macbook still out. if i'm missing a call with you today email me or call 619-440-2333

Ping test 4: listening to the surprising sound of michele looking for her keys

spike jonze: king of the kids' book adaptations

check both of these trailers for legendary kids book movie adaptations, with a special thanks to rob mitchell for tipping me off on the second.

where the wild things are:


everyone poops:

tv weatherman - failblog

thanks to rob mitchell for this one

what am i interested in?

about 6 months ago i was evaluated by a group of co-workers (anonymously, so the info was straightforward ad very helpful). one of the items had people rate me on the statement, “has hobbies or interests outside of work.” i scored high. when that came back i shared with the leadership team at ys that i felt that i did have those in nashville, but in the midst of a cross country move, settling into a new neighborhood, getting kids in school, traveling 7 out of 10 weeks during one fall stretch and having michele’s parents move in with us, i didn’t feel i had those so far in san diego, though i must have duped the raters convincingly.

i told michele a few days ago that i was feeling a big gap in that area, particularly with the amount of hours i’ve been putting in at work and trying to be more intentional about time with the kids, which is another topic entirely. she asked what hobbies i thought i had in nashville, and i wasn’t sure what to say. so many of them were social hobbies as much as anything: browsing the bins at grimey’s record shop or talking about anything at all at the 12 south taproom was another, and i worked out quite regularly, which i haven’t done at all in san diego. i have myriad interests, though i haven’t spent focused time on anything in the last year, and i’m seeing the result of that in several ways. my intellectual curiosity is still there, but not acted out in any social way. in nashville we were blessed to have an amazingly large network of friends, and i could count on fairly regular social interaction with people i knew and who knew me, not to mention new friendships that popped up regularly.

so i’m re-examining those things. i must work out again or i’ll get back to my maximum density years of my late 20s. and while this is sure to counter balance those efforts, i’ve been thinking regularly about doing some more home brewing, which is fun to do solo and in a small group. i’m sure michele is thrilled by the memory of the scent of a brew kit in action, but the windows will be open, and i’ll look forward to unveiling something. i’ve mentioned it to a couple friends and it looks like we might have our own little club here in la mesa. stay tuned for the brew of the month.

tuesday music update

each tuesday i'm going to try and write about whatever music i've been listening to. and because tuesday is new release day it seems a good time to make mention of it in case you're looking for something to check out. today it's all about the band farewell flight and their fantastic record, "sound. color. motion."

full disclosure: i had the privilege of working with farewell flight during my time at gotee records / mono vs. stereo . what's more, the record has been finished for well over a year, but after a lot of juggling, the band and mvs parted ways very amicably, and they have continued to be one of the hardest working and touring bands i know of. they're constantly on the road, and in february made their inaugural west coast trip after 8 or 9 east / midwest tours. seeing the band again made me remember just how much i love their music and take on things.

"sound. color. motion." is a record that fits neatly in line with bands like death cab for cutie, doves, even pedro the lion at times. luke foley is a wonderfully emotive singer who kicks things off with "a lullaby for insomniacs" with a nice set up of a character that to me has shades of the hold steady in it's descriptions. other favorite songs for me include "indianapolis", "begin again", the usual vernacular" and a standout track, "america will break your heart". the last one has even more resonance for me knowing that the guys read shane claiborne's first book the irresistible revolution and that some of his views on consumerism are echoed in the song's lyrics.

after seeing the band in february i messaged a number of friends in towns where the band was going to be laying and got several replies that they had checked it out and bought immediately. i hope the same happens with this post, as i couldn't wish for a band to get some breaks more than this one. enjoy.

the lightning fast transition from sublime to ridiculous

easter sunday
morning: meditation on redemption, second chances galore and the beauty of slowness to anger.
afternoon: max on back patio, buck naked, soaking wet with a chocolate easter bunny in hand and chocolate smeared all over his torso.

