Far From Refuge

Arrested by the Cred Police

I like to consider myself a music enthusiast(read:snob). Someone who knows a lot of music and a lot about music. I also like to think that my tastes are pretty diverse and what most would describe as "good". I put good in quotes because there isn't one artist that is universally liked or hated by everyone. Even The Beatles have their haters and bands like Creed and Train somehow sell millions of records. There are times(probably more than I'd like to admit) where I am drawn to a band that I know I probably shouldn't like but I do. Evanescence is one of these bands. I'm not saying they are my favorite band or that I even love them. They do have their moments though and when those moments arise I can't help but to really enjoy them. First off, the above music video is terrible. I am not sure if it is more weird or lame, but it has a healthy dose of both. I get the analogy it is trying to make, but it just comes off as terrible.

As weird as this video is though, I really dig this song. Under all the corporate rock and overproduction is a really catchy and pretty melody sung by a front woman with (in my opinion) one of the prettiest voices in rock music. The pre-chorus and chorus are so dark yet so pretty. I feel like if the record company/producer let them do there thing without all slick production and generic sounding guitar tones they could really be a great band. Ok, maybe not great but more than what they were.

The funny thing is that while I enjoy this song so much, as well as a few others of theirs, I feel the need to keep it under wraps. Like if someone I respected, as far as music taste goes, found out I liked I would be way embarrassed. I couldn't say how I really felt about them. I'd have to say something like, "Evanescence? Oh yeah, that band sucks. Totally." I feel like such a tool saying that, but I would feel like an even bigger tool if I admitted I liked them. Haha. And this is where I get caught up in my own snobbery. Why can't I just admit that I like what I like? Who cares what other people think? Me apparently. I think one of my biggest fears is that people will think I have crappy taste in music.

There are times where I will in fact break this rule. For some reason, even though it is probably a bigger crime against music, I feel ok telling people that I actually really do enjoy Limp Bizkit's first album. Or, yes, I am a huge Blink 182 fan. I guess admitting you like Blink 182 these days is pretty safe considering the impact they had on my generation. That was not case when I was in high school though, especially if you were in the local punk scene like I was. Blink 182 was NOT punk rock and if you liked them you were a pussy. Sorry for the language but its the truth. If I had rolled up to a Guttermouth or Ignite show in a Blink shirt, I probably would have gotten my ass kicked. Hell, I saw a kid at a Thursday/Bring Me the Horizon show a year or so ago wearing a Blink shirt and I still kind of wanted to punch him in the face. So I'm a hypocrite. I admit it! Admitting you have a problem is the first step to resolving it, right? That will have to be enough for now. We can't face all our demons in one day right?

Also, please don't go starting a rumor that I am a Limp Bizkit fan. Fred Durst sucks and so does that band. I just enjoy their first album which has an unfortunate lame name that I won't list here. Its also unfortunate and embarrassing that I like that record. I hate that I do.

Will Work For Peanuts

The search as ended, for now at least. I have found employment with a reverse mortgage company called AAG in their accounting department. The pay is less than I was wanting, but times are tough and in this economy you take what you can get, for the time being. I had been interviewing with another company for a position that was higher paying, and more than a bit more desirable, but that fell through in the 11th hour. I won't go into the details of what happened, but needless to say I was screwed over, yet again, by my past employer. Luckily, I somewhat had this other position with AAG in my back pocket.

Although the pay isn't much more than I was making before with Fastech, I will say that the working conditions are leaps and bounds beyond what I have been experiencing the last 3 years. I genuinely like the people I work with and the controller here is very friendly. They seem to be really happy that I will be working there and I can tell already that they will be happy with the work I do. The past couple weeks I have had more good days at work than I have the last couple years. Thats always a good sign, right?

I would like to thank everyone who was praying for us in our time of need. Thanks to all those prayers, what we thought would be a really difficult time ended up being like more of an extended unpaid vacation for me (trust me that my mind was not viewing it as this at the time).

