I have to get back to immersing myself in music.

For a while, all I was, was music.

When I was in high school, I would lose sleep over writing music with my band mates. I was connected with drum corps all over the country just because of who I knew. If you would walk into my room after high school, you would still see sheet music laying around the room next to guitars and a computer. There was a time when I would walk into a club and I would already know who was the person in charge for the night.

I'm taking baby steps to get back to a full stride again, and I feel like some of the momentum is starting to hold. From lessons, to services, to new projects in the future, i'm planting seeds to keep myself busy in the future. But as of right now, i'm trying to find more monetary situations to be a part of.

I've been scouring Craig's List, and I just got on to a site call Hourville.com. I think just about anything you can charge for is gonna be on that site... But it's still in Beta stages, and I just threw up a thing on there for people that wanna get some DCI chops. You can check out the post here.

Keep your ears open for anything drumming for me! I wanna be a part of it.

Good day.

Today, I cruised with my buddy Mike to his buddy's place so I could tune up his drums and make a few bucks. I started getting Cheeched on the way there, originally cuz I forgot Mike's gotta wait till January. BIG OL' fuckin' set! Like a custom 12 piece from some now-closed drum shop, which he also bought from some crackhead on the Hollywood strip for $300. I couldn't believe the shit, lol! But we basically hung out playing with drums and rocking out to metal. And then I played for a little while, after I got it tuned and set up with 3 rack toms across the front. There's still a pile of toms in the corner though...

Finished result:


I got some free shit too:


After I picked up my guitar and some Jack in the Box breakfast, I cruised over to play some guitar with Andrew. I learned some shit he wrote, and he learned part of one my songs. Once he got some of it down I got on the drums and played with him, and it sounded pretty cool to hear a real guitar with non sequenced guitars. Maybe if i'm lucky we'll write some stuff together eventually.

I also looked around on Craiglist and ended up putting a post to network with other musicians. I'm probably hitting a show Tuesday to see some guy's progressive project. Only $5 bucks at the Rhythm Room.

Now that i've got all my hard drive back together...

I know it doesn't look like much to some people, but I lost a bunch of my porn.

< / nerd >

Lolz, this never crossed my mind before...

Earthbound Comic Strip by *SaladBowl on deviantART

Microsoft is coming under more fire for the 360.

Source: http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/microsoft-faces-new-xbox-360-reliability-accusations/1274293


Microsoft faces new Xbox 360 reliability accusations
By Mike Smith

Remember last week's story about Jason Johnson, the Illinois man who sued Microsoft over his Xbox 360's alleged habit of scratching his game DVDs?

Documents unsealed in his court case revealed Microsoft discovered its Xbox 360 could scratch discs before it went on sale in 2005, and even got as far as considering three possible solutions to the problem, the Seattle Tech Report revealed today.


The characteristic circular scratches can occur whenever the orientation of the console -- which is designed to be used in either a horizontal or vertical position -- is changed while the drive is spinning. Johnson filed his suit after his console scratched three store-bought game discs, and is seeking $50,000 in punitive damages.


Testimony obtained from a Microsoft program manager indicates that Microsoft became aware of the problem months before the 360's launch when retail demonstration consoles malfunctioned. The company examined three solutions: strengthening the magnets that hold the discs in place, slowing the rotational speed of the discs, and installing rubber bumpers to cushion the discs, but rejected them all. Installing the bumpers could have cost as little as $0.50 per console, the suit claims.


It's not the first time Microsoft has come under fire for alleged foreknowledge of Xbox 360 hardware issues, either. Back in September, an expose penned by VentureBeat writer Dean Takahashi claimed systemic failures in Microsoft's design and quality assurance processes lead to the Xbox 360's now-infamous overheating "Red Ring of Death" failures.

I just added a Twitter gadget!

You know, cuz I use the shit out of my Twitter.

Random flashback from.

I'm gonna start blogging different memories I can recall having that have something to do with who I am today. Dad stories too, lol. I don't know if i've mentioned that yet...

I was in middle school, and I used to hang out with my friend Greg. He was a kinda a wigger, so some of the people we hung around were by today's standards "questionable." We had just set fire to a manhole by syphoning a gas tank and dumping the gas into one near a church about a couple blocks from my parents house when we all decided to relax.

