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A journal of TMI

The Spastic Rats: New Interview with Kenny Hill

When I was in about the 11th grade in high school, one of the English teachers suggested that I write a piece for the youth-page of my local newspaper. My credentials were that I was a dreamy juvenile poet who had been somewhat radicalized by reading On the Road. I had doodled in class extensively and had undergone multiple musical awakenings. In other words, although I had evidenced some creative output I felt rather suspect as a legitimate source of the news. Comparatively what my peer journalists corresponded on in said youth-page is mostly lost to memory as well as history though I would hazard a guess that there were a lot of articles about the 4-H organization and the county fair (nothing wrong with that!). I felt giddy with responsibility when I proposed an article on a local group of guys that I knew of that played in a punk rock band. I felt that what they were doing was both vital and entertaining and so a legitimate subject for a short piece of writing. Nevertheless when the adults in the chain of permission blandly accepted and encouraged me to just turn it in I felt somewhat surprised and incapacitated by the freedom. I don’t think I had whatever it took to present such a hybrid of hometown gee-whiz and leather rebellion- another way of saying I was a youth accustomed to being paralyzed by ideas, as often as I was enlivened and charged by them. I was about fifteen or sixteen years old at the time.
The members of the band that I talked to were enthusiastic and answered my questions without hesitation. The basic thrust of the article started forming- friends meet and become excited about the freedom promised by a new trend. They begin copying songs (“covering” them), then start writing their own. They brand themselves with a hand-drawn logo and play music for whoever will listen. Paragraph, paragraph, paragraph, picture. Easy enough, and yet I stalled. The editor of course, used to working with kids, had seen it before. She called and asked about my intentions, presciently gauging that actually getting copy out of me was hopeless, and withdrew. Ned, a member of the band, expressed bitterness at my excited but powerless posture- “Are you ever going to do it?” – he demanded. Was it that sneer that dragged me back into this mess more than 25 years later? Now living overseas in a country strange enough to me that I clearly should be posting reports, communicating my findings, engaging in journalism in other words, I find this old assignment sitting on my desk so-to-speak, still not so easy to file.
This wasn’t the first time I had tried to write about punk for a square audience. I had taken on the subject in an earlier paper that I submitted to an English class in prep school. The class had been taught by a renegade teacher who quit mid-course, due quite frankly to her immaturity. Before she exiled herself in an outburst to one of the school heads she had been trying to seduce the class into Ayn Randism and personally counseled me to take up the cause of greatness, in the terms that she saw. After she left I carried on with this campaign (and my assignment) by researching Punk via the only media I could get my hands on- found blurbs in Time magazine and Newsweek on microfilm at the public library. I compared it to the French Revolution via Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables I believe. The replacement teacher, a stayed trustee of the school placed over our class to calm the disruption caused by the confusing absence of our previous leader, indicated that she thought my topic ridiculous and unworthy of the initial approval it had received. My grade I remember as a C, maybe a C+.
I no longer remember the specific parallels I drew between Victor Hugo’s wordy tome and conditions in London in 1977 but perhaps it was the contrast and mixture between the noble and the criminal in Jean ValJean, a.k.a. number 24601 (a man of assumed identities) as well as the backdrop of revolution(although not actually the French Revolution) and barricades in the streets. Although punks didn’t mass in collective actions, they saw themselves as street enemies of the established order and thrilled at civil unrest such as the Notting Hill Carnival Riots of 1976 when Caribbean youth turned on the police and kept them at bay for hours (see “White Riot” the Clash).
The Spastic Rats represented a new iteration of Punk- its arrival in the small towns and suburbs of America. Roughly speaking, the Sex pistols Johnny Apple-seeded through a string of cities in the U.S. in a fabled tour that planted the first wave of such culture. Of course, seminal artists in the U.S., especially in key centers such as New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles pre-date and perhaps have paternity over many strains that followed. However, examples such as The Stooges (with Iggy Pop), from Ann Arbor, Michigan, demonstrate that research in counter-cultural and innovative primitive music took place in less urban settings as well. This all occurred in an ongoing and reciprocal cultural exchange between the cousin cultures of England and America. There is no doubt however that the excitement generated by the spectacle of the Sex Pistols in America ignited a vast prairie of dry brush. Kids living near cities such as D.C., Austin, Los Angeles and San Francisco became aware of new possibilities, and grafted them on to old traditions of garage-bands that already had bloomed before throughout the preceding decade. After a few more years of such experimenting, these and ever generating new waves of kids began infiltrating the urban nexuses and bringing the germinating pollen detritus of such culture back to their suburban perches. In a crucial, grueling follow-up to this process, the members of Los Angeles’s Black Flag got into a van and visited it seemed nearly every out of the way city and town that they could find, playing to perhaps handfuls of people at a time, but in a process that, like the Sex Pistols, produced an artist or a band out of nearly every spectator-participant.
The Spastic Rats bit onto this wave in the early 1980’s as high-school students living, in most cases at least, with their parents, and aspiring both to glory at the battle-of-the-bands in the school auditorium, as well as in fields beyond.
My hometown, Annapolis, was an hours car ride from the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Interstate 95, which runs from Florida to Maine, and which also passes through the major cities called out on James Brown’s classic song, “Night Train”, such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Richmond, has an on and off ramp here, at the gates of this federal enclave. The folk artist songwriter Leadbelly described D.C. as a “Bourgeois Town”, unkind to folks like him. It was and remains a puzzling city that I can hardly begin to unravel. Deserving of praise and scorn, it shares countless features common to all cities. For that reason, as well as the particular features that make D.C. unique, those of us in Annapolis that cared were blessed by our proximity. My peers and I began traveling here when we could to soak in the storied strain of punk, both native and alien, that was cultivated here.
What follows is an account, given long after the fact, of that experience. I have more to say about what it was like to do all this, but let’s take a break and hear from one of the participants that I talked to this past holiday season, in the tail end of 2011.

I recently contacted an old friend, Kenny Hill in order to continue some work I was doing documenting the story of a band from my hometown. Kenny was the drummer for that band, The Spastic Rats and had also started a small record label, “Vermin Scum”, in order to release the music of that band. The label took on a life of its own after another local musician entrepreneur offered to shepherd it forward and Kenny agreed. Kenny also found more fame himself anchoring the rhythm for emo-core pioneers ‘The Hated’. During our conversation we noted the onset of his being invited to join the Hated and also discussed his feelings about the record label and its ‘part II’ history. We focused however on what it felt like to be the first or of the first in a small town to adopt the wave of ‘Hard-core’ as it grew out of the swamp of youth culture as it existed in America in the early ‘80’s.
Posiedon of the Pins
Kenny invited me to visit him in his new digs, a comfortable trailer he had recently purchased, positioned in a small community just south of Baltimore across the Patapsco river, Kenny was in the process of re-orienting his life after the loss of his beloved mother who he had spent considerable time with as a care-giver. His new home was decorated with framed Scottish poems and illustrated scenes of Scotland, a heritage closely held by Kenny. An antlered deer skull hung over his hearth area, which also contained Christmas stockings.

Kenny caught me up on his most recent past while his small dog, Terra, zealously sought attention and simultaneously guarded us against anyone outside who might press against our interests. This reminded me of the days gone by at Kenny’s mother’s house when Kenny would welcome any and all, despite the fuss put up by his mother’s dachshunds. Kenny brought out his file on the band, showing me old photos and a hand-made layout circa 1986 for a double album with another local band (Disdain) that was never released. Kenny and I had spoken already via e-mail about these days but I thought an in-person interview might paint a more detailed picture of what exactly went on.

