Still coming to grips with it. Argh.

This strangely helps, though… thanks, Matt.

Not a bad week so far :

• Production music that we did at The Burst Collective was featured in a nice long scene in FOX’s hit new show Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

• A track from the Velocity Music Library (a catalog of production music we created for FirstCom Music) was the opening scene’s background on American Idol last night (their second show of season 7).

• And my old buddies at Spectrasonics continue to inspire and amaze with their new software instrument, Omnisphere, unveiled today at Winter NAMM. More at BurstHQ.com.

The Largo movie is coming.

Having been there twice now, I can personally attest to the spiritual magic in that venue every Friday night… and really wish my co-conspirators at Burst would have been able to attend with me.

If you’re in LA and love music, you owe it to yourself to get there while Mr. Brion is holding court.

Thanks, Matt.

The business of music and music production in 2008, with quotes from two who inspire me greatly : Seth Godin and Marshall Altman.

Congrats to Burst Labs musical peers Extreme Music for being featured at one of my favorite design-related websites, Sleevage, for their Directors Cuts series of production music.

This level of quality and appreciation for the details is exactly why I hired my friends Thom Wolfe and Greg Sylvester (formerly of Kerosene Halo, now of VSA - Chicago) to design the branding for my very first collection of production music, the Gravity Music Library. The duo went on to win a Grammy for Packaging (Madonna’s Ray Of Light) and I’ve been huge fans of their work for more than a decade now.

It’s a good day when the even the packaging in our niche little industry is competing with the marketing departments at major labels.

I dropped a comment over there :

… to date, we haven’t had the pleasure of producing kick ass physical packages the likes of which Extreme consistently releases… though we’re hoping that changes very soon.

Kudos to you, Ash and Sleevage, for recognizing that the production music library world does, on occasion, get it right - both in the music and the packaging.

Can’t wait. Can’t wait.

Though I’d been persuaded long before Andrew Sullivan warns us that Barack Obama is persuasive, his speech to the Democratic convention in Iowa late last year is definitely worth watching again in light of his commanding primary victory late last week.

Some thoughts on Obama as President after watching his speech (below).

1. Lobbyists and special interests, He says he’ll take no money from them, won’t have them working in his administration, will change Washington as we’ve known it. He’d better deliver on this one. I think this crap is the height of evil in politics, and one of the reasons I’m a Ron Paul fan, too (which I realize is odd, making a choice between Paul and Obama, but whatever… I’m voting for a person and policy this time, and if we’re not going to stay the hell out of people’s lives - i.e. the Ron Paul platform - I at least want a man in power who has character and integrity and the ability to inspire people to pitch in and help - Obama is the only choice there, imho).

EDIT : as I was typing this entry, another reader wrote Mr. Sullivan regarding the affinity for both Paul and Obama… it seems we are not alone.

2. Teachers pay. He says he wants to reward them for being great. I agree. As long as the teachers being rewarded are the GREAT ones. If we reward everyone, the reward loses it’s meaning, no? I would have no problem having the taxes I pay go toward significant rewards for genuinely deserving teachers… how to discern which faculty members those may be, however, is a messy and inexact calculation. Ideas?

3. The “war.” Really, I just wish we’d stop calling it a “war” altogether, but no matter… at least he says he wants us out of Iraq. And stopping the use of torture. A biggie. America can’t lead the world with one hand while crossing our fingers on the other.

4. Global warming. I think the jury isn’t exactly back in force regarding global warming (the cause reeks a bit of a cult and lacks some common sense, and it’s not like there’s some lone naysayer who cautions there may be problems with the science in the global warming debate - he’d have more than a few friends) but I also am not blind, can use my brain, and try to not act like a selfish prick when I have options to leave a smaller footprint, find alternative sources for power, don’t consume more than I need and don’t live a life of ridiculous excess. Americans are, by and large, buy and large. It’s disgusting. Even if global warming is completely wrong and there’s no problem with ocean levels rising and wildlife disappearing and food shortages and widespread chaos, we’re just fools to be subject to the whims of a few dictators who control the world’s oil supply when we have the means to live without if we’d just get serious about fixing the problem - greed, gluttony, and general apathy about the world beyond our suburb, church and strip mall.

5. His word, honor, believability. My god, I hope the man can deliver. Lots of promises, ones we’ve heard before, but somehow I just believe this time around. Maybe it’s because after 8 years of listening to an idiot bumble and fumble his way around the english language, it’s nice to hear a compelling, emotional, and eloquent speech delivered with alacrity and authority. I really want to be a fly on the wall when this man talks with our enemies, as promised.

Been having fun designing a new site over the holiday break, and I’m super stoked to get it coded up and launched.

I’m planning on offering it, along with our Burst blog themes (Collective and HQ), as free Wordpress templates. Lots to do there in terms of making it a genuine, legit, comprehensive theme package, but I’m optimistic.

Here’s some preview jpgs…

I had been curious where Andrew Sullivan would come down on the Republican nominations… he confirms it today : “Ron Paul For the Republican Nomination”. I remain hopeful Paul can win. Like Mr. Sullivan, I would be just as happy with Obama at this point.

Congratulations, Julie, on winning FameCast and $10,000! OnMilwaukee.com and Burst Labs have fuller write-ups.

Um, yeah. That’s what the RIAA says. What a shameful, ridiculous, morally indefensible position. Full story here.