great easter song (in my twisted mind)

i've been delving into the back catalog of one of my favorite bands of the past 4-5 years,the hold steady
the end of their fantastic record, separation sunday, closes with the track, how a resurrection really feels
this song caught me off guard a couple weeks ago, and i'll post the lyrics, which you can also find here
i'd also recommend you listen to the song that serves as a sort of prequel, which is called
crucifixion cruise
this isn't your standard triumphant hymn by any means, but the first half of the song in particular gets to me. it's a great scene to picture in my mind. hope you enjoy - here are the lyrics:

how a resurrection really feels - the hold steady
her parents named her halleluiah, the kids all called her holly.
if she scared you then she's sorry. she's been stranded at these parties.
these parties they start lovely but they get druggy and they get ugly and they get bloody.

the priest just kinda laughed. the deacon caught a draft.
she crashed into the easter mass with her hair done up in broken glass.
she was limping left on broken heels.
when she said father can i tell yr congregation how a resurrection really feels?

holly was a hoodrat. now you finally know that.
she's been disappeared for years. today she finally came back.

she said: st. louis had enslaved me. i guess santa ana saved me.
st. peter had me on the queue. the st. paul saints they waved me thru.
i was all wrapped up in some video booth. when i heard her say i love you too.

she said i've laid beneath my lovers but i've never gotten laid.
some nites she felt protected. some nites she felt afraid.
she spent half last winter justa trying to get paid.
from some guy she'd originally thought to be her saviour.

they wrote her name in magic marks. on stopsigns and subway cars.
they got a mural up on e.13th. that said halleluiah rest in peace.

halleluiah was a hoodrat. and now you finally know that.
she's been disappeared for years. today she finally came back.

walk on back. walk on back. she said don't turn me on again. i'd probably just go and get myself all gone again.
holly was a sexy mess. she looked strung out but experienced. so we all got kind of curious.

fantastic new book

i'll do a larger post on david dark's fantastic new book, "the sacredness of questioning everything" soon, but as i finished the post on the sd reader story i recalled a favorite thing that david writes about. it's that he and his wife talk with their kids about going to "church building" as an intentional way to reinforce that people are the church, and buildings are where some of those people meet some of the time.

i've tried to start that with syd and max and it's an interesting conversation.

why do people go to church?

today i picked up the latest issue of the san diego reader, an alternative weekly paper, and read this really interesting story. the headline is provocative enough, and i expected something different than what the story held, but it was a great read nonetheless. i had expected more word on the street kinds of things, interviews with people abut why they did or didn't go to church, and it really turned into more of a piece on an orthodox priest who had travelled to that place from beginnings in a presbyterian church and a lot of time with campus crusade for christ.

it's interesting in that i've become aware of a decent number of people who have found themselves drawn to eastern orthodoxy (be that greek, russian, serbian, etc.) in the past few years, as well as many more who have gone from conventional evangelicalism to anglican, catholic and other more liturgical traditions as they have delved deeper into the roots of their faith.

growing up in the chicago area i was fully aware of catholicism, and my mom, though she was raised to believe that catholic=bad, never conveyed that thought to me, for which i am thankful. i don't think she believes that either, by the way - something she overcame from her youth.

anyway, it's a fascinating read and i need to go revisit karen armstrong's a history of god,particularly for its passages on the divide between the easter church and what has become catholicism.

still to come this weekend, a new favorite song that fits right in to easter, albeit in an unconventional and sloppy, salty way.

you mean the pc "laptop hunter" commercial is a fraud?

being a mac fan i was of course skeptical of the new pc commercials, but here's one of my favorite cranks, bob lefsetz, to debunk the commercials. For the uninitiated, bob lefsetz is a music business thinker, gadfly and blogger. while he can be gruff and given to an abundance of hyperbole i find a lot of truth in what he writes, though i still can't figure out his love for modern country music. don't hold that against him. his posts on the music he loves are as passionate and indulgent as they come. here's a short burst on lying to customers:

_______
Stop lying.

The Web has a zillion sleuths just waiting to be activated, like that worm on your computer delineated on "60 Minutes" last night (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/27/60minutes/main4897053.shtml), (PC-only, in fact), in order to verify the veracity of your statements.

