If you were my Facebook friend, you may have noticed one less number in your friend counter. If you pay that much attention to your friend counter, you might want to look into getting help. But that’s not what this rant is about.

Last night, after weeks of consideration, I decided to cancel my Facebook account. It was nothing against the Facebook company. I think they provide a pretty cool platform, a great advertising medium, and an overall interesting experience. I left Facebook because of the people. It’s full of them.

I know, its a social site, so its supposed to be full of people. But lately I couldn’t help but notice a negativity surrounding most of the interactions I witnessed on Facebook that pushed me in this direction. Here are two examples:

1. A friend of mine was visiting Chicago for the first time, so he posted how much he liked the city. Positive, upbeat, innocuous? I guess not. I commented with a simple joke saying he should be sure to check out “Gino’s Pizza, but not Gino’s Original Pizza or Original Gino’s Pizza”. The problem is, then I was emailed all the other comments to his simple post. From the dissagreeable “Yuck! That place smells like sewer!” to the snide, “Let’s see how much you like it in the Winter.”

Such negative responses to a simple comment about liking a city. Should he lay into them? Compare Chicago to much smellier cities like New York? Of course not. The snarky comments just float by on a wave of idiocy.

2. Just recently someone posted their opinion of something President Obama was doing. Everyone knows I like a healthy debate- however, this person didn’t offer why he was wrong, much less any solutions. Just that they thought he was wrong. Negativity again.

Of course the negative vibe is what the Facebook culture is all about, so several of his friends jumped on this band wagon, shooting their best one-liners out, including “What else do you expect from Hussein? He always acts this way” and “If he is going to Socialize the country, he has to act fast”.

Huh? Hussein? Socialist? Name calling? I really didn’t know much about the issue they were discussing (although by the comments I am guessing they didn’t either) so I would have liked to have heard an actual argument from their side. But Name Calling?

“I am sorry Senator. We cannot pass your bill for several reasons. The committee has determined that you are A) a dummy-head, and B) a doo-doo face. It has also been determined that for several years prior to your Lasik surgery, you were, in fact, a four-eyes. You see that this leaves us with little option.”

“That is a fair conclusion. I appreciate the time of the committee.”

Its like seeing Rush Limbaugh posting on my wall. No thanks.

Whether or not you agree with his politics, I think you can be fairly certain that he is doing what he feels is best, and show him some respect. Don’t spare the debate, but spare the name calling.

3. I just got really bored with the rest. I don’t mean to offend anyone, but it seemed like people used it as a forum to either brag or complain about their lives. Those are the kinds of things you should be able to share with your friends openly, as part of building a relationship. But I think that should be shared with real friends. Not Facebook friends.

So, goodbye Facebook.

Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

The whole lineup is now available. I was already excited about M.Ward, Jenny Lewis, and The Black Keys. I just found out about Iron and Wine and Robert Randolph and the Family Band. What an incredible lineup!

July 9 Bon Iver | Jenny Lewis
July 16 The Black Keys | Human Highway
July 23 M. Ward | Land of Talk
July 30 Sonic Youth | Awesome Color
August 6 Q-Tip | B.o.B
August 13 Toots and the Maytals | N.A.S.A.
August 20 Iron & Wine | Okkervil River
August 27 Robert Randolph & the Family Band | Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Check them all out here.

Just Me | No Comments »

One of the best things about living in Salt Lake City is the Twilight Concert Series put on every year by the Salt Lake City Arts Department.  All summer long, these amazing acts come in to town and put on free shows in the Gallivan Center plaza- and the City picks up the bill.

A few months ago, I was talking to my lovely wife in aticipation of the upcoming shows.  As you can see from the transcription (from memory) that follows, she pretty much digs the shows as much as I do.

