So this crazy week finally comes to a close and I can look forward to the weekend. I think Jeremy is coming up tomorrow, so hopefully we can manage to do some things outside, see some movies, and then I can still get our house cleaned and do some school work. It should be fun.
So what's new? Anything? I got the Dogs Die in Hot Cars record yesterday and it's good, you should check it out. Especially you Ryan.
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I gave a guy at the gas station $2 because he said he just ran out of gas and rolled to the pump, but didn't have any money on him. I hope he enjoys the 40oz he probably bought when I drove away.
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So does the election have everyone else bummed out like it does me? Just the whole sunken feeling of not wanting to do anything, it sucks.
As Leigh and I are getting closer to finishing school, it got me thinking about something we talked about before. I find it interesting that a lot of the married girls that Leigh is in school with have husbands that are seeking some kind of advanced degree. A good many of her close friends have husbands going for their Masters or Doctorate degree, and we have talked before about why we think that is. There are kind of two theories. One is that the type of person who is driven, smart, and determined enough to go to Vet. School is not going to be happy with a spouse who isn't at least somewhat driven and smart. There would just be too big of a clash of personalities. So that would account for why the husbands naturally end up in grad school.
Or the other theory is that there is a subconscious inferiority thing going on with the husbands. The fact that they know there wife is going to be a Dr. and have respect and admiration, drives them to seek some kind of similar level of achievement. They have been witness to this insane drive and determination that the Vet students have, and feel like they aren't reaching their potential if they don't strive for something higher than a Bachelors degree. I surely don't consciously have this view, and I think I would be in Grad school regardless of what my wife was doing, but I sometimes wonder how much of a role these things do play into my subconscious decisions, especially when I see it happening to the other husbands around me.
To be honest, the real reason I started thinking about this is because I started looking in Doctoral programs in Raleigh and Charlotte. I don't enjoy the time school takes or having to worry about tests and papers, but I still don't feel like I am going to be satisfied with just my Masters. I can't really explain it, and don't understand it myself, but I have this inner desire to accomplish tons of shit in my lifetime. I want to push myself to the furthest level of whatever it is, and things like running a marathon, climbing Mt Everest, and lots of other random crap have all come into my mind and made me think of how I could accomplish those things. I mean a blind man and a 13 year old girl have climbed Mt. Everest, surely I could?
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Ryan Hale, you rock!!
So Ryan and Michael were mailing me checks for the hotel we stayed at in NYC and I told them whoever sent me the coolest mail art would get $5 off and a special prize. Michael, no offense, but did you think you were really going to beat Mr. Hale with a envelope with a drawing and some stickers? I mean you saw what he did for the Beard Contest, you met him in person and saw how cool he was, you had to know he would go all out. Granted, you were out of town and you are swamped with work, but???
The above picture is of the awesome little painting Ryan did for me and packaged the check in. While in NYC we had an insatiable quest for waffles and so on the back of the painting Ryan had a note that said "May you find success in your quest for waffles".
Perfect. Thanks Ryan.
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Phrase / attitude for the week? "Balls to the wall."
I have so much to do this week and so many things coming from different angles that if I let it get to me I am going to be miserable. I won't go into all of it because I know you could care less, but the point is I am going to listen to a lot of loud aggressive music, work through it all, and then enjoy a nice chill weekend.
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It's weird, up until last night I had a dull headache pretty much all week. Well last night at about 1am it turned into a crazy migraine. Talk about a headache. If you have never head the pleasure of a migraine, it is like a headache that hurts worse than anything you can imagine, combined with a feeling of nausea and the constant urge to puke. It is the kind of thing where you want someone to punch you in the face and knock you out so you won't feel anything anymore.
Well since Leigh was asleep and I couldn't figure out how to punch myself in the face, I took some Excedrin Migraine and curled up into a ball for the next 4 hours before falling asleep.
Since this post is following a post where I called everyone a wimp, I will go ahead and call myself a wimp and save you all the trouble.
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I think people in general are wimps. This lady here at work broke her arm and she is going to be out on disability for 4-6 weeks because "she can't move her arm". I just don't get it. I have broken my arm, yeah it sucks, but you put it in a cast (in a sling if it is broken badly) and you move on.