As for the storm trooper picture, it mostly made me laugh, but it also reminded me of how I felt every day after work at Fastech. Enjoy

Sidenote: This summer's new music has more than lived up to expectations so far. I have been rocking the following albums a lot lately.

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

2. August Burns Red - Leveler

3. Unearth - Darkness in the Light

4. Set Your Goals - Burning at Both Ends (still not totally into this one)

5. Nick 13 - Nick 13

Lay Off Without the Pay Off

Last Friday I received some devastating news. "I'm going to have to let you go." Something most people, other than those in police custody, never want to hear. I could go through the whole rigamarole of why and blah blah blah, but sufficeth to say that my boss got the call from the owner that someone needed to go due to lack of business and I was the unlucky one. "Do I get any severance pay?" "No, they don't do anything like that here." They don't do anything like that here? Are you friggin' kidding me? Wow, so after 3 years of being underpaid and under appreciated, with not a raise to be seen, you are going to "let me go" with no notice* and no severance. Why not follow that up by telling me to go "F" myself? Jeez. The icing on the cake, or rather the twisting of the knife, was that they told me all of this at 10am in the morning. Meaning that they didn't even give me the dignity of cleaning out my desk alone in an empty office. I had to gather my belongings in a box in front of EVERYONE in the office. I think that was the most humiliating thing I have ever had to do. Absolutely brutal.

Now I'm on the job hunt. While this is a situation I would never wish my self to be in, it is forcing me to change what is wrong in my life. It is no secret to anyone that knows me that I hated that job. I hated the company, I hated my coworkers, and I was growing tired of not advancing and doing the same thing over and over. I did, however, enjoy getting a steady paycheck, small though it may have been. The Missis has been having to put up with my negativity on the subject for the past year, something I am not proud of. As I stated earlier, I do not like being without that paycheck, but this experience is forcing me to find something new that will make me happy and hopefully more $$$. Luckily, I have excellent friends and family to help in my time of need by passing my resume along to their colleagues and by notifying me of various opportunities. I am confident that I will find something new and that my(our) life will consequently be better. Here's to new beginnings.

*Why is it that most places want you to give them at least a two week notice if you are going to quit, but they NEVER give you a notice if they are going lay you off? I think that is incredibly ridiculous for them to not offer you the same courtesy.

Birthday @ The Getty Villa

Last week was me berfday and the Lady took me out for a day on the town. Its hard for me to pick out a "highlight" of the day since it included so many awesome events such as a full body massage, an ice cream sandwich from Diddy Riese, and dinner at the best garlic restaurant in town, The Stinking Rose, but our visit to The Getty Villa might have been my favorite. Here are some pictures I took while there. Enjoy.

Ah Summer time...

The beginning of summer is probably my favorite time of year. There is so much to look forward to. I get to immerse myself in sunshine, beach days, bonfires, BBQ's, and baseball. I don't get to the beach too often with my work schedule(read: too embarrassed to show my fat self anywhere near a beach), but I do like to take in as many bonfires, BBQ's, and baseball games as I can. I can't think of too many things I'd rather do than enjoy a hot dog at ball game whether it is a scorching hot day game in the sun, or a cool evening game that begins as the sun is setting in beautiful Southern California.

