Skipping over all of the boring stuff, the line-up was figured out, a date was set, and a venue was booked for the show. Okay, now you can get excited again because I'm about to tell you some important information about the gig.

Between me and Bill (my partner for TSS), we managed to get 6 amazing bands for this show. Who are they? I'm glad you asked, they are: Lo-Pan (Columbus, OH), Devil to Pay (Indianapolis, IN), Death Valley Dragline (Lansing, MI), Forged in Flame (Cleveland, OH), Chapstik (Detroit, MI), and Low of the Low (Chicago, IL). These are some of my absolute favorites from the Midwest, and I have had the pleasure to see most live before, and they don't disappoint. The ones that I haven't seen, I've heard are awesome, as well.

All of these bands will be sharing one stage on August 07, 2010 at Mac's Bar (2700 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48912). The doors, as of right now, are slated to open at 7, and the first band to go off will be at 8. Each band will be playing approximately 30-40 minute sets.

We will be selling tickets ahead of time for the show. At this point in time, they will cost you a very reasonable $5 if you pre-order. If you wait until the day of the show to get your ticket, it will cost you still reasonable $8. To pre-order your tickets, please send an email to fuzzapalooza@thesodashop.us. We will provide you with any information required. Please note that ticket prices are subject to change. However, if you get your tickets now and the prices go UP, you will not be charged the difference. Ticket sales are NOT refundable.

Any other information requests can be directed to the same email just mentioned above. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the show.

FUZZAPALOOZA LINKS

VENUE:
Mac's Bar: www.macsbar.com

BANDS:
Lo-Pan: www.myspace.com/lopandemic / www.lopandemic.com
Devil to Pay: www.myspace.com/deviltopay / www.deviltopay.net
Death Valley Dragline: www.myspace.com/deathvalleydragline
Low of the Low: www.myspace.com/lowofthelow / www.lowofthelow.com
Forged in Flame: www.myspace.com/forgedinflame
Chapstik: www.myspace.com/chapstik / www.chapstikbomb.com

SPONSORS:
The Soda Shop: www.myspace.com/sodashopradio / www.thesodashop.us

EVENT LINKS:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fuzzapalooza / www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125893564092899
MySpace: events.myspace.com/Event/4106206/Fuzzapalooza-w-Lo-Pan-Death-Valley-Dragline--more
Last.fm: www.last.fm/festival/1535994+Fuzzapalooza

Don't get me wrong, I'm still very much a cynic. However, I use my cynicism as a way to proceed through life with caution. I know what people are capable of, and I know what people are like, but I've stopped seeing people as an evil to the greatest extent. I've accepted that wisdom is more important than intelligence. Learning from one's mistakes is what's important, not avoiding mistakes. I've stopped dwelling on existence and started living my existence. This doesn't mean I've fallen victim of the world's ideals instead of my own, but I've opened myself up to accept that the while the world's ideals are different, they may not ALWAYS be the worst and without reason.

Basically, I've allowed myself to break out of a shell, continue enjoying the simple things in life, and have stopped looking at the world in such a negative light that I see past the beauty and complexity of life. I've allowed myself to just go with the flow and stopped looking at the negatives of every situation. I am not entirely successful, and I feel myself bitching about things that I let happen, but progress has been and is being made. I haven't quite let go of everything that holds me back, but I'm making progress, and that's what matters. As long as I continue to let myself open up to the world, I can only improve.

In other words, self-important cynics need to chill the fuck out. They need to drink some alcohol, listen to music, go out with friends, and allow themselves to forget that the world sucks, if even just for a few hours. Life is well too short to worry about others. Life is too short to think you're superior to everyone else, regardless if it's true or not (hint: it's not). Stop dwelling on the unknown, and accept that it's just that... the unknown. Always seek answers, always be cautious, but don't consume yourself with the unimportant.

If you're, at all, interested in the blog I'm talking about. I'll link you. Head on over yonder: http://tanoposteraro.blogspot.com/2010/02/idealism.html

Since I haven't talked about politics in months, I'll start off with that. First and foremost, I never did approve of Obama, and surprise surprise, that has not changed one bit. He's still pretentious, arrogant, ignorant, and, most importantly, wrong on just about everything. The only things that I do agree with him on (being some social liberties) are things that he has simply put on the back-burners. I would be able to respect him if I thought he actually gives a damn about people rather than his own, reckless agendas. He's not really all that different from Bush, as he attacked McCain on. It's the pot calling the kettle African-American. To further my point that he's no different than Bush, what has he done in Iraq and Afghanistan? Last I heard, Obama was planning on sending MORE troops to Afghanistan. And here I thought that he campaigned on the ideas that he was going to try to LESSEN our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Right about now I feel it's the right moment to say, "I told you so" to all of the people that thought he was actually going to follow through with those sorts of promises. He's managed to push his reckless economic stimulus packages through (Bush did the same, though), and he has started the dismantling of Capitalism in healthcare which is bound to help improve things. Hahahaha. Sorry, I thought I could keep a straight face on the last one. So nearly one year later, and I'm still just as cynical towards this fraud.

