Mayo 08, 2004
Well what would you do?
Yeah, yeah, I'm still alive. Mainly been working and haunting other people's blogs this past week, leaving a sprinkling of inanities for people's comments boxes in my wake.
A question for any other adventurous souls who have chosen the free path of self-employment: how do you deal with recalcitrant payers?
There's a company in Angers, France, that owes me about Ł2000. The bulk of that was only due at the end of April - so it's not too late (but considering the payment terms were two f#*@ing months after invoicing, any lateness is inexcusable), but a hundred quid or so of that dates from the beginning of March. The excuses have been many and varied: "We'll pay you at the end of the week" - Nothing happens - "We've got cashflow problems" - I don't care, give me my money. Now I get "You will be paid on the 15th May". In the meantime, they've offered me more work, which I've turned down because they're obviously untrustworthy. My reply, while courteous, threatened legal action should the funds not appear in my bank account on the fifteenth. So they've said payment will be made and they no longer wish to use my services. Sounds good to me. Who needs clients that try and delay payment indefinitely? Very annoying, though. Why do people have to be such arseholes? Ah well, I'll keep you posted if I have to go through the French legal system to wring the cash out of them.
Abril 27, 2004
Est-ce que sprechen sie polski?
"Wanted: Translators to render the proceedings of the European Interinstitutional Co-ordination Working Party from Estonian into Slovakian. And then Maltese. Or possibly Polish. Must be able to translate 'Souhrna zpráva ocinnosti Evropské unie' into Latvian. Knowledge of the Czech for 'annual economic and employment policy coordination cycles' a distinct advantage. The Hungarian word for cod would be quite useful too. Apply to the European Commission, Brussels, describing in at least six obscure Eastern European languages where you see yourself in five years' time."
Warsaw Village Band
Bought a CD I've been hankering after for a while at the weekend: People's Spring, by the Warsaw Village Band. They picked up the award for Best Newcomer at the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards recently. Their music is acoustic and traditional, from the Warsaw region. It's pretty dark, there's some strange harmonies going on there, and it definitely can't be classified as easy listening, but I find it thoroughly enjoyable.
So have a listen to a traditional Polish track before their accession to the EU this coming weekend: Niołam kochanecka - the song is about a tragic story of emotion, sacrifice, parting and death (according to the sleevenotes - my Polish is pretty shaky, so I can't tell you any more than that!)
Abril 22, 2004
Skype
Tentative first experiments with Skype have proved very satisfactory. Skype is an application that allows you to use your computer as a phone, and speak to people for free (so long as they have Skype on the computer too, of course).
Although it comes from the same people who made the dreaded KaZAa, the programme tests clean for spyware (using Adaware and Spybot), and works just fine (you need a microphone or headset, of course).
I have spoken to friends in Rio de Janeiro and Warsaw, and the sound was crystal clear - much better than a normal phone. I believe it's possible to have three or more separate users chatting together, as well, and not just two. Anyone who needs to talk long distance but could do without huge phone bills take note. The programme is in beta mode fot the time being, and as it is written by the Kazaa people, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they pack it full of spyware once it's fully operational - so get a clean version while you can.
Fancy a chat? E-mail me your Skype username (that is if I am at least aware of your existence - no random loonies, thanks).
Abril 20, 2004
Conciertos agradables
It's nice to be able to afford the luxury of going to more concerts and gigs than I usually would have done in the past.
Last Saturday night saw me at Durham Cathedral to listen to Brahms' Requiem and Will Todd's Mass in Blue. I suspect the Mass in Blue will sound great in the Barbican (London) this coming weekend, but the acoustic in Durham Cathedral really isn't suited to piano - it became quite challenging to hear what the pianist was actually playing with all the echoes bouncing off the vaulted cathedral roof. That same acoustic meant that the Brahms Requiem was superb, of course.
And I know it's an expense and a bit of a hike, but I just couldn't pass up the chance to buy a ticket for this coming Saturday's gig in Newcastle - the Matthew Herbert Big Band, supported by Bugge Wesseltoft.
It's a "big band", but it ain't Glenn Miller. This is jazz/electronic stuff in a similar mode to the Cinematic Orchestra. Short samples from Matthew Herbert's latest album can be heard at Fnac.com (I find Amazon to be a bit lazy at putting audio links up).
Bugge Wesseltoft is a Norwegian jazz pianist. I keep hearing his name being bandied about and linked with a lot of artists I like, but I'm not very familiar with his work, so I'm looking forward to hearing him on Saturday.
Abril 17, 2004
Man With A Movie Camera
And so I offer you another track you may not have heard before.
The Cinematic Orchestra is a six-piece Mancunian/Yorkshire outfit that released this excellent disc last year:
This music was written by The Cinematic Orchestra to be a live accompaniment to a Soviet film called Man With A Movie Camera, shot in 1929.
TCO have produced a finely crafted blend of instrumental jazz with elements of electronic music. Scoring new music to old silent films is an idea that appeals to me.
Take a listen to the title track: Man With A Movie Camera.
Abril 13, 2004
Yay - another meme
I should really be getting on with the financial translation I'm supposed to hand in later this week (one of the less interesting subjects I cover - but hey, it's money). But I shall do Jann's meme instead:
1: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:
*grope, fumble* A-Z of Manchester, that's no good, try again. Ah yes: "If you choose to sit in darkened rooms watchin videos aw day long, no noticing what's going on a round ye, it's no up tae me tae fuckin point it oot tae ye" (Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh)
2: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?
The window.
3: What is the last thing you watched on TV?
A Life of Grime, BBC1 @ 9pm. Excellent TV, showing how the local council is on a constant battle against rats, cockroaches and people with more than dubious hygiene in Tower Hamlets. No, really, it's a fascinating programme. A good advert for not living in London.
4: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what the time is:
11.30pm
5: Now look at the clock; what is the actual time?
11.26pm
6: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Music. But that's coming out of computer. Bill Laswell, if you're interested.
7: When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
6.30pm. Went to Tesco's to get some ingredients for the nosh I later cooked up. Rainbow trout (special offer) and veg.
8: Before you came to this website, what did you look at?
My work. Various blogs.
9: What are you wearing?
Brown cords (funky trendy cords, not geography teacher cords); grey socks, white'n'blue boxers, white T-shirt, beige shirt, specs, a goatee and half a smile.
10: Did you dream last night?
Yeah, a real humdinger. Would have made a great film, but unfortunately, I've forgotten it.
11: When did you last laugh?
Smiled at something on the telly earlier. Had a proper laugh in Dublin at the weekend.
12: What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Some unpleasant wallpaper.
13: Seen anything weird lately?
Errrrm.....yes. Srah linked to this rather curious Subservient Chicken website.
14: What do you think of this quiz?
What kind of question is that? S'alright, typical blogging space-filler meme.
15: What is the last film you saw?
The Mummy (new one, not the proper Boris Karloff one), last night on BBC1. Utter shite.
16: If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?
A house.
17: Tell me something about you that I don't know.
I like to keep my air of mystery, thankyou very much.
18: If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Make greed a criminal offence.
19: Do you like to dance?
Only if it's salsa. Or maybe something else with a partner. I won't do any of this flapping my arms and legs around on my own. Unless I'm drunk.
20: George Bush: is he a power-crazy nutcase or some one who is finally doing something that has needed to be done for years?
Power-crazy nutcase is putting it lightly.
21: Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Sophie
22: Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Mmmmm...dunno.
23: Would you ever consider living abroad?
Have done, several times. And would do it again.
Ok ok
I'm back - had a good time. But now have a little backlog of work to get through. So in the meantime, have a read of my latest post for the Living In Europe webzine.