Latest example?

Microsoft's new "Laptop Hunters" TV campaign, in which an uber-attractive girl professes she's not cool enough to buy an Apple laptop and goes for a cheaper Windows machine.

Within moments, it was revealed that "Lauren" was not an average person, but a member of SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) recruited from Craigslist (http://www.tuaw.com/2009/03/30/some-thoughts-on-the-new-microsoft-ads/)

Then, it was revealed that the computer she purchased was an old model (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2344017,00.asp) with bad reviews: http://blogs.computerworld.com/microsoft_apple_pc_wars_advertisement_crispen_porter_get_a_mac_ads_ballme

Then a Mac user offered to GIVE HER his own Apple PowerBook so she could see what she was missing: http://i.gizmodo.com/5187031/lauren-we-have-someone-whod-like-to-talk-to-you

In other words, if you think you can pull the wool over the public's eyes, with your lame excuse denying the truth, you're wrong. The twenty first century is about transparency. Reveal the facts, admit the truth and move on. People today know life is complicated, mistakes and failures are part of the game: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/magazine/29wwln-lede-t.html?ref=magazine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIS6G-HvnkU
_______

one year anniversary

one year ago today i started work at youth specialties. i knew i was in the right place when i found my office decorated as the picture show - floor to ceiling covering in aluminum foil. i quickly dubbed it the foilarium and have collected the majority of the foil into a single, massive ball of foil that sits on a shelf here.

i'd had a long standing friendship / love affair with ys before coming to work here, and have some amazing relationships with ys employees past and present. a few stories that have shaped my perception of the kind of poeple that i've encountered at ys through the years:

- mike(y) atkinson being sure to invite me to a gospelcom web seminar when i was at reunion records and fighting through the skepticism of "this internet thing" and whether anyone would actually use it. mikey encouraged and educated me on many things, and also provided a framework for working through the square peg feeling of being in christian media but not fitting into the stereotypes that i was encountering.

- i recall calling marko very early one morning on a weekend trip with the ebpc youth group when will penner stuck with me a number of on-medication-but-not-taking-meds junior high students. i laid into marko asking him how he could possibly like working with middle schoolers and to call me as soon as he got this message for some ideas of how to not kill them. of course, he waiting until monday morning and asked me, "so, how was your weekend, sunshine?" with a grin so wide i could see it 2,000 miles away. i'm a high school guy, but marko has always modeled a consistent love for middle school kids, and i can't help but respect that.

- when squint entertainment was shuttered and our whole team got canned, mike yaconelli called me the day it happened asking if i was ok, if i needed work, if he could help in any way. i was floored. at his memorial service i must have run into half a dozen people with pretty much the same story.

- pretty much any time in the past year or so that i've reverted to junior high type behavior or language, michele asks me if i've been around or talked with ys publisher jay howver. i guess there's just something about jay that brings that out of me. in addition to the work relationship, jay (and marko) have been part of a group of guys that gets together annually to be present to each other in our lives, and that group has meant a tremendous amount to me.

- not long after i started last year we were at a july 4th party at tic's house (though he was on vacation and allowed michele, the kids and me to stay there during our time in exile). it was a fun and not very raucous time, but we watched fireworks on the hillside of tic's house and shared a few beers and cigars, along with some great conversations. several ys folks were there, including marko and his family, mindi godfrey, bethany marvin and beth slevcove along with her husband joe and their daughter. my in-laws were there as well and i remember my father-in-law expressing his appreciation for the welcome that he and my mother-in-law had received from the group. he said something to the effect of that if his generation in church life had been as welcoming he thinks people may have had a closer connection to faith and real life, and be less concerned with legalism.