We were hanging out with a guy named Lenny, who I'm gonna guess was probably in high school at the time. Tall, kinda built, and had the affliction that haunts, being white in a mexican and black circle. So as i'm drinking a soda, he grabs my buddy Greg and tells him they're gonna box. Greg of course doesn't want to do this, cuz he's a whole... I dunno how tall I was in middle school... Maybe 5 foot? Skinny, but we still got some muscles since we were working out with some of these assholes.

So Lenny pulls out his knife and grabs Greg:

"Don't be a little bitch, we're gonna box."

"No Lenny. I don't want to."

Lenny releases his grip on him and pushes him away, then grabs me. Holding the knife to my neck:

"Your gonna fight, right?"

"I don't know how... Dude, get off with the knife."

"Not until you fight me."

So there came my first fight, with a high schooler. He took it easy on me, I think. I got a few punches in, a couple times he'd say something like "No! Switch your stance!" or "Hit me HARDER!"

I had a strange childhood.

"Ha ha.. You got more balls than that pussy over there!" (pointing to Greg's house)

I think we all got high after this...

Fun videos.

I was looking at videos of impossible DDR songs and saw some other games too.

Impossible Guitar Hero 3 song:


What happens when you play too much DDR:


MAX 300 on Heavy:

I see bad things.

Not in a worldly sense, everyone knows the planet is fucked in the long run..

Life's not fair, and i've been known to rant about exactly how shitty it can be. But as time has passed, i've seen how bad life treats other people, and it really bums me out. I don't think it's my place to talk about these things, but since everyone else is talking about them...

I won't divulge any, but I don't think any musician deserves anything bad to happen to him (like Dave Chapelle feels about black people). I know a guy in the punk scene here who's been doing what he loved, and had a woman that he loved. But when this vocalist's throat up and got cancer on him, it seemed that his partner just wasn't up for helping him through the tough time ahead of him. I saw him last night at a show I went to, and I think I almost cried. He was with her, and I am beginning to be able to see his cheek bones and whatnot. It makes me angrily sad to see that because his woman should be there for him, and word through the grapevine says NYC is a better idea than caring for him. I know it should've caught my eye whether he was a musician or not, and it may have if I didn't know him as anything different.

I'm not always a nice guy, but people should still have boundaries.

There aren't enough Saints in the world, or even just good people to take care of their kids. One of my old friends is stuck trying to raise a kid BY HERSELF, and the baby isn't of conventional stock. She NEEDS some extra attention, which basically beaches mommy, and opens up a demand for a father figure to step up and fill the position. I wish I could help, but it's not my place to lend a hand. Not when there's a family's worth of people that should be on the case helping her take care. Not to mention the FUCKING DAD.

People need to live up to the duties they've appointed themselves to. If you can't prepare yourself for the duty of taking care of a kid, do the future spawn and yourself a favor and keep your dick in saran wrap. And if you can't deliver through sickness and health, do your spouse a favor and leave them at the altar. It'll hurt less in the long run, i'm sure.

They've just been on my mind.

I made a wishlist!

I kept forgetting that I never added one, and it's an option to add it to your profile. So I finally started one up, it's in my profile. Just in case any random people on the internet decide they want to up and buy me something sweet for Christmas or my upcoming birthday, there is a link for it now.

I've said the same thing a couple different ways now, lol.

And here's another one.

I have a sweet phone.

My phone finally took a crap, and I went through a couple different phones before I got my sweet Bluetooth Pearl. I've been playing with it for a few days now, and I think i've figured out most of what it's capable of. I started out with a Razr that I got from Stacie, but it wouldn't charge. But then Amber got into a convo with her boss over phones and I ended up with a more than cheap Blackberry Pearl.

Thanks again to Stacie. :-)

I can't wait until I can afford internet for it.

The world needs more of it. I give so much to it as I can, but i'm cutting it off.

I got a new car stereo!

It only took me 2 hours to throw it in, and it came with two rear speakers and a remote too! I finally got to replace the blown speakers I had after that low-volt wiring accident I had with the amp. I've got my iPod on a charge right now, and i'm already plotting to hit my parents up for an amp and woofer for Christmas.

I think it's about time to go play some DDR Universe 2!

London Metal Exchange shows for the end of the year.

