then the image is preped for printing, and the paper is torn to size, and the registration of multiple colors is layed out, and then you begin to proof. After the artist has seen every shade of purple you can muster on finished prints (multi color prints requie 4-8 hours of drying to proof, 1 full day to edition) he/she chooses which combination of colors / printing method he/she signes off on an agreement to print - a binding contract that if I deliver he pays me in full (half is paid upfront for the proofing). There are two contracts involved. The initial lays out the entire scope of the project, and the secondary contract is the approval to print. The printer keeps 2 impressions for the shop, one for himself, and the rest of the edition (however many impressions that may be) go to the artist. I have a formula for figureing time in labor hours just to get the ball rolling. Lots of hours is the correct answer.

    I had an extremely long talk with the owners, and they seem to think that I've tried to take advantage of them. Ha. I'm furious, but stuck. They're going to print off our correspondence and point out to me where they imply that I'll be doing this work for them, and I'm going to tell them that an implication isn't going to fucking cut it. They also told me, driving the knife in pretty deep, that they couldn't understand how I'd think that I was an actaul artist in residence, that they vette international artists on the quality of their work, and, apparently as it was implies, I didn't measure up. Fuck that.

    I may be headed to wales, I may be headed home. What a strange fucking trip it's been.

    oh, yeah and this is precious. They've had this equiptment for 11 years, and they still don't know how to use it. When I explained that I'd be more than happy to instruct them on how to make lithographs they weren't interested. They can't see that to be a professional printer for someone is a great responsibility. I have to ensure that I will produce an image that they like, otherwise it's wasted time, material, and energy.

    I'm hoping that I can stick this out until my brother comes december 4th, that we can find some middle ground, but if not I'll hit the bricks. And to make matters worse I haven't actaully spoken to Dr. Chop in a week.

    1. Best of luck to ya, meat. So, this may have been covered when you were initially talking about the opportunity (its difficult to remember details about worlds you know nothing about), but who placed you with this shop? I just wonder if there is any recourse you can take with whoever initially presented this to you and helped you get it as I can't imagine they would want to be mis-represented that way.

      However, if it was entirely through the shop owners, I would be in favor of the face punching method of revenge.

    2. Well, I'm headed off for more northern Irealnd. A good friend and fellow printer reached out and has found me a place to stay / print - I'm off to call them and figure out how to get there. Another shop has offered me a course in litho paying 250 ish, but I'll hvae to rent an apartment for 100 a week - I'll see if I can get the apartment for two and half weeks.

      What a nightmare.

      1. Huzzah! or at least huzzah... at least you're not forced to let them dictate the terms anymore.

    3. I definitely don't qualify in offering advice on this topic but I'm going to anyway!

      If it were me, I would talk to my wife. When emotions are high it helps to talk to someone that knows you well but is slightly separated from the situation.

      1. There has been a constant back and forth through skype chat and e-mail, she's certainly my rock here. I'm just saying that we haven't had an actual voice on voice conversation yet. She's in favor of me getting out of here.

  2. My co-worker was talking about getting either an Xbox360 or PS3 last week. I did everything I could to convince him to go with the PS3, but in the end, he was about to make the same mistake I did. Luckily for him, Best Buy had a great deal on a laptop, which he needed anyway, so he put off the gaming console decision for now.

    (Any free PS3's come your way yet, Spooky?)

    1. I still stand by my decision of purchasing an Xbox (I got it on the cheap and back before the PS3 came out - which, come to think of it, was before there were actually any good games for it). I just want a PS3 in addition to it.

      1. I guess I can't say I'm incredibly upset since I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of mine. I just fear the red ring of death, especially because I have a friend who's gone through it, so its already hit close to home.

      2. I'd love a 360 in addition to what I have as well, but I could never justify the expense because there are very few major exclusives on the 360 that I want. There are a lot of downloadables I wish I could get, but I already have an appalling amount of those on my PS3.

      3. I bought both a 360 and a PS3 shortly after launch. $400 and $500 respectively, ugh. I like Xbox Live quite a bit, and while the exclusives have run dry for the most part (Forza 4 & Gears of War 3 this year were both excellent, though), I tend to buy most multiplatform games on the 360. I prefer the controller, and the games tend to turn out a bit better (better framerates, etc.) The PS3 has some great exclusives, too, though so I am happy I own both consoles. Though next generation I refuse to be an early adopter.

          1. I have small-ish hands, but the grips on the PS3 controller just dig right into my palms. No fun. I'm considering getting a 360 to PS3 adapter.

            1. I have this issue with NSMB Wii. There's no option to use the Classic Controller for some bewildering reason, so I have to turn the controller sideways, and I can't play that way for more than about twenty minutes with the Wii Remote.

    2. I bought a 360 a few months back and Im pretty happy with it. I just wish the machine would play some of the old XBOX game I have (MVP 05 for example)

      1. Sometimes, all it will need is an update (though I've noticed some choppiness when I've tried to play old Xbox games on the 360), some of them just won't work at all. Don't remember if MVP 05 is one of them.

    3. So I still only have a PS2 (and my most recent game is about 5 years old). I suppose an upgrade would be nice, but I guess it's not really needed.

    1. I was surprised the Twins were even mentioned. I know they are probably interested and have inquired, but I thought Buehrle hated them.