Same holds true for cuts and scrapes and broken fingernails, and all sorts of things that people wine about that I have encountered regularly while growing up on a farm and being a physical kid. Once when I smashed my finger in a car door, the fingernail turned black of course, and looked all nasty. I thought there was a new fingernail already growing up under the dead one. So I took a pocket knife and cut my fingernail off. Yeah it hurt a little, but not that much really. I guess my point is that people could endure a lot more pain but wimp out at the slightest little bit because they live sheltered lives where a scrape is a big deal. I broke my own nose by kneeing myself in the face while trying to do a backflip on a trampoline (yes I'm an idiot). I didn't try and get out of school for 4 weeks, I just went about my business with a slightly crooked nose and closed off nasal passage on one side. Come on, toughen up people.
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Long, tried day. This weekend will be full of studying, paper writing, cleaning, and lots of other random stuff. I would love to get a chance to see Team America this weekend if time permits. I have been trying to see that movie for like 3 weeks now.
I want to purchase these albums as soon as possible:
Arcade Fire
POT USA
Death From Above
Panthers
The Crimea
Razorlight
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You know, the thing I don't like about oranges is that once you eat one, you smell like an orange for the rest of the day. Who wants to smell like an orange all day? If it wasn't for that one small problem, I would eat them constantly.
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I have come to discover that since I don't really bitch about things to people face to face, this website gets the brunt of my frustration and general crappy feelings. I guess it is an outlet for all that junk that doesn't get out any other way. Never fear loyal readers, I am still a bright and happy guy despite what you may read.
On another note, this month I have gotten over 2k uniques already, which is well beyond my typical visitor base. Who the hell are you people and how did you get here? Feel free tp stay, but I am a bit curious where all these people came from and who they might be.
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So this is where the tough part begins I guess. After eating the $10k value of my wrecked car and having to get a new car, I jut got a bill from the other guy's insuance company for $8,000. I am going to try and fight them and get a lawyer involved, but I want it to hurry up and all go away so I can actually worry about things like the test I have next Monday, the 2 papers I have due tomorrow, and 32 homework problems I have due next week. Then add the album art I am trying to finalize, the hellish first week of the month at work, and lots of other CRAP that is every day life.
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New site design up!! This has been quite a while in the making and many thanks to Mason Poe for this fine design. There are still some sections we are going to add and maybe some tweaks or moving things around, but this is basically it and I love it!
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It is a slow day on the interweb today. Not many emails, nobody posting on their sites, is it a Holiday that someone forgot to tell me about?
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This weekend I went home to my brother's wedding reception. It was a pretty cool party and my mom and step-dad went all out for it, which hopefully Brian and his wife realized and appreciated. As for the party itself, I spent most of the time talking to Jeremy (who likes to talk about how my brother gave him some unfair baseball card trades back in 8th grade), my old friend Daniel, my step-sister Audrey and her rad man Mark, my sister-in-law Connie, and her dad Bob. Oh yeah, and the bartender too, who I think just liked having someone to talk to who wasn't old and trying to hit on her.
Today my uncle Steve, who was in town for the event, drove me back to Raleigh. I have always admired him for the expansive knowledge he has and somewhat unique outlook on life. Today we had a great discussion about Bush, the war in Iraq, and just how people don't question things often enough. It was a cool conversation and a real change from most people I talk to about similiar subjects. We are a lot alike and he had a lot of good information and insight into trying to understand people's thinking process and rationalization of certain things.
Anyway, it was a cool weekend, despite not getting any work done.
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Although they haven't officially inked the deal yet, I think this is a pretty solid indication that it is only a matter of days before it is official. Far-less, the first band on Silent Uproar Records has now been picked up by Tooth & Nail Records. We couldn't be happier for the guys and it is very exciting for us all.
Early in the band's career we asked them where they would like to be in 5 years and their reply was signed to T&N and touring like crazy. Well a year to the day from when we released their first record, Broken Hearts Unite, they got an offer from T&N and they are now out on the road for 8 weeks straight. I think the band as well as Robbie and I deserve a solid round of high-fives for movingthe band to the next level.
While in New York this past week, Far-Less played at CBGBs and I went and met the guy at T&N who I had slipped their CD to a year earlier. He was as stoked as ever about having the band on the label and it is great that they have people like him working for them. Anyway, this was a big deal for all of us, so I wanted to share with those of you who didn't already know about it.
