in an mmmBop it's gone...

Hey, it's August. we've already survived a brutal heat wave last week and today, though the temperature is cooled off a bit, my head is throbbing in rhythm with the thoughts and responses to the pink and black checks that have infiltrated my head... yes... well i had nothing to do with it... but yes, well, i'm hearing a lot of feedback and it seems to be the only thing people want to talk about... maybe i'll explain more later when it's more in the rearview mirror and less in a bottle of Excederin... (wow, that sounded like a country song)... In other fun news, i've apparently become something of a standard for bad writing... that blog i previously mentioned that "called me out" as a critic who is more of an "inspirational calendar writer" who "has not yet learned English adjectives" and "writes as good as a six-year-old"... (i'm curious if they know that it should be "well" and not "good")... anyway, they're looking for contributors and to weed out the bad applicants, they'll be compared to my style of writing... apparently i've crossed somebody's path the wrong way... either that or i'm officially famous... anyway, let's just say i have a plan... moving on... I feel like i've been in a bit of a slump as of late, and it may have to do with the albums i've had to review... just a barrage of mediocrity the last couple weeks... but i can't totally blame it on that... i just feel spent... as i mentioned in the last post (way back then), i feel like i need to be stepping up somehow and doing something... i'm hitting a wall so to speak in all my pursuits... realizing more and more that i don't fit in with the techies at my day job and realizing that i don't see eye-to-eye with my other boss on any level (artistically, creatively, ethically, morally, from a business standpoint, nothing) and it's frustrating and frustrating leads to being worn out and spent i suppose... "but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep" (Robert Frost)... (insert deep sigh here)... is it a lack of faith? is it just confusion? am i simply tired... am i simply overthinking? can anyone else not wait for a new Relient K album or is it just me? i must keep pressing on... i must keep moving... i must slow down... i'm flooded by thoughts that don't seem to mean anything... and they're so random... and they don't make sense... or maybe they're all related and maybe i don't make sense... maybe i just need to shut up... maybe... still... be.. still... Anyway... on a lighter note... i'm down to 80-some pages left in Monster, i'm 50-some pages into Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die, i'm 60-some pages through Ragamuffin Gospel and i've looped back around during the 40-Weeks initiative and i'm reading Isaiah again this week... just something about that book that does my heart right... I've been watching the AOL Sessions archives this morning instead of working on reviews... i watched Mat Kearney, Keane and i'm currently bugging out to Beastie Boys... (they look old)... the next couple months looks phenomenal for new music... i know i'm supposed to be in love with the new Jars and Leigh Nash albums - and i do like them quite a bit - but for me, i simply cannot get the new Skillet album out of my head... it's very nice and i hope it does well for them... other confirmed great, late-year additions to the 2006 music scene include Leeland, Bebo Norman, Brandon Heath, Sandra McCracken, Jonny Lang, Hundred Year Storm, Kim Hill, Chris Tomlin, and Woven Hand... all this and expected releases from Switchfoot, Relient K, Jonezetta, MeWithoutYou, Fernando Ortega, Smokie Norful, and a whole lot more... good grief, how am i going to remember what came out already? Anyway... off i go... here's a few bits of writing i've done that you can check out if you feel so inclined: iTRu-nes playlist (vol. 1) Audio Adrenaline - Adios (Walk TRu) The RunDown: on Audio A coming soon: a new Left to Write, the State of the TRunion Report, a few interviews, and Walk TRus for Out of Eden, Skillet, Jars, Leigh Nash, Leeland, etc... etc... currently listening to: Jonas Brothers - It's About Time Out of Eden - The Hits Leigh Nash - Blue on Blue Leeland - Sound of Melodies keeping an eye on... peace... love... bdg...