I think it says a lot about the venue/guitar pedal manufacturer Death by Audio that the first time I went there I didn't know where I was (both geographically and in name) and the second time I went there I didn't know where I was going (only geographically this time) or that I'd been there before. Walking east on South 2nd, my companion and I decided it must be coming up in the next block because we were rapidly approaching the water. Then we happened upon a youngster in a red lumberjack jacket smoking a cigarette outside a lit doorway. Peeking through the door, there was a paint splattered wall which we assumed must signify our destination. Inside, I was surprised to find familiar the loft/quasi-warehouse/office space with it's enormous hanging ventilation ducts. What really clinched it, though, were the temporary walls that separate the bathroom from the back room, as if, were it not for this semi-organized assemblage of unemployed hipsters who smoke inside because this isn't a real venue, the toilet would just be in the corner of the room for people to use without concealment.

Also, yesterday my friend got laid off. We all agreed, to varying levels, that it was probably lucky because he hated his job (a lot) and had stayed there long enough for it to look good on his resume, without the blemish of quitting (which he was constantly considering). It's hard to say how this makes me feel about the economy: On one hand, someone I know has lost his job! On the other hand, it was the best possible way he could get out of that job! He may even make unemployment for a few months! Mostly I think it makes me feel better about my job (which I don't hate, even if it's not everything I could hope for) and worse about jobs in general.