OK, so I'm two and a half weeks into the new job at Word Records, and it's been going well! Everyone I work with is great, it's fun to work in a slightly larger team of people, and I'm looking forward to really digging into a lot of the new accounts and artists I have headed my way.
The commute downtown isn't near as bad as I thought it would be, and so far the drive has been enjoyable. Music Row is surprisingly quiet - sign of the times, probably, and unfortunately - but it makes for uncrowded streets and isn't anything like trying to navigate Maryland Way in Brentwood at noon-hour.
The first couple weeks has been a bit overwhelming though. There are a lot of expectations throughout the company (regarding what needs to happen with digital sales), and my head is trying to get adjusted to a new catalog, a new distribution process, and an entirely new set of relationships. But I've had some small accomplishments. I spent a good portion of last week crafting the official Word digital & mobile retail strategy. I'm quite happy with it and will give me some guidance as to what I need to focus on over the next year.
And that, my friends, is the word.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
my thoughts on last night's election
November 5, 2008 is the first day in the history of the world that an African American has ever been elected President of the United States Of America. That in and of itself is a reason to celebrate as a country. That is no small feat in the course of human events.
I am a social conservative and an economic libertarian. I think Barack Obama's political policies and agendas are foolish and wrong for the country. I did not vote for him.
But I can still appreciate - and celebrate - the fact that the country has made this great leap forward as a democracy, and I am proud of us for that fact.
All that being said, America made an unwise decision last night in regards to political policy. But I'm not really surprised by that decision though. We've grown weary and disillusioned with the war in Iraq. The economy is in the bucket and we're fearful for our future (not to mention whether or not we'll have jobs next week). I was pretty mad myself for having to pay flippin' $4.45 / gallon in gas not just a few weeks ago.
'Change' is a pretty simple and compelling platform in times like these.
The next 4 years are going to be rough and painful for us social conservative economic libertarians. At the same time, this 'loss' - presidentially speaking - is exactly what we needed.
Going into the election, I was never a huge fan of McCain. I mean, who was? How could the Republican party possibly expect to show up for the big homecoming dance with a candidate like McCain and think they could get a date. It was wrong - all wrong; he exuded too much of the 'rich old white guy' political party that everyone had come to hate over the last decade.
In a political atmosphere where Obama was the new, slick rock-star, the Republicans tried to compete by trying to come off more Democrat. It didn't work.
You can't out-Democrat the Democrats. The Democratic stronghold would never support a pseudo-liberal like McCain, and in going through the charade, the Republican party deserted their loyal base.
We could go on about everything the Republican's did wrong the past two years. But it's pointless to do so. Frankly, for the long-term health of the party, and the eventual turnaround of the country, I'm glad we're in this spot. The Republican party has 4 solid years to rebuild - maybe 8, who knows - and they must rebuild.
The Republican party needs a redesign more than a Zune in an Apple store.
But it can't be a simple facelift - some marketing ploy to make the "Republican party cool for the 21st Century". That's too short sighted. This needs to be an honest to goodness reorganization. A restructure that restores the faith of the American people in a party that is pursuing what's best for the country and it's people.
The Republican party needs to inspire and motivate us again.
Personally, the root ideals of the Republican party - which currently lie buried beneath layers of personal agenda and political mumbo-jumbo - are invigorating to me. The idea that I can shape my own destiny. The idea that my liberty is not dependent on the government. The idea that democracy is worth protecting, and spreading. The idea that freedom is a gift which enables us to be productive, generous, and gracious, and demands that we be humble.
This year, Barack Obama bought the vote of the American people through fiscal promises and uber-slick marketing tactics.
In four years, I hope to see a Republican party that compels the vote of the Amerian people through an inspired vision that motivates us to strive once again for the historic ideals of our country. Not a bleak socialistic future rooted in government reliance and self-defeat; a liberating future where once again WE are the American people.
If they play their cards right, the election of Barack Obama may very well be the very best thing that ever happened to the Republican party.
I am a social conservative and an economic libertarian. I think Barack Obama's political policies and agendas are foolish and wrong for the country. I did not vote for him.
But I can still appreciate - and celebrate - the fact that the country has made this great leap forward as a democracy, and I am proud of us for that fact.
