( #ReggieWu, #Metal, #Philadelphia )
Phillyist published my interview with Philadelphia metal guitarist Reggie Wu.
Check it out: Phillyist Interviews…Reggie Wu
Experiments, Random Ideas, and posts that don’t fit other categories.
( #ReggieWu, #Metal, #Philadelphia )
Phillyist published my interview with Philadelphia metal guitarist Reggie Wu.
Check it out: Phillyist Interviews…Reggie Wu
( #2011, #Resolutions )
Happy New Year my friends! This year feels like it went by quickly yet when I look back, 2010 has been a game changer in so many different way. So let’s all take a minute to stop and reflect what this year has brought us both good and bad.
[Changes in 2010]
When you wake up every morning, do your routine, go to work, come home, and then go to sleep – ddoes it feel like anything is ever different? Things change, but it is more of the same… isn’t it? Not so much. The status-quo that has been in place for the last few years got shattered by a few things (I am going to do this chronologically):
There were tons of other milestones/issues this year: other family medical dramas, re-connecting with old friends (and learning to forgive and forget), more babies (Congrats to Mike, Laurie, Alex, Paul, and Aimee), becoming a semi-professional blogger… this could go on for a while….
I tend to get obsessive about how I spend my time (especially after 13 hour work days), who I haven’t seen or spoken to in a while, and worry about not doing things I feel like I should be doing, but in the end it all levels out. While there is always room for improvement, I felt like I did the best I could in most cases.
[Looking at 2011]
With school set at a decent pace and my semi-professional writing career making some progress, the thing I need to work on 2011 is my weight. If you have read this blog since the start or have known me for a while, you know I managed to knock out about 170lbs at the peak of my health kick and while I haven’t gained it all back, I have been slowly gaining weight the last 4 years regardless of my work out schedule and dietary efforts. Its time to get back on the wagon again…hardcore. Fingers crossed.
Babies for Joey and Allison in 2011? Probably, if not this year, early 2012. No point in being coy about this, I am not getting any younger and neither is my lovely wife. We have a plan in place (to everyone who says you can’t have a plan – be quiet, because you can) and now we just have to see how fate treats us.
My thoughts on everything else? If you haven’t been reading the blog weekly, you should because I cover it all there, but to summarize right now I would say focus on job creation. I had a conversation with a manager this year who said America is country of innovation and all the jobs should focus on that. While I agreed with the concept, I don’t think America is made up of 100% innovation labor force, hell I don’t think it is 20%. How do we employee the rest of the country long term? Personally, I think American companies should take advantage of the lower labor costs and refocus on domestic manufacturing while keeping the unions in check (sorry union supporters, they do kill companies over time).
For everything else – we should continue with green ideologies when they make sense, try to get away from our dependence on foreign oil, and focus on reducing national and personal debt. Politically – all of these jokers are the same; as long as we allow lobbyist groups to set direction for special interest organizations we will continue to be managed by an enormous corporation instead of a government. I will add – get involved if you don’t like what is happening to your country, town, city, village, school, sandwich shop…
[Closing Thoughts]
Once again, I respectfully request leeway from anyone that I missed in my year end thoughts and thanks. As always this is the trickiest part because people tend to get pissed when I leave them out. With that in mind – here we go…
If it hasn’t been made clear yet, I want to thank my parents, wife, and expanding family for being a centering force. Genetics is a hell of thing because as much as I cursed my parents in high school, I become more like them (or see wisdom in their “bad decisions”) as I get older.
I can’t do one of these without saying thanks to my cousin Tony because I talk to him every day and whenever I get freaked out about life (especially having kids), he puts me in the right frame of mind (unlike Slobbert).
For the friends in my life, I am thankful for you and for the experiences you collectively share. For the friends that have stepped back, I am thankful for that too because time is not infinite. Not to sound like a brown-noser, but I would like to thank my boss because even though work gets nutty – I feel like I can say what I need get the right advice, attention, and focus.
In conclusion, don’t bullshit yourself. Only you know what you are capable of doing, so if you are sitting around complaining that you need to get something done, or want to start something… Do it. If you can’t – get some help and get it done. I wish you get everything you wish for yourself this coming year.
Smell you later,
~ Joey
Previous Editions: 2009 Seasons Greetings
( @Phillyist, #Booze, #NewYearsEve )
The Phillyist was kind enough to publish a video I put together with Mario DelMonte at Kress Wine. He gives me his recommendations on sparkling wines and champagne.
( #Traffic, #OrderedChaos, #Blog )
I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to my readers for allowing me to break least year’s traffic record by about 300%. The entire “Joey Lombardi” brand of websites brought in about 25,000 unique visitors this year (and traffic the last few months has increased by 30%) Not bad for a little vanity website.
Last year you helped me achieve my goal of having at least one person in every state in the US look at the blog… but I haven’t been paying attention to the world view. Check it out:
Its kind of insane for me to think so many people across the world have checked out my crazy blog. I hope it serves a purpose and people are getting something out of it, it has certainly made me happy to have an outlet for my thoughts.
This is (hopefully) just the beginning.
– Joey
( #Smithsonian, #CatholicLeauge, #EricCantor )
If you haven’t been following the news, the Smithsonian is taking a lot of heat by Christian organizations and (mostly Republican) politicians due to an exhibit called “Hide/Seek” which features explicit and controversial work by Gay/Lesbian artists. A certain video in particular seems to be drawing most of the attention. The clip by David Wojnarowicz features statues of Jesus covered with ants. Personally—I think the video is pointless and doesn’t invoke anything (for me), so I don’t think it is all that offensive (just not interesting).
Shield your Christian eyes, because I found the clip….
The video seems to have pissed off all the right people who are now saying that the Smithsonian is using public funding to offend Christians. I don’t think any of the people working at the Smithsonian set out to offend any religious organization. Some people get offended at Michelangelo’s David (Gasp! a penis), people get offended by crosses, hell, people get offended by toilet tissue commercials! The purpose of the Smithsonian is to collect this stuff, display it, and let you make up your own mind.
One of the critics (and think it was Bill Donohue of the Catholic League), said that the Government might as well fund professional wrestling since the American people enjoy that more than museums. While I enjoy ladder matches as much as the next guy, whoever said this quote is an ass—a politician or a person in a leadership position should be less concerned with controversial art and more concerned with people not going to museums and seeking knowledge.
I am starting to see another agenda: I keep reading that politicians (again mostly Republicans) and “interest groups” (usually Christian) calling for cutting funding on museums, libraries, and schools—places were people learn to actually think critically. They ask “who uses them” because they have their own private sources of information (that they can control to support their own end game). A less educated population is an easily controlled population (that sounds familiar) While there is a substantial economic problem facing the United States, if we cut sources of knowledge what the hell are we trying to save? What kind of country will we become?
Sure – let’s have everything privately funded so nothing controversial and thought provoking is ever made accessible to the public. People will generate art and distribute via the internet which will only be accessible to people who can afford it (since the libraries will all be closed), until the companies that control the data lines decide that they don’t want to be involved and block transmission. With so much information accessible, how the hell is this country headed for another cultural dark age?
Read More: The New American
PS: Step this back a few days, remember that article by Philadelphia Magazine about “kids getting stupider”? Read that article (and my response) in light of this information. Makes you wonder if there really is an agenda happening…