Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

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That’s the ohcheers.com manifesto

January 29, 2013

Goofy. Dorky. Lacking. Vacuous.

That’s the ohcheers.com manifesto.

The ohcheers.com blog is soon to enter its 158th year of operation. It has not done too badly, but we want more. Our page views continue to grow. 5000 at last count. Pity the pigeons.

It’s not been entirely clear, however, what ohcheers.com is about, what its writers are trying to say (or what they want), and what it all means, other than espousing and emphasising the meaninglessness of it all. Such is the wilful impact of telling you what not to think, or to paraphrase Orwell: you need to use doublethink to understand doublethink.

Here, therefore, are 5 THINGS which the Main Protagonist seeks to achieve throughout 2013. He lists sub-THINGS hereunder. This is Cosmic Ordering, so the Cosmos had better provide, or else the Cosmos gets it*.

1. Writing
(i) pretentious and self-conscious poetical lyrics (haikus have been popular – I’m available for $$$)
(ii) development of PR and journalistic technique (I’m available for $$$ or else persuade me to contribute charitably)
(iii) inane whimsy on ohcheers.com, which serves as our media outlet for our profound ideas, such as:

  • interviewing interesting people, like what we did what with Lizzie Roper, the face of Aunt Bessie Roast Potatoes. Jim Campbell never got back to us on whether he’d like an interview. We’re not pushy, so won’t ask again, but he’s free to get in touch when he’s ready for the exposure.
  • radical image juxtapositions and ‘free art’
  • stuff published in Viz for $$$
  • stuff published in Viz
  • stuff published

2. Sonic Astronic / Blackhacker
(i) EP & album – hopefully released and distributed by a certain proposed agency
(ii) gigs & interviews to support released material, build the Blackhacker brand and make a name for ourselves as a band
(iii) some really cool live sessions, like BBC 6 Music, and certain suggested cunningly cultural venues [cannot disclose at time of writing]

3. Bass Guitar
(i) daily practice: at least 30 minutes, aiming for 2 hours
(ii) weekly recording session: use a day a week to record improvisation from a practice session
(iii) gigs & interviews to build name as bassist, in accordance with point #2 above

4. Audio Software
(i) develop the hundreds of Apple Logic projects started which are incomplete
(ii) apply vocal lines to the projects, in accordance with point #1 above
(iii) apply bass lines to the projects, in accordance with point #3 above
(iv) complete the better tracks and release them somewhere, e.g. Soundcloud for starters, but ideally with the help of a third party music business participant

5. Stands Ups
(i) noting that a couple of experimental efforts have occurred…
(ii) dinner parties are the best source of material
(iii) have more dinner parties
(iv) use dinner parties to source material
(v) use material at open mic nights to test out material and get experience
(vi) have DNA sample taken against will, subsequent to arrest by police for pushing act too far
(vii) struggle to remain friends with dinner party guests

VI. Income
(i) [NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT APPLIES]
(ii) DJ on BBC 6 Music
(iii) write for $$$

Good luck to ohcheers.com and its participants in 2013!

*serious point: what happens if you put it to the Cosmos that you want the Cosmos to go away? If consciousness is required to facilitate wave function collapse and thus enact the construction of reality, then all we need to do is to block off the senses of all conscious creatures to annihilate the universe.

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Edna Reviews – Stereograms

August 21, 2012

Edna reviews the Magic Eye experience.

Magic Eye - Very much of the 1990s. Just like Star Trek: TNG. Dodgy special effects all around.

CAN YOU SEE THE ROMULANS?

20 long, bitter years Edna has waited to be able to see a magic eye picture mystically swirl into a 3D extravagance.

I recall being a young child and being taunted by my father on a family holiday in Devon.

“Can’t you see the Romulans? It’s amazing! What wrong with you freak? You’re no child of mine.”

Many years passed. Edna grew up… The bitter memories passed and jumbled with other bitterness.

Child

Enda now has a child of her own.

Edna had forgotten the trauma, until this weekend arrived, when the same god forsaken Star Trek magic eye picture was presented.

Seconds

Incredibly, within seconds the purple blogs did NOT swirl into anything special.

But Edna DID see the magic eye Romulans (20 years wait over)!

And what a sodding let down, why did Edna bother? What was Enda bitter for so long for?

Waiting

20 years of waiting, amounted to something that would probably have impressed Edna less 20 years previous. What would have been worse? Knowing how shit it was 20 years ago? Or waiting and not knowing?

Frustratingly, her own daughter had no issues seeing it immediately, she was also unimpressed.

Warping

Edna will have to find another way to warp her daughter for 20 years.

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The Yammer Business Model

July 30, 2012
FREEMIUM EXPOSÉ

A FREEMIUM EXPOSÉ

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BBC 6 (Music) Of The Best

February 13, 2012

Anyone who actually reads the irrelevant dross published on this website might be aware that a character who only semi-pretentiously named himself as The Main Protagonist – well, aren’t we all the main protagonist in the story of our own lives? – has a chance of being conscious of his, or, er, my love for radio, music and in particular the best radio station on the planet: BBC Radio 6 Music.

And 6 Music is ten years old. I only started listening to 6 in 2003, when my employer (coincidentally the BBC) happened to permit me to listen to it whilst working.

I had neither a DAB radio of my own, nor broadband internet. It was a different era. It was like the 1950s of the Internet compared to now. Social media hadn’t been invented. There was no Facebook or Twitter.

As a recent graduate of an arts-based degree I wasn’t hugely employable, so whilst I was working at the BBC, it was in the highly confidential and sensitive “Scanning Room”, document managing high profile employee paperwork and seeing all sorts of naughtiness.

