Monday, March 29, 2004


What a weekend.

It started on Friday with interviewing a possible candidate for the Riley Agency. Please welcome Olivia to the family. She brings a bachelors in Business Marketing and some good ol' hands on experience.

Then the girls and I went to a father/daughter banquet at the church and found out some amazing news about the place we've been going to for the past 3 months that we've started calling home. More on this later...

Sat started too early. The local radio show, Spin 180, held their 5th annual listener choice awards. They added a 3 day music conference this year and Riley Agency started the 4 speaker Sat sessions at 10am. We had to be there at 9am. After the sessions there were Q&A's then lunch.

At 2 the actual awards started so along with the other bands, we set up "merch world". Drama Dust presented Best male Vocalist followed by a 3 song set from Spy Glass Blue. We got out of there by 5:30 - 6pm, home, change and then off to Deep Ellum to check out a band we're (RA) talking to, Letter 12. Good band, good set, good draw. Home by 12:30.

Up and out by 9:30 for church where I was able to sit down with Gary (head Pastor) between services and talk to him about what I found out Friday night (more on that later...). Home by 2 and then out again by 6 for the Drama Dust show an hour away. Home by 11:30...

Up today by 7am so I could take X into work for my 10am meeting with a President/CEO of some tech co. to pitch him my services for his site redesign and then off to close on the refinancing of our house, PO box run and then home by 3ish.

I have to be in Dallas tonight for an investor showcase for that play we're doing a website for. I need a day off....

Thank, Abba, for the opportunities...

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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Thursday, March 25, 2004


I hate practicing. It's boring.

Looking at possibly hiring a new agent. Doing the interview tomorrow. We could really use the help.

Did some roster restructuring in hopes of being able to make some room for some new bands to come on board. Other than that, just the usual task of phone calls and emails. I do have to design a promotional postcard and tour poster for ET04, place a banner ad on the RA site for a new band so that breaks up the routine slightly but it's still work. Not complaining, just needing some more qualified bodies to lessen my personal work load.

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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Wednesday, March 24, 2004


The dogs, Mellow and Riley, really pissed me off this morning.

I was on my way to do some errands and I saw Riley come out the front door and look at me from the walkway. I got out of the car, slowly, and called to him. He gave me this "do I run or obey" look. Remember that look between the bad guy and Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday in Tombstone at the OK Corral? That kind of moment / look. Well, he decided to run.

No more then 3 steps and a yellow blur rushes by him... Mellow. Riley decides this must be play time and goes into a full run after mellow (Riley is 60 lbs already and he's fast and strong). I start screaming their names to come back, running after them. Nothing...

Well, I chased them and called for them for about 2 blocks before calling the house for backup (read: bring the car - I'm old). I finally catch up with them a block later, and these are really long blocks, while Jason (Riley Agent / drummer for The Subject) pulls up in the car. Riley decides to come to me but is dodging and doubling back (this is fun and exciting for him... he's 6 months old). Meanwhile, mellow, seeing that Riley is actually thinking about submitting, takes off again. Riley, preoccupied with the possibility of obeying doesn't see mellow run but is still evading me. I take a few steps towards him and he runs, playfully, dodging until the sound of my voice prompts him to come towards me again. He takes a few strides towards me, I reach out, he tries to dodge me but I get a good handful of his neck and he does what he should have done at the front of the house; fall to the ground in submission like the bitch that I'm going to make him for having me chase him 1/4 of a mile. I throw, yes, throw Riley into the car.

I start driving towards where mellow went. He sees the car, knows he's screwed and high tails it again until I call him. He comes towards the car, Jason gets out to grab him but again he runs, this time towards the house with Jason in hot pursuit.

I start to back up and turn the car around and there in front of me is animal control. Damn, just in time. I catch up to where Jason is trying to get mellow to come to him, roll down the window and yell for mellow. I am so pissed off right about now that the rage in my voice (I think) makes him come towards the car where Jason grabs him and throws him into the back seat. I'm so pissed.

We get home. I put mellow in his outside pen where he'll be for the next frickin' week and then Riley into his crate where he'll be for days as far as I'm concerned.

I got back in the car and ran my errands, came home, up to the office and about 15 mins later, X goes, "I let Riley out about 10 mins ago because he had been in his crate for about an hour......"

Now who's the bitch...

  [posted by Allan | permalink]





Picked up a new web client yesterday. As soon as I finish building their new site I'll share the url with you. We (Riley), may be doing some more work for them in the area of marketing/promotions and traditional design. We'll see.

Practice tonight with SGB (I hate practicing) for Saturday's appearance at the Spin 180 Awards. 3 songs in 10 mins. We're nominated for "Best Song for 2003 - Vacant Places". We're debuting a new drummer. The new guitarist debuted about 3 weeks ago.

Oh yeah... watched School of Rock last night. Definitely a rental. It was "cute".

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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Tuesday, March 23, 2004


So besides the endless cycle of to do lists, projects and playing mr. mom yesterday, I can now surf the web, send and receive email and instant message with my T3 using my Nokia 6800 as a modem via infrared. Ta-Da!

I also downloaded AvantGo and subscribed to Accuweather, Reuters, MSNBC, Rollingstone and the Golf Channel.

Life is good.

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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Monday, March 22, 2004


Sat was busy.

My son, C, had a karate tourny. He takes Shorin-Ryu, so we were out and about by 7:30. He placed 1st in his division. He's doing pretty good...

By 2pm I was on my way home with Brian (Riley Agent) and off to the golf course. Got to use my golf palm app. Very cool.

Then T and I were off to a friends open house by 7pm. At 9 we were at Books for Less looking through books on Akitas and the Music Business. Bought good used copies of U2's "October", Bad Brains "God of Love" and a 3 disc set of Duke Ellington.

Home by 11pm and watched a DVD with C. The girls were already in bed.

Sun was church and then home to put the living room back how it's suppose to be. We moved things around for my party a couple weeks ago. I know... we're slackers. Built an Ikea piece we bought 3 years ago that we haven't really needed to use until now. It's a CD/DVD storage unit. That was a drag to put together. Another DVD and then to bed by 10:30 and exhausted.

T woke up with the flu today so that's no fun. I'm up here working as usual... or I will be after posting this.

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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Friday, March 19, 2004




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Thursday, March 18, 2004


After doing the basic email chores this morning, I went to the studio to mix the local band I've been working with. Came out good. There are definitely some very good moments on this ep. Vocally, sometimes, it reminds me of L.A.'s Wasted Youth and some other bands circa '81-'83.

More emails, some site updates, micro-managing, etc and then the evening break with the misses.

My second shift is consisting of more emails, site updates and the occasional surf but best of all, I'm downloading my contacts from my Nokia 6800 (no Bluetooth) to my T3 via infrared.

I'm looking into the 6820 (Bluetooth) even though I would prefer the 6810 (Bluetooth - out in 2nd quarter) because it doesn't have a camera.

Anyway. 12:30am and we're still woking (Brian and I). Our other agent, Michelle, just got here.

Ciao

  [posted by Allan | permalink]





I found a very cool site the other day: http://palmaddicts.blogspot.com/.

What happened to the Blog This! feature?

  [posted by Allan | permalink]





My daughter sent me this the other day:

DADDY'S ELEVEN RULES OF DATING (Guys take note.)

Rule One: If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two: You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three: I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes to big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact come off during the course of you date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four: I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "Barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five: It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: "early"

Rule Six: I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven: As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight: The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to introduce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka -- zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine: Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, imwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless God of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten: Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveways you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car -- there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

Rule Eleven- brake her heart ---i'll brake your legs and every thing inbetween

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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Wednesday, March 17, 2004


Oh yeah.

The kids have a band now. They're called Drama Dust. Very fitting... very good, too.

  [posted by Allan | permalink]





Happy St Patrick's Day!

I'm 1/4 Irish. Does that count?

There is always way too much on my daily plate these days. Today I'm mixing a local band I started recording a couple weeks ago. I'll be finishing it by the weekend.

I'm also chasing down some online store orders that were screwed up by our merchant account. Worked on that for over 8 hours yesterday. What else... bookings. I have bands that I book here at the Riley Agency.

GMA is about a month away... sheesh

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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Tuesday, March 16, 2004


So are you reading this?

  [posted by Allan | permalink]





Very surreal.

I just read all my archives. Very weird.

My brother Omar has been keeping a journal for over 10+ years. It would be amazing to have all that down. I have always wished that I had started a journal when I moved to Guatemala in Jan of 1980 and with so many people the last couple or so years suggesting I write a book, I would have content.

I wish Omar would put his journal online. There would be some pretty cool stuff in there. Like, when Sublime opened up for Scaterd Few in 1990ish, huh Jason...

  [posted by Allan | permalink]





Does this thing even work any more?

ok... I'm back.

I'm going to use this thing like a journal... well, like it's suppose to be used...

First, the crazy news. I turned 40 3 weeks ago. Here's a quick update:
I got this for my birthday:



I got this for Christmas:



I'm at the Riley Agency now as well.

X is 17.5
C is 15.5
S is 14+

gts...

ok, I smoked... what else. So much has happened since I blogged properly. I'm looking at the archives and it's kind of weird. Did I ever post a pic of the house?

  [posted by Allan | permalink]
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