Screw watching the Blue Moon

Everyone I know is out watching the new moon movie. Even friends that don't particularly care to watch it, have called and invited me to go watch it. I guess when there's enough hype about something, people want to check it out.

Anyways, I don't need to go waste $5 dollars on a movie when I can watch stuff like this on YouTube, for free. Also, I would like to post this on facebook, but since i've already posted something today, I don't really want to be a post whore.

A Short Film

It's been awhile since I've posted anything. I came across this short film, and thought it was worthy of sharing.

First day at McDonalds

I think this is the first journal style entry blog I've ever typed, but here it goes. I just completed my first day at McDonalds, which is my first job after receiving my Bachelors Degree. I basically wanted to work there, just to experience a type of job clients of mine in the future will have experienced their entire lives. And honestly, I think if my options were to work at a job like McDonalds for 20 years, or be homeless, I would go with being homeless. Not that I would want to be homeless, but deep down inside, I have a strong feeling that's what I would choose. That, or live at my parents house as long as possible. Anyways, as far as how the job went. It lasted long, but it felt short. I was basically flipping burgers all day, but not really since the technology is so advanced these days you don't even have to flip them. Just set them down, press a button, and wait. It was actually pretty fun. I met some cool people working there. I also learned some Spanish. I learned how to say the words, "quarter pounder, my name is, thank you, and hamburger." The shift definitely went to a 90% hispanic crew towards the later hours. One guy was named Jesus, which I thought was pretty awesome. He kept saying I looked familiar. Then we made the connection that I had seen him at his previous job, La Fiesta about a thousand times, which is a super kick ass mexican food joint in Ada. I actually told Jesus, for every 5 dollars I spend at McDonalds, I probably spend 200 at La Fiesta. He thought that was funny. There was also another fella I hung out with the last few hours that has apparently worked nearly all the fast food joints in Ada. I'll just call him John Doe. He said he dropped out of high school, and he currently has a kid. He was giving me pointers on how to be a stud and attract the ladies. His tips were to, "keep it fresh," by keeping the hi-gene up, and the clothes looking sharp. Then you gotta spit the game, and act all interested in the lady, even if you're only interested in one thing, and even if you don't know her name. Apparently that's the sign of a true player. To fornicate with someone whos name you don't even know. Once I get to know this fella a little bit better I'm going to find out if he uses condoms. I doubt he does. Hopefully he doesn't have another kid because then he may have to work as much as Jesus. Jesus works 18 hours a day, and only sleeps 4 to 5 hours. He has two jobs. I asked him why all the work. He said he's saving up for an awesome sports car so he can bypass all of John Doe's romance tips, and attract the ladies with a big shiny fast chunk of metal. It's amazing how powerful testosterone is. I think so many people do things just for sex. Get certain jobs for sex, buy things they can't afford for sex, just all sorts of stuff. Personally, I'd rather sacrifice getting laid a bunch, than work 18 hours a day. To me, 18 hours of work for 2 minutes worth of pleasure ain't worth it! Anyways, My values are just so different from the average American consumer. I'd much rather do things I enjoy, then work my arse off at a job that feels like a job, just to buy something I don't need. Another thing I thought about was slavery. I think slavery still exists. It's just wrapped in the illusion of freedom, and minimum wadges. People get paid just enough to keep the system running, as well as just enough to be enslaved by debt. I'm getting so tired I can't go into detail with that thought, but I think this picture below sums it up well. I think it would be cool, if instead of raising people in society to be as rich as possible, at all costs, which is what our system pounds into our head from day one; maybe we should focus more on raising citizens with compassion for one another. I love capitalism, by the way. It's a great system, when people morally behave properly; but they don't. They become greedy, which cause the system to fail. Then government has to step in, and has to start running things. Take for example the health care bill. A lot of people are bitching about the word socialism. I hate to inform these people, but if the insurance companies weren't raking in billions of dollars while simultaneously screwing millions of people, we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. Either way, I'm confident that whichever bill passes, it will be more geared towards the interests of wealth business interests, than the overall well being of American citizens. Also, one more thing. I saw on Fox news this morning that the psychic business in America is apparently booming. Even employment for psychics are rising, according to the training schools. Basically, people are giving other people in weird costumes loads of money to tell them about their finances. Well, guess what. I got a prediction right here, and I didn't even go to a training camp. I'm gonna predict that due to Americas overall ignorance, millions of Americans are going to lose thousands of dollars by handing over their money to psychics, just to ask a few simple questions. Maybe, instead of wondering about the future. These people should just observe the past.



