Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Red Tape got Redder... and it started pretty red

Hey everyone (implying a substantial number of people reading this),

I am hoping his blog will become some light office reading for those sitting at desks crunching out numbers and working out risk and dividends franked or not franked (i.e. probably my brother!).

This week has been one of the most challenging of my international career- i guess i can call it that. Anyone knows what it's like crossing a border or getting on an airplane these days. Those who have traveled for extended stays to work or study know the visa process is even harder. And once your at your destination you are at the mercy of every little administrative difference. It sucks. It's not that you can't do something, it's that you can't do it because of some superficial legality or provision in an agreement that was put there generally (and generally does make sense), but of course scenarios arise when there are a specific set of circumstances (haha, usually to do with you!) that should make you an exception or you feel wasn't considered in writing the rules. Then there are the lackeys/minnows in lower ranks that you have to deal with who to the 'non pain in the ass' can ruin their chances at everything. If you just take a minnows word as gospel you are fucked before you start. One thing i have learned here is NEVER EVER GO TO THE BOTTOM EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE EASIER! Go as high and tall and high and tall as you can- even if it's the fucking C.E.O- make sure you talk to person as close to where the buck stops as possible. Anyone back in Australia just think of having to deal with the R.T.A (Roads and Traffic Authority- DMV equivalent) on a daily basis and that is what i am getting at. Nightmare. Just let me DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST WANT TO DANCE!!!!!!!!

NOW! In album news. Been listening alot to our first track and it is getting in my veins- love it, but the more you listen the more ideas you come up with about the mix, instruments, backing parts. It's really great. We are now onto guide vocals for song number 2- TODAY actually, i am writing this blog in the 'am' over a triple espresso i made myself in my new Bialetti espresso percolator. I have the new Elton John and Leon Russell album on in the background called the 'union'. Remind of Songs from the West Coast- which is one of my ALL TIME favorite Elton Albums. Now to my album: The second song is 'Educated Woman', and Dave was writing a guitar rhythm part and a great string line came to me from what he was doing, and we put it down and it sounds epic! It's actually really great fun building a song, writing parts, finding the groove- really finding the soul of the song. I think the song is universal. I was having coffee in the freezing cold at Starbucks after our session and was saying the lyrics to Dave and some old guy goes

'did you just come up with all that on the spot' and i said, nah its a song, have you ever met a woman like that.. and the old dude goes.. 'every woman i've ever met is like that'.. so i think we are onto a universal theme which is what i like!!!!! Not sure if it can be universal if it can only be applied to men's experience. Let's just say its a Universally Male Experience.

Thanks for reading. And may you all see the red tape early, and find the cheapest way to avoid it. I think it's more expensive because its Red. If it was just black or grey tape then it would be so cheap and easy to get around it.

Lots of Love

Alex

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