As Kenny had clarified in an earlier interview, our hometown, Annapolis, had had numerous weird music scenes before we came up. Bands such as the Monuments and Judy’s Fixation perhaps would be classified as some permutation of Punk or New Wave. Bands like these, however, populated by seasoned bohemians, operated in a terrain far beyond the high school landscape where our story begins. Punk and New Wave, while pre-dating 1977, erupted into mass exposure in Britain in an often told tale of media shenanigans and manufactured and real outrage. The average American suburban youth had had little chance to form an opinion of this style and music until the launch of MTV, and also billboard chart penetration by rock/new-wave cross-over (i.e. skinny) artists such as The Cars in the early ‘80’s. As Kenny will attest, the response was often visceral, and taken as a threat against a bed-rock way of life that was anthemic in its musical form.
Kenny: I hated Punk Rock when I started going to boarding school. I was into Skynrd. You know, AC-DC, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Black Sabbath… I went into a room at school where someone was playing a Sex Pistols record. I remember grabbing the record and throwing it out the window. You know…”Fuck this”… I would see guys like Pete Boynton in Annapolis with pins. Gary Numan, The Cars, Devo. I was laughing at him. I thought it was a stupid style. I hated Disco and I hated Punks. “Play it Right!” But Devo are fucking great now. For that matter I can also listen to and enjoy Disco.
I went to boarding school for four months in 10th grade in a small town in Pennsylvania north of Philadelphia. I got thrown out. It didn’t last half a year. There were kids from New York there playing all that music, Television, the [Talking] Heads, Richard Hell, The Ramones. I was into guitar-oriented rock and then it finally dawned on me that that’s what punk was. About a week after I threw the record out the window, it stuck. I heard something…and it was like, “what is this?” It was the Buzzcocks or The Ramones or something and it was guitar-oriented rock and it clicked on me.
Before I went to school I had been hanging with Matt Pumphrey and sharing in our same musical tastes. When I got back, changed, it turned out that he had changed too. He had discovered Art-Rock and was listening to Genesis and stuff like that. I played him some of my stuff and he played me some of his stuff and we were both like, [twists his lip] “hrmm”, not convinced you know. He was like, ‘this is nonsense’ to my Buzzcocks and Ramones and I was…’okay, this is fine…. A little boring and indulgent, but fine… to his Genesis record.
Me: Was that the Pumphrey of ‘Pumphrey’s field?
Kenny: Yeah, you know the Faction fiasco. The biker’s stole everything. We were lucky to get out alive. His family owned the woods up there on Route 2. There was only Anne’s foot-longs [a hot-dog stand] there on the highway.
Me: And that was their house back in the woods?
Kenny: That was the Pumphrey family home. His Mom got rich off [selling] that.
Me: So that’s Marley Station Mall now.
Kenny: Yeah, his mom did some thing where they wanted to buy the whole thing as farm-land but she said, no, you could build this number of houses here and held out for that rate and finally got it and now she’s rich.
[The ‘show’ or party that was organized at this small non-operating family farm provokes memories in myself and others that were there, such as fellow Rat Ned Westrick who cites it as formative. “That’s when I knew I was on to something.” In the free-wheeling creative style that hardcore kids employed at the time a touring band from California, the Faction (with skateboard legend Steve Caballero) was hosted along with the Rats and another local band, Fit of Rage, (that I was a member of) in a field in some woods that were part of a sequence of suburbs that linked Annapolis and Baltimore. Parts of the stretch retained a country style attitude. At some point during the day a local biker gang smelled a party and showed up, demanding to hear Freebird from Lynrd Skynyrd. Dan (the guitarist of Fit of Rage and later The Hated and Ida) was in fact a guitar prodigy who could produce licks at will. He would tease them with the opening bars of Stairway to Heaven and then with a wink and a cue we would tear into one of our thirty second thrash compositions, at the end of which they would go “no, no, no. This time, play it ‘agin, RIGHT!” The bikers ended up drinking a lot of beer and stealing the generator that was used to power the PA system. ]
Me: Tell me more about the early days of punk and hardcore in Annapolis.
Kenny: It was purer then.
Me: Pure how?
Kenny: There was no crossbreeding back then. You would see someone with pins and hair and go right up to them and be like ‘who are you’ ‘what are you into’ ‘are you into this[band], are you into this’. I met Scott Bickle that way, he was walking down Hillsmere Drive with his girlfriend and they had on leather and like a Sid and Nancy look. I pulled my car over and went right up to them. I met Kabler the same way.
Annapolis sucked. It was a tourist town with a lot of rich people. It had sailboats and rednecks. There were a couple scrubbly redneck gangs. The Pharaohs, the Majestics. They hated punk. A couple people got beat up. It was the ‘city of the dead.’
At that time, Punk was seen as Adam and the Ants [a decidedly British fashion-conscious rhythmic music experiment organized by former Sex-Pistols manager Malcom McClaren]. Teddy Rayhart had been to ‘Frisco and seen Mubahey Gardens[a seminal nightclub that booked early American hardcore icons]. He was aware of shit really happening. From trips to D.C., probably to Commander Salamander [an early New-Wave boutique and meeting point in the Georgetown neighborhood and shopping district of D.C.], I saw a flyer for Black Market Baby and The Ramones. We went to that. Then I saw a flyer for The Dead Kennedys. It said ‘Dead Kennedys and 4 D.C. bands’ and didn’t list the bands. So we went to that show. I was there in paint spattered pants and a t-shirt with greased hair roaming around while the other bands played, waiting for DK. to play. I had DK tunnel vision.
Me: Who were the other bands?
Kenny: It was Double O, Red C, Government Issue, and…mmm… can’t remember the other one .
Me: So it was the lost legendary era of D.C. hardcore.
Kenny: Yeah, I didn’t get the local thing quite yet. I was just focused on Jello [Biafra, the lead singer of the popular San Francisco band Dead Kennedys]. He had on this t-shirt that said “Libyan Hit Squad” because supposedly at that time there was a group of Libyans roaming around the U.S. trying to take out Reagan. Jello always pointed out all the crazy but important stuff that was going on. We had the [Berlin] Wall then, Russia, the Bomb. Jello was a trip, unbelievable.
Me: Where did you get your fashion tips?
Kenny: From the Clash. There was this magazine/book thing at the Record Exchange called New Wave, from England that had all these pictures of the Clash. Paul Simonon [the bassist for The Clash] designed their clothes, throwing paint on them and shit. He grabbed things from different eras and had stuff sewn. In a way the Clash were some Monkees band, fabricated by a cash oriented manager type Svengali like the Pistols and McClaren.
Me: Everyone knows the story about McClaren but how do you figure the Clash?
Kenny: Bernie Rhodes stole Joe from the 101ers and put them together, and said “Write about what you know, Society, living on the dole, living in a squat.”
Me: So how did you meet the other guys?
Kenny: Tristan [Lentz] was playing in this band Jade with Les [Lentz(his brother)] and Butch Powell, playing Judas Priest and Rush. They were playing this party and I had heard that Tristan was into the Sex pistols. I started heckling him to play a few chords of that ’God Save the Queen’ and he did. But it was a few years before we got together.
Me: When did you first play with the Rats and who was the first line-up?
Kenny: The first line-up was Tristan, Gregg Speight, Richard Whelan, and Pat Moynihan on drums. I first played with them in ’83 or ’84.
Me: Were the Rats your first band?
Kenny: I had played some with Jim McPherson around ’81-’82. Jim had this long-haired hippie scene and was into the Stooges. He also played Damned songs and 3 or 4 originals, like “Blow Nun”.
Me: Yeah I think he found out about the Damned because they covered the MC5 song “Looking at You”. I also remember the Slugs originals “Cold, Wet and Dead” about the 14th St Bridge plane wreck as well as “Schizophrenia Blues.”
Kenny: This was even before they had the name Platinum Slugs. We played in my room a few times before the Rats were like ‘let’s ask Kenny to play.’
Our first gig was at John Thompson’s house. Gil Cochran [a local alderman] came by and was like “You’re great!” It was around 5,6 or 7 p.m. Maybe there were 10 people there. We had six songs, all covers. We played them over and over.
Me: Who did you cover?
Kenny: The Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, Fear, the Germs, one or two Clash songs, like 1977, although Tristan had a hard time with them.
Me: What was the first original?
Kenny: “Armageddon’s coming Down.” I remember writing the lyrics to that.
Me: What inspired that?
Kenny: [Pause] I don’t know. Some bleak PR [punk rock] outlook. [laughs] I also wrote the music to “Swine” and then Ned and Tristan ran with it. It was kind of a rip-off of a Black Flag song I think.
After a while we realized it was easier to write our own songs than try to sound like somebody else. Even at Pumphrey’s field though we were still playing Minor Threat. [Our band F.O.R. also covered a local band that day, performing Government Issue’s “Sheer Terror”.]
It wasn’t until Ned joined the band that we did originals emphatically. He had lots of lyrics and musical ideas.
Me: So what was it like to be a Rat? What did you do?
Kenny: We would meet at school and then go [hooking school] to Shaw’s Market to get liquor and find a place to lay low. [Note: Shaw’s Market was a corner grocery store operated by a Chinese family who for whatever reason allowed liquor sales to some local youth.] At some point in the day we would start practicing or go cause further trouble.

Me: Didn’t you risk getting discovered playing loud music in the middle of the day?
Kenny: We would usually wait until the afternoon to play but occasionally we would play earlier thinking everyone was at work. We did get caught a few times. We would also hang out and loiter downtown. There was that whole Hooligans controversy [a brief editorial campaign in the evening paper depicting a downtown youth element as Sha Na Na type greaser menaces].
Me: Oh Yeah.
Kenny: Like 3 or 4 kids standing around looking slightly different completely upending Izod sensibilities. Necessitating editorials and cartoons. Man there was nothing else going on in that town.
Me: I guess I was part of that downtown hooligan scene. That’s how I met everyone. Any other notable adventures?
Kenny: Yeah there was this fascist gated community in Eastport that we rampaged through one night, stealing liquor, an American flag, and a wet suit from their cabana/club-house. I still have the flag. The police questioned Richard and Gregg but we got away with it. We also spray-painted six- foot tall tags of the Dead Kennedys and Fear on this 100’ sea wall to assault the local sailing community. You could see it all the way from the Naval Academy. You could only see it from the water so it remained there for a long stretch.
Me: What did your Mom think of the band?
Kenny: Mom always encouraged me. She bought my drums and wanted me to play bagpipes. She brought me to lessons for both. I eventually bowed to some unseen peer pressure on the bagpipes and stopped playing. I regret it to this day.
Me: The band played at your house, right?
Kenny: Yeah.
Me: What about some of the other parents?
Kenny: Mostly they were cool with it I guess. Tristan’s mom however was a complete psycho head case at first. She was like, “This punk-rock shit is villainous- it’s nasty, you need to throw it away!” Then she started taking Valium and switched. She became supportive of Les also [who started doing sound and opened a recording studio in the basement] and she just became cool. You’d go into the kitchen and there would be Pink Floyd playing and you would just listen to it with her. She didn’t like Punk, me, us, and then she became a completely different person. It turned out she was a nice lady.
Ned lived with his Dad in Arnold [a community near Annapolis on the way towards Baltimore]. His Dad was quiet. Ned’s Mom lived with her boyfriend in Takoma Park [a community that is partially in Maryland and partially in D.C.] I think that Gregg lived with Ned for a while.
Gregg, now Byron, never got along with his parents very well. At sixteen or seventeen he was ready to move out and deal with the world. He left here and went to New York. He was all about that he wanted to act. He was waiting tables, doing the audition thing. He went through a couple reincarnations and now he’s kinda cornered the market as it were on… I still don’t understand exactly what it is that he does. [Byron Speight owns and operates IB Creative Inc., a company that specializes in video production, podcast marketing and website design]. He’s pretty successful now but in the band he wasn’t too great a guitarist. It was, you know, turn him down, fade him to the left, like Joe Strummer- a chugging monotony.
Me: I’m sure many guitarists would enjoy being compared to Joe Strummer.
Kenny: It’s like, yeah, you know there’s a rhythm guitar in there but its not doing much.
Me: So you guys never really toured. How many hometown parties do you think you played?
Kenny: Two or three.
Me: I’m sure it was more than that. You definitely played in Baltimore countless times.