Also, for my own amusement, my future plans are:


To tell the Mitch Hedberg Sesame Seed Bun joke.



And to sing somebody this song, and tell them I wrote it after my fictitious divorce, and multipal police encounters. Then tell them a great man by the name of Ronwell Quincy Dobbs wrote it.

Alaska

another original... the last half was pretty much improvised. I need to write it out to sheet music, and change a few things with the improvised part. My recording software is about to expire, so I got busy today.

"Waves are Toys from God"

Today, while I was doing my grocery shopping, I looked through a BMX Plus magazine and saw two of my friends. It's a pretty weird feeling seeing people you know in a magazine. My first reaction is always excitement for the friend, followed by regret towards myself. Mostly because, I always wonder how far I could have gone had I actually pushed myself with my riding. When I was 14 years old I dreamed of being a professional, and by the time I was 18, I figured I'd just settle for some pictures in a magazine, or clips in a video. I always had a bunch of natural talent, more than most riders I believe, but I never did anything with it. I remember coming back from a contest in Austin, TX when I was 21. That place left me super motivated to learn a bunch of new tricks. I really wanted to push myself to that next level with my riding. So I could place well, in say, a national expert class, or enter a pro class more than once. That Texas motivation didn't last very long. Within a few weeks, I went back to the usual: Having fun riding bikes with my friends.

Before I went to the grocery store though, I watched a YouTube video via facebook of Clay Marzo, a professional surfer who has a form of autism, known as Asperger's Syndrome. I ended up getting pretty fascinated with the dude, and watched more videos on him. Due to his condition, he is somewhat of a jedi when it comes to surfing. He is apparently by far the best in the world for his age, and could easily make it as a professional, if he actually wanted to.

For some reason, I find an enormous amount of beauty in the fact he could care less about being a professional. Clay is the only person I've ever heard of who doesn't care to be transformed into something so many kids grow up dreaming of. To me it seems like a form of altruism. All he needs is the joy that comes from surfing, and nothing else. Because nothing else is apparently necessary to him. Just a wave and a surf board. It's a bit weird to think, but imagine a world where Michael Phelps set world records at the local YMCA; where Tiger Woods refused to compete on the PGA Tour; or Lance Armstrong just rode back and forth across America, like Forest Gump, simply for the hell of it. That's the world Clay Marzo lives in. I suppose I find it such a beautiful world because I sometimes think so many artists, musicians, writers, athletes, and people in general, including myself, often lose the main motive that gets us doing something, because we replace it with another one less pure. Clay Marzo, is my first, and only, 'favorite surfer'.

"Waves are toys from God." - Clay M.

2 wheels

Some people have to go visit the London Bridge, or the Eiffel Tower, or Grand Canyon, to experience the world's beauty. All I have to do is watch this youtube video, as ridiculous as it sounds:




I'm posting this video as a reminder to do this:

New Piano Song; plus, random thoughts on music...

I recently downloaded (and will purchase once my 14-day trial nears an end) a music software program called --- something. So, that means I will be uploading some songs in the near future. The first song I decided to record (and post here) is a little piece I wrote this past summer. During that time period, I was reading a lot of online news articles for the first time in about eight months. Which as a result, inspired the name of the song that inspired this blog: A Founding Father Couldn't Get Elected Today. The title is obviously politically motivated, but really has no other connection to the song, besides that.

