My Writings. My Thoughts.

Venus Zine: Exclusive Jack White Poster!

// June 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // Music & Entertainment, life

via venuszine.com

Venuszine is donating a portion of their Jack White cover poster to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s flood relief.

Great cover for a great cause! Check it out.

Posted via web from This Is Pro-Posterous!

LOST – Time To ‘Move On’

// May 24th, 2010 // No Comments » // Music & Entertainment, life

Sad day.  Just finished the series finale of LOST.

I know it’s funny and those who didn’t care for the series won’t understand but that show was amazing and I’m really going to miss it.  Really.

For six years, including the pilot episode, my wife and I have been glued to the TV each week to watch this show.  We’ve had 100s of theories and have spent countless nights with friends trying to guess/figure it out.  Yeah it sounds nerdy but it was fun.  It was entertainment.  No other show has had an impact on our culture like LOST.  At least not as long as LOST has.

At the end of every season many message boards and social networks have had ongoing discussions and  theory topics.  LOST helped the hype with hidden commercials, hidden websites, public websites and hidden eggs all through the series.  Amazing marketing and consumer engagement.  It worked.

Simple lesson in marketing.  Engage your consumer and they will engage you.

Thanks LOST for 6 amazing seasons.  Where ever those people ‘move on’ too we’d like to see some of that in the future.

No Arms. No Legs. No Worries.

// May 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // life

via youtube.com

This guy is amazing.

Posted via web from This Is Pro-Posterous!

Facebook Privacy and All The Hoopla

// May 18th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Technology

It seems that Facebook has created mass hysteria with it’s ever changing privacy policies. Granted Facebook’s privacy policy is longer than the United States Constitution… and that’s without all the amendments. Pretty long @ 5,800+ words, eh?

Many groups are starting pledges to help users quit Facebook. The two most popular have about a 1,000-2,500 members. Even if these groups grow to 5,000 ‘strong‘ that wouldn’t even be .01% of the 400,000,000 current Facebook users.

Well, I don’t want to quit Facebook but I also want to control my privacy. Wait, you can’t do that! Yes, you can. This NY Times article graphic maps out the 50 different settings with over 170 options… it’s meant to overwhelm and complain about the privacy settings. It’s one of those situations where Facebook can’t win. With too few options we can’t control everything. With too many options we get to control (almost) everything but it’s too confusing. I like all the options.

What do I do? First off check out reclaimprivacy.org – they have a great app that once you login to Facebook it will tell you how your privacy settings are set. It let’s you know what you are or are not sharing. What’s the best privacy settings? It will vary by user. For me- I prefer it all to be private and for only my friends (my Facebook friends) to be able to partcipate in my Facebook life.

ReclaimPrivacy.org scans the following settings:

  • Instant Personalization Feature:  For me, this was the main privacy setting I wanted turned ON, meaning block it all.  This feature can feed your information to other sites so that it can better match up your likes and dislikes.  Sounds interesting now with three ‘trusted’ beta sites but what about when it’s opened up to developers?  Just about any site will be able to pull your data-  yes, hackers, id theft punks, scammers, spammers and the such.
  • Personal Information: This one is up to you.  I don’t mind my friends having my information.  My Friends.  Not the rest of the internet.  This section will let you adjust how your personal information is shared.
  • Contact Information: Just like above.  it’s up to you who you want to see your contact information.  Mine, again, is set to Friends Only.
  • Friends, Tags and Connections:  I respect my friends so I don’t let others outside of my network see my friends even when I tag them or how I’m connected to them.  Again, it’s up to you… to a point.  See the next option.
  • Friends Sharing: This lets you decide what your friends can share about you on their Facebook pages.  Sometimes they may ‘accidentally’ share your information…  at least you get to pull back on those strings.
  • Applications: Many applications pull and share your data as well.  This will let you know what applications are allowed to share and not share.  I do not let any applications pull or share my data.  Applications aren’t my true friends.  :)

There is no need to quit Facebook.  We all just have to stay informed and know our options.  This won’t be the last time Facebook changes their privacy policies.  Go ahead and give reclaimprivacy.org a try and I’ll see you on Facebook… maybe, if you aren’t blocking me.

Super Talented Kid – “Paparazzi” For His Recital!

// May 13th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Music & Entertainment

via youtube.com

Wow. Just hope that voice hangs on thru puberty! :)

Good job Greyson!

Posted via web from This Is Pro-Posterous!

Nashville Flood : Video with Johnny Cash

// May 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

via youtube.com

Appropriate song, eh?

Posted via web from This Is Pro-Posterous!

Charleston Helping Nashville… Ready?

// May 5th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // life

**UPDATED***

Drop off supplies @ Riverbluff Church on Dorchester Rd. Thursday till 4pm or Friday before 11am. Directions to Riverbluff are here! Also, I’ll be on Daniel Island all day tomorrow and can be dropped off there.

As most of you know I jump back and forth from Charleston to Nashville monthly. While I live in Nashville now, I spent many years in Charleston. I remember the relief effort that went on during Hurricane Hugo back in 1989- Amazing.

Now I’m asking Charleston to show the love back. Charleston is a great town and I know with some great hearts… So, I’m asking you to help us out in Nashville and surrounding areas.

There are many people displaced and in shelters. There are many businesses that are going to be closed for a long time. There are many independent creatives and artists that will also be going through a rough time. Any help would be great.

Here’s the places your donations are going (I want you to know it’s going to be used and used properly!).

The church I attend is called the Peoples Church and they are out in droves each morning doing repair and clean up. Many folks are in need of just food, water and diaper help-

My friend’s church is The Church @ Spring Hill. They too are collecting and helping. Both of these places are looking for supplies and help.

Ready to help? Please let me know. I’ll be leaving Friday afternoon. Make me rent a big trailer. :)

Nashville, TN – This Is Our Town

// May 4th, 2010 // 11 Comments » // life

I love Nashville. I’ve lived here more than half my life… almost 20 years. Not consecutively but total. I first moved to Nashville in the 6th grade and grew up a mile from Opryland and the Opryland Hotel. I got beat up and tried to play football at Two Rivers Jr. High. I got lost and overwhelmed at McGavock High, at the time it was one of the largest high schools around. I’ve lived all over the ‘burbs of Nashville and currently live south in a little town called Thompson’s Station.

On May 1st we knew there were storms coming. We were worried about tornados and severe storms… but nothing prepared anyone for what was going to happen over the next two days. Rain. And more rain. Record breaking rainfall to be exact. I didn’t try to collect pictures of all the damage. There are too many and truthfully that’s not how I want to remember Nashville… because soon Nashville will be as good as new. That’s just how we roll. It’ll take some time but it’ll be back and better.

There has been a lot of change in the past 20 years in Nashville. Broadway, along with 1st & 2nd Avenue were revamped and cleaned up to become one of the coolest spots to hang out, see a concert, watch fireworks, tailgate and just walk around. We got this cool building affectionately called ‘the batman building’, a pro football team, a pro hockey team and eventually recognition for a serious and creative music community known for more than just country music. I’m not bashing country music, it’s part of our history and community still!!!

As cheesy as I may sound, I love this town. I love spending my Sunday’s on the bank of the Cumberland river tailgating and watching the Titans play football. I love watching concerts on Cumberland river and if you haven’t seen a fireworks show during July 4th… well, you should.

I know there is a lot going on in the world these days and I know we all have our own ’causes’ but I’m asking you to take a minute and give to the American Red Cross. A dollar, five, ten? And more importantly… go ahead and plan to come to Nashville this fall. Make plans to come see our awesome city. Call me, I’ll give you the tour and maybe even show you where a few stars live.

Tourism is a big part of Nashville so please make plans to come visit Our Town. If you live here, share this- tell others- let’s help get downtown Nashville and surrounding areas back on their feet.

Here’s a short video that was shot very well and gives you just a glimpse into the devastation that has happened to Our Town.

Free Music Is Back… Again!

// May 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Music & Entertainment, Totally Free Music!