We're getting back into the groove of playing out alot again, so now I feel like i'm back in my own skin again. We jumped onto the Fuck Christmas show with the Labor Party not to long ago, i'm curious how well it will draw. I guess it doesn't matter so much, I always have fun when I go there.

I really gotta make sure we start getting thrown in with the flyers ahead of time... Wes is no Photoshop genius, lol.

Click here to see the flyer and more details.

We're also playing at a high school for something The Edge is putting on as a local music takeover thing. Maybe someone will start a food fight, we're rambunctious. I don't know what will happen.

I've been watching The Office lately. :-)

Dance Dance Revolution!

I've played this alot today. After I got a present for Amber, I thought i'd get something for me that she could maybe like to. DDR Universe 2 was that thing. We started up in Quest Mode to earn cash and unlock levels and shit. Got plenty of practice to play on difficult again, I forgot how much fun it was! And we played it for hours, until we switched back to Halo 3.



I can't believe how funny these movies are... The last couple days, if we weren't playing video games or sexing, it was one of these movies. The injuries are so hilarious, and the way they respond to them!! OMFG!!!!!111 <:-D

Time to go play some more Earthbound on the SNES!

NEW TV!

Yup 46" of fury. After the old one burnt out, this seemed like an obvious choice thing to do. Ryan was gracious and bored enough to help me get it going with the entertainment center we had to build from scratch. After building the EC and hooking everything up, it took about 4 hours. Which I guess is kinda quick, but we're used to it. Then the 3 of us do what we usually did, then ordered pizza and wings.

Halo 3 looks amazing...

Gametag: oldschoolmonk

Jamaica...

Was amazing. Holy damn...

Started out November 7th at night (gone for a week), Amber's parents took us to the airport. The first flight out wasn't so bad. Just as to fight boredom on the airplane and in the airport, I brought my PSP, a few games, and my iPod. While waiting for a connecting flight in North Carolina, I fell asleep on the the terminal floor at 4 o'clock in the morning (AZ time). Four hours later, we were back on the plane. And when we landed, I was sweating! Humidity hit pretty quickly, and my feet were all sweaty in my Crocs...

Immediately, we make friends with a couple of couples at a welcoming type of thing in the airport. Start drinking immediately, lol. RED STRIPE! I found out the first day on the beach of the Couples Swept Away Resort that lots people will try to sell you shit. I even met The King. :-)

One restaurant we went to a couple times, also had a martini bar upstairs that we hit up a couple times and made friends with the bartenders. But since it was all inclusive, there wasn't many moments outside of our room that we didn't have a drink in our hands at all times. A few times we would be at a place to eat, or one of the bars, we would be hanging out with couples we met on the ride in from the airport. Fun people, and all really nice and willing to talk to each other since it's a 'couples' resort. Not many threatening people, lol. Although a fight did break out on the first night, I had heard, over someone dude checking out someone else's chick. Funny stuff.

Alot of the time we spent on the beach. Just staring at the ocean in the sun getting tan assfuck. Then getting drunk and playing in the ocean, or just laying out on rafts. We had originally planned on doing some scuba diving in addition to the catamaran cruise and ziplining, but Amber got seasick on the cruise. Not so much when swimming around in the ocean and jumping off the boat, but sitting on the boat for half an hour waiting for the boat to go again. *teeter teeter*. The ziplining was sick, flying through trees as 35 mph hour in the fucking jungle. BAD. ASS. Especially the big one: 300 feet above the water, roughly 3000 feet long, at anywhere from 35 to 40 mph. I did tuck like a fucking cannon ball after taking a slightly harder jump off the platform.

Aside from finding out I had sealegs and wasn't afraid of heights, we could just relax and not worry about a thing. Gourmet meals in fancy enviroments, and time away from everything and everyone. It was the most relaxed i've ever felt, lol.

