Unusual Or Strange Occupations.

[canucklehead]

I did some modeling which lead to some light gigolo work. That was interesting. Kind of humorous at times too.

I think I've mentioned this before, but a guy i worked with at a pizza restaurant when i was a kid was a gigolo on the side. He was a very large Newfoundlander, he looked like Bubbles from the Trailer Park Boys only 6'6" tall, ginger, and hairy. He said that 95% of the time he never ended up doing anything remotely sexual, it was mostly middle aged women paying him quite well to just sit there and listen to them talk for a couple hours.

 

[anotherbob]

"I did some modeling which lead to some light gigolo work"

Pictures or it didn't happen chum ?

Regards,

Jay.?

they're out there somewhere. And a few paintings too. No idea how to find them.

 

[jhowell]

I met 2 different guys at my church. One traveled the world repairing stained glass windows. The other did the same repairing and restoring pipe organs.

The last 10 years of my career, I actually got paid to talk as many women into bed as I could. (I sold mattresses...)

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I once repossessed used furniture for a rental store.. I swear, It could have had a cheesy reality show.

 

[musicman]

I met 2 different guys at my church. One traveled the world repairing stained glass windows. The other did the same repairing and restoring pipe organs.

The last 10 years of my career, I actually got paid to talk as many women into bed as I could. (I sold mattresses...)

I play those pipe organs that the guy was restoring, and people actually pay me to do it. Not sure if that's too unusual, as there's at least one other organist on this forum, although this is the first forum (and indeed, non-musical social scene) that I've been a part of that had another organist as a member.

 

[wyfbane]

Strangest job I ever had: I modelled nude for my university art department. It paid almost $9/ hour and minimum wage was $4.25. And I was asked out by cute art girls. But had to say no for fear of dying to my even cuter non-artsy girlfriend. ha ha.

 

[anotherbob]

Strangest job I ever had: I modelled nude for my university art department. It paid almost $9/ hour and minimum wage was $4.25. And I was asked out by cute art girls. But had to say no for fear of dying to my even cuter non-artsy girlfriend. ha ha.

I was single when I did the art class thing. Great perks.

 

[workman]

There are some carpenters who follow an old tradition and walk from town to town, working for a while in one place and then moving on.
Back in the day this was considered necessary in order to get a broad knowledge of the craft.
They are skilled at working on medieval buildings of which there are plenty all over Europe. They wear some ancient fashion with knickers and vests, lace shirts and wide brimmed hats. We call them navari and they're a strange bunch, but very good craftsmen.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Somewhere on my family tree I recall having a father & son who were artificial limb makers in Nottingham. They worked as a team and I suspect were kept very busy during and after the first world war which was around the time they were in business.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[pappymac]

Does my side job in November and December every year count?

 

[jhowell]

I play those pipe organs that the guy was restoring, and people actually pay me to do it. Not sure if that's too unusual, as there's at least one other organist on this forum, although this is the first forum (and indeed, non-musical social scene) that I've been a part of that had another organist as a member.

Ever played a tracker mechanism...

 

[bullet08]

My first job was at 12 assembling New York Times Sunday edition 4 in the morning. I still don't like touching newspapers.

 

[musicman]

Ever played a tracker mechanism...

Yes, many many times. Generally, I prefer mechanical action, as I feel more in touch with the instrument. My previous position had a wonderful tracker that I still sorely miss playing. These days I principally play an electro-pneumatic though. There is exactly one nice tracker in Tucson, unfortunately. Not enough, in my opinion.

 

[jhowell]

Yes, many many times. Generally, I prefer mechanical action, as I feel more in touch with the instrument. My previous position had a wonderful tracker that I still sorely miss playing. These days I principally play an electro-pneumatic though. There is exactly one nice tracker in Tucson, unfortunately. Not enough, in my opinion.

Actually saw an old Rufatti (sp) in Spain with a tracker mechanism that ran 4 sets of pipes at each end of the cathedral. The first Presbyterian Church in Galveston has a tracker that was converted to electrical-mechanical and then back to tracker...

Ever play one with bombast pipes?

 

[ashdigger]

I’m a fire investigator. Every day is unusual, strange and surreal.

 

[musicman]

Actually saw an old Rufatti (sp) in Spain with a tracker mechanism that ran 4 sets of pipes at each end of the cathedral. The first Presbyterian Church in Galveston has a tracker that was converted to electrical-mechanical and then back to tracker...

Ever play one with bombast pipes?

Ruffatti makes very fine instruments indeed.

As for bombast pipes, I'm not sure what you mean. There is something called a "Bombarde," which refers to a big, loud chorus reed that usually speaks at the 8' or 16' pitch. Some organs also have horizontal reed pipes, which we call "En Chamade." These pipes are usually the loudest reed stop on their respective instruments, and appear as horizontal pipes jutting out the front of the casework. My previous position had a wonderful Spanish Trumpet stop that was En Chamade. The pipes were about 10 ft directly above my head, and using ear plugs helped when using that stop!

 

[3rdguy]

How about embalmers to mortician offices,,,

We have a funeral home here in town....the funeral home portion is the lower level and the family lives upstairs.
How many locks would you have to put on THAT basement door? Imagine hearing a sound....any sound from down there at 2am...screw that! The fact that his wife signed off on that set up makes me more scared.

 

[jhowell]

Ruffatti makes very fine instruments indeed.

As for bombast pipes, I'm not sure what you mean. There is something called a "Bombarde," which refers to a big, loud chorus reed that usually speaks at the 8' or 16' pitch. Some organs also have horizontal reed pipes, which we call "En Chamade." These pipes are usually the loudest reed stop on their respective instruments, and appear as horizontal pipes jutting out the front of the casework. My previous position had a wonderful Spanish Trumpet stop that was En Chamade. The pipes were about 10 ft directly above my head, and using ear plugs helped when using that stop!

16, 32, 64, 128 foot pipes going down to 8 Hz...

 

[musicman]

16, 32, 64, 128 foot pipes going down to 8 Hz...

Well, most organs have 16' pipes, which speak at 64 hz at low C. It's one of the standard sizes. Larger instruments will have 32' pipes, which speak at 32 hz (the organ I play at my current position has two electronic 32 foot stops). There are exactly two organs in the world with 64' pipes, which speak at 16 hz. One is the Boardwalk organ in Atlantic City and the other is in Australia in the Sydney Town Hall. While one could theoretically build a 128' pipe, it would be cost prohibitive and it's lower than the human ear is able to hear. Our ears will only go down to about 20 hz.

 

[jhowell]

Well, most organs have 16' pipes, which speak at 64 hz at low C. It's one of the standard sizes. Larger instruments will have 32' pipes, which speak at 32 hz (the organ I play at my current position has two electronic 32 foot stops). There are exactly two organs in the world with 64' pipes, which speak at 16 hz. One is the Boardwalk organ in Atlantic City and the other is in Australia in the Sydney Town Hall. While one could theoretically build a 128' pipe, it would be cost prohibitive and it's lower than the human ear is able to hear. Our ears will only go down to about 20 hz.

But you would sure feel it! The final cannon (actually was a mortar) shot on TELARC's direct to disk "1812 Overture" was 8 Hz... and there was only one phono cartridge that could track it (Audio-Technica (TM))