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An explanation of The Joy Division Litmus Test
Although it may now be lost in the mysts of thyme, the poll below is still relevant to this blog. In the winter of 2008, Mele and I went to live in Queensland. In order to survive, I bluffed my way into a job at a Coffee Club.
It was quite a reasonable place to work: the hours were regular, the staff were quite nice, it wasn't particularly taxing on my brain.
There were a few downsides: In the six weeks or so that I worked there, there was about a 90% staff turnover (contributed to by my leaving). This wasn't seen as a result of the low pay, the laughability of staff prices or the practice of not distributing tips to staff, rather it was blamed on the lack of work ethic among Bribie Island's youth.
However, one of the stranger aspects of the cultural isolation that touched our lives during our time "up there" was the fact that nobody at my work had heard of the band Joy Division.
The full explanation is available here.
But please, interact a little further and vote in my ongoing poll. The results are slowly mounting up, proving one thing: people read this blog are more well-informed about Joy Division than anyone who works at the Coffee Club on Bribie Island.
It was quite a reasonable place to work: the hours were regular, the staff were quite nice, it wasn't particularly taxing on my brain.
There were a few downsides: In the six weeks or so that I worked there, there was about a 90% staff turnover (contributed to by my leaving). This wasn't seen as a result of the low pay, the laughability of staff prices or the practice of not distributing tips to staff, rather it was blamed on the lack of work ethic among Bribie Island's youth.
However, one of the stranger aspects of the cultural isolation that touched our lives during our time "up there" was the fact that nobody at my work had heard of the band Joy Division.
The full explanation is available here.
But please, interact a little further and vote in my ongoing poll. The results are slowly mounting up, proving one thing: people read this blog are more well-informed about Joy Division than anyone who works at the Coffee Club on Bribie Island.
You're right about no-one commenting on a job well done, so every now and again, I tell my oldest daughter how proud I am of the jod she's doing maintaining a marriage, raising two delightful kids, all the stuff I didn't hear from my own mum. The woman who came to visit when my third baby was 5 months old and then sent me a book titled "How to Raise Your Children" for that year's Christmas. Because I had my own methods and didn't follow her advice to the letter. It's a natural progression. Times change. Things are done differently. My own girl does things very differently from the way I did and I can see that she and her husband are doing a fantastic job. So every time I feel proud to bursting point, I tell them.
ReplyDeleteNow, I don't know you and Mele except for what I read on these pages, but I'm sure you two are doing a great job raising Charlie. Well done. I bet your parents are proud and I hope they say so. Often.
lol - my mother is always telling my sister she should leave her partner of iforgethowmanyyears and father of her three children because he has 'one thing' he likes for himself (eg. I mean activity that he does without family).
ReplyDeleteI would leave a comment on this post, but I feel there's no need.
ReplyDeleteRiver - Well, he's well-fed and not dead. I feel we've done all we can at this stage.
ReplyDeleteSamantha - What is the 'one thing'? Depending on what it is, she may have a point!
DK - Well played, sir.
"Well, he's well-fed and not dead."
ReplyDeleteIn 15 years time you'll hopefully be able to add, "... and not being actively pursued by the police."
Well, yes, unfortunately I accidentally dropped Charlie. Literally. He didn't fall far and is fine, but I had a ten minute post-fall heart attack.
ReplyDeleteYou see?
ReplyDelete"didn't fall far"
We're doing great!
I dropped my third baby out of her pram. It had a strap to fasten at the foot end to stop baby and bedding from sliding out when the front wheels were lifted to go into a shop for instance. Well, I'd forgotten to fasten the strap, lifted the front wheels and watched as sheand her bedding slid out onto the footpath. Then picked her up and put her back in. She was fine. another time I parked her just outside the shop door, browsed the bookshelves for a while, bought magazines, then wandered off home. Walked three blocks before I remembered the baby......
ReplyDeleteI was keeping an eye on my 20 month old son outside Naples Railway Station, got engrossed in my book and when I looked up he was gone! The crowd of southern Italians who had gathered around him at the Station Master's Office where we eventually found him couldn't believe such neglect. My partner has never let me forget it.
ReplyDeleteI've probably gotten way too much mileage out of this previous post, but, Jono - it could have been (slightly) worse.
ReplyDeleteIn true CCB style I fell down the stairs at my place while holding my 11 month old, but didnt drop her
ReplyDeleteHarry
Anon - DIDN'T drop her? That doesn't sound like CCB at all ...
ReplyDelete