It is a very unique song. In general, and for me, personally, as someone who likes to screw around on a piano. I let my friend Dave listen to the song immediately after recording a decent take the other night. I described to him how it was a weird song, and that I honestly wouldn't know whether or not I would enjoy it if some stranger randomly approached me, and had me listen to it. That is currently not the case now, because I now realize the answer. I don't believe I would like the song, simply because I wouldn't be emotionally connected to it. I like it simply because I wrote it. I am emotionally connected to it, because my emotions and tiny 3 year-old neurological musical piano pathways made it. So it's just a no-brainer whether or not I would like it to some extent. But I have a feeling, that if this song were on youtube, uploaded by somebody else, I would probably listen to ten seconds of it - conclude that it sucks - then click on another video. Though possibly different scenarios, I think this happens a lot with music. And I don't mean to sloppy musicians like myself. I'm talking about really really good professional musicians who should be listened to! All because I, and so many others, never give ourselves the chance to connect emotionally with the music.

Now I believe there are two ways to be drawn to music. Not really, I'm sure there are millions of ways, but I've got to list two that are on my mind for this blog: 1st) By the "technical objective aspect," which basically includes everything heard in the objective world; and 2nd) The "emotional aspect." These are pretty simple explanations, so I'll let you think of some personal examples to figure out. I think it's hard to have one without the other, and I feel like my favorite musicians do a swell job of mixing the two ingredients together. However, I do think listening to a song, and not being on the same level emotionally with that song is like watching a comedy movie without possessing the ability to laugh (and just in case you can't imagine that, just imagine watching a comedy movie immediately after arriving home from a funeral). I think these two aspects of music explain why I listen to such few bands, and why I am totally in love with Radiohead. This obviously hinders me musically, in a way that I don't give other deserving bands, artists, composers, etc. enough of a chance for me to connect emotionally with their music. This also explains why I love Radiohead so much, not just because their technical objective ability is absolutely amazing, but because when I hear it, I can feel it in my bones (reference to one of their songs). And I don't only do that though, I feel it in my bone marrow (not a reference to one of their songs). But really, honestly, I just connect with it well, mushy feelings wise. As do millions of other fans world wide.

One of my good friends once said after we saw Radiohead live, that he loved their music so much, because of their ability to play the music he feels inside himself, that he himself, can never express musically. That didn't make much sense to me then, but it makes a tad bit of sense now. Just because I think he was confusing Radiohead's ability to play the "music he feels inside himself" with their ability to bring out the emotion inside of himself, due to his emotional connection with the music. So, I think this is why myself, and probably so many others sell ourselves short on other possible music obsessions. Even after the first several times I listened to Sigur Ros, I laid the CD on a shelf to collect dust for nearly a year, before stumbling over it again later, only to fall in love with it the second time. Maybe us sound vibration listeners just don't give ourselves enough time to connect with the music. Then again, everyone has their pet peeves; and no matter how long I am exposed to Kid Rock musical waterboarding, I will probably never connect with his music, or bang my head to Bawitdaba.





But anyways, to all those bored enough to actually read down this far, there you have it folks: An answer to why I don't believe I would enjoy this song as a person in your shoes. Why I sell myself short on indulging in many other great musicians. Why myself and Jace, are more than just blown away Radiohead. And finally, why some people in the music industry are making a fortune off nearly every musician out there who is forking over their paychecks in desperate attempts to make it big someday. Simply due to the fact those wealth providing musicians are so emotionally connected to their music, they are mentally incapable of hearing their music objectively. So here it is. Another song in the past. Maybe you can connect with it, maybe you can't. Either way, I'll still be screwing around on pianos at night - for me, myself, and I. Just don't listen to it 100 times trying to connect with it. I suggest spending that time wisely by indulging in some of history's musical greats that maybe you didn't allowed yourself to previously absorb. :)