Kenny: Yeah, at the Marble Bar and mostly at the Loft. Maybe 5 times. We played at this place in Pittsburgh, the Electric Banana. For some reason that felt successful. That went well. We wanted to play a Spring Nectar so we drove up to the Institute one day.
[The Spring Nectar was an annual party in Annapolis held at a local private residence dubbed The Institute because of the way the space was arranged and run. The host was a well-known eccentric who collected bicycles and ‘60’s era Dodge and Plymouth cars among other things. The Nectar party was always an all-night bonfire that attracted a wide swath of types.]
Me: Was that when the Institute was at Weems Creek?
Kenny: Yeah. Anyway we drove up and there was this old man raking leaves. We couldn’t tell whether it was Sam or not. We said we wanted to play the party and there was some kind of cryptic exchange and then we just had to leave. We couldn’t tell what had happened. Anyway like a week later Sam showed up at the Exchange [The Record Exchange was a used vinyl shop owned by a dentist that Kenny and many other members of the local original music scene clerked at]. He asked to hear a tape or something and just straightened the whole thing out. We also played a College Park Party.
Me: Oh yeah, I remember that place. I think they were friends of Jim’s [Jim McPherson].
Kenny: Anyway we finally got a gig in D.C. at this placed called “The Complex”. It was with Dain Bramage with one Dave Grohl as the drummer [Grohl, who got his start in the D.C. scene in Dain Bramage and Scream, later went on to fame in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters]. We hadn’t been playing and I was out of shape. Ned reprimanded me for playing too slow at the end of the show so I freaked out and kicked the drums off the stage. Danny and Eric were there and asked me to join The Hated. So we practiced for a week and one week later we recorded “What Was Behind”. That was the end of ’86.
Me: So was that the end of the Rats?
Kenny: No, they played on for a year without me. Ned was getting into Venom and Celtic Frost and eventually moved on to do Iron Christ with Tristan and Scott Treude. Richard joined the Army. Byron as I said moved to New York.
Me: Okay. So what does it all mean?
Kenny: I don’t know. I felt it at the time. I was really into Jimi and Janis and basically anything that could be construed as protest music. From Sabbath to Country Joe and the Fish. I always thought how cool it would have been to have been a part of the hippie thing, you know, an active movement. I was never political until Punk Rock. It made me think about the environment, war, politics, everything.
With the music that I was into prior to PR you couldn’t go the Capital Center and meet Robert Plant or Jimmy Page. You could go to the 9:30 club, go up to the stage and meet people though. It was music for people and people for music. All music is basically made between four walls and we took those walls and made a community center.
All these zines popped up in every major center in America. We all collected flyers. Granted, the arts were a little different, just cut and paste and go Xerox down at the Minuteman Press. It was so much more grassroots, that shit’s never going to happen again in this era of the computer.
[Punk] was entertaining. It was pseudo-intellectual. It made you think. It made me want to go out and research things.
Me: What about Reagan?
Kenny: God man fucking Ronald Reagan. I was primarily political through Punk Rock. If I had known what was coming. There were so many songs about war. But we got off easy, without many wars for us. Then Bush came on and it was back to cowboy. I got tense, uptight; I was having a hard time sleeping, [thinking] “what this bastard is doing to our country?” But I guess we had to worry about Russia back then.
Me: I read the newspaper every day back then and I couldn’t believe that people took Reagan seriously. He seemed to so obviously be a liar, a murderer, a clown. Not a real person.
Kenny: That was when the Republicans were mastering the craft of placing propaganda. Bush was behind Reagan. Cheney was behind Bush. You know I really hate this bullshit [intoning in Reagan’s voice] “Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” That shit was falling apart for years, not because of some American president. What about Solidarity and Glasnost, do you think that had anything to do with it? You’re damn right it did! I mean here we have 200 years based on genocide and slavery, based on killing people.
Me: But why give a shit? What you describe is so far beyond us.
Kenny: Bands like the Dead Kennedys make a mockery of it, so first you laugh, and then you cry, because it is based on the truth. But maybe there was no reason for us to care. We were too young to vote. Foreign policy didn’t really affect us. We didn’t have to worry about food stamps then. We had freedom to burn. We weren’t going to get shot or sent to the Gulag like some people. What I had to worry about was my next good score of records and when and how I’d get laid. We would practice and practice and try to get a gig. But I never did a D.C. punk percussion protest against apartheid for example, so I’m hypocritical. I guess I feel like politics is a scam, they’re going to do what they do. But then you have the classic example of Eisenhower, who was a war-lord, a war-pig himself, warning about the military industrial complex, telling the American people to watch out because they are taking meat pies from your baby’s mouth.
Me: So what about class issues? Relevant, do you think?
Kenny: There were some ratty shit-hole urban punks, but mostly we are talking about middle class kids who had everything and didn’t have need to complain about anything complaining about everything.
Me: So you were middle class?
Kenny: I don’t know. I never really knew what that meant. My Mom did a lot for me. She made it all work. I’ve since found out how difficult it was for her. I wasn’t aware of it. I could have gotten a job and helped. On the other hand I was too shy or depressed out of my mind. I swung between seething with pent-up angst and being afraid of my own shadow.
Punk had a range of classes. There were people from Dundalk who just wanted to fight and are still scumbags. But we had D.C. where things were surprising. I mean the leader of the Skins in D.C. was a black woman. It wasn’t like Cleveland with no lyrical content.
Me: But what about you guys?
Kenny: We were all totally outcast. We couldn’t play downtown [in local bars]. They weren’t going to stand for that shit. It was a struggle to be heard. We were relevant, pertinent, and of the same ilk [as kids in D.C. and nation-wide]. Nowadays everything is a convoluted homogenized cross-over. I mean Paula Deen has spiked Sid Vicious hair. The bars downtown have everything.
But on the other hand the establishment shows up at 3 in the morning at the Occupy site in full riot gear. They got rid of them and for the most part people were lucky when they didn’t get the shit beat out of them.
I mean I went through this thing where Anti-Seen got together again and it caused me stress to get into it and read the lyrics. I mean I’ve never really grown up. I still feel like a kid. I was never lucky in love. I guess I took heartache too hard. I would love to have the ‘white picket fence’ but the people I know who went that way are either miserable or hollow shells. I mean, should I feel irresponsible, silly, stupid? Or just be a cog in a faceless machine. In a sense we have to face that we were just put here to propagate, spread seeds and die. Beyond that, we’re here to have fun. It is what it is. But with these young kids, there’s gotta be someone young and innocent, yet to be jaded by the ineffectualness of taking a stance.

4 responses

  1. Richard Whelan

    Andrew: Thanks for the update! i can`t wait to tell you some stories about kenny!

    March 7, 2012 at 6:21 pm

    • Andrew

      Ears are open! Collecting all stories! Will be in touch.

      March 8, 2012 at 11:47 am

  2. Big Jim

    Some yuppie in Hillsmere is calling his party Spring Nectar. On Kuthie st. Saturday May 18. Wish the ghosts from the past all came to show them how its really done.

    May 17, 2013 at 2:16 pm

    • Andrew

      Hope they got the secret recipe for the Nectar!

      May 20, 2013 at 3:19 am

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Communicating 360

Communicating 360

My daughter, Michelle, is taking a university class in public relations and as part of the class she was asked to interview 3 people about their perceptions of this field.

So she posed some questions to me and here is how the interview went:

1. In your own opinion, what is public relations? Why do you think of public relations this way?

Public relations is simple, it’s about relations with the public–communicating and connecting with people about what you do, why you do it, how you do it, for whom you do it, when you do it, and where you do it. It is includes marketing and sales, customer relations, investor relations, government relations, relations with partners, as well as crisis communications, and maybe even recruiting talent to the organization.

2. What do you think of when you think of public relations? Why do you think of this/these?

When I think of public relations, I tend to think of many of the big, well-known brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Allstate, and so on–they do a lot of advertising and communicating with the public. They invest in this and it has a pay-off in terms of organization, product, and brand recognition.

3. What do you think the skills are that are needed to work in public relations?

Creativity, visual thinking, messaging, branding, marketing, sales, and psychology.

4. Would you distinguish public relations from marketing? If so, how?

Public relations, to me, is broader than marketing. Marketing has to do with getting product awareness out there and selling, but public relations involves not only connecting with customers, but also investors, suppliers, partners, even the government, and international players.

5. Can you give examples of what you think public relations is today?

Public relations is how an organization interfaces and communicates with all its stakeholders. It is mainly external or outward facing and differs from internal communications which is inward facing, like talking with employees. Public relations uses advertising, media, commercials, messaging, branding, logos, newsletters, mailings, to get the word out from the organization’s perspective–good news and also countering bad news.

So how did this “IT guy” do with answering questions about public relations?

Not my field, but maybe the MBA and private-sector experience helped, a little. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

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text:
Never Ever

Quoth the Raven Nevermore // Photo: Doug Brown, Flickr Creative Commons via Audubon

Quoth the Raven Nevermore // Photo: Doug Brown, Flickr Creative Commons via Audubon

Sometimes I read blogs about what others are doing and I think, “I will never, ever do that.”

Thrill Seeking

I will never parachute, bungee jump, go ice climbing or scuba diving, or fly a plane.