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I just realized I hooked up two different sets of people for the Rilo Kiley show here in town next Monday. The first guest list spot was snagged through one promoter who is working The Good Life, and the second was through the promoter working Rilo Kiley. Only now did I realize I was talking about the same show!!
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Music preserves my sanity on a daily basis.
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I think this week has probably been one of the worst in recent history for Leigh and I both. Not with each other, we really enjoy the 5 minutes a day we have actually been seeing each other, but just in our seperat goings-on. Leigh is on a really bad rortation and is at school 12-16 hours a day. She is taking it all in stride, but I feel bad for her and know how tired she is.
Me? Well you know the story with me. Weeks like this one make me realize how stupid I was to think I could handle working full-time 40-50 hours a week, enrolling in graduate school full-time, running what has become a massive website, running a record label, and then trying to do some things other than work, like go to Hawaii for a couple days, or to New York for a week. Because I really can't handle it.
The week is almost over. I have to wrap some things up at work and I have a test to take tomorrow during my lunch. Then things will get better...
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AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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While in Hawaii I did some surfing, and came to the conclusion that it creates the exact same feeling snowboarding does. While you are doing it, it is great and good fun, but after a while it gets kinda tiring and can seem not as fun. However, the minute you stop, all you can think about is how much you want to get back out there and do it again. There aren't really any other activities I can think of that create these feelings for me. Unfortunately, both surfing and snowboarding require traveling and are seasonal.
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I do interviews for Silent Uproar all the time now, and after talking to some of my musical favorites of the past and present like Helmet, System of a Down, Silverchair, Melissa Auf der Maur of Hole, Blink 182, Thrice, Cursive, The Toadies, and Self, I don't really get nervous anymore. Some interviews go well, some don't go so well, but rarely do I feel like in that little 20-30 minute window that I actually connected with someone. Today was different.
Today I interviewed Clarence Greenwood, otherwise known as Citizen Cope. While I am was not a huge fan of the music, I do enjoy it. In fact, I I have bought both the man's CDs. However, his honesty and obvious strong feelings about his music have just pushed him up a couple notches in my book. I only made it through 3 of my questions before our conversation took a turn to talking about the music industry and the lack of soul in modern music. I really felt him, and from his remarks, I think he felt the same way about me.
Although I didn't get my questions answered, I think the resulting conversaiton will be a much better read then some cookie cutter questions that he probably answered in the 5 other interviews he did today. This my friends, is what makes it all worth it. Well this and all the free drugs, booze, and rock n' roll. Just kidding mom(s).
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Well I'm back. I have actually been back since Friday morning, but I just never made it back to the PC to update the site.
Hawaii was wonderful, as I am sure you can imagine. My brother Brian's wedding was great, hanging out with my step-sister Ami and her friend Kathryn was great, surfing again for the first time in a long time was great. Best of all, I didn't have a regular internet connection so I was cut off from the world for the week. This turned out to be a very good and relaxing thing and let me really kind fo forget about all the things going on back here. It was a nice break.
This week seems to be making up for it though. Lot's of work at the bank, then tests, papers, homework assignment, etc at school, and all before Sunday, which is when I leave for New York for a week. Crazy days friends.
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And now this crazy adventure begins. I am off tot he airport to fly to Hawaii for 4 days. Somewhere in there I have to write 2 papers and hopefully finalize some art for a new CD we are releasing. Then Thursday I leave Hawaii and don't arrive back in Raleigh until 9:30 Friday morning. At which time I go straight to work to do all of the first of the month reporting (other wise known as 'hell day') before coming home and having another 2 papers to write that weekend.
Let's just hope my body can take it and I don't get sick. Later.
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Yesterday was a weird day. The day itself was pretty rough, but then Leigh and I had a really awesome evening. Good dinner, good coffee, some treats at the mall, etc. Just a really good night that I think we both needed; especially since I am leaving tomorrow to go out of town for a week...
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I am wearing my Denali shirt today (R.I.P.) and despite only being here for an hour I have already gotten:
"So you really like the cars? Do you have one?"
and
"So you a big fan of the Mountain?"
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Have you ever loved something so much that you can't imagine your life without it, but it can be such a pain in the ass that you want to throw it away? Can I be any more vague? Other then assuring everyone I am not talking about my lovely wife (how dare you jump to that conclusion) or our crazy ass cats, I will say nothing more.
