Take a second and think about two things. Please!

In honor of one of the best hip-hop groups around (that I'm willing to bet you don't listen to) think about these two things:


One.
You would rather have a Lexus or justice
A dream or some substance
A Beamer, a necklace or freedom

Two.
White Privilege.

I will post more on this later. But seriously, the second one, think about it really hard (I'm willing to bet you don't think about it often).

I Hate To Say...

Upon reading the New York Times website this morning I found a couple of interesting things I wanted to share. One is the article, Don't Just Spend, Do It Wisely. Not that it says exactly what I said in the post, State of the Economy, but the idea behind post articles is essentially the same. Do your research. Spend your money in the best way possible. Best in that sentence could mean alot of things but I intend for it to mean the way in which the most utility will be brought about from it. The way in which it will create the biggest return on the investment. The NYT article was an extremely macro version of my entirely micro post but both are equally applicable. Granted the macro version was applicable to Obama, and my micro version was applicable to everyone. Maybe I should write for the NYT.... maybe not haha.

The second article I found interesting was titled Saving Citi May Create More Fear. In economics there is a thing called moral hazard. In non-economics terms moral hazard is when a party is protected from risk, they will then become riskier than they would have been had they not been protected. It applies to such things as insurance, finance, and even possibly people who wear seatbelts (we won't get into that though). In the article they have the sentence

"But longer term, the new bailout could haunt regulators and taxpayers. The move ultimately may encourage banks to take more risks in the belief that the government will step in if they run into trouble."

Sounds to me like the definition of moral hazard. What do I propose to do? Someone write this into congress for me, cause it is one of the more decent ideas I have had.

The banks know who is defaulting on their loans. And the government is giving money to the banks to make them able to absorb the fact that these people won't pay the banks back. The government should give money to the people who are defaulting and give them the choice of a bank to switch their mortgage to. This way the people will pay their loans back, and to banks who are willing to restructure and give proper incentive (like not making more risky loans). This will allow the banks that are the best to flourish and the banks that we are bailing out to disappear. People will maintain their assets and not be forced into foreclosure or bankruptcy. For the future, banks will know that they cannot be risky and get bailed out, they will know that the consumer cares about smart banking policy and money security and that they have to make the right decision to stay in business (like most other business). Banks are here to serve the people, as is government, when the banks don't serve the people the government shouldn't serve the banks (who by the way are taking in tons of capital from Big Brother and not making as many loans as they should be). ...think about it.

Two Tounges...

Two Tongues. Rumors of this bands inception surfaced almost a year ago and had me giddy as a school girl, as it did for many other people I'm sure. For those unaware Two Tounges is comprised of 4 members, 2 from the band Saves The Day, and 2 from the band Say Anything. What makes them even more special is that the members from those bands include Chris Conley and Max Bemis. Again, people may not know but those 2 dudes are the main song writers for their respective bands, and both have immense critical acclaim backing their abilities. Eventually a song called Crawl surfaced on their myspace for enjoyment and world peace (still waiting on the latter) and specifics on the CD were also released. February 3, 2009 is the official release date and I am having difficulty waiting. For me this is so huge because Saves The Day was (and still is in many ways) it for me. They weren't just my favorite band, with my favorite record, and my favorite song, they were it. And Say Anything is a band that I admittedly jumped on the ...Is A Real Boy bandwagon and fell in lust with (and yes, lust is the right word as some of the adoration has faded but much still remains). I am excited to see the potential that this project has be fulfilled but I still have a question that no matter how many times I ask it, I never like the way I answer it. Will this album even come close to being as good as Through Being Cool? Hate to say it, but NO, not even remotely close.

I know I'm crazy to even compare the two but anything that Chris is involved with will always draw that comparison for me and the answer will always be the same. Through Being Cool is just too great of a record.

Real Life Comedy

Nothing is funnier to me than other people and their relationships, or attempts at them. I'm that asshole that is never in a relationship and judges everyone else's, I know this, and when reading this you should know that too.

But honestly, society has built up the relationship and it's importance so much so that it controls peoples thoughts, emotions, actions, even lives. There are a few different types of people when it comes to relationships that I have been able to pick out.

