so, i basically work with social media sites (web 2.0, this guy is a 2.0 guru, and this site is really cool) in an attempt to create new marketing and pr initiatives via these mediums. i am exploring this role, as are many in the marketing/pr field as it is still a very "trial and error" strategy, some stuff works and some does not. hopefully, we can come up with more "hits" than "misses", i think we can...in fact, i'd have to say i'm pretty confident we can. i have some possible future stuff coming with clients that may or may not be in the works....
here is something that didn't work, and something that i, thank god, would never think of perpetrating:
Sony Takes It Up the Ass for Fake Blog
transparency is just so important that it can't be over-stated. i was a blogger first (albeit a very inconsistent one but a blogger nonetheless) and now i have a job in that arena, i'm not pretending to be a blogger, i just work as one now (and a myspacer, facebooker, digger, del.icio.us'er, feeder, etc...).
one of the biggest things that i have learned is that there is a tremendous amount of work that goes into the back end of these kinds of projects and can come out looking relatively small when put in front of clients and employers, or at least that's what it feels like (definitely with one of the sites which took me quite some time and is still very basic, however thats got to do with learning actual web design as i go). however, i can definitely feel myself beginning to think more creatively as my brain gets used to working in that way again after my insurance and non-profit stints. i like this.
anyway...
i know i mentioned judah johnson in my last post, but i really can't say enough. the whole album is really good and might be one of the best of this year (this may have inspired me to write a "best of 2006" post, but we'll see, we all know how that goes).
last night my emusic account refilled, so by this weekend i will be 130 songs "richer". here's to hoping i make some good choices.
songs that played:
seville - cold shoulder
764-Hero - loaded painted red
american analog set - where did you come from
one line drawing - candle song
maharaj - an insect (officially now some of the most unlistenable stuff that i won and i love it)
jeff buckley - mojo pin
actually, on this note, what do you guys think of the "last.fm recently played tracks" thing in my sidebar? does it help anybody feel like they know what i'm listening to at the moment? does it help anyone discover new music? it doesn't really fit over there size-wise and i don't have the time to go in and mess with the code, but if even 1 person likes it, then it shall stay.
12.12.2006
some more random things...
11.27.2006
falling horribly behind...
as was pointed out on my wife's brand new blog in her comments section, i am now employed as a "blogger", so to speak, and should act as such. however, i am still in a content limbo and will most likely remain in such a state. so, for now, i will try to get back into things and write about life and music and other assorted things that only a few people actually care about.
the thanksgiving weekend was interesting, so here it is in "things i learned" format:
- "emo" has lost all meaning to "kids", it is no longer the thing that i once loved and still do (in secret). apparently, the only way that the word "emo" is used nowadays is when it is followed by the word "fag"...which is pathetically disappointing on so many levels.
- a 17-year-old confirmed for me my worst fear that i am now "the old guy that still acts young and thinks he's cool". how do i know this? i started to feel this way during a conversation with my wife's young cousin, so i asked... am i becoming "the old guy that still acts young and thinks he's cool"? the reply came, "yes". somebody sell me a burial plot. (this also relates almost directly to my first weekend learning).
- black friday is not nearly as metal and cool as it sounds. i'll admit i was gung-ho about it; a little piece of americana that i had never experienced. 2 red bulls and a lot of standing in line later, i just needed a nap (i AM getting old). i did get some good jeans out of it though...
- family rules, there are no other relationships like it. i wish that i had been as close to my grandparents as my wife is. i only have one left and i see my "grandma" maybe every other year when i can afford to fly to the UK.
- long car trips with family do not rule. actually, that has more to do with the "long car trip" part than the "family" part.
- rats eat plastic. why? i have no idea, but they do. how do they survive if they think plastic is food? answer me that.
- my dog is awesome, many other dogs are not....that is all.
- and last but not least, i learned that just when i give up on a season, the dawgs will come through; first auburn, now georgia tech...i am definitely more optimistic about next year than i was after the kentucky game.
my e-music account has been upgraded, so i am now at 65 songs per month...plus another 65 from, let's say, "an associate" with whom i have an agreement. anyway, here are some finds from that obnoxiously large amount of music that is now residing on an external hard drive that i purchased so that i wouldn't bring down my new macbook in one fell swoop:
Judah Johnson - Little Sounds
Antlerand - Now It's a Year
I am also really digging the new Brand New album, but they are too big to allow song downloads now...so go to their myspace and listen to Sowing Season (Yeah).
Also, local Atlanta band, Manchester Orchestra, who are good and play around town quite a bit, so maybe i will see you there....i'll be the one who looks a little more relaxed because i'm not the deer in the morning's headlights anymore.
.beans.
songs that played:
failure - stuck on you
braid - quarters
mineral - july
radiohead - (nice dream)
of montreal - knight rider
outkast - two dope boyz (in a cadillac)
brand new - the quiet things that no one ever knows
matt pond pa - fairlee
10.25.2006
a new "yob" and a nice dip in the pool...
while my updating at this blog has been, at best, woefully deficient. i have managed to parlay my prodigious blogging skills (????) into a new job with a pr firm (that is to say that i have somehow managed to completely pull the wool over their eyes and convince them that i am capable of things that i am clearly incapable of and would be obvious if they would just read this blog....hmmm, have i said too much?).
this also means that i am leaving the world of non-profits and jumping back into "corporate" America and, god, am i ever ready. however, in working for a small, indie PR firm i have managed to retain a fair portion of my soul, of this i am very grateful.
songs that played:
seville - sleep on my side
dillinger escape plan - jim fear
thunderbirds are now! - from: skulls
.beans.
10.11.2006
watch and be amazed....
this runs at just over an hour, but i may watch it 42 times.
Mineral - 1998 - Last Live Show
.beans.
10.04.2006
list of shows that i may or may not attend...
the bolded ones are the shows where you can definitely find me.
October
4 - The Hold Steady - Earl
7 - Mastodon – Masquerade (AM+C)
12 – Atreyu – Tabernacle
14 – Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Tabernacle
19 – Pet Shop Boys - Tabernacle
20 – Broken Social Scene – Variety Playhouse
20 - ICP - Masquerade
22 – Minus the Bear – Drunken Unicorn (MJQ)
23 – Minus the Bear – Drunken Unicorn (MJQ)
27 – The Decemberists - Tabernacle
28 – Thunderbirds Are Now - Drunken Unicorn (MJQ)
29 – The Album Leaf, Chin Up Chin Up – The Earl
November
6 - New Found Glory – Masquerade
9 - Reggie and the Full Effect, Cute is What We Aim For – Masquerade
9 – Panic at the Disco, Bloc Party – Hi-Fi Buys
14 – Cursive and Jeremy Egnik - Variety Playhouse
19 – Death Cab for Cutie - Fox
22 – Lovedrug, Brandston - Masquerade
no promises about show reviews as i made that mistake before and did not come through with anything. my blogging regularity can only be described as infrequent and disappointing... such is life.
songs that played while writing:
braid - capricorn
maritime - people, the vehicles
five eight - bad for us
.beans.
9.20.2006
i like it, i really like it...
self-described in a tongue-in-cheek manner as "straightedge texas softcore", there are a lot of things about this "band" (it's actually just a guy named Dan) that some (read "a lot" of) people will scorn...mostly the about about PlayRadioPlay! section of his myspace page.
personally, i care not. as some of you may remember from the very beginning of this blog, i grew up around a very strong "christian alternative" scene in and around Atlanta (this was before anyone called it the ATL) and the country and some of the best music that i own, and still listen to, came from that scene, both locally and nationwide.
devotion to a faith, just like to a girl (oh-so emo), and the emotions that go along with that make for honest and thoughful lyrics at times (even before Jeremy Enigk announced his conversion, the internal struggles created incredible poetry, don't even get me started on mineral).
a certain lack of gimmicky-ness is sorely missing in my music collection nowadays. he might be much younger than me and possibly still youthfully naive, but for the love of god he can write some great songs. dare i say he could give Ben a run for his money in his best Postal Service moments.
No apologies, i like it....done.
PlayRadioPlay!
- Madi Don't Leave
- Compliment Each Other
- Decipher Reflection
these are also the songs that played while i wrote this post.
this might call for a dig into my past in a later post, just to prove a point.
.beans.
9.15.2006
could this really be happening again...?
according to the website itshappeningagain.com, it actually is....well, happening again.
holy long list of expletives....this would be an uncredible experience.
(click image for larger view)
read more about it here.
TITR myspace page
9.13.2006
new good music....
i love hot water music therefore i love the new band that has been formed from bits and pieces of that band: the draft.
if you also like hot water music, then you will also like the draft.
do you see how beautifully simple my logic is, it is so beautiful in it's simplicity.
some people say my middle name is, in fact, "logic". others just call me "so-crates". i try to remain humble but the sheer amount of adulation makes it difficult.
so to all of you.... you are welcome. i will indeed keep bringing you delicious new music when i feel so inspired and it will remain brilliant in its delivery.
here is a bit of biographical info from the website:
Jason Black, George Rebelo and Chris Wollard had ventured out of suburban Florida with a focused purpose- turn a few chords and a melody into the most alluring and innovative sounds you've ever heard. Often mentioned in the upper-echelon of post hardcore with Fugazi and Quicksand, this trio made raspy vocals, odd time signatures, and awkward melodies a thing of beauty. Jason, George, Chris and new addition, Todd Rockhill performing under a new moniker- The Draft, continue pleasing crowds with hard hitting, prideful vocals and intelligent melody. At the peak of musical integrity the new name has rejuvenated the trio to a level unrivaled by past projects.
you can also check them out on their myspace page where you can also download some songs.
.beans.
songs that played during this posting time:
failure - segue 3
the decemberists - eli, the barrow boy
at the drive in - enfilade
planes mistaken for stars - scratching rounds
8.22.2006
new release tuesday...
the new cursive album, happy hollow, drops today on saddle creek records.
listen to these and then go and buy it at your local record shop.
cursive - happy hollow
- dorothy at forty
- bad sects
you can also stream the album at the top of this page.
also dropping today:
Paris Hilton - Paris Hilton
i would not suggest listening to and or buying this in any way, shape, or form.
Outkast - Idlewild
however, i would definitely suggest this album as it sounds like it could be interesting. listen to bits and pieces of it on their myspace page.
8.21.2006
new post at WCP...
like i said, if i'm gonna write about poker then it would probably be for Wicked Chops Poker.
so i did and have and you should go read it.
super robots of profit generation
8.18.2006
i just ain't buyin' it...
this clip looks horribly staged and is 10 mins long so i wouldn't blame you for not watching it.... apparently, Kelly Clarkson showed up at a Metal Skool (80's metal cover band) and was recognized by the band who asked her on stage and then got her to drink straight out the bottle, as it were, and asked to see her chubby bunnies, who wouldn't.
they correctly point out that the only reason she would be there is to create a more "edgy" image for herself. however, i have a better question: What in the hell kind of image is the lead singer for Yellowcard trying to create by hanging out with Kelly Clarkson?!?!? i won't make fun of him for going to see this show, because i would be there in a heartbeat, just his choice of weirdly drunk and make-up less company....actually, now that i think about it, i'm more disappointed in her for being there with him.
8.17.2006
the best music video ever...?
so this isn't high-budget Jamiroquai-style music video makin', but this is by far one of the best and most entertaining videos i have ever seen.... they definitely can't dance like Jay Kay but dammit it's brilliant! (at times it almost reminds me of the dancing in The Full Monty)
ok go - here it goes again
8.16.2006
ghosts riding on my ship...
so i sent out an e-mail to my group of fun-loving friends with a link to this article and also a link to some videos on youtube (including this one which makes me laugh a lot)....all to do with the "new" phenomenon sweeping the web that cites it's origin in a song by E40 in which he repeats the phrase, "ghost ridin the whip"...
this was the response i received from one of them. i never thought kids in/on/around cars could inspire such vitriol...
I love how silly reporters think they understand the history of names and trends and phrases when something "new" happens and all they did was look on wikipedia for their research.
Ghost riding is an updated version of car surfing, which has been going on for decades and has killed young people across the country.
Nope. Actually, "ghost riding" is when you take your bike and push it down a hill to see how far it would go and how it crashed. The name comes very obviously, form the fact that a ghost is "riding" your bike. Hence, ghost riding. And crashing is a given in ghost riding, not a maybe. That because ghosts are terrible at riding bikes and are very malevolent by nature. Seeking to completely destroy your bike because they hate you for not being a codemned soul and forced to walk the earth for eternity. Its a scientific fact and everyone knows that.
So, now we have ghost ridin the whip. Well firstthing, you don't ride a car. You drive a car. So ghost ridin a whip would mean there is a ghost ridin your car, i.e. there is an invisible ghost on top of your car. That is stupid. In that case, I am ghost ridin my truck out in the parking lot and really every other time something or someone is not on top of my car. But even then, maybe the ghost is on top of them. I would be still be ghost ridin. This is something completely different. Sure, some of these kids might ride on top of the car. Or get out and walk like 3 feet by their car or dance out of the window. There is no ghost "controlling" your car if you haven't left the front seat. And I know for a fact that ghosts don't show up for a couple of seconds of riding or driving or whatever, only for the longer trips that end in destruction. Now if you got on top of your roof while you the car is moving and there is nobody in the driver's seat, well that's another story isn't it. But something tells me there won't be many people doing that. Regardless, it wouldn't be ghost ridin or it would be ghost drivin because that is what the ghost would be doing, driving. So name it that or something else. Call it surfin the whip or ghost surfing or gay riding the broof. The real truth is, that this has nothing do with do with ghost riding, does it? Really, it is just an updated version of a chinese fire drill. Except the car is moving. Which I am sure has happened more than a few times by accident during a real chinese fire drill. And believe me that is a lot more scary than planning some sweet street moves with your boyfriends. But ghost and whip sound a lot cooler, don't they? So we'll let you have your fun for now and enjoy your Web 2.0 fame while it lasts. But guess what E40 and other rich high school kids with a video camera, if you want to do it right and be really "hard", you would just get out of your car and watch that mug go down a big hill and see what happened. Then, and only then, will you be truly ghost ridin the whip. Suckas.
one of my other friends then responded with the below video:
the final nail in the coffin....?
so according to this site, i can brag about how much my blog is "worth" by posting the following graphic:
My blog is worth $1,693.62.
How much is your blog worth?
i feel very conflicted about this and whether or not this is something to brag about. seems like an awful lot of hours to pour into something for such little return....but then again if i could actually get that amount then i might consider selling. turns out my blog would be worth about $500 if that were the criteria....
i've looked at my friends blogs' and they appear to be worth about the same, some less and some a little more....so, i guess i can't really expect any more than that. however, i found a blog that some guy started about his car that's worth more than mine, that was kind of demoralizing. then again, i'm not really sure how the worth is calculated.
oh well, here are some songs and i'll see about getting back in the swing of this thing:
portugal, the man
- stables & chairs
- aka m80 the wolf
- tommy
video of lovedrug live at CBGB's: wma
brandston - today (smashing pumpkins cover, live at the fireside bowl)
7.28.2006
please point me in the right direction...
so i'm having some directional issues. i used to write exclusively about music, with some poker and college football thrown in; however, i found it entirely too draining of my time and energy to try and keep up with every single band that puts something out. i even found myself posting about stuff that i didn't even really like all that much, just to have something to write about. keeping up a regular posting schedule about music requires an enormous amount of time, not in the posting, but in the researching and listening and i only want to post about music that i've actually listened to and i don't spend a lot of time in the car and there's a lot of good tv to watch...
so now what do i do? as you can see i have sort of devolved into this random thought blog in which i post whatever comes to mind at any given time, with no direction or consistency of content.
this can be amusing for a while but i know that when i look for a good blog read i search by subject, not so much by author.....do i need a subject? i'm not so keen on reading about the random happenings in the life of someone i don't know, so why assume that my random life events are blog-worthy? i guess that begs another questions.... do i cater to those that already read this or try to attract new readers? is that effort futile in itself with the sheer volume of available reading and blogging nowadays?
i could try to go back to music and just post less-often but with higher quality (theoretically) but the most read blogs are the ones that update frequently.
I could be a local ATL blog but there are a bunch of good ones already.
if i'm gonna take the time to write about poker it would probably be for Wicked Chops...
plus my favorite college football writer just started a blog so that's pretty stiff competition....
what's my niche?
any ideas?
the answer will probably be music, my first love, with occasional randomness but i would still like to know what you think.
i may also go for a layout/format change pretty soon, maybe a new title bar design....i am up for submissions.
.beans.
7.24.2006
some random things...
give it a second to load, but worth it:
Zidane: A World View
i'm gonna be in vegas, aug 2-7 for some WSOP viewing and coverage with the boys (and my partial employers) from Wicked Chops Poker. if anyone reads this and wants to say hi in vegas, drop me a line, otherwise just look for the swarms of adoring blog fans following us around the whole time, or possibly just look in the bodog room.
then again my mom and wife won't be there and no one else reads this.... so, "hi, self. we should hang out in vegas while you're there. that would be rad".
also, anyone feel up to staking me? remember, i have a non-profit life... i feel like poker could be my way up out the....cubicle?
.beans.
7.21.2006
quote of the day....
the title infers that this will be a daily thing, but my readers (hi mom and wife) know better than that. i just happened to find a quote that i thought deserved mention:
"The guy who drinks the blood of his competitors did."
- Pat Forde of espn.com referring to which version of Tiger Woods showed up to play at the British Open.
over the top? yes
tiger bandwagon? absolutely (full discolsure: so am i)
drinking blood? awesome!
here's an mp3 to celebrate with:
3 inches of blood - deadly sinners
7.14.2006
ways i kill time...
so on top of e-mail, IM, myspace, and reading about the world cup, college football, music, poker, and assorted pr blogs, i've added another way to kill time at work...
officepirates.com
brief question: can anyone tell me how to embed a hyperlink into a pic? i have limited html code knowledge and would like to be able to add this trick to my repertoire...
7.13.2006
what the crap...
this is my version of a great cuban sandwich for the day... set aside 4:58 of your day for this.
they look so god-same like the same person....
6.28.2006
this charming man...
with over 5000 songs on my ipod and within the span of 1 hour, i have heard 2 separate covers of this charming man by the smiths.
if the original comes on any time soon, i think the world might end...
seriously, what are the odds on that?
update: apparently the answer is really simple (according to several q&a sheets for some WSOP press releases) the odds are 50/50, either it will play or it won't.
Q: what do you think your odds are of winning the WSOP?
A: 50/50, either i will or i won't
this answer came up more times than i care to describe...