so while ys goes through a period of re-formation and re-alignment, i'm still thankful for the chance to be a part of it. getting to work with and for youth workers who pour their lives into the lives of teenagers is an awesome opportunity and i'm convinced that it helps me stay young. well, that and the cool hat i wear to impress amy gilchrist here into thinking i'm young.

my favorite new music site

i may have posted on this before, but i don't care. i love amiestreet.com. it's a fantastic way to discover new music and purchase at a price that rewards experimentation, as songs start at a lower price which increases as popularity and recommendations increase. it also serves as a great means of going deeper into bands' catalogs when they were on indies.

i discovered the hold steady a few years back with "boys & girls in america", and their two previous records, "separation sunday" and "almost killed me" are at amiestreet for about $5-$6 each. want pre-"friend opportunity" music from deerhoof? amiestreet is the place. what's more - there are scores of free tracks and albums to browse and sample.

amazon is a minority investor in this site, which was started by three friends from brown university. nobody knows where online music is going, but for the time being i loves me some amiestreet. enjoy.

justin nozuka is talented ... and has short fans

last week i surprised michele by taking her to the famous belly up tavern in solana beach to see a fairly new singer-songwriter named justin nozuka. michele had seen him on a direct tv concert special and was blown away by him, so i was able to keep the word that he was coming to san diego from her.

usually when i work on some "aww, that's so sweet" type of thing for michele something happens in the process that aggravates or just plain pisses her off, because i'm doing something irrational to keep it a secret and it's not until there's a "reveal" that she puts it all together. this one went remarkably smoothly, and the only way that even guessed that it had to do with live music was that our friend moira showed up at the restaurant we had dinner at before the show.

nozuka is in that john mayer / david gray / jason mraz vein, which i find pleasant if not entirely satisfying. he's got a great voice and a more soulful approach than any of the others i mentioned, which helped me go along with the show much more. his band was good. great guitar / keyboard guy, and a solid rhythm section that i wish could have stretched out some more.

at many, if not most shows, my 6'1" frame gives me a good view of things, and michele has hit or miss experiences. well, this night even michele towered over his adoring and diminutive fans. i'm not sure what that's all about, but it was strikingly obvious and really humorous. so if you're 5' or less, justin nozuka may be the dreamboat singer-songwriter you've been looking for.

recent read: what would google do

i just finished jeff jarvis's new book, what would google do?. it's an insightful study of how google's core principles have re-imagined myriad industries and means of doing things, and jarvis takes time to imagine what other industries would look like if they google-fied themselves. a few themes that were predominant and that make such sense, imho:

- trust your customers and they will trust you: open up information, process and rationale and customers, constituents, etc. will find new ways to utilize things as well as trust you more.
- determine what business you're really in (ex - zappos is not a show selling site but a customer service company), and then build platforms for others to do that.
- do no evil. even with a mind-numbing amount of information about their users, there is a challenge at google to utilize that for good purposes, to leave some money on the table and define what is enough.

there's certainly an almost worshipful tone that jarvis expresses toward google, and about 3/4 of the way through the case studies started to get repetitive, but it all makes great sense and reflects many conversations i've had in the music world, in talks with non-profits and certainly at ys. i also appreciated his quick chapter on the two things you can't google-fy: god and apple.

aside from the business side of this book, the overall study of how people are using resources like google and their suite of products to build creative and commercial outlets is a fascinating look at participative and collaborative trends of connection and expression.

i was given the book to read for a group of marketing folks at zondervan and i've gotten copies for my team at ys as well. certainly a recommended read.

a coffee shop without wi-fi? really?

if i were to open a coffee shop, i have to think that one of the basics, aside from say, coffee and a source for lots of clean, hot water, would be a wi-fi setup for customers. i mean, i'd probably need it for business anyway, but for the $50/month it would cost i have to believe that it would be a sensible investment to find some local customers who would set up shop and more than pay for the investment.