Me: I can’t wait to find out who is playing this year at the Twilight Concert Series
Wife (while editing photos or something): Hmmm.
Me: Last year was awesome.  I loved the Josh Ritter show.  But maybe it will be cool again this year.
Wife: Yeah.
Me: Ooh! M.Ward has a new album out, I bet he will be touring.  I wonder if they will get him to come.
Wife: Hmm…
Me: Oh!  And Jenny Lewis!  Wouldn’t that be awesome!  That would be so cool if they got Jenny Lewis AND M. Ward.  But that would be asking too much.
Wife: Do you like this shot?
Me: Yeah, I like it.  They usually put two similar acts on the same night so I wonder if..
Wife: But if you chose between this shot and this…. one.  Which one should I give them.
Me: The first one.  So maybe they would be booked together.  M.Ward produced Jenny Lewis’ first solo album, so they do work together- maybe they are even touring together.
Wife: Yeah.
Me: I’m going to go get some ice cream.
Wife: Hmm.

Well, the lineup has not been announced yet.  But, we do know a few things.  Including two pieces of information I was very excited to learn.  According to artist’s websites:

July 9:  Jenny Lewis and Bon Iver
July 23:  M. Ward

Am I excited?  Uh, yeah.

Also rumored to be coming are the Black Keys, but I wasn’t able to confirm a date on that one.
I think its going to be a good year for the Twilight Concert Series.  In the meantime, I am going to practice my drunk guy deflection moves (it mostly involves elbows), and pick out which crappy blanket to take for the lawn.

Just Me, Music | 2 Comments »

Times are tough. People are out of work, savings have evaporated. But you know what really gets me? Here’s my two newest things that really bug me.

1. The term “Toxic Assets”. If they are toxic, they are not assets- they are liabilities. If they were assets, they would not be toxic. Its that simple.

2. Advertising that uses the terms Stimulus, Bailout, etc. Yeah, we get it. You are trying to be timely and relevant. But its tired. The fake Honda Stimulus newscast commercial isn’t a stimulus at all. Its just a commercial for some cars. The Sizzler bailout isn’t a bailout, they are just selling some cheap steak and crappy salad. Thats it. At this point it is no longer creative, its a lazy copout, just like anyone that used Got ____? after the milk guys used it.

OK, thats it. I am glad I got that out.

Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Lately something has really bothered me that didn’t used to.  The negative conversation that so many politicians, pundits, commentators and broadcasters are carrying on in the media is a drain on the moral strength of our country.  Talk radio is riddled with loud voices, each with stations representing a “side” of the national debate.  They rely on exaggeration, satire, sarcasm and misinterpretation to entertain and outrage their audience.

But this comes at a great cost.  The goal of these commentators is not to bring people together, it is to create divisions. I think it is unfortunate that their voices have grown so loud in our media.

I recently went to an Arlo Guthrie concert and he mentioned running into people over the years that had different political views from his own.  As an active opponent to Vietnam years ago, running into veterans could be an awkward event.  But then he said something profound.  He said that when it came to people that cared and those that didn’t, he had a lot more in common with those that cared about an issue than those that didn’t- even if he didn’t agree with them.

So if two politicians are on opposite sides of the aisle, why can’t they give each other that level of respect?  They are both fighting for the same cause.  Even if they might not agree with the methods.

If two commentators both really do care about and issue, why can’t they hear each other out?  (Of course that would make for very boring radio, and I guess that might be the heart of the matter).

In the end, I feel it is a shame that so many of the people that really do care seem to attack each other when they have so much in common.  Why not show each other the common respect that they are both trying to make the world better, argue about the methods where they matter, and move on with making a difference.

Just Me | 2 Comments »

For about 3 weeks now, I have been trying to solve a constant migraine that has plagued me.  In part of my searching, I went to a chiropractor. I am not going to lay in to whether or not chiropractors are real doctors (which they are not) or whether or not they do a good job (which they don’t).   Suffice it to say that I find it ignorant of a Chiropractor to think that they can move things and help a migraine, but that there is no possibility of them causing harm if they move the same parts the wrong way.  Simple, right?  It never occurred to my chiropractor.

