HM Magazine Intern Diary: 7.22.09

Looks like we’ll need more time to finish this issue so Friday won’t be the last day to work on it. Bummer.

I worked at Doug’s house today since he needed to be home for his wife, and it also helps seeing as I’ve blown up the internet at the Ranch twice this week. I spent most of the day tracking down and editing album covers for all the CDs we’re reviewing in this issue, minus a couple. I finished editing and laying out the Letters to the Editor section, and I’m proofreading all the copy in this issue.

It rained today for the first time in two months. I enjoy rain so I’ve been missing Miami and the daily rainstorm. Guess it won’t be long.

Work work work,
Corey Erb

“Poets are born, not paid.” – Addison Mizner

HM Magazine Intern Diary: 7.20.09

With all the writing out of the way, including five album reviews, one book review and one gadget review over the weekend, it’s on to layout and proofreading this week.

I also have to choose whether I want to go see August Burns Red and blessthefall in Austin next Wednesday with Kelly and Doug or if I want to try and go (by myself potentially since the others will see it when it comes to Austin after I leave) to see Emery, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Secret & Whisper, Kiros and others in San Antonio that same night. If I skip ABR/btf I can see that show August 4 outside of St. Louis, but I wouldn’t be able to make another date of the Emery tour. Decisions. Don’t think I can go wrong either way though.

It’s more likely that Kelly and I are going to Scream The Prayer Tour in San Antonio on Friday, so at least I’ll get to see that show.

I think I’m going to see how much driving and how many shows I can cram into that week and a half without going insane. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Wish I had more to say,
Corey Erb

“Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.” – T. S. Eliot

HM Magazine Intern Diary: 7.17.09

One week till deadline.

Finishing up my second batch of album reviews today. Castanets and Between the Trees were the easiest since I’d listened to each CD already, and I’m finishing Skillet and Hawk Nelson once I listen to them each another time. I’ll probably review The Glorious Unseen’s new CD on Sunday after I finish my gadget and book reviews. If so, that’ll make eight album reviews I did for this issue. So much for variety of opinion. I apologize in advance.

I filed a bunch of subscription cards while I was listening to music, and I came across one from my girlfriend’s relatively small birth town and one from a guy who lives on the same street as one of my good friends from home. No Rich Husbands today, though. Just thought you wanted to know that.

It’s been quiet around here with Doug gone so I’ve been quiet too, sorry. It’ll be down to the wire next week so I better get back to work.

Happy Birthday America,
Corey Erb

“Find a need and fill it.” – Ruth Stafford Peale

HM Magazine Intern Diary: 7.9.09

Ugh! When it’s not spiders, it’s skunks, and while it’s still skunks it’s ants! My girlfriend thoughtfully sent me the ingredients to make that dirt/mud dessert, which was an old favorite in grade school, and I just yesterday got around to making it. But tonight after an otherwise productive day, I opened the cabinet to find a bunch of ants carrying off the bag of Oreos she crushed to make the dirt part.

So instead of the hot food I was looking forward to, I’m sitting here reluctantly eating my peanut butter sandwich and dried fruit because that’s the only “meal” I could throw together since I have yet to check to see how much of my other food is salvageable. Wonderful.

The Ranch smells a bit less like skunk today, though there are definitely still areas where the smell is uncomfortable. I just hope the skunk isn’t living anywhere under the house.

Other than all that mess, today was somewhat productive. I finished transcribing the Showbread interview finally, but I have a lot of work ahead of me since the notes and transcription are 13,830 words combined and I have to whittle it down into a 1,200-word feature. But I guess that’ll leave some interesting stuff to be posted online as a full Q & A.

I spent a good amount of time determining which album reviews have been turned in, assigning anything that hasn’t been reviewed and inquiring with any delinquent writers on the whereabouts of their reviews. I guess I should count myself with the delinquents since I have three new reviews to get done ASAP. One of the reviews is Skillet’s Awake, which came in this package for me the other day:

I’m not a PR major, nor should I be, but I don’t understand why they’d pay $7.10 to send a can of Rockstar with the CD. I could understand if Skillet was on the can, or at least if they went the ghetto route and slapped a Skillet sticker on the side. But to just randomly spend the extra $5 per kit to send an energy drink along with the review CD? Maybe they think jittery reviewers give more positive reviews. Don’t think I’ll try it, 280 calories of sugar would put me in a coma. I don’t think I’m very articulate or nice when I’m passed out.

Tonight, I’m going to try and forget my urge to go hunt down and murder every last ant in a 5-mile radius and watch the movie Lord Save Us From Your Followers while picking out pictures to post from Warped Tour. Probably not a smart idea since I could use some reassuring and I’m way frustrated with photo editing, but I’ll let you know how it goes.

Not not counting the days until I leave this deathtrap,
Corey Erb

“Treat the other man’s faith gently; it is all he has to believe with. His mind was created for his own thoughts, not yours or mine.” – Henry S. Haskins

HM Magazine Intern Diary: 6.15.09

Another Monday come and gone. I converted some of the new music I’ve been listening to and swishing around in my head into album reviews today, since I’m still trying to set up interviews for most, if not all of my features. I’m still feeling like I don’t have much done four days from deadline, but pieces are starting to come together and I’m doing what I can so I guess I need to be patient.

Uh oh, I just found out the other intern is coming in tomorrow! I better clean up my act! (And my office, and the kitchen, and my room, and my vocabula… well maybe not that last one.) Nah, should be fun having another crazy person around here to keep Doug and me in check. If she happens to be sane, well, I think we can do away with that in quick fashion. (If she reads this I’m in trouble, huh? Oh well.)

Speaking of things I need to clean up, my car is in serious need of a bath from being in the country for far too long:

Seeing as I’m poor, I resigned myself to at least start by replacing the windshield washer fluid, which had been empty. I figure when it’s difficult to see around all the smashed bugs on your windshield, it’s probably time to man up and go get a bottle of the stuff. Here’s what I was looking through:

(The streaks on the left side are from our cat Spot trying to climb up and sit on the sunroof, for some reason. Guess it took him a couple tries, eh?)

Though I failed anyway and bought a brand of washer fluid that needs to be mixed with regular washer fluid so I’ll have to make another trip to the store soon. Oh well, maybe I’ll grab a bucket and sponge while I’m there to help my poor friend out:

As long as I remember to move it into the driveway before I mess with it – when I was standing in the grass opening the hood, I got bit by a fire ant on my foot and the bottom of my toe! Who bites a toe? That should be illegal even in bug kingdom! Never mind the fact I may have been planning on using that foot to end his short life…

Well, I’ve got tidying to do!
Corey Erb

“Make me new again / So I can be clear and conscious of what I’m doing wrong / I want to be whole / I want to know more than I should.” – from “Clear and Conscious” by Name Taken