On the other hand, I have gone river rafting, skiing, and water skiing. I have taken a steel roller coaster ride (and I must say once was enough). I have held big snakes and let a tarantula climb over my hand.

I would climb an indoor rock wall, ride a zip line, or walk on a glass floor at the CN Tower (or at the Grand Canyon) .

I will never run a marathon, climb a mountain, swim a channel, sail around the world…or go winter camping!

I could probably walk a half-marathon in about 4 hours?

I am not currently motivated enough to play a musical instrument, write a novel, learn to use all the features on my camera, or train my cats to do tricks.

I am disciplined enough that I changed a bad habit this year – I now do all the dishes that need hand-washing every night, instead of every few days 🙂

Age and Appearance

I have lived 50 years without surgically changing my body, so I don’t expect that will change unless something awful happens and I need to be reconstructed. I am open to a knee or hip replacement if I should ever need one, LOL!

I don’t aspire to spend most of the year travelling, to winter “down south,” to own a motorcycle or a boat, or to splurge on spa visits.

I do limit my commitments enough that I can read books and watch movies every day if I like, and go to as many rock concerts as I want (given how many actually occur in my city, ha ha!)

I got any potential vices out of my system by the time I was 18! You won’t find me at a casino, a race track, a grow-op or a rifle range. Especially not with a cigar! Yes, I consider all of those vices – I am risk-averse. I don’t even buy lottery tickets!

You can indict me for my candy-eating habit! Oh yeah, and my time online…

Sometimes we are just not ourselves. We turn into Bridezilla. We become the mouthy hockey mom. We badger a teacher about our kid’s “undeserved” bad grades. We defend our dog against complaints of barking and nipping. We neglect to provide an excellent reference for an employee. We snap at our parents who want to go to Swiss Chalet with us AGAIN.

I never want to be that person but I know I am – more often than I would like to be. I try to forgive myself and do better.

I say I will never go into debt or become obese or watch TV for 6 hours every evening.

But I don’t know where life may take me and I hope others don’t judge too severely if I’m wrong.

Excluding lawlessness, what will you never, ever do?

  1. Very thought provoking and fun post! Great opening image too. I too have no desire to bungee-jump, climb a mountain, or sail around the world. I laughed at your admission that you’d maybe walk a half marathon. Me too, if given enough hours! But I especially agree that we all can endeavor to be non-judgmental, and to ourselves as well as we try to do better.

  2. EcoCatLady

    OK, well I have climbed several mountains, but I have no desire to bungee jump, sky dive, base jump or any other crazy daredevil sort of thing. I also will NEVER color my hair, wear those crazy high heels that are so popular these days or buy a handbag.

    I am chuckling at the idea that it takes discipline to learn a musical instrument. Playing the guitar is what I’ve always done when I’m avoiding something that I really should be doing, so from my perspective it’s the complete opposite! 🙂

    • Nice! I have stopped colouring my hair and wearing spike heels, and I use a messenger bag! Funny about the musical instrument – as per our conversation last time – I would probably bury my face in a book if I were trying to avoid some other task!

  3. I am with you on the thrillseeking- absolutely no desire to do any activity which involves jumping off high things!
    I have climbed mountains- but we only have little mountains in the UK! The idea of a feat of endurance appeals to me more, but I have learnt that it does not appeal enough for me to be committed to the training required!
    I never plan to wear heels- or any uncomfortable shoes- again. I much prefer to be able to walk/run/dance rather than totter about and limp!
    I have recently decided never to wear nail varnish again- partly because I never bother to keep it looking nice, but mostly because I’m concerned about the chemicals in nail varnish, and would rather not have them on my hands!

    • Well, I have gone hiking “on” mountains, but never climbed a rock face or anything like that.

      I am not a fan of high heels but I would never say never on that one, just in case.

      I have given up nail polish too. I suppose there are some safer children’s brands, but I haven’t been motivated to seek them out.

  4. I love how diverse the world is. What’s good for one isn’t good for another. I don’t know what I will never ever do, but I more likely than not will not be doing much thrill seeking at this point. No bungee jumping, parachuting, rocking climbing for me. Besides being pretty risk adverse, I’m much too frugal to splash on things like that. 🙂

  5. I won’t get a piercing or a tattoo. Won’t bunging jump, sky dive, white water raft or scuba dive. Will never go on a scary theme park ride ever again – too old and wizened. I may have cosmetic surgery and do have Botox. I don’t, can’t, won’t run or jog.

    Whether people do or don’t do any of those, never bothers me. And I don’t judge.

    Slightly different about obesity, debt, drug and alcohol use and gambling. I can be judgemental there when children are affected or people have to be bailed out and leave others in the lurch or become ill. Except for alcohol, none of those things attract me.

    And I hope I am never the type of person I don’t like, except I know I can be a nagging, screaming harridan to my immediate family sometimes. But I never go off at other people – though I do swear in the traffic but not directed at others.

    And, is this slightly too goody two shoes? But I won’t ever break parking rules? Reeks of selfishness, and that more than the illegality of it offends me.

    • Great list, L! Besides pierced ears from age 13, I won’t be getting any more piercings either, and I don’t have any tattoos. I also have no intention of ever running or jogging.

      I don’t argue or yell or swear at people either; I just give them frosty looks like the Dowager Countess.

      I am conscientious about parking but less so about speed – funny inconsistency there! I think, like you, it’s more of a courtesy thing.

      • “I don’t argue or yell or swear at people either; I just give them frosty looks like the Dowager Countess.”

        I swear, librarians must learn to give those frosty looks in training! ALL librarians are adept at this. 🙂

      • The behaviour in our libraries is pretty bad and requires more than the Evil Eye! We have to go confront them! I guess I missed that unit in Library School.

  6. Fiona

    Very interesting – I do that too, reading along and thinking occasional “never, evers”! Often, I like other peoples choices but they’re just not mine.

    Like you, I’ll never parachute or (especially) bungee jump. I’ll never take a nude / half-clad selfie and post it online to “embrace my body.” I’ll never do drugs. I’ll never be so frugal that I work out the comparative cost of (1) leaving the light on to leave a room momentarily OR (2) turning it off but then back on.

    There are lots more – it’s a fun topic!

    • I agree with you on all of these apart from the electricity usage…hangs head in extreme frugality shame….lol!

    • Bah, I am not so body-conscious. I just rightly assume my readers would rather view other subjects 🙂 I always turned the lights off when leaving a room until someone challenged me on it and I looked up the right answer online. I think everyone should be as frugal as they like at home, but bend to social norms somewhat elsewhere – for example, I wouldn’t go to a fine restaurant with a friend at dinner time and order a dessert to share and a glass of water, because I would be affecting the waiter’s income for the evening.

  7. Basically most of my ‘never ever’ list is to do with heights and drugs!

    • I am afraid of very confined spaces. I once had a chance to visit an impressive cave if I slithered through a narrow tunnel on my stomach to get into it. I wouldn’t. I don’t mind elevators, though.

  8. Angela

    How wierd that you bloggedl this as I want to do this for my June birthday having seen it on BBC Countryfile. Think I can manage a kayak now I am over. 50

    • That sounds great, Angela! A 2-hour beginner excursion makes it sound manageable. I am OK with a canoe but have never learned to kayak. Wouldn’t rule it out, though!

  9. Let’s see…

    I’ll never dry hard core drugs (I’d consider weed brownies, but fear how I’d react to it). I will never smoke cigarettes, cigars, etc. (have smoked hookah).I will never run a marathon or do a triathlon. As for everything else, I’m pretty open!

    I have to laugh about the heels because I *love* them! If I had an excuse to wear high wedges or heels every day, I would in a heart beat.

  10. I hesitate to say never but it’s not likely that I’ll do any activity that requires intense physical training (deadlift 200 pounds, run a marathon, etc.), anything terribly risky. But about illegal activities . . I don’t agree with mindless rule following and I have been known to break some rules occasionally to make a point about how needless they are (after thinking it through of course – I don’t rush to break laws daily!). It’s illegal to hang laundry outside, for example, but I do it anyway.

    I don’t wear heels but I do wear 1″ platforms (2.5 cm); I don’t smoke or do drugs, but I drink alcohol and on and on. I try not to judge others, but I do sometimes. Thankfully every day is a new one 🙂

  11. Shannon D.

    Hello, I just found your blog and I am enjoying going back and reading your previous posts! I am always fascinated to find out what other people like and why, and to try and find other people who have similar interests to mine, which is not always easy to do in day to day life. Most of the items that you will never do I can definitely say I will not be doing either! I love a list however; books, projects, to do, grocery. Thank you for the interesting subject!

    • Hi Shannon, thanks! I find the same thing, that it’s not always easy to connect over interests in real life (or the geeky, listy ones, anyway). You could always write a blog, too – I`d read it 🙂

      • Shannon D.

        Thanks! I was thinking about starting a blog but I was afraid I wouldn’t keep it up enough or it wouldn’t be interesting enough. Still thinking about it! What motivated you to take the plunge?

      • I used to write a music blog but the site wrapped up. It was fun to connect with like-minded people online, and I wanted to find readers (and writers) who liked making lists and tracking things and otherwise being kinda geeky. It’s not so easy to talk about those things in real life! Also, I just like writing. Having a little audience is a plus! I hope you try it. We really don’t mind what you write about 🙂

        See also:

  12. I think you well know I’m a thrill seeker! I love the new and different (went stand up paddle boarding on the weekend, but I’m having trouble loading photos, so the post will come with those). I love doing things that stretch my boundaries (like the half marathon, and sky diving and and and).