So last thursday I began to enter the largest migraine of my life.  I lost my vision right away.  Before long, I couldn’t remember my daughter’s name, I coudn’t complete a simple sentence to ask my wife to call the doctor (she figured it out anyway).   By the time the ambulance arrived I could hardly speak at all, and certainly with no clarity whatsover.  For the next few hours I couldn’t make out faces, I couldn’t understand what was going on…. It was very much like I was having a stroke.  Needless to say it was a scary time for me. (and my grandma).

At one point in the middle of the haze, my dad was talking with my brother about a new CD he had, and the song on it called “Halleluja”  (yeah, the one from Shrek, etc)  Adam said “Oh yeah.  You know that song, Sam?”  In a kind, brotherly, patronizing sort of way.  From my haze I explained to them that it was written by Leonard Cohen and that it was originally from the seventies.  It was my only coherent thought for hours before or hours later–they were amazed.

What they didn’t know was that I was really frustrated. I was trying to tell Adam and my Dad that while Cohen wrote it, Jeff Buckly has a very popular cover, though my favorite version is by Rufus Wainwright.  But the words were all stuck in.

Besides a funny story, that song is incredible.  I feel it is one of the most perfect pieces of music, like Handel’s Messiah.

“Ive heard it said there was a chord that David played and it pleased the Lord but you dont really care for music do ya”

My favorite thing about it is that when I was first learning it, the chords were baked right into the words, in the second line:

“It goes like this the fourth the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift.  The baffled king composing halleluja”

See?  the IV, the V, the vi, then back to the IV.  Right in the words.  (OK, I just put that in for Adam, or maybe my Mom if she reads this)

A new appreciation for Leonard Cohen every year.  Here is a cheezy version for you to enjoy of the man himself.

Just Me | 5 Comments »

The legislature is in session, laws are being made, budgets are being slashed….  you can smell the democracy in the air.  So here is a timely post about why Utah State Government sucks.

I have been dealing with a few different departments this week, and none of them have any idea what is going on in the other departments.  Here is an example:

Everyone knows I love my CNG Civic.  Remember when you were paying $4/gallon for fuel?  Mine peaked at $0.88.  Anyway…

So for years certain agencies have been trying to increase the adoption of clean air vehicles (extremely low emissions, no foreign oil-  its a good thing).  The Division of Air Quality passed a tax incentive for CNG vehicles, which helps get them on the road.  Governor Huntsman publicly supports the measure and even converted his personal vehicle.  Then the Public Service Commission comes along and basically mandates that the rate that Questar is charging is not enough, they want it doubled.  What is more they want it to be tied to market rates, so that $4 gas last year?  I would have been paying $3.50.   Hardly worth the inconvenience that comes along with a CNG vehicle.

Questar isn’t requesting this rate hike (they have actually requested it be removed), no applicable party has requested it as far as I can tell.  If this gets implemented, what will happen to the thousands of CNG vehicles on the road?  Most will be sold to out of state buyers.  Most will be replaced with polluting gasoline cars.  So why is the Utah PSC doing this?  Why are they UNDOING everything that other agencies have built?  The State has paid $2500-3000 in tax credits for each CNG vehicle on the road today.  What a waste if those don’t stick around-  it would have been better to never pay them in the first place.

Example #2.  In trying to get the tax credit for my vehicle, I visited the Division of Air Quality offices.  I was told in order to certify, I needed a statement from Honda certifying that my vehicle ran on natural gas.  I also needed a copy of my registration.  I showed them that the registration (created by the Utah DMV) listed my car as “Natural Gas Powered”.  I was told this wasn’t good enough.  So the Division of Air Quality doesn’t trust the Dept of Motor Vehicles.

One more example:  On January 1, my fuel went up 8 cents per gallon to pay for a road tax.  When the law passed the legislature, the tradeoff was that CNG vehicles would now be allowed to obtain a “clean energy” license plate free of charge.  This allows you to use the HOV lane solo, and park at the downtown SLC meters free of charge.   When I went to get my plate, I was told that UDOT was not allowing any more to be issued until they could monitor current traffic levels.  So now UDOT and the DMV are making up their own rules, regardless of what the legislature decided.