Aside from baseball and beach days, there are a few other reasons I have a love for this particular time of year; new music and blockbuster movies. I don't really know why, but summertime is a popular time to release new music if you are band. From October to somewhere around the middle of May it seems that there are a few albums here and there that I will want to check out. Usually about 1 or 2 albums a month. Then, right about the time it starts to get hot, and the April showers have ceased, there is a gigantic influx of new music. I don't know if it has to with bands wanting to get there music out for summer parties or if it has something more to do with bands not touring during the winter and therefore, spending that time recording. Albums recorded in the winter would probably have a release date in the summer. Furthermore, most bands do the bulk of their touring in the summer and probably want an album to tour on, so hence the new music in the summer. I think I'm on to something there. Regardless, it makes for an amazing 3 or 4 month stretch for any music fiend such as myself. In the last 3 weeks I have been hot on the trails of a few different releases that have been more than ok. Manchester Orchestra's "Simple Math" is my favorite record thus far into the year. In fact, I haven't been wowed like this by an album since I don't know when. I would recommend this album to anyone and everyone. Balance and Composure's "Separation" has also been heavy on my ipod. Check it out if you dig mid to late 90's emo acts like Jimmy Eat World and The Get Up Kids. Other albums coming out soon that I am excited about are:

-Nick 13 - Self-titled

-August Burns Red - Leveler

-Touche Amore - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me

-La Dispute - No title yet but will be released in late summer

-Thrice - Major/Minor

On to the movies. I already started the summer off right with a viewing of Fast Five. Pure, unrelenting ridiculousness in movie form. I don't think there was on realistic scene in the entire movie. From Vin Diesel and Paul Walker falling 2oo feet into water and surfacing unscathed, to a giant truck sized safe being tugged around Rio by two Dodge Chargers. It was unrealistic all the way through and that is what I loved and expected. Thats what one is supposed to love about a summer blockbuster right? Movies that are high on action and budget, and low on acting ability and reality. Transformers 3 will prove to be amazing I am sure (even if I do hate Shia LeDouche). Other movies that I am anticipating:

-X-Men: First Class

-Captain America

-Green Lantern

-Super 8

-Cowboys & Aliens

Whether it be music, movies, baseball, or BBQ's, summertime brings a plethora of gifts. I for one will partake in it all. I encourage you all to do the same.

I'm back...again....

I have the best wife ever. The last few months have been particularly rough for me. Day in and day out I go to a job that I have a deep hatred for. There is nothing like having to put in a full days work at a place where you feel under paid and under appreciated. I'm not sure if I hate my line of work, or just my job in particular, but something is telling me that I may have chosen the wrong line of work. Accounting? That was basically everyones reaction when hearing what I was going to major in. When I expressed my current feelings to my dad, he asked, "Can I tell you something without you being mad or offended?". Sure. "When you first told me you wanted to go into accounting I was really surprised. Not because you aren't smart or couldn't do it, but because I figured you would do something a little more creative or something where you could deal with people more." I have heard this exact story, or a version of it, from a number of different people. My first reaction was, what the heck? Why didn't you tell me this when I was in school? After thinking for a bit, he probably did tell me and it just went in one ear and out the other.

What to do? I can't possibly go on hating my job and not do anything about. I guess the first step is to find a new job. Ashley and I have been wanting to move to Austin for a while now. I think the key is try and find something out there in accounting since that is where my experience is. It will be a lot easier to find a job out of state in my field. Once we get there I can see how much I like the job and either continue on in the field if I like it, or move on if I decide once and for all that accounting is not for me.

So back to the beginning of the post. Why is my wife the best? For starters, she knows me and my needs. Yesterday was a particularly hard day where I could hardly focus on my work. All I could think about were the things I would rather be doing, most notably something having to do with music. I feel like that is somewhat of a pipe dream though. The music industry is a dying industry and there aren't very many jobs available. I have often thought it would be great to write for a magazine or website of some sort, writing reviews or features or something. The main problems there are that my degree is in accounting not journalism, and that I lack any applicable experience in that area. Not to mention that I am not that great of writer in the first place (was that a double negative?). Anyway, knowing all these things, my lovely wife suggested that I start on my blog again. She said she always enjoyed reading it and that I was a creative and good writer (thanks babe). I thought that was a pretty good idea. I need a creative outlet. Here's to me kickstarting this bad boy and getting it back up and running. I promise most of my posts won't be this boring. This was more of an update of sorts anyways. If you like what you read, please tell your friends. Its always nice to have people reading.