“Waft” is on the list, too.
Monthly Archives: September 2007
Another Banned Word
Back in February, I suggested it was time to start removing words from the English language. Words such as “slacks”, words that nobody uses in real life but still take up valuable real estate in dictionaries.
My next addition? Whiff.
Setting aside the negative association with foul smells, I don’t like saying the word – it’s just too airy, with the “wh” at the beginning and two f’s at the end. One f would have been fine. Two f’s mean your front teeth rest on your lower lip for a little too long (unless the word is “waffle”, in which case the anticipation of syrupy goodness makes up for the double consonant).
I first noticed my disdain for the word a week ago when I came across it in a movie review. Huh, I thought, that’s a weird word to include in a review. A couple of days later, my boss used it twice in four hours, and I winced both times. Later that night, I found it in a New York Times Magazine article and nearly screamed in frustration. It was a veritable whiffapalooza.
So, whiff is on the banned list. I’m sure the guy that runs this website will very disappointed.
The New Job
As my four loyal readers already know, I recently changed jobs. So, after three weeks in the new post, what do I think of my new position?
It’s different.
When I worked in the Music Department, I was part of a pretty big team. I interacted with about 15 to 20 colleagues on a daily basis, and I had 60+musicians that I saw pretty regularly. Now I’m part of a team of two, so it’s a very different dynamic.
It was pretty clear on the first day that I have a lot of learning to do about a lot of things. My first meeting was with a theatre company, and I was completely out of my element discussing regional theatre companies and Canadian playwrights. A few days later we met with an art gallery, and again I hadn’t heard of any of the galleries, curators, or artists (aside from Emily Carr). It is a daunting task to become familiar with such a wide range of disciplines and artists, but I think it will ultimately be very rewarding.
I have a much nicer office, with real furniture, seating for guests, and a window. Don’t get excited – the window looks onto another office, and I can only see through it if I stand on my chair. Still, it’s a significant improvement over my previous hovel.
I haven’t forgotten my orchestra roots entirely. I’m still keenly interested in the business, and I’ve been keeping up with most of the industry news – four new Concertmasters in Seattle, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony hired a new General Manager, new contracts for Chicago and Philadelphia, etc. I haven’t gone to an orchestra concert yet, but it’s just the first week. I will probably go to one of the Beethoven festival concerts this week, and I’ll be at the big gala concert on Saturday.
I’m happy with my decision, and the first few weeks have only reinforced for me that the new role will help me develop a whole new set of skills. I will probably end up back with an orchestra someday, but in the meantime I’m looking forward to booking punk bands and string quartets.
The Video Release
A couple of months ago I wrote about the orchestra doing the “Believe” video with Suzie McNeil. Well, the video is ready, and you can view it here.
I may be a little biased, but I think it looks great. The orchestra looks really good, and I’m a sucker for the patriotic clips. Now, head on over there, download your own copy for just $.99 and support our athletes, dammit.
Christmas Follow-up
It looks like the Ottawa Citizen reads my blog. They ran this article about Christmas and Costco mere days after my post on the same subject.
It turns out some people really do buy Christmas trees in July. For some reason, I picture these same people with homes full of cats, racks of collectible spoons, and a K car in the driveway.