My favourite memory perhaps being the opportunity to read about a disciplinary for one member of staff who’d been having an affair with another and doing all sorts of sneaky, saucy, kinky devilry whilst in the office/studio. Names are forgotten so the Data Protection Act is null and void in writing this. I think. I hope.

I’d always adored music and had been rather fond of radio for years. I loved John Peel’s shows. I never knew I’d get the chance to hear an entire radio station inspired by his ethos of openness, going mostly against the grain of commerciality.

Vic McGlynn‘s afternoon show was a revelation. Hearing Daft Punk Is Playing In My House for the first time was a glimpse into genius. An indie punk rock band playing dance music about a dance band playing at their house. Which also SOUNDS as if it’s a live band playing Daft Punk.

Unfortunately a lot of our time working in our jobs at the BBC was spent “on standby” as opposed to doing actual “stuff”, so we were told to listen to the radio and watch telly and generally chat to kill time. We weren’t allowed out of the Scanning Room. We were guards of the dark information, in a dark place. No windows. Literally no windows.

As for us BBC scanners – myself, Vanessa and Bonnie (later of Electricity In Our Homes infamy) – we became fast friends before the management realised how much money they could save by selling off the entire HR dept to a third party, albeit a third party which would run it really quite terribly (Capita, aka BBC HR Direct), and thus give the management lovely big bonuses to buy big houses in Holland Park and Notting Hill.

6 Music is very much a part of this writer’s present, and remains one aspect of the BBC he adores. And so he felt compelled to respond to this challenge:

As part of 6 Music’s Birthday celebrations we want to hear 6 Of The Best from you.

Just select six songs that most represent 6 Music to you by filling out the form below.

You’ll be able to hear a different listeners’ selection each week on the Liz Kershaw show on Saturdays, 13:00-16:00. We’ll also be compiling a chart of all the entries that are sent in.

I’ve replied. I bit on the bait. Here’s my first of the 6:

Guillemots – Made Up Love Song #43
The wife and I played this at our wedding for the first dance. Our Auntie Pam in a broad Manchester accent is on video yelling, “WHAT THE BLOOMIN’ HECK IS THIS?” in response to the wonky Hammond intro to which my newlywed wife and I did a close dance. We pulled some delightful dancey twirls out of the bag in the song’s climactic second part, much to the surprised cheers of onlookers who hitherto had only ever seen me raving sketchily in muddy fields.

Can you resist a few dancey twirls, dear reader?

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Shortfall Discovered in Bank’s Annual Report; Kids Cancer Charity Funds “Re-Invested”

January 11, 2012

Edna returns with another glimpse into her corporate life.

EDITOR’S COMMENTTrust the BANKERS to rip-off an honesty box to the tune of a hundred and sixty dollars!

Never let it be said that bankers don’t deserve their massive pay and bonuses. They are extremely hard working and accountable. And ethical. And clever. And cunning. And brilliant.

And as part of their oh-so-busy schedule, bankers also find time to “borrow” from poor, cancer-stricken children. Not to feed their socially-acceptable gambling habits, you understand. Not at all. But to leverage their investments. Yes, to leverage their clever investments from charity funds. What could possibly go wrong?

After all, in death, who needs the money?

As the adage goes, “You can’t take it with you.” Especially poorly children. Particularly poor, poorly children. And they’re used to being poor. And poorly. Why should they have any extra monies?

And the bankers are the new gods. They’re doing God’s work. And God knows they do it well.

So think of the poor bankers at this time, taking this adage to its extreme conclusion:

Over a hundred dollars stolen from charity. Who puts IOU notes into collection tins?? EVIL BANKERS, that's who.

LAST CHANCE to pay the $160 YOU STOLE - f*cking thieving bankers

It’s tough times in Big Finance. Got to look after number one. Just like American Psycho.

Edna might be naive, but she always thought that banks were supposed to lend money?

No wonder nobody understands the economy these days.

Better keep coughing up those tax quids to keep it all propped up and plump like a big fat goose that defecates infinite golden eggs for the Illuminati, whilst puking into the taxpayer’s hungrily open lips.

Edna is feeling edgily satirical today.

This post is helping nobody.

Least of all Edna.

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Can you help Beak’s colleague?

December 14, 2011
Has anyone seen my anal beads? Thanks, Sarah.

Lost Property

Beak spotted the above post-it note in his office kitchen.

He wants to tell Sarah he’s having a good look. A very good look.

And a sniff.

Why the sniff?

Why d’ya think he’s called Beak?

beak's nose is ripe for a SNIFF

Sniffy Sniff Sniff

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Business Ripoff

September 27, 2011

p1ss analysis

New Beak: I gave away my killer app idea in Amsterdam to some clown from a rival company
Main Protagonist: what was your killer app idea?
New Beak: p1ss analysis
MP: ah, I recall
New Beak: I told you too??!
New Beak: (who haven’t I told?)
MP: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/07/found_restroom/
New Beak: grrr
MP: you must have told a journalist; an American journalist; or at least a journalist who writes for an American magazine. How about if I do an OC post saying Wired ripped off this idea from New New Beak?
New Beak: this fvcking cvntry
New Beak: if it makes you happy
New Beak: if you find it fulfilling
New Beak: if you want
New Beak: where did you get this tea? It’s delightful
MP: it’s yak urine, boiled, with a dash of cilantro for colour
New Beak: cilantroh cheers

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Sonic Astronic – THAT Smugglers Festival Gig

September 15, 2011

sonic astronic: bathing the audience in the light of a thousand suns

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