F--- THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.













(well....the majors anyway)

Been a few days, had a few things going on. I'm out of the management industry for the moment, been focusing on things that pay the bills, and things that matter. Quick run down:

--Been working hard at SOL and XTR Live. Trying some new things here and there, coming up with ideas for expansion into the mobile world, and trying to raise boo-koos of money.

--Working for my dad and the newly christened iBelieve Media. Working on The Remonstrance, The Church Is Dead release promo, the single-mom's network, and tons of production to pay for it all.

--Trying to get out of debt quickly so we can start saving for our future.

--been thinking more and more about music making, songwriting, and writing in general.

--been in pain with my messed up cocyx.

So yea...a lot's been going on. I've been enjoying my life though, as busy as it is. I love my wife more and more everyday, and I enjoy learning more and more about her as time goes on in our marriage. She's my light, my world, and my life. I hope that, as time goes on, we can stay like this, never just "get used to each other" like so many couples do, and use what we have learned to better other's lives and marriages. :)

Lofty goals and dreams, but hey...when have we ever known me to aim low? ;)

I guess that's it for now. Who knows what'll pop out of me next time. :)

Reading:
blogs
tech sites
a lot more when the iPad is in my hands

Listening to:
Linkin Park
FFXIII soundtrack
Portishead
new Deftones

Watching:
Winter Olympics
LOST
Various Redboxes

Second one in a day...wow..this has to be a record for me. Although...I don't think these posts count, as they aren't directly about my life. But...I'm going with it anyway.

I need to vent. It's been about a month or so since the iPad was announced. It's released next month. I really am sick and freakin tired of people moaning and b----ing about how "Apple didn't consult them on the design/use/OS/what-have-you" about this device. I just kills me that people can be so close minded about stupid things like this.

The iPad is a device that, through a couple generations, change the way computing is done for a lot of businesses and individuals. Think about it: lawyers, doctors, foremen, executives, students, grandparents....everyone can use this thing to their advantage. And when they start making touch-centric apps of the regular software (Aperture, Logic, Final Cut, etc...) this thing will be a beast of a production machine. Just imagine all the possibilities a touch screen brings to certain apps that we use everyday in our different business fields.

Then....imagine all the people of the older generation, most computer illiterate.this thing is so simple and easy to use, even my grandmother can use it to do what she needs too (keep up with the family across the country, check email, buy tickets, check gas prices, etc...). The lists and possibilities are endless.

Yes: they should have added a camera. Yes: they should have tweaked the OS a bit more (ai kan haz OSX?).There are a lot fo things they should/could have done.

But one thing Apple and Jobs didn't do was compromise the integrity and quality of the company. They have pushed out a quality product, and will (for the sake of more profit) push out subsequent generations that will blow everything else out of the water and provide us all with (pardon the terribly cliched pun) science fact.

Rant done. Sorry.

I'm going to bed.

Soo...just read the "controversial" John Mayer interview with Playboy. He said things int he interview that are not so much controversial as they are true. And THAT, I think, is what makes them controversial. The "N-word" isn't a big deal anymore. Black people use it. My friends have said it. It's SOCIETY that says it's a bad word, and you should be crucified if you use it.

So what: the guy is 32, a multi-platinum selling artist, not a Christian, likes to sleep with chicks, masturbate, and be insane. At least he's not fake. You know when he opens his mouth, he's telling the truth. I don't excuse any of the things he does, just like I don't make excuses for the things I do anymore. If John Mayer so chooses (and I hope he does, for his own sake), God will forgive him completely, just as He has done with me.

But until he gets to that point, I will continue to like his music and agree with how he feels towards certain things. Because the man is true, and there is a severe lack of truth in this world.

Here's the article (ignore the ads and stuff. It's NSFW in graphical layout. lol)
http://www.playboy.com/articles/john-mayer-playboy-interview/index.html?page=2

I'm gonna try my hand at writing again. Let's see how it goes:

The soft glow of electric sex in the window, flashes of neon making the precipitation red and blue in the cool night air under the dome. Her large doe eyes glistened in the night, the gentle ministrations against her body, movements almost surgical, her soft flesh being divided by the trembling touch of her companion.

June bowed over her, his eyes searching hungrily for some form of emotion, something to keep his mind sane, his hands steady, his concentration fierce and precise. This was more than a game to him; something drove these desires, a searing longing in his soul, something that nagged at the back of his mind all day, all night.

