Spooled

Spooled and schooled

Yeah, spooled and schooled, better fit.

“Trust nobody, for fear you be betray’d.”
Duke of Buckingham
Shakespeare’s Henry 6.2 (4.4.58)

On my various social media feeds, mostly incoming data, I’ve noticed that a number of folks, shops, businesses, and buddies, seems like they don’t understand that “Nothing runs on automatic.”

When it is all automated, and one doesn’t make allowances for current conditions? I wonder if it desensitizes a person?

“Nothing runs on automatic.”
— L.W. “Bud” Shipley, Jr.

That aphorism was hand-lettered at the front of a certain chain of donut shops, and the message itself is quite clear, this is a labor-intensive operation. They still offer Drive-Thru donuts, greasy, sugary, doughy mounds of comfort.

As the motto suggests? The business requires people.

On one machine, after much effort, I had computerized a font that was drawn from my own handwriting. Characteristic enough, but not really good, however, it did hit the goal of a hand-lettered look I was aiming for. It can be done, organic and digital convergence.

More recently, I’ve taken to using scans of my own, handwritten URL as signage, just looking for that connection between analog and digital — that is what my astrology is about.

The problem is consistent advertising, marketing material in place for the future with no allowances for what is happening now. That shows up in various media feeds I look at, “On Sale Now, Easter Deals!”

Or Christmas in July?

Only, my July show was cancelled, too.

No matter. As noted before, the rock shop won’t be having me, or any other practitioner in their stable, none of us in the store for face-to-face consultations. I miss interaction. I miss hugs. I miss that Scorpio treating me like a brass pole. Maybe not that. Just kidding.

I miss the humorous interactions with live people. I don’t miss not breathing.

After looking at trends, numbers, data, and hearing too much news, I opted to stay away from the rock shop until September. I can amend this choice, if there’s a cure, but for now, prudence strikes me as the best choice.

Spooled

The onerous weight of advertising that was already in place, seeing it pivot, it’s been three months now, plenty of lead time, wonder how much longer it will linger.

It’s just a little disingenuous to see the number of business following the Black Out Tuesday” trend, suddenly trying to look all concerned with equal rights.

I’ve been quietly fighting this fight for most of my life. Haven’t always done well, but it’s part of my job, as I see it.

Spooled

What’s spooled up from me? I’m too much on the fly with my material, and I’ve pivoted well enough. Still, this late in the game, watching as so many businesses have material in the “pipeline,” and how that reflects current conditions.

Free e-book

Act now! Deal is limited to supplies on hand!

astrofish.net/shop

Pink Cake: The Quote Collection – Kramer Wetzel

Pink Cake

Pink Cake: A Commonplace Book

  • ISBN-10: 1434805751
  • ISBN-13: 978-1434805751

Mercury Retrograde Baggage

Mercury Retrograde Baggage

Many years ago, I was shopping and I happened across a piece of gear I thought I would like. It was a little zipper bag, from a well-known outdoor gear purveyor, and the bag looked cool. Zippers, light nylon construction, straps, bells, whistles, figuratively speaking, and pockets galore, as if it was designed for tactical tech deployment.

It is a cool looking gear bag. Next to useless, but really cool looking. What happens, sorting through my bin of currently unused baggage, I find this bag, been several years now, and I bought the bag when Mercury was Retrograde, so it turns up, when Mercury is Retrograde, and I toy with that tactical pouch.

Mercury Retrograde Baggage

There’s a series of elastic bands, over-pockets, and the little clamshell-type of case has a second zip compartment in it, and it all appears well-thought out. For what? I don’t know.

Part of this deal is that I purchased this baggage when Mercury was retrograde. Part of this, though, is that there are bunch of appealing appearing appendages, but none of this is functional in a manner that works for my style.

I’m more “grab and go” and this is a “zip it, lock it down, and lock it away” kind of accessory.

I carry various cables, chargers, adaptors, plugs, and assorted technical crap I used to carry most near every day. Think “grab and go,” rather than “grab and stow.”

My grab-bag has to have, as of this moment, a cable for a phone, cable for a watch, and a cable for a tablet. Then I’ve got to include a slim dual-port USB wall-charger. Seems like all of that would fit into the tactical (looking) gear-bag — yeah, no.

Might miss it this time, but then, maybe not. I streamlined my work requirements so I could perform at a maximum level with a minimum of fuss.

As an exercise, it works, and as a mental relief, thinking through what I need, that helps, too. Mercury Retrograde is always good time to review. Amusing, how that stow-and-go baggage pops up when Mercury is Retrograde, as a subtle reminder.

If only there was a manual.

the Portable Mercury Retrograde

Portable Mercury Retrograde
Portable Mercury Retrograde – Kramer Wetzel

Portable Mercury Retrograde: astrofish.net’s Mercury in Retrograde

Ephemeral v. Enduring

Ephemeral v. Enduring

The image is simple enough, it’s an old business card. From early in my career. I know exactly what I was aiming for with its simple design. Gold lettering on a black background, a throwback to the old John Player Special colours, from an era gone by.

Old Austin Card

But the colors were more than that, they were an attempt to glamorize and accentuate the nature of my work. Poignant in that there was a minimum of data and contact.

Website: www.astrofish.net

Phone and e-mail, then Fax?

Yeah, “fax” was a thing, a point of contact, a way to connect from narrow and limited time-frame. It was important, well, at the time it was. Showed a certain kind of dedicated connectivity.

What stands out, more than anything else, the website — the web address is still valid. The phone number, the old rodeo voice mail is long since been disconnected, as has the fax machine. My main number is a mobile, now.

Two items still remain, the site’s address, and the email.

This is about consistency when all else seems to be falling apart. Some things remain the same, despite the long odds against them.

When Mercury is Retrograde, weird old memories pop up and demand attention. If only there was a manual….

Portable Mercury Retrograde

The Portable Mercury Retrograde

The Portable Mercury Retrograde – Kramer Wetzel

Portable Mercury Retrograde: astrofish.net’s Mercury in Retrograde