    I can’t imagine ever getting a tattoo (and don’t really think most people think long term enough with theirs – they are SO prevalent and prominent of late). I would get a tattoo on my wrist if I was found to have a serious medical condition or allergy though – I think that’s incredibly smart! I have my ears pierced, can’t imagine anything else getting pierced (like additional face etc) cause I think it would be unprofessional for me, but maybe I would?!

    I HATED practicing the cello, so I don’t have that discipline! And I’m not that strong at my running program, bargaining days off and the like!

    And… I park illegally – over the lines, in a driveway (short term – when I might be dropping something in a letter box nearby, not for an hour or anything). I’d never park in a disabled spot (though one pool has 12 or something, seems RIDICULOUS!) I also occasionally speed, but not extensively either. I even try not to pay for parking, it seems a little silly for it to flip flop between streets and sides of the road!

    • You and thrill seeking – I do know that! I imagine it would be embarrassing if you get a tattoo when you are 18 and LOVE dolphins and you don’t feel the need to declare that love when you are 35! I know some people who won’t pay for parking. I don’t feel strongly about it. If a parking fee has me walking 25 minutes in the rain, or has me grumbling to my co-workers for an hour, then I don’t think it’s worth the savings. But I will arrive early or scout out nearby places in advance sometimes!

  13. Lisa

    I am with Amanda – I try never to say NEVER because some of my never statements have come back to haunt and mock me. For example, ‘I’ll never move to Yellowknife’…oops, ‘I’ll never own a pure-bred dog’…oops, ‘I’ll never pay more than $X for a house’…oops, etc. I feel superstitious about it now (I think I’ve even said, ‘I’ll never be silly and superstitious’ too 🙂 ). However, I’ll say, I am unlikely to sky dive, bungee jump, jog, tattoo myself, allow any spider to crawl on me on purpose, eat a filter-feeder (mussels etc.) or smoke. Fun post!

  14. I will never indict you for your candy eating habit! 🙂

    And, I will never, ever skydive or bungee jump. No way.

  15. Never say never! wondered where you were your blog went missing yesterday, no posts only your header?

  16. Alice

    That’s a great post and so interesting, thank you! As far as I am concerned, I think that I will never smoke or do drugs (never tried). Plus, I will never become a coffee addict (please, don’t get offended, coffee-drinkers!!).
    And I am not a piercing/tattoo fan either but I think that I would give a shot to dangerous activities, have never tried, though. When it comes to discipline, it varies from non- existent to strict but it highly depends on my own will power, which- sadly-is rather complicated.

  17. Hello Dar – this has only just come through on my reader so I’m late to the party.

    Never say never has been my thoughts for years – Yes Tatts and Drugs (for me) are a ‘never’ but I have changed my mind over things quite frequently over the years. As you’ve pointed out ‘never wanting to be that person’ and actually being sometimes happens – In minor matters I’ve been caught before after saying “I never do that”.
    Take care

    • Well, I’ve been caught out on the major things, too – I never thought I’d get divorced, or move across the country, or live in the US, or speak at conferences. Life happens!

  18. Lane

    This is not a tattooed, pierced, druggy crowd and I concur.
    No black diamond skiing, ever. I can picture myself in a body cast all too well.
    No computer games. Why?
    No sushi, Ever.
    I could get you on the water in a kayak in about 15 minutes; I don’t do rough, open water–ever– but calm waters are so lovely to be on without worrying about depth.

    • Hi Lane, I noticed that! I gave up skiing after about 4 outings and a few too many falls for comfort. Being of a certain age, I grew up on 8-bit computer games like Pac-Man and Frogger, and I have never adapted to 3D gaming! I tried sushi against my better judgment, and now I occasionally go for the vegetarian ones (avocado and yam!) I really should try kayaking – I want to learn how to roll. Lots of people do sea kayaking here on flat water.

  19. I agree about the thrill-seeking – I have no desire to jump out of a plane EVER!

    I have never had anything pierced or dyed my hair, but who knows what might happen in the future 🙂

    • Wimp that I am, I think the steel roller coaster was the scariest “intentional thrill” I’ve attempted. I literally felt like I was going to die. then I found out they design them that way on purpose. Ack!

      Meh, piercings or hair colour – not permanent! (Although I have had quite a few younger employees with scars on their eyebrows or noses from former piercings!)

  20. LOl I never say NEVER because it is nearly a sure thing that as soon as I say I will never do something, I end up doing it! Fortunately I don’t have any vices to swear off (I dont think Baskin Robbins counts…) and yes, I will probably color my hair forever 🙂

  21. Jes

    Something a lot of bloggers do that I will never do: keep chickens. I’m scared of chickens and also find them nasty. 🙂 But I don’t judge anyone for doing it. And I do love fresh eggs.

  22. Definitely not the Bungee Jump – I even say they will have to knock me out at work to get me down the iron fire escape.

  23. Pingback: Never Again | An Exacting Life

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Avatar for Qorum

Hospitality payment platform that gives users unlimited free Uber rides

Senior Android Developer (Kotlin) **US applicants only**

$90k – $125k • 0.25% – 0.75%
Apply now
** US-based candidates only **

Hi, we’re Qorum, your free designated driver. We’re a small team of socially-conscious, serial entrepreneurs with a few successful exits under our belts. Our new company, Qorum, is backed by strategic investors across multiple industries and partners from top seed-stage venture capital funds whom all wish to make drunk driving a thing of the past.

Even though we haven’t launched quite yet, we’ve already established partnerships with Uber and several major alcohol brands to provide unlimited free Uber rides to anybody who wants or needs them.

How is this possible, you ask? Every year, alcohol brands are required to spend tens of millions of dollars on mandated “Drink Responsibly” campaigns. A lot of that money gets wasted on things like TV commercials and billboards that say “Don’t drink and drive.”. We all know those don’t work. Yet, they continue to exist.

With Qorum, alcohol brands can sponsor over 30,000 safe Uber rides per month for less than the cost of a single billboard. This way alcohol brands can put that “Drink Responsibly” money to better use to get people home (or on to their next destination) safely.

But Qorum is far more than just free Uber rides. Part local bar guide, part payments solution, our team has spent tens of thousands of hours building a multiple-patents-pending technology platform that integrates with all major hospitality point of sale (POS) systems. With Qorum, you just walk in and out to open and close bar tabs. No more forgotten credit cards. Did we mention every drink ordered through the app is 15% off?

We’re seeking the right people to join a scrappy, entrepreneurial team of “doers” in a role that is developmental, challenging, and personally fulfilling. This means that people might take on challenges they may not feel ready for, but have the full support of their team to try, fail, learn, and try again. This makes development a core part of working at Qorum and not just something we think about come time for performance reviews.

We are seeking to hire a Senior Android Engineer with a strong background in consumer-facing mobile development. This position includes overseeing/developing future features and performance tuning of the existing Android Client. This position will work closely with the product team and oversee dev resources to ensure Android client meets specifications.

This is an in-house full-time position in our Irvine Office but remote work is offered to exceptional candidates.

The technical scope of the project is broad and leverages a variety of cutting-edge commercial and open source tools to get the job done.

5+ years of software development experience with at least 2 years of enterprise Android development across multiple Apps/releases

Strong proficiency in front-end mobile app technologies (i.e., Javascript, Kotlin, AngularJS, HTML, CSS)

Deep knowledge and ability to apply design patterns (i.e., MVVP) and best practices

Working knowledge of databases (i.e. MySQL) and 3rd party integration

Experience with mobile-specific functionality, i.e. location, push notifications, and cross-app interaction

Designed/developed apps using both API/SDK and business embedded logic to achieve mobile app’s desired functionality

Experience implementing third-party SDKs on Android (Social Media, Google, Uber, Zendesk)

UX/UI experience a plus

Work with a small, VC-backed team that has learned the value of teamwork, out of the box thinking, and effective communication to steer startups to successful exits across multiple industries.

Be at the front lines of launching a disruptive technology

Unlimited opportunity for growth, development, and advancement

Opportunity to work remotely and on a flexible schedule

An opportunity to join a true start-up environment – No rules, no bureaucracy and the opportunity to make a real impact on a business that is continuously evolving

Meaningful work aimed at tackling motor vehicle accidents, the leading cause of death for people under 35

The ability to witness and be a part of a team building technology that will change the way you and your friends go out every night

The camaraderie and unparalleled opportunities to be part of a driven, agile team that is building something truly disruptive

An organization dedicated to making sure you're challenged, learning, growing and recognized for the great work you do

Company-sponsored lunches and outings at our partner venues
Los Angeles • Orange County • Southern CaliforniaRemote
Hires remotely in
California • Los Angeles • Irvine • Orange County • Southern California
Job type
Visa sponsorship
Not Available
5+ years
Hiring contact

Andrew Pietra

Avatar for Andrew Pietra

Qorum at a glance

Hospitality payment platform that gives users unlimited free Uber rides

Qorum focuses on Mobile, Hospitality, Mobile Payments, Finance Technology, and Corporate Social Responsibility Management. Their company has offices in California. They have a small team that's between 1-10 employees.

You can view their website at http://qorum.com

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Senior Backend Software Engineer (Node.js)

QA Assurance / QA Engineer **US applicants only**

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text:
Recent food and random Monday silliness

Today was hard—one of those days where I thought I had all my ducks in a row only to be asked why the sheep were still out to pasture.

A goofy image, but how I feel.

The teenager and I have been eating well. My neighbor has been sharing some of her Hungryroot deliveries. If she doesn’t like it, she sends it to my house.

That’s how I discovered that I like polenta.

So this weekend, I made spaghetti with Hungryroot’s Spicy Thai peanut sauce and sautéed fresh radishes and frozen stir fry vegetables in sesame oil and Bragg’s liquid aminos.