Curse this woman. She fed his burning passion.

She lay there underneath him, calling his name, gasping for breath over and over as he worked his magic. They both knew this would be the last time they would encounter each other; something this beautiful could never last longer than an evening. An act that was all too common in this side of the Bay.

The eastern side of the Dome was plagued by these sorts of rituals. The Tokyo Harbor Bay separated those who knew better from those who needed to survive. Right now, survival was all that mattered. To this nameless woman laying beneath him, it was the height of her career: a final performance punctuated by the most incredible highs she had ever experienced. To June...it was another in a long list of rights and wrongs in his life. This was not the first time, and would certainly not be the last in his young life. His experience in this field was too good, his burning desire to great, for him to quit now.

As June dragged the blade across her throat, the faceless woman let out her final gasp. He watched as her blood-soaked body went limp beneath him, her eyes slowly going slack, her lips slightly parting, the last breath she would ever exhale floating out into the night air.

June stood and admired his handiwork, wiping his hands on his blood-splattered shirt. His job here was done. He checked his watch; Taro would be expecting him in an hour. Just enough time to change his suit and make it across the Dome. He pulled a cigarette from the solid gold case hidden in the left breast pocket of his tainted shirt, shuffling under the apron for his lighter. June exhaled cancerous vapor out the open window, where it became red in the cool night air. Just enough time.

But first...to finish his business.

He took another drag.

Whew...that felt good. I didn't intend to release a new segment of my on-going story (The Samurai....ask and you shall receive. lol), but then again...we always do thing we never intend too.

Oh well...lemme know what you think. :) I'm all about some constructive criticism.

This was posted by Timmy from Underoath a few years ago. Going through the ole blog I saw it and thought it was still relevant today. So...read on, and discussion is more than welcome.



Nov 24, 2006 - Who is a true Christian? - Timmy

It seems no matter what is said, or done on this website I see and hear of people wondering/speculating/ judging who is a christian and who isn't. I honestly don't even want to give this subject anymore of a spotlight but i feel like a lot of you are wondering who Underoath is, and who I am , and who we are as people and Christians, and how that applies to our lives. I feel a true Christian is someone who loves other people before themselves and loves God with everything. My goal in life isn't to go through life never drinking a beer, or not saying certain words...it's loving people and learning how to be a positive influence in people's lives. If you're looking at us to fit the squeaky clean mold that the Christian right has set before us as the status quo, I think it's time for you to sign off of this website for good. We are real dudes with real problems. If you want perfect people then you are always going to be disappointed..if you want to feel like you're a perfect person and are surrounded by perfect people, then go into %90 of the churches that exist in our country where sexual addiction doesn't exist, or drug use doesn't exist, or drinking doesn't exist....I have news for you....the only time that stuff doesn't exist is for 45 minutes on Sunday morning. NOBODY is perfect, and no one ever will be...if you think someone is your being lied to or you're lying to yourself. There's nothing wrong with someone drinking, or listening to whatever they want, or wearing whatever they want. I'd rather have a few beers with my friends and get real with them on issues and struggles rather than fake perfection and never really get anywhere with anyone. I care about poverty, the environment, homeless people, my friends lives, my girlfriend's heart and life, my family, social injustices.....so on and so forth. I am not concerned about who drank what, and who smokes, or who said ass the other night. We are not twelve years old...it's time to stop acting like we are. Look past the five steps of being a good Christian that your youth leader told you and start getting real. There's people that are killing themselves right now because nobody talks about problems. People feel like they are alone in struggles because nobody is willing to admit their own flaws. Everyone gets trapped in this social prison and in turn are pushed further and further down until they are helpless. I drink with my friends, I mess up with my girlfriend, my mouth isn't the cleanest thing in the world, homosexual people don't offend me, I don't agree with George Bush and the war we are in....and the list goes on. I feel like this journal entry is so elementary, but i feel like this issue needs to be dealt with. Until we're ok with not being ok, we're never going to get anywhere. I'm as messed up as anyone that is reading this, if not more. The only thing I know is that anything of any real value or worth in my life is not of my own accord but Christ in me. Jesus ate 'unclean' meet, drank wine with his friends, hung out with people that didn't fit the contemporary christian molds of old, and he got heat for it..but it was the right thing to do..the real thing to do. There was only one true Christian and that was Jesus. He cared about the homeless, the widow, and the orphans more than fitting into the Christian box..so that's what i will do. I'm sure there will be post after post of outraged 'christians' who are burning their UO cd's and furious because this isn't what they wanted to hear. I have a hard time loving those people, but I'm trying. Usually when I see those posts I laugh and joke with my friends about how stupid people can be, and for that I'm sorry, but this time I wanted to be transparent in hopes that some clarity and headway could be made on these topics. If not I guess there will be an extreme surge of Underoath cd's in the local record shop's used bin...so if you don't have a lot of money and want any of our records then wait about a week after this is posted and hit up the cd shops...you're bound to find what you're looking for. I love you all...and I almost forgot...Happy Thanksgiving!!! By the way...Aaron is going to be doing an Almost tour in January and all of you guys should go out and see him...check his site for more details!!!! I love you all...even you.