It’s been 4 months since my last ‘Free Music Friday’ post. A long time, eh? I think the problem was the expectation to discover and write a post every Friday. So, the solution? No expectations. I’ll look for new music and when I find some that I want to share, I’ll share it. Sound Good?

This first band is called Magic Bullets. Very pop-alt sounding and would be a great fit for the Sirius station Alt-Nation. Album hits in June.

Magic BulletsMagic Bullets
“Lying Around” (mp3)
from “Magic Bullets”
(Mon Amie Records)

More On This Album

Next band is called MoneyBrother… another alt-pop band. The funny thing about the ‘new’ alt-pop bands is that it’s the 70 & 80′s mashed up all over again. It’s not a bad thing but the old school influence is definitely there.

Real ControlMoneybrother
“Born Under a Bad Sign” (mp3)
from “Real Control”
(Bladen County Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

Lastly, The Mommyheads. A great band with some great melodies and an awesome alt-pop feel. This album hits May 18th.

Flying SuitThe Mommyheads
“Worm” (mp3)
from “Flying Suit”
(Dromedary Records)

More On This Album

I Don’t Care. I Just Don’t… Well, Maybe A Little

// April 30th, 2010 // 6 Comments » // life

I’ve been asked by quite a few people about my ‘man trip’ to Colorado this past March. They want to know what did I learn… what did I figure out.

I’ve had some time to reflect on what I think I got out of it… what can help me in my life and the life of my family. I think I’ve given the same answer when asked but the past week I’ve confirmed it. I don’t care… wait, I do care. That’s the problem. So, since when did caring become a problem? For me, it’s been an ongoing ‘problem’.

You see (yes, when someone writes “you see” you can tell it’s gonna be a long blog post)– back to it–  I live in a cool little town in TN called Thompson’s Station. It’s small but we are close to Franklin and only 25 mins south of Nashville. In this town we have an amazing creative community, one that is friendly yet the most judgmental clan I’ve ever seen. Me included.

Why does that matter? This is where the caring comes in. I want my friends, cohorts, partners, acquaintances and the such to like me. Why??? I can tell you that one of my needs in this world is affirmation. I like affirmation. Some people could care less about affirmation because they have other needs- like needs to be left alone and in the dark. I don’t know what everyone else needs but mine is affirmation. I LOVE it when a client or friend is happy with something I’ve done… it’s what keeps me rolling.

For too long I’ve worried about what I do as a ‘job’. I went to Belmont got a music degree. I’ve worked with multi platinum artists. I’ve had many songs on major TV shows and networks. I’ve written music for indie films. I launched one of the first all digital labels and got recognition from Wired magazine and now I run a very successful marketing company that is busting at the seams and am having to turn away work… why am I worried about what people think of me? Good question.

I think saying I don’t care anymore is an over statement. I do care. I like people. I love hanging out and meeting new people and making new friends… I really do and I’m not talking about virtual people. Let me get back to the ‘creative’ community that I find myself in. It’s cool to like Coldplay, Mute Math & Muse. I like those bands but they aren’t my favorite. It’s cool to be in a modern church doing modern things with Jesus. For me, a simple church where I can connect with real people who are doing real life is fine. It’s cool to eat healthy and hang out in coffee shops. For me, I prefer bars with wings and beer.

I guess I feel like Twitter and the other ‘social’ networks have opened these doors that we are wondering ‘do I measure up?’. I’ve found myself not tweeting something because of what I fear people may think is ‘uncool’. Who decides what is cool anyway? Certainly not me.

Wait, wait, wait! Who the heck am I talking about here? No one specific. I just realized that I wanted people to like me and know that I get to do cool stuff… maybe if you know this you’ll like me? That’s the part I’m talking about. So in Colorado I decided to be more real. To like what I like and be bold to say that I don’t like coffee. Nope, I don’t. Go figure.

So here’s to being real.  Respecting others and their accomplishments.  Being friendly to others and most of all–accepting others whether I agree or not.  Did I just write a speech for the next Miss America pageant?

Much love friends…

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