For breakfast that morning we’d had scrambled eggs in homemade crepes with turkey bacon, Gouda and a pickle.

Today for breakfast, the teenager had the last of the Thai peanut sauce and bacon on a bagel.

For lunch today we had leftover spaghetti, vegetable dumplings and Green Giant Steamfresh superfood edamame mix. So yummy.

Dinner was salad with sesame dressing and Hungryroot lemongrass tofu.

And yesterday the teenager baked me the most amazing dark chocolate cookies with dark chocolate chips and piles of fresh coconut.

My dear friend and traveling companion M got to meet Nala over FaceTime today and commented how she was more cuddly and quiet than he expected.

She’s been very tired lately, but she’s been waking often in the night.

Nana sleeping on my chest

And for one last burst of cheer, here’s a pile of kittens:

And the teen and I did some taste-testing:

Strawberry Twinkies

Lemon Hostess Cupcakes


text:
Secret Lives Of Street Cats In Riga

There are a lot of cats living on the street all over the world. And the European city of Riga in Latvia is not an exception. There are hundreds of feral cats. One of the local cat care non-profit organization decided to show the world these street cats who deserve our love, care and attention.

Cat Care Community has spent the last year collecting photos and helping street cats find real loving homes. Photographing cats has proven the main key to alerting the world that each and every cat has a story to tell.

Many people argue that street cats are not safe for human health, but there are different Trap-Neuter-Return programs that work great and help to control the population and health problems of street cats.

What do you think about street cats?

Learn more about Cat Care Community on our Facebook page.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

About Author

The Cat Care Community is a new organization made to share your love, spirit and mind about the cats! The main mission of the project is to help homeless cats find owners and homes, and in this way facilitate a positive attitude towards cats! We are here to help people and organizations to find family and help for cats, to improve the lives of cats and to develop their welfare and behavior. We also share information and news about animal care, feeding, and health. Click to see author's profile.

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  1. Pingback: Outdoor wooden houses for homeless cats in Riga

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text:
I was waiting for another episode since the Okabe in Steins;Gate 0 wasn't shown to reunite with Kurisu.

Did Steins;Gate 0 really end? Are there any OVAs of this?

  • i haven't seen the anime but it was originally a Visual Novel so no idea which route or ending it's chosen to adapt – Memor-X Oct 18 '18 at 10:45
  • Yes an OVA of steins gate 0 is supposed to be aired on November 28th. since steins gate 0 is supposed to be an alternate time line I think okabe won't meet kurisu( mear speculation). so I suggest you to watch steins gate episode 23 if possible. – Ch.Siva Ram Kishore Oct 18 '18 at 14:36

Did Steins;Gate 0 really end?

Yes. The episode list ends with episode 23, which was broadcasted earliest on Sep 27, 2018.

The Okabe in Steins;Gate 0 wasn't shown to reunite with Kurisu.

Japanese Wikipedia stated that since the game's premise is replaying multiple times with multiple endings, there are some scenes from the game which are cut, and some anime original scenes added. However, this might not be the reason why that scene was cut (i.e. speculation at best).

Are there any OVAs of this?

Volume 6 of the Blu-ray set (which according to Amazon will be released on Dec 21, 2018, but possibly earlier somewhere else) contains 1 bonus unaired episode.

However, it's too early to know what is the content (there's no detail on that).

| improve this answer | |
  • 1
    Note: I haven't watched/played this spinoff. Also, wake me up when there's new info on the bonus episode... or feel free to write an answer with better information :) – Aki Tanaka Oct 18 '18 at 14:10
  • The true end of game ends the same way the Anime does, but without the Okabe saving Suzu+Mayuri scene. There's also plenty of room for another season or more content as there's still a lot of unanswered questions. For starters, there's still 11 years before the young Suzu goes back in time (presumably, she's the last piece of the puzzle as you still need the Suzu who's aware of Operation Skuld). – Mysticial Oct 18 '18 at 16:21

Steins; Gate 0 ended just like how Calvin and Hobbes did, at it's prime.

If they probably made another episode, reuniting the two, many fans might or might not like it, which makes it simpler to have a semi-cliffhanger.

Hope this answers your question

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text:
Polly Devlin’s ‘Treasure’

Shortly after the Collect 2020 fair at Somerset House, COVID-19 lock-down restrictions were put in place across the UK and plans to deliver my ‘Treasure‘ Collect Open artwork to its new owner were put on hold. Finally, four months later, the time was right for us to make the journey safely and on Sunday 26th July we installed the work at the beautiful London residence of the Irish writer and art collector Polly Devlin OBE.

Polly and Annette
With Polly Devlin in her London home next to her newly installed ‘Treasure’ artwork.
Polly and Richard
Polly Devlin with my husband (and invaluable assistant) Richard.

Polly’s home is a wunderkammer of incredible objects that she has collected over many years, each with a story to tell and as we worked she regaled us with wonderful tales of some of her favourite pieces. After the delicate wax flowers were unpacked and arranged, we were treated to celebratory bubbles and lunch out at a local restaurant, the first we had set foot in since early March!

When it was time to leave Polly gave us a gift, a book she had written with her late husband Andy Garnett, about a Somerset wild flower meadow called Cannwood that they once owned and cared passionately about.

A Year in the lLife of an English Meadow, Andy Garnett and Polly DevlinA Year in the Life of an English MeadowA Year in the Life of an English Meadow, photographs of pressed plants

It was a special day that I shall never forget, spent with a warm and welcoming host. I know that we will stay in touch for many years to come.

A trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

I’ve been to Kew on many occasions to work in the herbarium with the curatorial staff or visit the collections behind the scenes, but the schedule has always been tight and there has never been enough spare time for me to take a good look around the gardens. That’s why I was delighted to visit again last week for the Handmade at Kew 2017 show which took place in the Kew Palace Lawn Pavilion. It was a chance to see some world class contemporary crafts and an opportunity to meet the talented makers and talk about the influences and processes behind their work. The show coincided with the final few days of the Sculpt at Kew exhibition, with 30 artists presenting figurative, abstract and modern sculptures in an outdoor trail throughout the beautiful gardens.

I was also able to spend time exploring the fabulous rain forest plants and iconic Victorian architecture of the Palm House, the ten different environments in the Princess of Wales Conservatory and the 17 foot tall multi-sensory bee experience called The Hive.

Kew Gardens has the largest and most diverse collection of living plants in the world, so I’ve still only seen the smallest part of it and I’d love to see more. I’ll have to visit again soon!


text:
March 17, 2017

My apologies if it seems like I’ve gone overboard on this, but when Della and I get to see the phenomenal things happening with our grandchildren, it’s hard to not share with everyone – especially when we are in a season of miracles unfolding across this nation and around the world on a scale hitherto unknown.

Sunday, a week ago, Della took our grandchildren to children’s church as she usually does on Sundays.  Even though we have our own fellowship, we are currently set up for children’s ministry specifically.  During the time of praise and worship, a young girl – perhaps Jasmine’s age around 8 years old – got up and began to dance before the Lord.  That dancing had an impact on all of them.

Late in the afternoon, when we were all just relaxing, Jasmine came up to Della and said, “Grandma, is it OK for me to dance to the Lord?”  “Why of course you can,” Della answered.  “Then can I dance to the kind of worship music we listen to at home every day?”  “Sure, Grandpa will put the music on for you.”

We have come to really appreciate the spontaneous worship of Alberto and Kimberly Rivera, and that was the kind of music I put on.  Jasmine stood in front of the TV where the music was playing, closed her eyes and clasped her hands across her chest.  She stood there silently for perhaps five or six minutes.  Finally, Della said to her, “Honey, what are you seeing?”  Jasmine’s answer was, “I’m watching angels dance before the Lord.”  Della then said, “Then, you do whatever you see the angels doing.”

Jasmine closed her eyes again and began to dance around the living room.  The dancing was absolutely gorgeous!  Della and I just began to bawl our eyes out as we watched our granddaughter move like this, anointed by Holy Spirit.  Her younger sister, Trinity, had tears streaming down her cheeks and finally looked up to Della and said, “Grandma, is it OK if I dance to the Lord, too?”  Della nodded her head and Trinity closed her eyes and began to dance as well.  You’ll appreciate that we currently have a very small living room, and for Jasmine and Trinity to both be dancing with eyes closed and not bumping into one another was nothing short of amazing!

Trinity danced for perhaps the last seven minutes of Jasmine’s dancing which lasted for not less than 20 minutes.  When they both finally opened their eyes and sat down, Alden was next.  He said to me, “Grandpa, I want to dance to the Lord, too, but I need a different kind of worship music.”  I put on worship that was more prophetic and militant, and for the next ten minutes we watched Alden – with his eyes closed as well – dancing forcefully and prophetically.

When the Lord promised us from Isaiah 59:20 that: My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever, we really felt like we were seeing some of the evidences of that promise.  Della and I are still overwhelmed!

Let’s get back to our discussion on the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and review some of what we shared last week.

A transition is underway.  Yes, we still exist in mortal bodies, but that mortality is being erased as we come into an understanding of what it means to have the curse eradicated — both the curse of death, and the curse of the Law.  The transition takes place in our spirits to begin with, but then becomes a part of our minds, our thoughts, our reasoning, our emotions — and then becomes the very substance of our beings.  Hence, we are “a new species.”  We are becoming, we have become, and we will become, something that cannot come out of the DNA of unredeemed man.

Again, we said last week that we are now (and we are transitioning into being) “naturally supernatural” and “supernaturally natural.”  .  Our behavior has undergone and is undergoing radical change.  Our lives are no longer subject to the curse of the Law.