So to sum up, relating to my car,
The PSC undermines the DAQ, and the Legislature
The DAQ undermines the DMV
The DMV and UDOT undermine the DAQ and the Legislature

Is it any wonder that the state government is slow, wasteful, and difficult to navigate?

I don’t imagine that Utah is unique in this case, or that any other buerocracy has it figured out. I just know that Utah State Government sucks.

Business, Just Me | 6 Comments »

I think The Wallflowers were an extremely under appreciated band.  They got lots of good radio play for Bringing Down the Horse, but commercial radio ignored all their subsequent work.  That is why commercial radio sucks.  Now we have a new chance for them to suck, with something new for them to ignore.

Jakob Dylan (frontman for the Wallflowers, as if you didn’t know that)  recently released his first solo effort called Seeing Things.  Want to hear what I think of it?  Its great.

The songwriting is incredible.  There is real substance behind they lyrics, similar to his Wallflower days.   This is especially apparent in the simple arrangements of each song.  About 80% of the album is little more than Jakob and his guitar.  A lot of performers couldn’t sustain a good performance without the additional layers of instrumentation, but he pulls it off brilliantly.

It is an extremely mellow album.  This works for some people (me) and not for others (Amber).  If you were going to take it on a road trip, it wouldn’t be the first thing you popped in when everyone is talking and excited as you roll out of town.  This would be for driving through Nebraska when all you see is corn and everyone is asleep or gazing out the window.

I wouldn’t expect it to be a commercial success.  Mostly because, as I said once long ago,  “Commercial radio sucks”.  I think it represents an important chapter in his career, and I am excited to see what is next.

For some reason Sony won’t let you embed the youtube video. (Why post it on youtube and then disable this feature?  Hmm.. I wonder why the record labels and their protectionist agendas are struggling… that is a post for another day)

But you should click over and watch it here.

Just Me | 2 Comments »

I haven’t done a new music review in a while.  The sad truth is I haven’t been listening to that much music.  I haven’t been listening to much besides the voices in my head.

But a few weeks ago, I came across She & Him.  The Him is M. Ward, one of my favorite mod-folk songwriters.  The she is Zooey Deschanel, the actress and singer that acted and sung on Elf.  I loved her voice when I heard it on Elf, and wished she had an album.  So now she does.

Zooey’s performance on She & Him Volume 1 retains all of it’s character.  The ability to make something look (or sound) effortless is alwas a sign of great talent.  Zooey pulls this off beter than anyone.  At times her voice can sound raw and untrained, but not in a bad way. In a very genuine way.  The songwriting is classic M. Ward throughout the album (with the exception of a couple well chosen covers) and they compliment each other very well.

I do find a couple of faults.  While I like M. Ward’s voice on his solo work, I didn’t like his vocal contributions on this album.  The contrast of their voices was startling, and not in a good way.  If they were to switch rolls and have Zooey sing backup to an M. Ward lead, that might work, but the other way around doesn’t.

Beyond that my only complaints were that a few of the songs weren’t in Zooey’s ideal range.  She pulls off the higher notes just fine, but you lose out on the richness of her lower range.  The prolific use of a lap steal guitar is great, but gets tiresome over the course of this whole album.

Overall, I think it is worth some money, but maybe you pick and choose your favorites rather than getting the whole album.  I can’t wait to see a second effort by these two- (Is there a Volume II in the works?) I have a feeling it would be even better than the first.

Here is a little video:

Music | 3 Comments »

So MollyGear did really well this year.  We had record sales, even in a down economy.

But it really hasn’t taken hold.  So what do we do?  Lower our margins?  Ship our manufacturing oversees to lower prices and try to cater to the antiquated brick-and-mortar crowd?  Expand our product line to more clothing?

Or, do we continue to do our core business really well, and try to increase the community around it?  Ammon thinks we should do home parties.  But is selling our soul worth the few extra bucks?

Business | 4 Comments »