The trip back in, however, sucked. When our first flight back in to North Carolina was delayed and we lost our 2 hour window before the next flight, we had to stand in line for customs with a SHIT TON OF PEOPLE. We had only 15 minutes until our flight was boarding, and we had a room full of people trying to do get onto other flights from here. And mysteriously, we got picked for the random bag check our of everyone on our flight. So we get hassled real bad by one of the security, or homeland security, whatever.. And After asking lots of drug questions, he finds toys. I tell him they're gifts, and he's shits on me. After finally making Amber hysterical, and me being ready to go to jail for beating the hell out of this guy, we finally get free and begin running for wear we need to have our check baggage loaded. Then all that was left was a sprint from one side of the airport to the other, with both of our carry-on's under my arms leading Amber to the terminal. Half way through, i'm fucking done, lol. We make it to the plane, that had luckily enough been delayed as well due to weather, very sweaty. But little did we know, the passengers behind us wouldn't stop talking for like 6 hours. Amber slept none, and I started assholing by cranking my air and aiming it back, and leaning my seat all the way back. As if all this wasn't enough to handle in one day, our luggage hadn't made it to Phoenix. And while we're in line for McDonald's after not eating the entire day, I almost jump the car in front of us for dicking off with the drive through chick, holding up the line.

I'm okay with being angry.

I'm not angry right now, but I think i'm okay with doing irrational things to blow off steam.

The other day, I was driving home from a long day of work and lots of driving. I had been cut loose on my own again, running service calls and shit. So at the end of my day, I got to drive home from Loop 202 and Power Road. I was afraid on my way out there that I had missed the turn and was in Apache Junction or something, it was so far out. Knowing I had to deal with that didn't help... Then almost an hour of driving later, I run into construction near Amber's work I-17 before the curve northbound. So I try to signal my big ass heavy work truck into another lane, but the BMW behind me isn't letting me in, and i'm getting closer to where the lane is about to stop. So I speed up and start moving in with my blinker on anyway, i'm not asking anymore. I'm telling, and she isn't hearing: I'm about to crash into her for being a stubborn and inconsiderate driver. So I roll down my window and tell her thanks for not letting me in, but I called her cunt too.

And I screamed it like Corey Taylor.

So, before the exit for the 51, I gun it into the exit for 32nd Street exit (or 24th, I can't remember) to get up beside her and throw the first thing I can get my hand on that my eyes agree with. I yelled "FUCK YOU!" as I unscrewed my 4 hour old bottle of piss and threw it at her shiny BMW from some Scottsdale dealership.

Fuck Scottsdale. Fuck the people that are feeding it to make it bigger. And fuck the stupid drivers that it spawns.

*exhale*

I feel good about things.

Lots of good all around. Cuz i'm sexy.

I never fully trust anything anyone says anymore.

It's just my natural reaction, and I hate it when people are talking normal volume and then get quiet.

I'm just waiting for everyone to slip up...

There are weird people out there.

Old friend from grade school. She made me comfortable with the fact of wearing jewelry and stuck up for me once.

It's too bad people aren't always as cool as you thought they were.

me: Do you ever play Bewjewelled 2 2?
Karla: negative
me: You should give it a try sometime! It's a fun puzzle game.
Karla: where do you play that game?
Sent at 10:37 PM on Monday
me: It hosted online on a bunch of sites.
Karla: nope havent played it yet
the only online game i play is mobsters
and i dont really know how to play really
Sent at 10:40 PM on Monday
me: Lol.
So cute.
Karla: its true
Sent at 10:43 PM on Monday
me: I'm pro nerd.
Sent at 10:45 PM on Monday
Karla: why?
Sent at 10:46 PM on Monday
me: I love video games.
Always playing them.
Karla: i like wii
Sent at 10:48 PM on Monday
me: But you didn't really play before the Wii did you?
Karla: like what?
guitar hero?
I suck at that
me: Lol.
Nevermind.
Karla: other than that i like the first nintendo
mario 3
and sega
so I can play sonic
me: Woo!
Karla: thats about it
me: Loved Sonic... and Mario 3.
I go through video games like music.
Sent at 10:52 PM on Monday
Karla: I don't
haven't played those in years
Sent at 10:54 PM on Monday
me: Crazy.
That's why I like talking to different people online.
Insight on the rest of the world.
It's interesting.
Sent at 10:56 PM on Monday
Karla: I could see that
there are alot of different people online
Sent at 10:59 PM on Monday

I need to feel sexy sometimes.

Sometimes, I wish she would buy in more to the perverted and sexual things I do.

I sometimes walk around with no underwear and my short sagging so my 'V' is noticably visible. I'll turn something into a sexual pun or ennuendo while we talking to see if she ever says anything back. Or i'll purposely stare at parts of her body that I likey while she's standing.. A little effort is nice.

Whatever.

I don't feel sexy anymore.

*shrug*

I just don't.

I was gonna go skating...

Until she ruined the moment again.

me: I'll go another time.
Amber: huh?
you are silly
werent you laready int eh car?
me: 3 times.
Well, 4.
Amber: why did you change your mind honey
me: I'll just go another day.
Amber: did soemthign happen?
me: I just rather go another day.
Amber: oh ok
you confuse me soemtimes
haha
me: I know.
Amber: good thing i love you so
me: Good thing I love you so too.

Another question and response.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: matthew
Date: Sep 16, 2008 4:19 PM


Cool. Thanks for that. I would say I'm a better complainer then I am a talker or communicator, is that ok? I guess I will start burning my Equipment now. That's a joke.

I understand, the music is one thing but the promoter must be informed on how this is truly a money making deal.

OK, more questions please. (If you don't feel invaded by all this.)

Have any of your bands ever had a manager that did all this "talking" for you? And if you did what was the result?


Me:
--


The last couple bands i've been in (and my band now as of a couple months ago), have all been self ran. No management. I've had the luck of being in a band where there was one guy that was the smooth talker of the band.

Having a manager in a band is a good thing to do if none of you are the most persuasive people. You really gotta have someone that is assertive and clever as to charm (or outwit) whoever it is the band is dealing with for whatever reason. But don't get the idea that the manager gets anything to do with your personal life, I learned that in my first couple bands. Strictly professional, but doesn't neccessarily need to be a tight ass attorney looking fucker, lol. Anyone, that knows how to deal business with people and get what they want.

Personality kinda depends on you guys I guess though, you pick you like or get along with. Just as examples, heh.

I'm wondering the difference between this and Livejournal...

Or Deadjournal, they're all basically the same... I used to think.

Is it treated like LiveJournal, where you daily drop random thoughts? Or is a blog more of a professional outlet of news for people of a more specific genre?

I don't care either way... But i'm still curious.

Just a message I responded to on Myspace.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: matthew
Date: Sep 15, 2008 9:04 PM


Mr. Monkey. Just in case you don't know who I am, I am Johnny Nelsons' cousin on his dads side (you probably knew that). Anywho, you are the only musician I know that gigs just about every week. I have some questions for you, if you could help me out. Can you please tell me how much you and you alone make from your average gig? How many times have you been gigging a week in the past 6 months? I think that is all I would really like to know. Any thing you tell me will stay with me only. I am kind of looking for some encouragement in the music biz. Thank you very much.




My response:

I myself don't typically make any money from a show. The way we work as the type of band we are, we dump all the money the band can make back into the band. Most of the stuff we do is self funded because a rock show doesn't typically pay alot. Unless your along the lines of a house band whereas you are contracted a money guarantee for the night, or if your able to talk yourself up to a promoter that they will pay you more thinking you can bring in a a certain number of people. Out of town bands that promote themselves as touring bands can usually talk themselves a good deal if they know they have a connection in a city (promoters, fans).

Since we all have financed cars, cell phones, expensive equipment, and girlfriends, we have full time jobs. Lol. And as of late we've been playing less because of how the economy has been lately, money's low. But when everything was in full spin, I used to play every weekend.

As far as encouragement, all you gotta know how to do is talk. You gotta be a good talker, because it IS a business, assuming your wanting to be doing the big shows with big bands. But if your just playing to be playing, you can still even have a chance at playing those big shows, but you can focus on the people in your scene. Music is a networking tool and an outlet of artistry in all forms. I've met so many awesome people because of being involved in music. A majority of the friends I have are actually musicians or somehow involved in a music scene.

Meow. :-)

Panic!

I had a full blown freak out tonight at Monica's Birthday party.

I'm convinced I have some kind of social anxiety that makes me shake and my heart beat faster.

Across from a room full of marriage and relationship, to friends being to drunk, and being paranoid as it is, I couldn't handle. I had to step outside. Overstimulation, I couldn't calm down with all the commotion.

I would handle better if I felt completely comfortable around them. I feel like they're expecting more out of me since i'm dating someone older than me that's their age. Given the things some of them have gone through, it's alot for someone like me to handle. I can't be myself around them.

What's happened to me.

Old friends.

What do you talk about with old friends that phase themselves out of your life?

That's always a hard question, and an awkward moment when you sit down with them. I haven't actually sat down with someone recently, but this is the question that's been popping into my head lately more and more. When old friends that used to know everything about you suddenly try to rekindle the spark, it's an uncomfortable feeling. There are people I confided in that just fell out, not in a bad way, but just had life take them somewhere else. It sucks sometimes, but sometimes it's good to have a couple weeded out of the equation. There's actually a couple people I wish I could still talk to, but when it actually comes down to it, I have nothing to say.

I don't care about your kids. I'm not concerned about the effect your ex's have had on you since we last talked. I'm not particularly interested in what school your going to in what city or state. After a length of time, it's out of sight, out of mind.

But there's still some people I choose to talk to. Not neccessarily for any particular reason, but there are still some people I can talk to regardedless of how long it's been since i've been personable with them because of dynamic personalities. Shit, you may run into someone at a bar that you can talk to all night, and then part ways. "Well, it's late. Thanks for the beer." Stimulating conversation and the personal fascination with a person keep me hooked on some people. Some people just strike me as sooooo cool that I can't afford to not have SOME kind of contact with them. And so people don't understand that.

I should probably go clean my shower... *toke*

Since i'm not at work...

I'll smoke a little. *toke*

I'm finding myself caring what people think of me again, and I guess that's good. I Know it sounds lame to say, but fear is a healthy thing to have. It helps give structure to what you do and don't do. And since i'm afraid of what people may think, i'm becoming more social as of late. For like the past year, i've become more and more anti-social. I think it's cuz i'm not on the stage as much anymore, and i'm not friends with everyone everywhere I go. Even though I Know the people I hang out with or interact with in some situations, I still feel like a stranger to some people. But last night helped me remember what it was like to know everyone around you, whether you want them there or not. To have a history with everyone in a room is an empowering feeling, and I miss that kind of thing. Feeling like i'm in control, in power. Alpha Dog! ARWWOOOO!

I'm gonna let it ride.

Screw anti-depressants.

Sometimes I WANNA die.

Definition of ruin.

ru·in (rn)
n.

1. Total destruction or disintegration, either physical, moral, social, or economic.
2. A cause of total destruction.
3.
a. The act of destroying totally.
b. A destroyed person, object, or building.
4. The remains of something destroyed, disintegrated, or decayed. Often used in the plural: studied the ruins of ancient Greece.
v. ru·ined, ru·in·ing, ru·ins
v.tr.
1. To destroy completely; demolish.
2. To harm irreparably.
3. To reduce to poverty or bankruptcy.
4. To deprive of chastity.
v.intr.
To fall into ruin.

It felt better to talk about it.

With people that understood.

I came home from the Amplify Music Conference the other day.

I haven't been the same ever since.

I've been playing out since I was 16, and i've always dreamed of doing music professionally since I was a kid. And once I got older and began doing bigger shows, I learned that music is a business. It's never been something that i've put out of mind, but I always thought I was ahead of the curb. Everything I know, I had put behind me when I had joined LMX. Stuff I had gotten tired of: Selling tickets, promoting at malls and music stores, high schools, it's a numbers game. I had always tried to put it out of mind the impossible odds I was up against, but it all came rushing back in when I was sitting through the conference.

I was never in it for just the money, you stick with what you love for the love of doing it. But to be reminded by the very people running the business, like the VP of Atlantic Records and touring manager of Hawthorne Heights, is just jarring. I've always known the truth, but it hurts to hear the truth from someone else.

I'm too mentally and emotionally exausted to try to survive in a business where the gatekeepers aren't able to support influx of new clients. The market is being flooded and oversaturated everyday, and it's become a lottery of people that don't know the facts. With the internet aimed at being the new medium for sharing and buying music in the next 10 years, everything that bands used to do to make it to the top is basically out the door. It's not a "Get a band, get an album, and someone will pick you up at a show" game anymore, although given my age, how can I really know.

I haven't learned anything new, i'm just accepting the truth.

I am eternally happy that I will always have a penchant for writing and playing music. I've never needed money, but I had always hoped that my love for music would be hotlinked to my musical career. I can and always have been happy without money, so I guess I AM still ahead of the curve.

A true musician will play for nothing.