      1. No doubt, but I can't think of the last time the Twins actually signed a free agent of his prominence with no ties to Minnesota (previously played for the Twins, Gophers or HS in MN). Actually, I can't think of the Twins ever signing a free agent this prominent with no ties to the state. Chili Davis is the closest I can come and I don't think he comes close to Buehrle's prominence. Thome has had a better career but Buehrle would be considered a more impactful signing.

        1. whaddyareyoutalkingabout?

          Steve F'ing Carlton!!!!1111one111!!!

          [edit: Carlton originally came in a trade]

    1. The NCAA mistakenly left its internal SharePoint site unprotected
      I am curious just how "mistakenly" it was left unprotected.

  3. Per lots of sources on Twitter: Astros sold, will switch to AL in 2013; ten-team playoff format with single-elimination play-in games could still happen as soon as 2012.

    1. So, just making official what everyone already knew was happening. Can't say I'm all that pleased about the ten-team postseason format, but it isn't a big deal anyway.

    2. I think the single-game elimination could be a really good thing. It gives everyone a meaningful reason to improve their seed until the end of the year. Finishing in a WC spot means your rotation will be screwed for the division series (plus, who really wants their season to rest on a single-game elimination?), and finishing with the best record means you get to face the team whose rotation is screwed. I guess there's still not much motivation to finish 2nd instead of 3rd, but I'd guess that the 3rd best record is usually either going to be in danger of falling to a WC spot or close enough to want the best record in the league.

  4. If you have a good infield defense, then Mark Buehrle is your guy. In other words, don't do it, Terry Ryan! (As if.)

    BTW, I'm just a lot happier about the Twins since Ryan took over. I've heard him talking on the radio (including last night), and wow, what a difference.

    1. One thing that Ryan said is that he wasn't going to trade players that were devalued because of 2011 injuries. So, he expected that the Twins would be more active in the FA market than in the past.

    2. I'm just a lot happier about the Twins since Ryan took over.

      Moss too. They might suck for a year or three, but Moss will still appreciate Ryan being in charge.

      1. I never really felt like Wild Billy was leading the team. I'm happy that TR is back, but I would have also enjoyed a non-minnesota type move like, for instance, hiring francona.

    1. Awesome. A third of the teams in each league now make the playoffs every year. I look forward to the eventual unveiling of AL and NL "Playoff Participant" banners.

      1. doesn't every team in Minnesota h.s. baseball and basketball still make the playoffs?

        In Cali, playoff qualifiers in most (all?) team sports are confined to the top 2 finishers in each conference plus a handful of "wildcard" entrants based on power rankings.

        So, sadly (??) few opportunities for lousy teams to pull a Villanova 1985 in the first round of the playoffs. (Spamtown High did that against Albert Lea when I was a freshman -- we were lousy in boys varsity hoops in the regular season and they were pretty good; but we played inspired basketball, led by a guy we called "Lurch", to knock them out in the first round).

  5. I was flipping around the old cable channels today and noticed the cable company added BBC America. score!

  6. Oy. I printed an editon of my own work, and it looks like shit. I see that they've printed all my e-mails, and have made marks next to the phrase 'assist visiting artists to make lithographs'. That woudn't hold up in a court of law as neither of them are visiting the studio they live in. They both cried the poor house to me, and then told me about their summer home in portugal (with fully equiped printmaking studio and artist residence!)/barf.

    I spent about 2 hours on the phone today talking to my mentors, and Dr. Chop. All agree that I need to leave. I'm seriously wounded, but also looking forward to an adventure. I asked my advisors at tamarind to black list this place, and they told me that it's already been done. I guess that's a small victory.

    1. I'm sure things suck right now but things could really turn out for the better. You never know what might happen. Good luck!

      1. Thanks for the encouragement, and thanks to everyone else here. This place has been a home away from home (and now home away from home away from home) to me for years (or months if you want to be specific, doc I'm looking at you). I'm grateful that a bunch of strangers can hang out and be civil, beatles stones excepted, and engaging on a multitude of levels.

        I'm feeling pretty low today, but I've got a plan, and a way to get out of this situation that seems very promising. You'll have to forgive my spelling / typos for the next few days as this Irish keyboard has a few funny keys and no spell check.

        Seriously, I balls you giys. (yes, that was on purpose, Stratergery, I'm LOCKING AT YOU)

        As for this Ireland thing, it just may turn out, who knows. I'm happy to have a plan of action to follow, and I'm going to see it through.

    1. Deduno is the interesting one:

      Deduno made the Padres' Opening Day roster last spring and went 4-6 with a 3.93 ERA in 40 games for Triple-A Tucson. He was the 2009 Texas League Pitcher of the Year when he won the Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (12), ERA (2.57) and strikeouts (123).

      1. Unfortunately he walks a ton. His minor league average is 5.1 BB/9. His HR/9 is interesting though; 0.5/9 for his career and just two last year in 105.1 innings.

  7. Tim Tebow just ran QB keeper around the end for what looks to be a game winning TD against the Jets. I think Tebow is a horrible QB, but there's no team I'd rather see get Tebowed than the Jets. Suck it, Rex.

    1. I think the untold story about Denver is that their defense is playing very well, and they have too because with Tebow at the helm, they dont score too many points

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