Downtown from the shrine auditorium.

Thanks Ronnie!

All vintage and shit.

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From The Darkness of a Cinema

This photo of an obscured exit sign turned out well. Angela and I were in the Regency Theater in Pasadena watching the movie Burlesque. The movie is twice as long as it should be.

It's nice to have found another $3 theater though.

Stand up desk

I made myself a standup desk at work. I was reading about how sitting down too much is awful for you. I can't totally replace my sit down desk, but this is a good start to getting off my ass more during the day.

How I Really Did in 2010

So here we go again:
here is my list of 10 things to do in 2010 with updated results:

1. Be Healthy - I want to eat food that at least lives up to my standard of integrity, and I would prefer to only eat because I am hungry. I want to stretch before I exercise, and create a body that feels good to live in. I want to sleep more and party less.

Result: I did. I am healthier now than I was in 2009. I do get more sleep, I party less and I eat a bit better. I have continued to exercise pretty frequently. I could probably still eat less but that is a tough nut for a farm boy to crack. The desire to consume calories seems to be ancestral at this point. I have learned to at least be cognizant of how many calories are contained in the food I eat. A good step in the right direction.

2. Help bring about my most anticipated album of 2010 - Devin is working on a solo album and I can already tell it will be one of my top 5 favorite records of all time. All the elements are there. Any effort I put into helping Devin complete the album will bring about it's release that much faster.

Result: I technically satisfied my requirement on this one, but both devin and I were unsuccessful in making his record "it's never the way you imagine it" come out in 2010. It is now my most anticipated album of 2011. I have been helping though, and I'm just about to wrap up the last Mix I need to do for the album.

3. Carefully revise some of the things I have written, and finish writing "More Possible Than Perfect", "Up and Back", And "Tequila Summer".

Result: I completed the first rewrite of the existing manuscript of "More Possible Than Perfect", but I realize there is somehow a bit more of the story to be told. I have transferred the document to my iPad in hopes that I will finish it someday soon. I didn't even tough "Up and Back" or "Tequila Summer" in 2010. Whoops.

4. Put Effort into "The Ivy Twines"

Result: Not really.

5. Don't talk about things that are none of my business, or at least don't talk about them so much.

Result: I am a gossip. It shames me.

6. Learn More about Computers

Result: I did. I upgraded my recording setup and I added 2 new dvd drives to my PC. Not so exciting. I would like to learn more about networking, since I have to talk about it for my Job.

7. Visit my Sister's new home and puppy.

Result: I did! Yay! Just barely got this one in under the wire in 2010. Love Maddie and I love Oddie's house. Kudos to Kujos.

8. Compose and Record a Song for Angela to Burlesque to.

Result: Really, has this been a year and I didn't do this. The horror.

9. Entice people to collaborate over the Internet on music - This includes but is not limited to you Ronnie!

Result: Ronnie and I did manage to collaborate over the Internet. I suppose I have done an okay job with this, but I could do better.

10. Spend money at my local farmer's market.

Result: Nope. Nada.

So how about this in addition to this, here are 10 things that surprised me in 2010.

1. We got a bunny and I love her. Angie wanted a Bunny and I didn't so much. We have a bunny and I love her. I didn't protest when Angela asked to get the bunny, I knew I would love her, but had it been up to me I would not have taken it upon myself to get a bunny. This is why it is good to live with someone you love and respect. They can make you do things you normally wouldn't do that enhance and improve your daily existence.

2. I got a new Car. I love my vehicle but I didn't expect to be driving a anything except my feet by the end of this year. I was certain the saturn would break and I would be walking to and from the train. Life can be surprising and It's nice.

3. An S no S song makes a live debut. I can't believe this came to pass. Playing Paper Sea live at Cafe Muse was quite the experience. I wasn't ready for it to be the 2nd song in the set. It caught me off guard and I was nervous as hell. I couldn't hardly remember the words. It still feels good though, and I have it recorded. How fortunate I am to have a brother to make me do such things. Thanks Devin.

4. Big Shot. Some days at work I can't believe what I do. I have taken on far more responsibility than I would ever have given myself if I were thinking when it happened. I'm not always happy about this but on certain afternoons, once I press the button to send calls to Voice Mail I find myself feeling proud of what was accomplished.

5. Angie gets her own client. I didn't really have anything to do with this other than being supportive. I do benefit from it though, so I'm happy about it. Also it did surprise me. I wouldn't have expected this to happen until at least this year.

6. Seamonster Rebuild. I am very surprised that one of the often talked about construction projects came to be. It's already been an adventure and seems to be moving right along.

7. Ronnie Lives in California for nearly a month. This was super shocking. Had you told me at the beginning of last year that this was even possible I would have blown up from excitement. It did come to pass though and it was great. He stayed in Malibu and helped K with the construction. It was so nice to have him here, I look forward to seeing the completion of work and to know that when I play music at Seamonster sounds the sound waves are bouncing off wood that my uncle helped put in place.

8. I was in an honest to goodness real life music video.


This video was amazing to be a part of. There was a real crew and even craft services. The directors were already great people in my book but they have turned out to be even better friends in 2010. Everything about this video makes me proud to be a part of something bigger than myself.

9. We hosted a thanksgiving meal and I cooked a turkey. This shocked me. Didn't ever expect this to happen.

10. I got better. I got better at doing a lot of things, and being a lot of things. I'm happier too. Saying that is like painting a target on my back.

Come and get me 2011.

Warming up the Semaphore

Allow Me by S no S

Sunday after I got bloopy, squelchy and bleepy with "The Last Time That You Die" I decided I needed to get a bit human again. So I pulled out a song I have been working on for 10 years or so. This song was originally called "Oh Me", and i was never happy with it. My great friend Jason helped me with the lyrics in the verses and really tightened them up for me. So as I was strumming it yesterday and thinking about it I just started to change the lyric from "Oh Me" to "Allow Me" and all the sudden it made more sense, then rather than getting quieter in the chorus section as I had before it allowed me to build up a bit. Simple change, better result. I ad libbed the last section, the it is best left remembered part, which is why it's sort of awkward. I'm not sure why I do that. After I have been recording an entire continuous take, to try and add more words to the end is a bit wreckless... Usually it just ends in me hitting stop, delete and doing it again. This time I guess it worked a bit so I kept it. Perhaps thats why I do it, just in case I can sneak up on a moment and snare it.

Reheat the Beacon

I'm pretty much in love with my Ipad. Here is a song composed on the Ipad. The beat was sequenced with the fabulous Korg Electribe App. The lyrics were written in the ipad notes app. It's rough and really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I'm re-reading David Brin's "the postman" and I'm feeling as though the lyrics were influenced by the book. I really need to make a new cover for the book because seeing Kev Cos' face on there just reminds me of how wrong the movie got it.

I'm sure this looks a little gushy and ridiculous but there is something inspiring about the technology in the Ipad. Seeing the amount of software being developed daily for the device is encouraging.

Enjoy the song.


It’s a bit dubious
what you do to us
when you think you’re past the stares

undeniable
what you try and a pull
from the space between our hairs

you cannot fool our cameras

so ridiculous
to envelope us
as if it fools our ears

it’s insufferable
not magical
warn anyone who dares

that you cannot fool our cameras
we read between the lines
we fall for no distractions
keeping perfect time
the sensors all are sensing
the systems all aligned
here nothing could go missing

this will be the last time that you die

Happy new ears.

First non hungover new years day in over a decade. WOW.