Almost a whole year eh? I normally will go back and read my past, just to get familiar. I'm wingin it this time.

So...I think last time I didn't have a job, life sucked bawls, and everything was just generally terrible in my mind. Well...I got a job, a new client, put management semi-aside, and life seems to be getting better, but alas....mentality leaves a little to be desired.

I'm told it's called "Toxic Shame". To me it's known as "Normality". My normal mindset, punctuated by stress, isn't so bad to me, but to others it apparently sucks. I guess I just can't tell the difference.

I think I'm having my "quarter-life crisis" early. I've been highly nostalgic lately, looking bad at the bad times and picking the good out of it all (awesome music, seeing The Matrix trilogy finished, hangin with Chi, Lee-loo, and the gang, driving the Trooper, my first iPod, etc..). I donno what my deal has been lately.

It's been really difficult to get up and face the day lately. Mainly because I know I will come up with all these great things, and never touch them once they exit my brainspace. My writing ideas are fantastic, but alas...I don't do anything about it. In a way...this is almost worse than I was circa age 17/18- at least I wrote then. Now..I don't even have the energy to do that.

Which sucks...

Oh well...maybe one day soon this will all pass and I can get back to what I like and enjoy.

Listening to-
Project 86
AFI
Bullet for My Valentine
Vinyl Fantasy 7
A slew of Anime soundtracks

Reading-
Under the Dome - Stephen King

It's been awhile, but these words sum it all up for me. Pick up their new(ish) DVD. Tis amazin stuffs.

I stand on the cliffs with my son next to me
This island our prison, our home
And everyday we look out at the sea
This place is all he's ever known

"But I've got a plan," He sung
Wax and some string, some feathers I stole from a bird
We leap from the cliff and we hear the wind sing a song thats too perfect for words

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know your the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea

Now safely away, I let out a cry
"We'll make the mainland by noon"
But Icarus climbs higher still in the sky
Maybe I've spoken too soon

But son, please keep a steady wing
And know your the only one that means anything to me
Steer clear of the sun, or you'll find yourself in the sea
Wont you look at your wings
They're coming undone
They're splitting at the seams
Steer clear of the sun, for once wont you listen to me?

Oh God!
Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings
Oh God!
Why is this happening to me?
All I wanted was new life for my son to grow up free
And now you took the only thing that meant anything to me
I'll never fly again, I'll hang up my wings
Oh God!

i dove my juwaff.

dove,
OTTERS.

Sooo...Obama took over the office today. This isn't as bad as it seems though. He may not be the best guy for the job (in my opinion...), but hey. God's got it all goin good.:)

Just check out 1 Peter 2 and 1 Timothy 2 for what God commands us to do with human authority. It's pretty cool.

In other news, I need a job. Anything is better than my Borders job I start tomorrow. So anything in the music world or radio world that will pay $2000 or more a month, please let me know. It would pimp.

Love you all. Peace!

--geof.--

ai kan haz basset puppy?

yez ai kanz!!! :)

tis december 2nd.

i love this month. more so now than ever. one word: wife. :)

christmas is almost here, as i have been updating my itunes playlist with new music. nsync, amy grant, bing crosby, miscellaneous punk/alternative tracks.

nothing beats my chemical romance singing "all i want for christmas is you". and ABR. oh man.

got all the video games hooked up. and i'm borrowing EVA from a friend.

I know this all sounds so boring to most of you, but:

life is good. God is great. bills suck. wife is amazingly beautiful and i love her so very much. lapkitty roxers my boxers (blast from the past...wow).

MERRY 24 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!!!

--fin.--