Romans 8:2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

And then Paul amplifies this so that we can understand why we are not subject to the law of sin and death — and this brings us back to what we are experiencing as we are being led in the Paths of Righteousness into the Valley of the Shadow of Death:

Thus, when one purposes in his thoughts and focus to do only those things that gratify and please the lusts and desires of the flesh, they set themselves in opposition to God; and, indeed, that way of thinking and reasoning is insubordinate and disobedient to the laws and principles of God.  It is impossible for that kind of mindset to be anything but insubordinate and disobedient.

Hence, those whose mindsets, thinking and purposed intents are focused on pleasing and gratifying fleshly lusts cannot at any time, and will not under any circumstances please and satisfy the Lord God.  (Romans 8:7-8, RAC Translation & Amplification)

We skip down a few verses to see the kicker in what Paul is writing to the Romans:

So then, if the Holy Spirit — the Spirit of Father God — that awakened and raised up Jesus from the dead has taken up permanent residence in you, occupies, cohabits (and exercises ruling authority), He that awakened, raised up and re-infused the Anointed One (with His anointing) from physical death shall revitalize, restore and endue your physical and spiritual being by that same indwelling and residing and authoritative Holy Spirit.  (Romans 8:11, RAC Translation & Amplification)

This is what our walk in the Paths of Righteousness has been all about.  Through the lessons, the instruction, the experiences and the spiritual adventures we have as we have followed Jesus Christ, the authority and power, the very personality of the Lord have been being developed in us.  That same authority and power — and personality — have been overtaking us, transforming us into His image and likeness.

I will continue to say this again and again and again!

We were never designed to die in the first place.  Adam chose to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge and Good and Evil, despite the warning that death would result as a consequence.  It was an emotional decision he made with the right motives but still wrong.  Adam had failed to really understand the consequences that would follow to the subsequent generations.

Jesus, however, paid the penalty and took death upon Himself so that we could — once and for all — be set free of that curse and delivered from death.

Matthew puts it like this:

Matthew 4:16-17:  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Do you see it?

The transition from death to life begins with metanoeo.  This is the Greek word, translated “repent.”  It has some very interesting connotations.  It literally means: to reconsider your mode and pattern of thinking.

The essence of this is: to cease eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; to stop the old kind of reasoning and to begin eating of the Tree of Life where one’s life is restored and the death spiral ends.

Jesus made several statements like this:

“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

Jesus is literally saying that even death — whether by natural or unnatural means — is reversible.  More than that, He is saying that we’ve been given power over death.  We’ve been given the same authority of Father God, who raised up Jesus from the grave.

That is the power of the Resurrection, and yet it is more than that!

Paul expressed himself in numerous ways regarding the authority we have over death but in his letter to the Philippians, we see this very intense prayer coming out of the core of his being.

Philippians 3:10-11:  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means, I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Despite all that Paul had experienced in his walk with the Lord, despite the revelations he’d received, and despite the fact that — by this time — he had raised numerous individuals from the dead, he still wanted and desired that depth of revelation which would allow Him to know the very nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He desired to know by revelation — so that it was infused and implanted in his being and engraved into his spirit — just exactly what it was that Father God had in His makeup, His character and personality that enabled Him to have that kind of authority over death.

When Paul prays, “ ….. being made conformable unto His death,” he is asking to be so changed in his being that he would be summorphos — “jointly formed” — into that same nature of Jesus so that facing death would not be the least bit intimidating or threatening.

That, folks, is an authority that brings real boldness!  Thus, the dynamic power of Jesus’ resurrection is synonymous with “the fellowship of His sufferings, being jointly formed with Him” in such a way that death was no threat.  The curse that came upon the human race by virtue of eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil incorporated permanent physical death — not to mention separation from a relationship with the Lord God.

Let’s break down this statement a bit more so that we can understand just what Paul was trying to say.

The revelation of the power of the resurrection, the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings, and being made conformable to His death is all one, single revelation.

I’m repeating myself.

It is not possible to have a revelation of the power of the Resurrection without first understanding “the fellowship of His sufferings” and “being made conformable unto His death.”

This word, “fellowship” comes from a translation of the Greek word, koinonia.  This is one of those 64 dollar words that means: to partner with, to have intimate knowledge of, to jointly participate.

And what, exactly, is it that we are “partnering with?”

Here again, we have a word in the Greek which is the root of our English word, “passion.”  That word is: pathema.  While the translation in the KJV (and other translations as well) is the word, “sufferings,” it goes a whole lot farther than pain — whether physical or emotional.

Paul is describing the intense passion of Jesus’ love, mercy, and desire to free us from the curse of sin, the curse of the Law, and the curse of death.  That passion for us is what enabled Jesus to willingly endure the torture, the cursing, the beatings, the crown of thorns, and his ultimate death by crucifixion.

Jesus was able to ignore the pain of rejection from His own people, as well as the world.  He was able to set aside the betrayal He experienced.  He was able to endure the physical extremes His body was subjected to with the torture and crucifixion because He could see in His spirit the end result on behalf of the world.

Paul obviously had that revelation when he wrote the following in his second letter to the Ekklesia in Corinth (and so that you understand the context, this was a letter he wrote many years after the first one was written:

II Corinthians 11:23:30:  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.  Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?  If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.

Looks like I need to pause here before I get into the next part of this discussion, so let’s quit for today and pick this up next week.

I remind those of you in need of ministry that our Healing Prayer Call normally takes place on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 PM Eastern (4:00 PM Pacific).  Our call-in number is (712) 775-7035.  The Access Code is: 323859#.  For Canadians who have difficulty getting in to this number, you can call (559) 546-1400.   If someone answers and asks what your original call-in number was, you can give them the 712 number and access code.

At the same time, in case you are missing out on real fellowship in an environment of Ekklesia, our Sunday worship gatherings are available by conference call – usually at about 10:45AM Pacific.  That conference number is (712) 770-4160, and the access code is 308640#.  We hope to make these gatherings available by Skype or Talk Fusion before long.  If you miss the live call, you can dial (712) 770-4169, enter the same access code and listen in later.

Blessings on you!

Regner A. Capener

Temple, Texas 76504

Email Contact:

All Coffee Break articles are copyright by Regner A. Capener, but authorization for reprinting, reposting, copying or re-use, in whole or in part, is granted –provided proper attribution and this notice are included intact. Older Coffee Break archives are available at Coffee Break articles are normally published weekly.

If you would like to have these articles arrive each morning in your email, please send a blank email to: remove yourself from the mailing list, please send a blank email to

CAPENER MINISTRIES is a tax-exempt church ministry. Should you desire to participate and covenant with us as partners in this ministry, please contact us at either of the above email or physical addresses, or visit:


text:
The service industry spans a whole legion of businesses: electricians, plumbers, professional photographers, veterinarians, wedding planners, bloggers, caterers, contractors, funeral homes, hair salons, dog walkers, etc. They all provide vital services, often to people who need them urgently.

Service providers spend most of their working hours performing the task in need, which leaves little time to take calls and generate new business. With AnswerHero™ as your partner, you no longer have to worry that you will miss potential while taking care of current clients. We will help streamline your business in ways that will surprise and delight you.

Call Routing and
Transferring Phone Calls

Appointment Setting

24 Hour Answering Services

Urgent Call

Bilingual and Translation Services

Reasons Why Service Providers
Need an Answering Services

Providing a high-quality service while multi-tasking incoming calls and finding new business opportunities is almost impossible unless you have an entire team dedicated to helping you out. Hiring a personal assistant is also an option, but that leaves little room for profit. We understand that you are good at what you do, so let us take care of the rest.

Satisfied customers should always be a top priority, so while you focus on delivering excellent service, we will handle your incoming calls, give out information about what you offer, and potentially generate new leads.

Some clients might need more information about your services — maybe they are old customers who are experiencing some kind of issue. Our team can troubleshoot frequent problems and offer workarounds, saving you valuable time.

On the other hand, our agents can quickly recognize the urgency of a call, making sure those calls reach you as soon as possible. This builds trust and credibility and can significantly impact how your customers perceive your business. Leaving a good and lasting impression is our shared goal.

As a contractor or generally someone who provides some kind of service, you spend most of the day working on the field. Scheduling new clients can shift your focus from the task in hand, making you less efficient or, even worse, leaving room for errors. Our answering service will alleviate the need for scheduling appointments by yourself and will make sure your calendar is up to date in real time. Streamlining your business is easy with AnswerHero™ as part of your team.

As a small-scale business, you’re looking to maximize your profit and cut costs whenever you can, which is perfectly understandable. However, you also want to represent yourself in a professional manner to your clients. We pride ourselves in delivering a reliable and premium service that even small business can afford. Even if you are a one-man show, we can offer a plan that suits your needs.

Greeting someone in Spanish is easy for our team. All of our call answering agents are fully bilingual and can provide assistance in English and Spanish. As an aspiring service provider, you want to reach as many potential clients as possible. We’ll make sure you reach a broader audience.

Benefits of Hiring a Phone Answering
Service for Service Providers

Generating New Business Opportunities

One of the most significant parts of your service providing business is gaining new customers. While current clients and customers are vital for your service-based operation, you need an influx of new opportunities to keep your business afloat. We can help with your marketing campaigns to bring in new business, as well as provide office support for busy times when you’re performing seasonal offers.

For example, air conditioning companies might offer a deal for current customers who make early maintenance appointments before the summer heat comes knocking on the door. Wedding planners might need to make a big push during the winter, which might be their slow season. We can help with all of your lead generation needs and keep your business up and running.

Managing Your Appointments

Along with lead generation, we can take orders or make appointments. All you need to do is give us access to your calendar. Based on the criteria that you provide, we’ll be able to add customers to your schedule at any time. We will have insight into what dates have already been booked on the schedule, so we can make sure that we are giving you the time you need to provide your service successfully.