All that being said, America made an unwise decision last night in regards to political policy. But I'm not really surprised by that decision though. We've grown weary and disillusioned with the war in Iraq. The economy is in the bucket and we're fearful for our future (not to mention whether or not we'll have jobs next week). I was pretty mad myself for having to pay flippin' $4.45 / gallon in gas not just a few weeks ago.
'Change' is a pretty simple and compelling platform in times like these.
The next 4 years are going to be rough and painful for us social conservative economic libertarians. At the same time, this 'loss' - presidentially speaking - is exactly what we needed.
Going into the election, I was never a huge fan of McCain. I mean, who was? How could the Republican party possibly expect to show up for the big homecoming dance with a candidate like McCain and think they could get a date. It was wrong - all wrong; he exuded too much of the 'rich old white guy' political party that everyone had come to hate over the last decade.
In a political atmosphere where Obama was the new, slick rock-star, the Republicans tried to compete by trying to come off more Democrat. It didn't work.
You can't out-Democrat the Democrats. The Democratic stronghold would never support a pseudo-liberal like McCain, and in going through the charade, the Republican party deserted their loyal base.
We could go on about everything the Republican's did wrong the past two years. But it's pointless to do so. Frankly, for the long-term health of the party, and the eventual turnaround of the country, I'm glad we're in this spot. The Republican party has 4 solid years to rebuild - maybe 8, who knows - and they must rebuild.
The Republican party needs a redesign more than a Zune in an Apple store.
But it can't be a simple facelift - some marketing ploy to make the "Republican party cool for the 21st Century". That's too short sighted. This needs to be an honest to goodness reorganization. A restructure that restores the faith of the American people in a party that is pursuing what's best for the country and it's people.
The Republican party needs to inspire and motivate us again.
Personally, the root ideals of the Republican party - which currently lie buried beneath layers of personal agenda and political mumbo-jumbo - are invigorating to me. The idea that I can shape my own destiny. The idea that my liberty is not dependent on the government. The idea that democracy is worth protecting, and spreading. The idea that freedom is a gift which enables us to be productive, generous, and gracious, and demands that we be humble.
This year, Barack Obama bought the vote of the American people through fiscal promises and uber-slick marketing tactics.
In four years, I hope to see a Republican party that compels the vote of the Amerian people through an inspired vision that motivates us to strive once again for the historic ideals of our country. Not a bleak socialistic future rooted in government reliance and self-defeat; a liberating future where once again WE are the American people.
If they play their cards right, the election of Barack Obama may very well be the very best thing that ever happened to the Republican party.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
mixed feelings about daylight savings time
Today we got an extra hour of sleep, and by midnight last night I had already wasted it by staying up late reading a book (of all things).
I have mixed feelings about the ol' daylight savings time thing. After a little Wikipedia research I now realize that summertime is actual daylight savings time, and now here in the fall / winter we're on standard time.
I guess I wish we could be on daylight savings time all year long without this fall back in fall business. It's in the wintertime that I wish we had more daylight in the afternoon (right when the sun is setting at 4:00 on a January afternoon). Of course I realize that by doing this, we'd be celebrating sunrise at 9:00 AM. Hmph.
The flip side of all this though is that falling back in fall is a nice signaling of the seasons for me. Beginning now - the next two months - is my favorite time of year, what with Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and all that goes with it. I can't wait!!
So as it's now 4:30 in the afternoon, and the sun is beginning to set, I'm thinking ahead to a giant roast turkey on our dining room table, and that somehow makes it worth it.
I have mixed feelings about the ol' daylight savings time thing. After a little Wikipedia research I now realize that summertime is actual daylight savings time, and now here in the fall / winter we're on standard time.
I guess I wish we could be on daylight savings time all year long without this fall back in fall business. It's in the wintertime that I wish we had more daylight in the afternoon (right when the sun is setting at 4:00 on a January afternoon). Of course I realize that by doing this, we'd be celebrating sunrise at 9:00 AM. Hmph.
The flip side of all this though is that falling back in fall is a nice signaling of the seasons for me. Beginning now - the next two months - is my favorite time of year, what with Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and all that goes with it. I can't wait!!
So as it's now 4:30 in the afternoon, and the sun is beginning to set, I'm thinking ahead to a giant roast turkey on our dining room table, and that somehow makes it worth it.
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