It is official...
as far as the actual birthday goes.
I am 36!I remember when my father and mother were each this age!
Here is what am I up to lately.
When I was in Seattle this past January, I had spoken with my doctor's office and they informed me that my cholesterol levels were out of control and said I would immediately need to start lipitor. I refused this and said I would alter my diet instead as I already take enough medications due to my thyroid condition. After a long list of hearing what I shouldn't eat from red meat (which I have not had in a few decades) to butter on bread, I was finally caught when ice cream was mentioned.
Since February, I have not had a single soda, have pretty much cut all fried foods, watched my intake of processed foods (partially hydronated, androg-jaiy-Anus, high fructose corn crack)and dining times, as well as shifting to less breads, more raw foods and keeping myself well hydrated.
This has lead to a weight loss of over 45 pounds!!! It is quite rewarding to have not only improved my health on the technical side, but on both the internal feeling and external look. :)
I have cut myself LOOSE from the mobile phone since April!!!I have had my Sprint line since 1997, when Patrick Rogers and I got our phones together at the Radio Shack on South Street, just before work on the Dark Harvest Festival. I will re-instate the phone shortly, however... it has been extremely freeing to NOT have a phone attached.
I am still working full-time at Universal StudiosI began during March of 2007 and have since been a Sound Stage Manager. Apart from the internal gossip and power struggles that I have witnessed, the job is fine. I enjoy the benefits and the perks are also welcomed ;)
There is a ton of news for which to be grateful!My mother is cancer free still!!!! While we do not see enough of each other, I am happy for the time we do share and always hope the best for her and Victor as they have both been good parents for me. My father and June are also healthy and I have been lucky enough to have seen them and other family members a few times this year from touring and such.
Sadly, in the last year, we lost Max Kantor, my grandfather and husband to Betty, who is amazing! She and the rest of my father's family all reside within 30 miles of one another in Philadelphia.
>I am also grateful for the amazing friends I have who have been a warm family! In the last year, I have made some new friends and strengthened some of the existing relationships, of which were never so obvious. I am not sure how life could ever be without the presence of Legion as he has truly been a balancing force. I really hope that Paul Diaz is able to visit in August!!! I miss my Philadelphia friends so much!
Being able to reconnect with friends and family is one of the best reasons for touring as both a musician and the occasional DJ tour. I am planning a tour for autumn which will extend both the west and east coast.
Speaking of MusicThe album with Mark is coming along well. The first two songs have wound up bootlegged from Mark's
TechItch dj gigs around the globe. It was a trip to see Mark spin and people going nuts and singing my lyrics. I have been involved in music for many years and have had this before, however, it had been so many years, and it is just as exciting as the first time! Especially when some fellow grabbed me and without knowing he was dancing to a song I had co-written, he said "This is the shit" as he sang my lyrics and jumped up and down.... maybe he said that the song was shit and he was jumping up and down to have Mark stop spinning it.
The album is being pushed by the
Celldweller camp, FIXT and features not just vocals from me, but a host of cool folks including a funky tune with Douglas McCarthy.
Mark and I have been creating this amalgam of metal, drum n bass, electrofunk, indiepop at our house in Granada Hills, CA, where we have our full studio. It is amazing to be able to play drums at any time of the day and night. (This falls into the grateful category!) I still have the apartment in Hollywood and am typing from here now.
In other music news, my first work for Ryko / Warner Bros. ships October 7th on the new Godhead album, where I produced and remixed the song, "Soldier".
I am also in progress on producing The Return Of Josie Cotton!!! We have some good work accomplished and are currently in the middle of the 2009 version of "Johnny Are You Queer", which will surely see some press. We are both proud of the work this far! If you are unfamiliar with her work, do a google search... you might just find the maneaters video or a clip from the film, Valley Girl.
I will be posting some clips from the studio as well as
my new set of wheels, courtesy of Mz Josie Cotton!!!
As far as other music is concerned, I have a slew of other releases coming soon including remixes and production for West Indian Girl, Pink Skull, Tracie Lords, Zombie Girl, Juno Reactor, Isaac Hayes and Burt Bacharach.
The
Red Light District album is being mixed when time allows for it. There are twenty songs in two parts; Smoke and Mirrors. The first being the more retro side of the 20s and 30s with a modern twist and the latter, having a more futuristic and experimental pop essence. Our recent live performance at Bordello was sold out, 50 people over capacity and had sadly turned away over 100 people (sorry to Tony, Nick, Andrea, etc...) We have been rehearsing as a live sextet (six people, not SEX) once a week for the last few months and I am very proud of everyone involved!
I am pleasantly surprised at how well this music is being received!!! There has been not yet been enough time to squeeze in time for
Zeitmahl or
Emit Peels, however, my schedule will be re-arranging in the next few weeks and I am excited to work on new material.
I will publish this post to be syndicated to my blog (
mylivetube), livejournal, sg, lj and myspace and will then realize that I wanted to include x or y or x and y chromosome, etc. Maybe I could have mentioned being grateful for Pooch-A-Rilla or having a roof over my head or being somewhat responsible... sybil
Ok... I have slowly jotted this down over the last hour or so and will head away to work on some music since I have the day off from Universal.
The plan is to have dinner and go to
The Magic Castle... I am NOT yet certain as to my deal there, so dinner may take place nearby and then we can walk over to the Magic Castle as it is $10 to park and you can park around the cornhole for $3 or even park at my place for freebase. ;)
Please contact me directly if you would like to join in the fun this evening.
If you feel the urge to stop over, I should be around all day :)
What I am up to at 36