My bags are packed and I'm ready to go...

Media_cardblackberrypicturesim

I'm in a holding pattern.

Circling over where I should land.

I think this is why I don't like packing to travel early. I'm evolved now, and procrastination is a part of my preparation.

I'm anxious. I want to go to the airport right now. But I don't fly for another 48 hours. Maybe I can go early. What will I do without a freakout before TSA realizing I've forgot something?! And then realizing that I probably checked it, but don't really need it anyway.

At least I have "check-in" to look forward to... Getting in line to be in line. Jockeying for overhead space. Its fun. But people are taking it too seriously these days. The last 4 times I've flown Southwest someone behind me in line has asked, "Are you B44? I'm B45. Am I behind you?"

"I'm A12." I comply, trying to feign concern.

"A12?!" They gasp.

"Yes. So you are behind me." I reply over my shoulder, in hopes they will pick up on my unwillingness to discuss it. This fails.

"But you're supposed to be way up there! You're supposed to be boarding right NOW!" In escalating tones.

"I know." I calmly and firmly reply.

"Why don't you tell someone?!!"

At this point I turn and face B45 and stare them straight in the eyes.

"If people tell you that you're one thing, and you know you're not, who are you going to believe? Are you going to do EVERYTHING you're told? Well?! So for all intents and purposes, I'm B44 because you're behind me. So you're in the right spot. And I'm not going to bow to a number on a card. Do you understand?"

B45 looks at me and blinks.

"Besides," I continue. "I like sitting in the back of the plane so I can make multiple bathroom trips, and steal peanuts."

At this point B45 squirms in their Hawaiian shirt and double checks their number, trying to sneak a peak at mine. I fold it quickly out of sight, and wink.

At that moment line begins to move, and I hear B45 turn around to B46 and whisper, "He's not supposed to be here. He's not a B."

I drop 3 Advil, swallow and sigh.

Do I have my ear buds?

Crap. I'm doing it already.

I guess I don't need ear buds.

rb


==========

"ADVERTISE HERE"

NAME MY PUPPY [pics] & FREE MUSIC (the best post EVER)

My new little dog is a Toy Fox Terrier, only 9 weeks old, and full of energy!

The pictures are of her at various stages of life.

Can you help me name her? COMMENT BELOW!!

Also, I launched a new widget for my demos... I will have the new material up soon enough.

Please excuse my mess... the website is under construction.

(Anyone a wordpress expert and wants to donate to the cause?)

Ok... I'm off to clean up puppy poop.

-Roem

Scott's Top 20 of 2009

My buddy Scotty V sent me his Top 20 of 2009.  I thought you all might enjoy.

Happy New Year!

Safe celebrations to all!!

:: Scott's Top 20 of 2009 (in no particular order) ::

Camera Obscura – French Navy 

Phoenix – 1901

The Tallest Man on Earth – The Gardener

Little Boots – New in Town

Kings of Leon – Use Somebody

Deer Tick – Smith Hill

Yacht – Psychic City

Animal Collective – My Girls

Lady Gaga – Just Dance

Noah and the Whale – Blue Skies

Passion Pit – Little Secrets

Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension

Bon Iver – Blood Bank

Volcano Choir – Island, IS

Yacht – The Afterlife

Passion Pit – The Reeling

The Tallest Man on Earth – I Won’t Be Found

Mos Def – Auditorium

White Rabbits – Percussion Gun

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead

Best of,
rb

Roem's "Best" Songs of 2009

Here's my a labor of love.  "Best Songs of 2009"

A list for all the people that say, "I listen to all types of music."

Rap, Pop, Folk, Experimental, Noise, Rock, Indie, Retro, Dance, *cough* Country... and those songs that fit in between.

(Oh, and there's no "Best" in art.  These are the songs that I listened to and said... "no THAT'S something.")

In no particular order... sort of.

::2009::

Kings Of Leon — Use Somebody

Animal Collective — My Girls

Dirty Projectors — Stillness Is The Move

Dirty Projectors — Temecula Sunrise

Volcano Choir — Still

Chromeo — Night By Night

Madi Diaz — Let's Go

Curren$y — Scared of Monsters

Drake feat. Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem — Forever

Emmy The Great — We Almost Had A Baby

Handsome Furs — All We Want, Baby, Is Everything

Kid Sister — Right Hand Hi

M. Ward — For Beginners

Maluca — Tigeraso

Miley Cyrus — Party In The U.S.A.