• The settler. This is someone who wants to be in a relationship so bad that they will take anyone who will take them
• The gold digger. Everyone knows what this one is, what people don't know is that it isn't just about the money. The gold digger can be someone who is in it for anything other than emotion, ie fame, friends, name dropping abilities (watch those toes), arm candy.
• The faker. This person doesn't want to be in a relationship at all, they don't want to do any of the work that a relationship requires, but they are in one anyway. Who knows why?
• The serial monogamist. Is in a relationship because it is all they know. Can often be a settler as well.
• The user. Related to the gold digger but is only interested in the sexual aspect of the relationship.
• The hopeless romantic. Thanks a lot The Notebook, Clueless, Sweet Home Alabama, and every other chick flick that has both genders falling in and out of love with "the one" every time they meet someone new.
• The lonely hearts cluber. This person is in a relationship because they have no friends and need something/someone to make them feel okay about being an introvert. Ironically this is a symptom that can develop (and often does) once in a relationship exclusively associating with the significant other in favor of a more balanced existence.
• The poser. A lot like the faker but you can tell why they are in the relationship, because relationships are cool, duh! It's like shoes or Daft Punk to them.
• The cheap trick. Because they want you want them. They need you to need them. They love you to love them.

I'm sure there are more but those should cover just about everyone. Oh yeah and then every once in a while you will find real thing (note: I can only cite Johnny Cash and June Carter as evidence for this since I'm pretty sure that's the only real relationship that's ever happened). And to all the offended, thanks for being in a relationship and taking this so seriously, that's the real life comedy of it all.

Don't let this win over you

I'm sure everyone around me is sick of the POSI barrage I have unleashed as of late but I could care less. Why? Cause I'm POSI and not gonna let anything bring me down. Now go listen to Set Your Goals, perhaps the best POSI band ever.


First Youtube embed on the blog!

POSI

I always say that it is easy to be positive when everything in life is going well but the real test is when things go to shit. I still believe this but I feel I must make an amendment to this thought. I honestly can't remember the last time my life went to shit or I had something to gripe about, not to say that bad things haven't happened but I have built up so much around me that if something isn't going to my liking I can focus on something else in my life and without even blinking realize that life is still great. Funny thing is I don't think I have built up any more than most other people, I think I just focus on the good things in life more than other people. That may sound a bit pretentious, to say that I am better at something than other people, but in this case it is my experience that the people in my life have more complaints than I do. This brings up a whole new point about whether they complain more because they have more on their plates or take more risks or are just in a different place but I will maybe address that another time.

Converge is it.

Converge is a band that has dramatically impacted my life and my view of music. For those who don't know, Converge is a hardcore/metal band that has legions of fans in the "underground" but has not and probably will never reach mainstream success. For me they are the epitome of what a band should be, and I would like to break down the reasons why I believe this.

• Sonically they have a sound that is truly unique. To music listeners who are unfamiliar with a harder and darker tone to music, I can see how Converge could be lumped in with all the other "hard" bands. However, to people to enjoy screaming and a harder edge in music Converge has a sound that is so unique and progressive that they stand as kings.
• Visually this band is everything that is right with the music industry. Jake Bannon, the vocalist, does all of the art for the band. He is a professor of art when not touring with Converge or other projects. The artwork for the Jane Doe album is a common tattoo for Converge fans, and his style is so distinct that liner art and other albums work also gets chosen for tattoos and is easily noticeable. The music video for Eagles Will Become Vultures (the best of their videos) is perhaps one of the most perfect pieces of film ever, and hardly anyone has seen it. If you do not appreciate loud, hard, screamy music I understand, but please check out the artwork for this band, it is without question amazing. The fact that the band devotes so much of itself to the artwork and imagery surround the project speaks volumes as to the complete package of true art that Converge is, and other bands are not.
• Lyrically Converge is like a rainbow during a hurricane. The music is super dissonant however the lyrics are extremely positive, cohesive, and beautifully crafted. This is what draws me to this band and I could write pages about their lyrics so I will just say this, lyrically Converge has the enviable ability to say so much with so little, succinct and powerful are the best adjectives that come to mind.
  
• Ethically empowered. Converge might as well be spelled DIY. Jake Bannon is co-founder and operator of Deathwish Inc., a record label devoted to counter-culture progression and alternative music. Kurt Ballou, guitarist, owns and operates GodCity Studios where the band records, the bands other projects record, and many other band go to have their music made into art. They do their own art, stand for many social causes, and only partner with companies of integrity, among many other traits that make them better than most other bands. Their lyrics, music, and actions are all in synch to make them ethically one of the most righteous bands ever.
  
• History. Converge has been around for nearly 20 years. Never changing who they are or what they stand for to "bust into the mainstream." Converge will most likely never have their video played on MTV unless at 2am, they will never be featured in a TV show unless as unknown background music, they will not likely reach mainstream radio play or sell out concerts at major arenas. Because of who they are and what they do this is their fate, and something tells me they would have it no other way. In the 20 years they have been around they have released 7 full lengths, a bakers dozen or so of EPs/Demos/Vinyl/Splits, 1 DVD, and been apart of other musical projects such as Doomriders, Old Man Gloom, Bane, Supermachiner, Cave In, and various other bands and solo projects. They are constantly contributing their art to the world.

In essence Converge is the most powerful band ever, and defines that word. Powerful.

Proof in the pudding (phone)

I always say you get out what you put in. I believe this holds true for just about everything in life. I put in a lot at my job, and on Friday my job gave me the phone I wanted and have been waiting for. I will say it again, YOU GET OUT WHAT YOU PUT IN.

(this is just one example, it really does apply to just about everything in life)

The Only True Fortune Cookie I've Seen

I went to lunch with my Mom today, we went to Pei Wei. After we finished eating, I had Dan Dan Noodles (so good), we opened our fortune cookies. I cannot remember what my Moms was because it was boring, lame, and entirely untrue as most fortune cookies are. I say most because the fortune in my cookie, although not a fortune, was very poignant. It read "Don't pursue happiness - create it" which was a funny fortune cookie for me to get. This is something I have realized since I was a little kid and once I reached the age of 18 I really had a grasp of this concept. No one or nothing can make you happy except yourself. So many people look to the future, another person, material items, God, or "waiting it out" to be happy. True happiness can only come from within when you are happy not only with yourself but where you are in your life. The "next step", a significant other, money, or fate cannot make anyone happy, those things can be a catalyst to happiness but only when the term content is too mediocre a word to describe your state of being. Even though I have a firm grasp on this concept I can lapse, life is tough at times. Let this be a reminder to both me and you, Don't pursue happiness - create it.

Who is that guy anyway?

This is my plea. It is quite possibly the most important plea I will make all year.

Friday night I went to go see Saosin, my favorite band, perform at the Filmore in Denver. And when I say I went to see them perform it is because they play their music flawlessly while being extremely entertaining. While this time around wasn't their best it is still better than many and most other bands around. While at the show I had the opportunity to see The Devil Wears Prada and Underoath as well. First time seeing TDWP while I've seen Underoath a half dozen times, or so. It was seeing these two bands in combination that made me realize I had to make this plea:

FIRE THE SYNTH PLAYER!

That's right, the band member that plays around on that Casio or Korg has got to go. Don't mistake this for me saying I don't want the synth in the music, without it I think both those bands (and many others) would not be as cohesive. Bands like Enter Shikari, Underoath, The Devil Wear Prada, and other have a presence on CD that is amplified by the differentiation in tone that the synth offers compared to the rest of the instrumentation. Formulaic bands with guitars, bass, and a drummer can be transformed into something more exciting with a synth. However, the live show has never and will never benefit from the chubby band mate that presses a key or two every 2 minutes. The band is better off with an iPOD and the extra cash in their pockets at the end of the night. Allow me for a moment to describe the stage presence of the synth player and then perhaps you will agree with my plea.

As the band walks out onto the stage (probably dimly lit) he is the one with both hands raised high in the air begging the crowd to praise him. He walks up to his rig (because he has multiple keyboards and a laptop out it is officially a rig) and presses a key on the Korg, doesn't matter what key since it is programmed to play once any key it pressed. He scrolls the laptop pad and makes a few clicks on the laptop but there is no real change in the sound, still the Korg plays on. Then the rest of the band begins to play and the synth player takes two minutes to frantically headband out of rhythm and shake his arms around about his head. Finally he presses another key and goes on to rock out again. For the bands not big enough to have the laptop yet fear not he is have a break from rocking out so hard by being the dude to grab a water bottle and throw it on the crowd, that's always sure to entrance the moshing 16 year olds. Finally as the show is coming to an end he is the one to press his last key on the rig and head off stage, a full 3 minutes before the song is even over.

To the bands, if you have any sense of showmanship left in you please heed my plea and FIRE THE SYNTH PLAYER!

TOYS!

