Engelstadt

Otherwise known as Los Angeles for you who do not speak German. I have been here in SoCal for since Saturday.

On Sunday in San Diego I went to the flea market. It was pretty cool. Bought a vinyl of Coltrain's Favorite Things. Also bought my friend Chauncey a poster with Chairman Mao on it saying "let's party".

I was actually down here on business, I recorded a sick track for Kenneth. I'll make sure to post the finished product.

I really like LA. I always get inspired and rejuvenated when I hang out here. Irvine, Riverside, and San Diego are not the same. It's particularly Los Angeles that inspires me and gets my juices flowing. Walking around on the beach in Santa Monica is awesome, hangin' out in Venice is cool, and eating at cool places in Westwood are some of the things I enjoy while coming down here. I don't enjoy driving down here, but its a necessary evil, so I make the best out of it.

The Importance of Music Theory

So my Jazz band went to CMEA a few weeks ago and were criticized pretty harshly by the judges about playing in the changes. They play the right scales and have some good rhythms, but they never outline the chord changes in their solos. All that theory that I taught them last semester didn't seem to make any sense. As they have matured as musicians and become more comfortable with their scales, they realize how important spelling out chords really is.

Next week I think we are going to be making some riffs out of ii V I changes.

The Greatest Life to be Lived

I don't think there is any greater life to live than mine.

I have family, friends, students, and colleagues who love me for who I am more than what I do.

I have a nice place to live, a car, an apartment, a job that affords me my lifestyle.

I have no enemies, no outstanding debts, and nothing to be stressed about.

I have good health.

Which brings me to these "I haves"! I realized that I and many American children are all raised with the mentality of having stuff. My mother convinced me when I was young to be a doctor so I could drive a BMW. I'm sure she also thought I would want to help people. Santa Clause is the ideal of having stuff on Christmas if you were a good boy. The whole Jesus and Christian thing is about going to heaven so you can have all this stuff when you are there.

AND THE FEAR OF NOT HAVING!!! How many of you cried watching Disney's the Christmas Story because Ratchet got squat for Christmas? You pitied him because deep down you were afraid you wouldn't get anything for Christmas if your parents were poor. How many of your parents pointed out a homeless man and said thats what happens when you don't go to school because then you can't get a job causing you to fail and live on the streets?

Kings and Queens once ruled our lands across the world because they were appointed by God. God was worshiped and feared by all humans. This fear of God drove man to work to feed, protect, and honor his king. Now our primary source of motivation for the continuity of human life is having shit and the fear of not having shit.

Can anybody really have enough shit? Where do we stop and say "I have enough shit,"? And what do we do when we have acquired enough shit? Get a wife, have kids, and buy all of them shit? Some would say give it away. Why? So other people need more shit?

I'm going out today with grandma and grandpa to buy some shirts. It is to replace some old ones that have alot of food stains on them. So I am replacing old shit with new shit.

Answer me this: When do we have enough shit and what do we do when we have acquired it all?