We won’t schedule you for an appointment one hour after the last one when it could take you 60 minutes just to get to the next destination. To put it simply, we’ll make sure that your schedule makes sense. Find out how we can make appointments, generate leads, or service your existing clients and customers.

Supporting Your Entrepreneurial Spirit

When creating a plan for your business, we take into consideration what type of services you might require on our behalf, based on the industry you belong to. That way we ensure you are paying for only what you need the most. No hidden costs, no pricey extras. Our shared goal is to see your venture grow and prosper.

Always Ready to Answer Calls

Our team works around the clock, making sure all your clients get the information they need, and not a single business opportunity is missed. Our agents are fluent both in English and Spanish, so your Hispanic clients are not left out.

Worried you will miss an urgent call? We can reroute important calls directly to your mobile phone or take messages and forward them to you. With a 24/7 team working for you, your business is prospering even when you are asleep. Now that’s a phone answering service worth having!

Service Providers Who Can Benefit
from Our Answering Service

HVAC Companies

If you own a company that provides air conditioning services, you’re fully aware of how competitive the industry is and that every customer counts. Most HVAC companies make their money just before and during the summer. Making the most out of the hottest stretch of the year is mandatory if you want to keep your business afloat during the slower months.

Clients look after their best interests, so they will want to compare you with competitors in terms of prices before deciding whose services they wish to acquire. Others might be interested in your working hours or when is the first opening in your schedule. Then there are those who have an emergency and need your services urgently.

This means your phone is ringing non-stop, even when you are on-site, working on an important task. Answering all those calls can drastically affect your efficiency. Our call center services can take the load of your small business and triple your customer interactions while giving you a piece of mind.

Wedding and Event Planners

One of the requirements for being an exceptional wedding or event planner is to be impeccably organized. However, juggling between vendors, photographers, catering services, and venues, leaves little to no time for taking calls that are not directly related to the task in hand — even the best in the business struggle with keeping up with their schedule and to-do lists.

On top of that, clients who are looking to hire an event planner want to see fast responsiveness and dedication from the get-go. This is expected since they are looking for someone to organize one of the most important days in their lives. However, if new clients call you at a bad moment, you probably won’t be able to give them the attention they need.

By hiring us to handle your incoming calls, you’ll get a trained and dedicated team giving out valuable information regarding the prices and services you offer, qualifying leads, and making sure the most important calls reach you. That leaves more than enough time for you to handle current clients and deliver a service that is nothing short of excellent.

Funeral Homes

Working in a personal and sensitive industry first and foremost requires a sense of compassion, followed by flawless organizational skills and attention to detail.

Losing a loved one can be devastating, but making funeral arrangements needs to be done as quickly as possible. Someone who is grieving wants to get a real person on the other end of the phone line once they decide to make the call. They do not want to be greeted by a voicemail, but in truth, they often are.

This is understandable due to funeral homes being busy handling all the arrangements, so it’s only normal that sometimes there are no staff members available to answer the call.

However, if you want to improve your business and demonstrate compassion to every single one of your clients, from the first call until the end of the funeral service, then you’ll want to hire AnswerHero™ as your personal answering service. Our dedicated team is full of understanding and that is just what your clients need in a time of anguish.

Direct Sales

Being successful in the field of direct sales requires knowledge of exceptional sales techniques, in-depth understanding of the market, unique selling proposition and, most importantly, true dedication. You have undoubtedly mastered all of these requirements, but even you can’t be in two places at the same time.

Let AnswerHero™ help you out by matching you with equally talented individuals who excel in sales. While you pitch your newest product, we’ll handle all the order entries and order management, streamlining your business and turning it into a well-oiled machine.

Do your products go beyond borders and time zones? Don’t worry, our team is available around the clock, seven days a week. With AnswerHero™ handling inbound calls, growing your business is a breeze. Our agents are sale experts with record conversion rates, and that’s why every call is a potential closed deal for you. Find out how we can help you climb to the top, today.

Owning a cleaning business means you are very familiar with what hard work means. It requires mental fortitude, physical endurance, attention to detail, and dedication. Nevertheless, competition is high, but customers are scarce.

In order to stand out, you need to up the stakes in terms of customer service, but that is easier said than done. Most of your working hours are spent working on-site or restocking your cleaning supplies, leaving no time to focus on the customer service aspect of your business.

AnswerHero™ can help you in that department and give you an edge over your competitors. Our dedicated team is available 24/7, talking to your clientele and giving out relevant information about your business.

Potential customers quickly become new business opportunities with our dedicated team handling inbound calls. On top of that, our agents are fluent in English and Spanish, both written and spoken. This makes attracting a broader clientele that much easier.

Building Contractors

As a building contractor, you rarely spend more than 30 minutes in the office. The nature of your work requires your presence on-site for the better part of the working day. Overseeing job sites, calculating costs, and making sure everything is on schedule while also taking phone calls is just asking for a disaster to happen.

By making AnswerHero™ a part of your team, you will transfer a vital part of your job to a group of experts who will handle your calls professionally and reliably. In turn, you will be able to focus on everything you are best at, without additional distractions. If your goal is to cater to a larger audience, you’ll be happy to know that all of our agents are bilingual and fluent in both English and Spanish.

Let us be the building blocks of your business, and together we will create something worthy of admiration.

People imagine blogging as a laid back, stress-free job, that can hardly be called a job in the first place. This can’t be further from the truth as bloggers have so much on their plate that even multi-tasking wizards have a hard time keeping up with their daily to-do list. However, there is a way to alleviate some of the stress that comes with the job.

By hiring our virtual receptionist services, you can count on us to take care of the more mundane tasks while you focus on what’s most important – creating engaging and well-structured content. With AnswerHero™ taking the load off your shoulders, your creativity will be unchained, and you’ll be producing articles like never before.

We’ll handle your messages and help you build long-lasting relationships with your clients. Contact us today, to find out how we can help you build your name and your brand.

Clients have this notion that a photographer’s work is done once the photoshoot has ended. They have no idea what happens behind the scenes and how much time and dedication is needed for post-processing. Going through and editing all those photos requires your undivided attention, but that’s not always possible. E-mails from new and potential clients, phone calls, messages, can all affect your focus, making you less efficient at what you do.

Here at AnswerHero™, we understand how much work goes into producing high-quality work, and that’s why we offer photographers specialized plans that can help them focus on their craft. By hiring us as your virtual receptionist, you’ll be making the right decision today to be better in what you do tomorrow.

Find out how we can help you grow your clientele base through tried and true methods. Together, we will create an image worthy of admiration.


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No Audio Device installed

No Audio Device sound, video game controllers TAB in device manager...Holla at me! a month ago i installed an updated service pack from windows. I was was watching a youtube clip and all of a sudden the sound went off. And yes I have the dreaded X on the bottom right corner of my speaker icon That says "NO AUDIO OUTPUT DEVICE INSTALLED. I have been researching everyday since that day and have tried everything that people said worked for them. So far nothing has worked.

Tried everything from going into device manager..which btw I do not have the tab that says "Sound, Video, And Game Controllers"
Tried using the restore system...nothing..actually made my computer slower i think
Tried Windows Live assistant help...he didn't do anything except told me to restore the system.
Tried the whole BIOS approach, but i'm not that smart with a computer so I didn't really do anything.

You get the idea....any help would be great...thanks

In BIOS you should make sure On-Board Sound is enabled (unless you have an add in sound card - see
System maker). If on-board sound has gone bad then you can disable it in the BIOS and add in a sound
card. Sound cards as good as on-board sound or better are not expensive.

If add-in card maybe it is not seated properly - remove all power to system and remove and replace the
card. If the card is bad you can replace inexpensively.

They also sell USB sound card replacements.

In Device Manager - click in blank/white area - then VIEW - Show Hidden Devices - look every where
for Sound Device and if found right Click on and UNINSTALL.

Then whether found or not - click ACTION - Scan for Hardware Changes.

If nothing is found you probably need a new sound device.

Control Panel - Device Manager - SOUNDS - look for HD Audio - Mine says RealTek High Definition Audio
(that is an example and yours may have an entirely different name/maker).

Write down description make and model - double click on it - drivers tab - write down version. Now
Click UPdate Drivers which may not do anything as MS is far behind certifying drivers. Then RIGHT
CLICK on it and UNINSTALL - REBOOT - this will rebuild the driver stack.

1st go to system maker's site and look for latest driver Download - SAVE - go to right click on and RUN AS ADMIN
(This is your fallback.) REBOOT after each driver installation.

NOTE : Sound drivers often rollback so check the version after installation and the reboot to see if the
version you installed is there, if not repeat the install - reboot until it is. It can take several tries depending
on how many rollbacks it does.

Then do same for Device Maker's site.

Manually look at manufacturer's sites for drivers - and Device Maker's sites.

How to Install a Device Driver in Vista Device Manager

Error “the Audio Service Is Not Running” When Opening the Volume Mixer in Vista

Also Right Click Speaker near clock - Playback Devices - right click in the box area - check
Show disable and disconnected devices. Highlight speaker and on the lower Right click Properties
check settings for Device Usage enabled and so on. Also do same for Configure on Lower Left of
that box.

In Control Panel you can also look for an Audio Manager along with the Sound Settings.

Problems with sound and audio or no sound - a Mr Fixit

Tips for fixing common sound problems

Speakers and other audio output devices

How to Enable Hidden Audio Devices in Vista

How to troubleshoot sound problems that you experience after you install a Windows Vista Service Pack

Hope this helps.

Rob - Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.
Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP - Windows Insider MVP 2016 - current
Microsoft MVP Windows and Devices for IT 2009 - 2020

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Last updated August 4, 2020 Views 199,889 Applies to: