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2006 Year End Summary
12/31/2006
Here in the twilight of 2006 I'm scanning back over the year and trying to assign it some overall reaction, some visceral temperature as a whole -- and failing. Perhaps because 2005 was filled with so many new and varied experiences, 2006 seems merely a higher landing is the same stairwell -- more of the same. I suppose "new and improved" is never as exhilarating as merely "new".
This is not to say that this last year was in anyway bad. Indeed, most of it was exceedingly positive. The band actually started earning money -- though by no means breaking even -- with the CD starting to sell and performances begining to pay. Our marketing edge and image became decidedly more polished and our musical vision became much clearer paving the way for a less stylistically scatter-shot second CD. Our big "internet band" initiative didn't really pan out but I think we've charted a pretty solid path for the next year.
My personal life remained solid and fulfilling with great friend and family who I'm very thankful for. I took what was possibly my greatest vacation to date: a cross-country trek to Burning Man, and was really lucky to enjoy a batch of kittens for a while. It may not have been as riveting as 2005 but this year was no slouch.
On the Band Front:
- Played a bunch of gigs at parties, bars, festivals, acoustic street shows, and even before thousands of people (and shows started paying this year).
- Wrote and recorded much on the next two albums
- Got airplay on a several radio stations
- Garnered some very favorable reviews for our CD
- Began selling our album via iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, and just about everywhere else online
- Designed costumes, T-shirts and stickers, various gig posters, 12 header graphics , 9 Mesmergrams, and a new look for our MySpace page.
- Posted over 100 entries for the Website
- Organized and did a great photo shoot with photographer Gregory Garecki (pix coming soon).
Other Things In My Life
- Took the much dreamed about vacation to Burning Man.
- Took briefer trips to Boston, Deep Creek, Baltimore, and Harpers Ferry
- Threw yet another successful pumpkin party
- Quit Z-Tech
- Captured a stray and really enjoyed the arrival of her kittens
Of Friends and Family
- Anna and Neil had their second child, Cooper.
- Patrick and Jenny also had their second child, Harrison.
- Kevin and Heather got married.
- Scott and Mike got more dogs. LOTS of dogs...
- Jay and Laura Separated
- Will took a trip to Belgium.
- My Mom's office was completely remodeled.
- My parents' prize winning horse won a ton of awards
- Another successful Pumpkin Party
- Jonah had his bar mitzvah
- My father suffered a scary heart problems
- Will bought a new truck
In Passing
- Loretta Scott King
- Darren McGavin - loved him in "Kolchak: the Night Stalker"
- Don Knotts
- Jack Palance
- Shirly Walker - great soundtrack work
- James Brown
- Former President Gerald Ford
- Saddam Hussein
In the World
- Those who imagined last year that the war in Iraq couldn't get worse were proven tragically wrong...
- The United State's Population hit the 300 million mark
- North Korea tested a Nuke
- Israel and Hezbolla fought
- Republican's got stomped in the mid-term elections losing both the House and Senate to the Democrats.
- In popular culture movies and television continued to be excellent and music continued to suck.
- The iPod continued its march towards monopoly
- Networking sites (Freindster, Myspace, etc. ) got lots of hype and coverage
- Everyone started buying Flat Panel television sets. They finally became affordable and I doubt CRT versions will be sold for much longer.
Films & Shows I'll remember
- Brokeback Mountain
- Detour
- The Deep - I remember wanting to see this movie badly when I was a kid, but my mom wouldn't let me.
- Sunset Boulevard - Wow. This is the best damn film I've seen since Midnight Cowboy.
- The Third Man - Another GREAT film noir masterpiece.
- Crash - overrated
- 200 Americans - A surprisingly effective low-budget gay flick. Worth renting.
- The Hidden Fortress
- Bubble
- Seven Samurai - Amazing. A true masterpiece that cannot be overly praised.
- Night and the City
- Along the Waterfront
- Casino Royal - the first good Bond film since "The Spy Who Loved Me"
- Another Gay Movie - a gay version of "American Pie"
- A Scanner Darkly
Books on the Night-stand
- Our Inner Ape - Frans de Waal
- Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy - Lindsay Moran
- Marvel Masterworks: The X-Men, Vol. 1 - Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
- Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four, Vol. 1 - Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
- All the Shah's Men - Stephen Kinzer
- American Theocracy - Kevin Phillips
- Mixerman - ?
- The West's Last Chance - Tony Blankley
- The City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau
- The People of Sparks - Jeanne DuPrau
- The Humanoids - Jack Williamson
- Airstream, The History of the land Yacht - Burkhart and Hunt
- American Theocracy - Kevin Phillips
- The Shazam! Archives, Vol. 1 - C.C. Beck
Memorable Music in the Player
- Rounds - Four Tet
- Cousteau - Cousteau
- You're Only Lonely - Raul Malo
- Solvent - Solvent City
- Holiday - The Magnetic Fields
- Warn, In Your Coat - Romeo Void
- Rewired for Dub - Horace Andy, Joe Ariwa & Mad Prof
12/31/2006 | Permanent Link
