So it's someone elses fault

This article caught my eye as I was checking my email.

" President Bush, on a campaign to open offshore waters to oil drilling, said Wednesday that the Democratic-run Congress was letting down the American people by refusing to allow votes on the matter."

I guess I'm not part of the "American people" since I'm not let down about the vote not happening yet. The president should stop assuming he knows how I feel. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a complete picture.

"'The American people are rightly frustrated by the failure of the Democratic leaders in Congress to enact commonsense solutions,' the president said."

This statement is hilarious. It implies that the blame for high fuel costs is now the fault of Democratic leaders since they can't fix the problem by snapping their fingers (or better yet, counting a show of hands on who wants to draw oil from off-shore wells ten years from now.)

The solution to this puzzle isn't as easy as casting a vote and then letting oil companies dive on in. It seems that the President (and many others in certain political camps) thinks it is... but he's one of those oil men himself (if not a very good one.)

Now, I'm not very confident in my political acumen, but it would seem to me that rather than listen to another word the president has to say about anything, the Democratic led congress should sit tight and wait until a new, less incompetent executive is elected (that may never happen, and if so, good.)

two long weeks

It be long time since I posted here. Busy. Went to Bloomington, Indiana for a weekend. Had a birthday last week. Being Semi-employed keeps me away from locations designed for onlinery.

I almost posted something last night but decided to take care of some small things around the house.

Word. Word is on the street.

Madison is going to seize an apartment building because it's owner doesn't give a damn if the renters sell drugs as a profession. Good for them.

And the homeless guy on the radio is drying out my brain with his theories.

Dear Photo Diary

I just finished the first pass mix of Believe.  It's an Effin' Masterpiece.  While I was bouncing the mix, I went and took a couple pictures around the rehearsal studios.

"Squalor Alley"

This is where Travis and I come to throw rocks while Joe and Danny smoke inside.  It's very reminiscent of the days when we jammed in the barn.  The best times were when we would grill turkey dogs.  We don't do that anymore.  'The alley' doesn't lend itself to grilling good times.

"The Magic Room"

If I had Photoshop on this thing or a way to network with my PC here, I would splice these two together.  Anyway.  The chair in front of the drum kit is where I've been sitting, with my Mac on the stool in front of me.  Notice the Leslie Hall autographed sticker.  That wasn't cheap.

"Mixing with Headphones!?"

I know, I know.  But like I've mentioned before, I don't have quality studio monitors and I'm not about to run out and buy some.  

"Future Ethanol"

I took this a few days ago.   I love the fact that I can still drive past fields on my way home.  If the economy hadn't taken a huge dump, I would only have given these fields three years before they were track homes on roids.  (Actually, these fields are testing new hybrids and their resilience to herbicides and pesticides.)

"4:30 A.M."

I have turned Wednesday nights into my new Saturday for some reason.  I think I'll remember this summer (if I remember it at all) as Wednesday Nights with Tom.  My friend Tom runs Karaoke on Wednesday and I usually show up right after he's done.  Then we drink and talk.  Last week, we went back to his place and listened to some of his songs from his Opera he's writing.  Then we watched the new Hairspray movie twice, followed by highlights from the second half of the Les Miserables concert DVD.  (He's kinda into musicals.)  I drove home as the sun was coming up.  

I think this is the only benefit of being semi-employed in summer.

I'm not a salesman

I've discovered my photobooth program.  Now I can document my mixing time with a photo of myself every fifteen minutes.

If I looks bored, it's probably because I am.  Mixing isn't usually done with headphones.  A nice set of studio monitors and a quite room are the ideal set up, but I'm working with what I got.  Only two songs left.  One of them I will have to return to the studio to pick up the tracks.  For some reason that folder didn't transfer with the rest.

Other than that, I've been going ridiculously crazy trying to solve "the next big step in the evolution of me".  I go to the rehearsal space (where I am right now)

 and sit and import a spindle

 of CDs into iTunes while drafting re-re resumes about how awesome I am and etc., etc., vomiting all over myself with negativity and disillusion.  I'm not a salesman.  Never have been, never will be.  If you asked me poi

nt

 blank if you should hire me in an interview I would respond, "There's probably someone more qualified in 

your pool of applicants, but you're getting predefined character if you choose me."

In the meantime, friends and others are tossing their ideas my way.  Most of it is nice to hear, but I'm always on the brink of loosening my tongue to give thems the what-fer bizzness of "keep yaw i-dee-yuhs to yaw-self"  (as C&C Music Factory kicks into gear.  It's just such an infectious groove, so smooth... I can't help but dance to it.)

that's what I call prime distraction.  What was I complaining about??? oh yeah... nothin'.

But I've "hatched" a new plan that requires some serious work in the next few weeks (right after I get the damn album finished).  The new job will be nothing more than a temporary endeavor while I put the pieces into place for the next big thing in fried pine booby dance tracks... or my life, what have you...

And AG what are you Muwaaah-ing about?

With high regard form heavy metal country

I used to listen to this album while driving 191 south to West Yellowstone through the park. Whenever a song off of it plays on my 'MONSTER JAMZ' playlist, all I can think about is winter elk at midnight with the full moon by the side of the road while I'm driving in my Hyundai Accent. Good memories of better, less responsible times.

I read this article a while back (in paper form when it originally ran) and the idea of a one man project has been simmering on the backburner ever since.

The reality of the situation with Where the i Divides is such to keep me locked walking in a circle while looking down at the ground. I feel like what I'm doing right now is enough to keep me moving (in a circle) but not quite enough to pull me out of that path.

So couple that article with recent acquisitions from bands such as Poster Children, Norfolk & Western and Three Mile Pilot and I'm left with my head pulled up and my eyes agazin' at the curved horzion of the earth.

Yesterday I finally figured out how to track guitars on my new computer. I'm guessing I'm going to be stuck working with drum loops for the time being. That's not a bad thing. If anything, I'm just not locked in by convential drum set rock drumming or the lack of punctuality of a real drummer. Auto-Trav is interested in bringing his signature bass sound to the mix and I've got a second guitar player willing to give it a try as well.

Once the Where the i Divides album is completed (four songs left), I'll have some time to devote to crafting some "instant hits". And then Joe can spend all of his time doing whatever it is he does best (read: PROCRASTINATE) and it won't bother me as much since I will have one iron in the fire (read: Solo Project) and a side project with my friends (read: Where the i Divides).

All that's left is figuring out a career direction for the work-a-day real world version of myself that hates being semi-employed.