Bat For Lashes — Use Somebody (Cover)

Mr. Hudson feat. Kanye West — Supernova

Noah and the Whale — Love of an Orchestra

Sleigh Bells — A/B Machines

Yeah Yeah Yeahs — Heads Will Roll

Taylor Swift — You Belong With Me

The Temper Trap — Sweet Disposition

Vistoso Bosses — Delirious

We Were Promised Jetpacks — It’s Thunder And It’s Lightning

Wild Light — California On My Mind

Cass McCombs — You Saved My Life

Jenny Wilson — Like A Fading Rainbow

Mikky Ekko — It's Only You

Imogene Heap — Bad Body Double

Yo La Tengo — Periodically Double or Triple

Wheat — El Sincero

Phoenix — 1901

Happy New Year!!

Best of,
Roem

3 Things.

Hey everybody... 

I revived an old project from the dead due to some interest from friends.

It's called, "3 Things. blog" and is meant to be a (semi) daily digest of the basic internet diet.

A few friends are "official" contributing editors, but I'll take suggestions and links from everyone.  Found something cool?  Send it to 3things.blog at gmail dot com.  And you'll get your nifty initials or a link-back attributed to the post.

1] Technology, or the humor of it.  This can span everything from a new cool gadget, a funny nerd video, to a new website that we want to share with you.

2] Food and drink.  This mainly consists of craft beers, or bacon.  (My favorite Food/Drink.)  Occasionally, (when I'm feeling healthy/guilty) I'll include some healthy stuff.

3] Music.  This is the category that started it all.  Friends are always sending links to new bands or artists for me to hear.  And I love it.  So I made this to share these finds with EVERYBODY!

So there you have it.

Best,
Roem

(RED)iculous.

It's World AIDS Day.

And I'm all for the CAUSE. 

The cause that is helping innocent children in Africa who deserve a chance to live and who are afflicted by this disease.  AND if not a greater epidemic, for everyone without AIDS, the we with much, who can learn how to live with LESS and give MORE.

Which is why I have a problem with the (RED) Campaign.

As I've said before sometime in 2006 when the RED Campaign aimed to improve the Gap Inc.'s public persona as a retail conglomerate with a heart of gold, and actually spent more advertising dollars marketing the RED Campaign than the amount of dollars actually raised for the cause.

"In an article in I.D.'s June issue they state that (RED) "raised $25 million to date from consumer purchases after spending an estimated $100 million of it's corporate partner's ad budgets." - BuyLessCrap.org

Or how about Amex?

http://wakanaka.blogspot.com/2006/04/red-card-american-express-pretends-to.html

Wait.  You're gonna profit off kids with AIDS?!  Are you kidding me?  Now you know why I'm seeing red.  I'm pissed.

Why couldn't they just give directly to the cause? 

Because it's a marketing campaign.  NOT a charitable organization.

I do however recognize that NIKE is claiming to give "100% of profits" from the RED Campaign to the Global Fund, BUT... do we really need another pair of overpriced child labor sneakers to help children in Africa with AIDS?

I'll take IRONY for a 22.4 million, Alex.

(Which is approximately how many people in sub-Saharan Africa with AIDS as of 2008.)

Here we are, almost 4 years later, and we still are supporting the RED Campaign?

Someone please tell me something has changed, and I'll gladly eat this blog.  Otherwise...

PLEASE STOP CONSUMING, AND START GIVING.

Don't believe this RED hype just because your favorite websites subscribe to it.  Support the cause directly.

Your hashtags and "fandom" do very little.

-Roem


Links:

http://www.buylesscrap.org

And a list from Google tainted only slightly by the RED Campaign.

http://www.google.org/world-aids-day-2009.html

Thankful for Thailand

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all are enjoying family, or have already enjoyed them (I have no idea what time or day it is, someone just informed me that Thanksgiving was today).

I was officially sunburned today... not my proudest moment.  But after yesterday's day in the sun, I thought my "base tan" would hold up.

Needless to say, my Base Tan gave NO defense, and rolled over like a lobster in a pot, which is exactly what I look like right now.

But thankful, I am.  This place is so much easier to visit and enjoy with the smallest of effort, I can't believe more Americans do it.  But that's the last I'll say about that... it's like Yelping about your favorite new haunt only to find it full of Marina kids with popped collars and their Ugg trodding counterparts within a week.  Better left unspoiled.  (That's my SF ref for the week.)

More pics, videos, and journal jottings in an attempt to capture this life changing journey.

I'm off to get a Aloe Vera Massage ($5) and join my fellow lobsters at a lounge... probably gonna eat some street food too.  Agh... how will I ever return?  Couldn't I just find a local gig and move here?

Yes.

I could.

Will I?

After my last show in Koh Phi Phi, I think I may have found my audience... the travelers, the thinkers, the good time opportunists, the believers... and most likely...

You.

I'm especially thankful that you read my notes.

Much more to come.

Thankfully,
Roem

p.s.  I'll be home in days... and deep down, I'm ready.  I miss you guys.