so surprise when, early this morning when i needed to find a space for an hour or so, the new shop that opened 3 blocks from my house has no wi-fi at all. and this isn't some neo-luddite, principled stance, they just had not even thought of it, and i think they looked at me like i was an alien when i asked.

shame, because it's a nice little spot, super-convenient and i don't need change to fee a meter, but for now they have ceded the space for my business to other, less convenient places.

it was good to jar me into asking what basic expectations i have of sites, businesses, etc. and whether or not my role in them (ys, specifically) is helping to exceed those expectations. well, at least that's what i was thinking of as i drove away.

pillow fight!

i just read about the nashville group, "optimist manifesto", and the public pillow fight they staged last week in centennial park. unfortunately this grass roots gathering to have public fun in the midst of such ongoing bad news was shut down mid-stream, as the group had apparently not secured the proper permits. with all due respect to public officials, this seems like the kind of thing that should have been allowed to go on for the sheer good will of it all. here's a fun and nicely edited video piece of the goings-on:

obama is being called the "first internet president", and something that struck me today in thinking about that was the correlation between the way that bush's administration operated (and how mccain campaigned), and how the music industry has shifted during that presidency.

you see, music has shifted almost entirely to a pull economy, from what was historically a push economy. no longer do music lovers have to sift through what the more powerful components push to radio stations or video channels. we go out and find what we like, engage with it and go deep if we really like it. anything else rolls off like water on a duck's back. the popularity of gift cards for itunes and the post-christmas digital rush shows that no longer are people accepting the blockbuster releases that well-meaning family and friends give them on cd. instead, we get gift cards, load up our account and get what we want, how we want.

the bush presidency and mccain campaigns ran like old-school, push-delivery media. control the message, control the information, control the campaign workers and volunteers and believe that they actually get to set the tone and pace of the campaign. obama, in contrast, spent a great amount of time distributing the campaign info to passionate volunteers, and the listened to them when they communicated what was working and what wasn't. what's more, they then had those volunteers go find others and train them, allowing for greater involvement of people, not just in numbers, but in ideas.

for a fascinating view on this, read zack exley's article here

what really strikes me about this is the sense that trust and confidence have been placed with the quality of ideas, of music, of content. if a band can make a connection and keep an audience engaged, they have to place a certain amount of trust that those fans will stay with them, which offers far more freedom than relying on the music being given as a gift and the end listener not having any investment in them. similarly, for a candidate to do things like let their supporters run with ideas and tactics when all history says that they should control the message is astonishing.

the implications of this across so many areas are huge, and while it is disruptive, destabilizing and downright terrifying for some, it is a signal of things to come, and i embrace that. best of luck, mr. president-elect - thanks for trusting us.

12 Days a capella

I just found this clip of the group Straight No Chaser, an a capella group at Indiana University. Great stuff. When my friend Brad was at IU he clued me in to an annual musical extravaganza called IU Sing. Brad arranged an a capella medley of Def Leppard songs for his fraternity. Enjoy this one.

Adrian Legg: mild mannered guitar savant

Virtuosity is a rare thing that surfaces in unique places. In the fall of 1988 I spent a semester abroad in Cambridge, England, and while there I picked up a music magazine that reviewed an album called Guitars And Other Cathedrals by a guy named Adrian Legg. The review raved about his flexibility of style, attention to melody as well as outright speed when necessary. I immediately went to the record shop and snagged a cassette. It opened my eyes and ears to a type of guitar playing I'd never even considered, and the record remains a favorite. By the way, the US version didn't release until 1990 and had a horrible cover compared to the original UK version.

Just yesterday I found the clip embedded here of a beautiful piece from that record. I saw Adrian Legg play in Nashville about 10-11 years ago at the Bluebird Cafe and he was amazing, endearing and wholly inspiring. I'm not sure who the Brad Jones guy in the leather hat is on the tail end of the clip, but I'm glad to be able to spread the love about Adrian Legg. Enjoy.