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Another day, another post. Word for the day is....busy. There are so many different things going on in my life, all completely unrelated to each other. The biggest being a new CD we are putting about, which I still refuse to tell you about because the contract isn't signed yet. Although most of you know by now. There is also another big development, but again I am waiting ona contract to be signed before I mention it. Lawyers seem to be my new best friends.
I guess I should tell you what this image is all about. I want to design a desk/table that is kinda like a laptop cart. Basically on the inside would be a docking station and then the top would have a fold down flat screen LCD. You could slide said table up to you while you were on the couch, chair, etc and then use a wireless keyboard and mouse to go to town. Good old Deuce whipped up this handy illustration for me. Building things is fun.
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I have 10,000 emails in my deleted folder. Maybe I should empty it? It is only from the last couple weeks though. Stop emailing me people who I don't want email from!!
Speaking of which, I hate email because it is just another daily job for me (maintaining it at work and at home), but I love getting emails from friends. There is just something about the instant gratification of getting all this info in a nice little message from someone. Then there is that Spam stuff though...
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Just when I was wondering who broke the internet (this site along with about 5 of our other sites have been down all day) it is back up. Who would have thought that a fire in downtown Baltimore who be the reason our sites were down. You see under that there city is a data center and...
"This explosion damaged the main power lines in the area thus affecting the main power grid routed to the datacenter. The datacenter was running on a backup power grid for six hours until BGE(Baltimore Gas and Electric) required the backup grid be shut down so that they could safely make the necessary repairs needed."
So there you have it. No power means no websites. Let's see, what else is going on? I saw Sky Captain this weekend and thought it was pretty good...not amazing, but pretty good. I didn't go out of town this past weekend because some things came up that required me to stay here. Oh well, it just means I "have to" go out to LA sometime soon to meet people.
I also had a Finance exam tonight, which I blazed through. I am going to have to stop taking my laptop to class and playing on it all class though. When I started studying, I had no idea what I was looking at and it took some time to get into it.
What else? I feel like it has been so long. I was at work at 6:30 this morning. It was still dark. That sucked.
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Holy crap I love this clock! You know I have a birthday coming up in a year or so...
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It's hard to keep coming to this site and seeing it when I know a new fresh design is right over the horizon (no disrespect Robbie, it's just old). Soon, soon...I know Mason is working as hard as he can.
This weekend was pretty nice. I drove with Leigh to beach Friday and stayed there the night and into Saturday afternoon. Saturday night I came back and went and saw Franz Ferdinan put on a great show. After getting home at about 11:30, it felt way too early, so I stayed up piddling around. Sunday I got some school work done as well as some SU work and some cleaning/organizing. I also bought a new laptop, but I found out I can get it from NCSU for $500 cheaper, so I will be returning the one I got to CompUSA and buying it from school. Why CompUSA? Because it is the only place near me to buy a Mac. Yep, Scott goes dual platform...
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What's funnier on this website: the picture of the realtors or what is outside the window in the 3rd picture?
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You know you're a nerd when you post on the wrong blog. That last post made a brief appearance on Silent Uproar before it came here...
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So RCA emailed and asked if I wanted to go to the Ben Kweller/Incubus show here in Raleigh next month. What a weird combo, I had no idea they were touring together.
On another note, I got in the car to go to work this morning and an old Nirvana tune was playing on the radio, which was pretty cool. Then next they played some old Weezer followed by Engine Down, an old Modest Mouse tune, and the Killers. The string of music was so good that I wanted to ride the wave of good music all the way to work so I called in and requested some Toadies. What song did they play? "Pressed Against the Sky". Beautiful.
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Who needs posts from me when you have all this great comments action? The adventures of a shark hunter, Mason almost slipping you all the link to my new site, so much going on!
You know last weekend Leigh and I were walking down the steet after eating dinner at Porters and I saw a flier that said something about Far-Less. I took a look and saw they were playing in town that very night. WEIRD. I got to my cell phone and sure enough one of the band members had called me earlier in the day. It was a pleasent suprise.
What's in store for this weekend? Most likely going to the beach tomorrow with Leigh and family, coming back Saturday to see Franz Ferdinan (and possibly interview them - I know, I have been holding out on some of you) and then Sunday get down and dirty on some work. What about YOU? (that means post an answer).
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Robozo is the personal blog of a pretty normal (boring) guy living in Concord, NC.