So my homies at Joy Engine/Cypher 13 began this project called Soft & Furry months ago. They handmade some 100 or so toys and them sent them around the world (and locally) to be modified, designed, and birthed into full fledged characters. On September 13 they hosted a show at the Plastic Chapel in Denver to reveal what the artists from across the globe had created out of their molds. No one could have expected some of the toys that had been created. My favorite, was purchased by my boss Randall and is currently hiding out in his office. It is a modification of the Groond mold by Kristian Kluver and looks like this:
Which is incredible seeing as how the toy started as something like this:

I ended up purchasing a sibling set that was designed by a design firm in Australia called TOKO, here are the toys:


And I love them. I love them so much so that I made them little houses to hangout it on my wall. Not a ton of effort was put into the homes, or the picture taking but you can have a peak below. I figured building them a display was the least I could do since they had another sibling that was killed by a laser! Its a long but totally true story that is too heart wrenching to tell on a blog. The homes:

Voting, is it pointless, altrusitic, or something else?

Here is a great video from PBS that describes the economics of voting in laymen terms. It features one of the worlds most respected economists, Gordon Tullock.

Here is one of my favorite economists, Tyler Cowen, on voting:

Most of what you do is for expressive value anyway, so you shouldn't feel guilty about voting, if indeed you vote. The people who think they are being instrumentally rational by not voting are probably deceiving themselves more. They are actually engaged in an even less transparent form of expressive behavior (protest against the voting system) and yet cloaking that behavior under the guise of instrumental rationality. The best arguments against voting are simply if you either don't like voting or if you don't know which candidate is better. High-status people hardly ever offer the latter justification, even though the split of opinions among high-status people suggests that not all high-status people can in fact know which candidate is better.

In other words, both voting and not voting are motivated by the thought that you are better than other people. I am glad that we have an entire day devoted to this very important concept.

And here is an abstract of a paper by Julio Rotemberg on voting altruism:

This paper presents a goal-oriented model of political participation based on two psychological assumptions. The first is that people are more altruistic towards individuals that agree with them and the second is that people's well-being rises when other people share their personal opinions. The act of voting is then a source of vicarious utility because it raises the well-being of individuals that agree with the voter. Substantial equilibrium turnout emerges with nontrivial voting costs and modest altruism. The model can explain higher turnout in close elections as well as votes for third-party candidates with no prospect of victory. For certain parameters, these third party candidates lose votes to more popular candidates, a phenomenon often called strategic voting. For other parameters, the model predicts "vote-stealing" where the addition of a third candidate robs a viable major candidate of electoral support.

Here is the paper.

Here is another article on the altruistic nature of voting.

Are people really this altruistic? And if so what is their behavior like the other 364 days of the year? When going to the polls think about this and if you are that altruistic maybe it is time you act like it in other ways as well.

In American politics where every single voter is marginalized not only by the scope of the system but the tyrannical two-parties that run it, one can argue that a vocalized political stance against involvement in such a system would be more effective in truly changing the political schema. Voting because someone tells you to, or calls you names if you don't, is truly indicative of the level of American politics. This is why for 220 plus years there has been two dominate parties. And it is that same mindset that will perpetuate those two same major parties controlling American politics well into the future. True change comes from the people, not the parties or candidates they vote for.

Concerts

When I was in high school music was my life. Music was literally the only important thing to me and it consumed everything about me. Then I met my friends and they were the most important thing. Now I have a better balance of the elements that make up my life. However, when music was my reason for existence I went to shows all the time. I remember 2 week stints where I would go to a show every night, take a night off, and then do another 2 weeks. Good times.

On Thursday I went and saw The Faint, still one of the most crisp sounding bands in a live setting. They can replicate the sounds, tones, rhythm, and feel that is on their CD, but with a few hundred other folks to dance with.

Last night, Halloween, I went to a house show and it brought me back to booking house shows and warehouse shows for my friends bands. I remember making connections around town and meeting all kinds of people who felt the same way I did, DIY!

Tonight I prepare to go to see my friends performing once again, although this time it is a little different. They are playing at a legitimate venue and have support from large companies to make their music their lives.

It is interesting to me that after all the years of being around and working hard and standing for something, that I may have moved out of music being my life. And other people I know have moved into it. I would not change anything that has happened and love my life and where things have taken me. I love that my friends are successful at what they are doing and even if it wasn't music, I want them to do well. I guess I am just being nostalgic for the years when music reigned. Also, I'm super excited to revert back to my 16 year old ways since I feel more like a 46 year old these days.