Week in Review

I can't say that I "hate" parties that involve "young people." Young people i.e. - 15 and younger.

I just strongly dislike them.

The future of our nation ladies and gentlemen. Scruffy hair, baggy clothes, crunk rap music and hard rock.

What... the... HELL happened? Am I getting old? Only 10 years have gone by since I was that age and man I feel like it's all gone to shit.

Music is by no means the same anymore. If it wasn't for Justin Timberlake - I would think all vocal creativity has gone down the drain. I understand in listening to the likes of "Louie, Louie" from the 1950's that vocal talent does not have to be #1 in every band... but when did it become acceptable to put every bad artist on a label to make a buck? For instance - for an old fogey like myself - I enjoy the occasional song from Fall Out Boy. Kids... LOVE these fuckers - you ever hear them live? They can't even sing the songs they wrote for themselves. Or my new favorite - the R&B singer that doesn't really sing - that digitized, then synthesized voice sings for him instead. Marvin Gaye was an R&B singer, no help needed.

I guess what I'm getting at is the real talent has got to be out there - but they just aren't marketable. Shiny things or messed up lives are marketable, drug problems or anti-war songs are marketable.

Prime example - Clay Aiken. Call me a fag all you want - that kid had more talent in his crappy hairdo then the entire current punk rock community had all together. He could sing so well chills would go down your spine. Did you know he sold over a million records? No... you wouldn't because he wasn't marketable - luckily people recognized the talent and bought is album.

Now its not all bad - TV networks these days are trying to interact with kids a lot more - getting them to express themselves and create their own style... some of it turns out pretty scruffy but still its their own - shows like Hanna Montana or High School Musical seem to be teaching decent lessons and integrating music... although not great music, better than the current pop craze...

But is it always a constant battle between cultures here in the USA? What a great nation that we have a melting pot of different races and cultures but yet one government made up of primarily of white males that are supposed to make decisions for us all. Does that then require an often rebellious air in the music business or the pop culture attitudes? I for one may or may not like "The System" or "The Man" and I have my own opinions about lifestyle and how the government should act... but rebellion is the norm in music... their subtle way of saying - I am no longer part of the system, I AM the man.

The kids love it. Excuse my tangent, but I don't remember listening to the rebellious music as a youngin. I loved the real stuff - The Beatles to Van Morrison, to Billy Joel to MJ's Billie Jean. The 80's crap I didn't get into until the 2000's... the 90's I never got into, except for maybe Dave Matthews Band, which I essentially played non-stop in my car my Junior and Senior year of High School - which, heh, ended in 2001.

So there ya go - Thanks Mom and Dad, I actually appreciate the music of your time and your parents time.

If it wasn't for Swing music and the Jitterbug - I wouldn't have gotten a girlfriend I sought after in high school. If it weren't for musicals of the 40's, 50's and 60's, I would have never found my small amount of singing and acting talent.

So am I to assume that now, if I grow out my hair - grow out my beard... where crappy clothing, paint my nails black and get a couple tattoo's and piercings that I'll be popular and sell records?

I never said anything about sounding good.

And that's the world we live in - Our dictator is "Indecency" and "Popular Media," the two pieces of the puzzle that have made our culture a nightmare.

We live in a world that if one person complains - the rest of the world has to comply. If it offends ONE person, we all have to suffer...

There's only one other place I remember that happening - the High School Football field. If one person screwed up, we all had to do laps - remember that shit? Is that what happened? We got some out of work high school football coach running the FCC?

You know in other countries they have topless women on regular broadcast TV? No one gives a rats ass. People - in some cultures its perfectly acceptable to walk around topless.. in broad daylight - without getting in trouble! Without getting paid for it either!

What I'm saying is that, the language, the accidental "wardrobe malfunctions," - are they really so bad? Seriously you think your perfect angel child doesn't know what a tit looks like? They were sucking on one the whole first couple months of their lives - they should be able to appreciate a good pair. You don't like it? Don't watch it! Don't allow your kids to watch it! Perhaps I never got into classic hip hop until recently because my parents wouldn't let me listen to it! But I'm fine with that! I like it now - but by no means did my parents complain to the FCC about it - people can do what they want!

Maybe that's my point. So these kids perhaps are telling us something. They're getting older at such a young age these days folks... developing and learning a lot quicker. This IS the future of our world - maybe it'll change - maybe they'll thank us for finally revolting against this restrictive - "republican dictatorship" that has caused such an uproar. Maybe their rebellion will make things better - more public.. open. Reality TV at its finest. God I hate some of these reality TV shows. And the worse - anything on MTV or VH1 - TRAIN WRECKS!! Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me? MTV used to be edgy, hip, beyond its time. Now it's My sweet 16 and Laguna Beach... I love too how they say that Laguna Beach is "real" - yeah... we'll believe that when my shit turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbet.

Enough rambling - to sum up this monologue, Kids these days are listening to absolute crap. Such crap that it might actually make a difference in this world - people may wake up and realize that we can't be run by the government - we should have been running ourselves the whole time. The government is there to guide us, and protect us, but stay out of the way. Jump in when there's a problem, but otherwise let the players play.

Saturday I had an amazing event - coulda asked for some more dancing but the crowd was a lot of fun regardless.

And that brings me to my next issue - Time.

I'm out of it.

I've been trying for a year now to publish a new Mix - now 2 new mixes... have not found the time at all. It's been a mess. I need to update my website, myspace, this blog... update all my links and accomplishments, update my pictures and all that stuff - somehow I've not found the time.

The problem is - after work and a weekend like the one I just had - I like to just sit there, and do nothing. Play video games, watch TV, kick my shoes off and just kiss on my girl a little bit. I don't want to think about future clients or tomorrow's lunch or this weekend's events. I don't want to think about my new mix or my new song. I want to relax.

And that's exactly my problem. I started realizing that I am going to be a modern day "Mr. Holland." Doing something I HAVE to do because I need to provide - never doing what I really WANT to do because what I HAVE to do takes up all my time. Unfortunately - I will have no where near the same impact that the character Mr. Holland had on his kids.

But I've been saying for months and years - you have to take a risk. Should I just quit this cushy job? Do some odd jobs for SKM and really focus on the stuff I want to do? To the stuff that makes me truly happy? One would think that if it makes me so happy that I would do it every chance I get. I try to, but man I'm tired. I couldn't focus, get things straight. And there'd be always something on my mind. It sucks.

I want to produce a new song - I have the tools to do it. I want to make that mix - put the new song in it - but I don't have the time. The new website design would encompass the new song and mix and everything that I've been about these days... but nah... no it's just not there yet.

Its tragic.

My mom wants me to build a website for her - I've dabbled around with that a little while - never finished that. And while I enjoy doing it - I just want to SLEEP!

I enjoy Weddings. They suck in that its my Saturday night and setup and strike sucks, and the nerves never seem to go away. But I like them. I love them - I'm around love every week, to never happier people and a proud family dances the night away. What's not to like?

I don't want to do them forever though, I want to get out, go on tour, be a humble rock star. Stay out of the Lime Light but still make the cash and live the good life.

Big Dreams

First, I just have to get my ass in gear.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading, have a day.