In other news, I have been given a new position at Anesthesia Business Consultants. After about 7 months of working as a Customer Service representative, I was given a position that I had applied for. I moved out of Customer Service to become the assistant head of a different department. It's now full-time with benefits, a nice increase in pay, and I'm able to prove myself capable of thriving in not just Customer Service but potentially any department, as well as showing that I can lead. If I don't screw this up, then the company will really see me as an asset, and I can't imagine they'd want to lose me. Not to stroke my own ego, but I am far more than just someone's who's easily replaceable. I have substance, loyalty, and ambition. It doesn't hurt that I'm male in a largely female-dominated workplace.

Even though I'm working full-time, I've been getting the itch to start designing a little more. I haven't touched things in almost 3 months, and it's probably time that I hop back in. I could always use some extra cash, and if I could score some freelance work, it'd be nice to have. I just need to get my name out there and convince people that they need my services. This would include actually finishing my website to the point that it's respectable to show, and I really could use my new business cards. As of right now, they're just sitting in an .ai file and not doing anything productive for me. I should probably go out and mingle with people more, too. It's kind of a tall order, but it's completely doable.

Oh! I got a new phone, too. It is the HTC Hero through Sprint. Once I discovered this phone, I immediately fell in love. I got it the day that it was released, and there really isn't much to complain about. At times, it can be a bit sluggish, but I am not in such a hurry that I need everything to load immediately. Though, it's not even that significant to begin with. The battery life is probably my biggest gripe, but I'm never too far away from somewhere that I can charge it, and it usually lasts me 12-24 hours depending on how heavy the usage is. I, definitely, feel that I made the right choice in phones. Even my brother likes my phone. He's due to get a new one and switch to Sprint, as well. As I've become kind of an Android fanboy, I've been pushing him towards the Hero or the Samsung Moment. He says he doesn't want to get the Hero because I already have it, otherwise he would. While I think it's a ridiculous reason to not get a phone that you like, it's probably smart that he doesn't. The Hero is probably too complicated for what he would really use it for. Realistically, then, it's the Moment that I'm going to push him toward. He has been planning on getting the Pre, but I think it really depends on what keyboard he's going to, ultimately, want more. Will he want a full-touchscreen (Hero) or which physical keyboard he'd prefer, the Moment's (with the bigger keys) or the Pre's (tiny ass keys that annoy the piss out of you). We shall see. You know I'll be rooting for Android!

Also, you may have noticed a change in the layout of the blog. No, I didn't create this new theme. I just have gotten so sick and tired of the thin content column that I needed to change it. I do have a new design that needs to be sliced and coded, but with WordPress themes, they can be more of a hassle than they're worth. For right now, I'm content on using a solid design that others have created for me to use, royalty free.

On a final note, I will see about doing more music recommendations. Of course, I cannot stop finding new music to listen to, so I have plenty to share with everyone. I'll have to think of the format of how I want to do this. I don't know. I could just end up being far too lazy to do it, period. We'll have to see what happens.

Of course, the music issue may be a bit touchy. Some may try to point out that sharing music is illegal, but have no fret! Most of the music that I have uploaded thus far has been made, produced, and released by independent bands and independent labels. Not only that, but I am not hosting the music maliciously as to further along music piracy. I am hosting the music as to be an archive for myself, and it has been shown that people who DO pirate music are far more likely to actually BUY music, so, if anything, I am potentially  HELPING the bands by giving them new fans and potential buyers of their music. Also, I am fully willing to take down any music as requested by the copyright holders. I love the music that I upload, and I don't desire to step on any copyright holder's toes.

As for the software, none of it will be attached to any key generators or cracks (or links to such). Most of the software that I have uploaded is freeware that is widely available. Again, my intention isn't to further any piracy, but to host the files for my own personal use and to possibly give people access to great programs that they may not otherwise stumble upon.

Enough with all of that disclaimer stuff, though important. If anybody is interested in looking through what I have available, you can check it out at cheesesoda.info.

On a completely different note, The Soda Shop is taking a bit of a hiatus. The progress being made on the project is great, but life and another situation (that I will discuss later in this post) have forced me to put it on the back burner. It is Michigan football season, so the weekends that would normally be used to further the project will no longer be available as I will be attending (or watching) the games. Then there is the "situation" I had previously mentioned. It seems that Ron has abandoned the project with absolutely no forewarning, even with repeated attempts to just get a response from him. I have seen that he has been online since all of my attempts to contact him, so I can only believe this is a complete disregard for me and The Soda Shop. Unfortunately, I lack the skills necessary to form other partnerships and gain promoters, as well as I do not have the music industry contacts that Ron had which would have made The Soda Shop grow at an exponential rate.  Thus, I am looking for a replacement who is willing to take on the business side of the project. I have no wishes for this project to die, and any responses whether in interested parties or suggesting interested parties would be greatly welcomed. Those people can reach me at jacob.ball@thesodashop.us.

I know, it had been a long time since I have made a blog post, but this had a couple of big announcements, so hopefully that makes up for my disappearance. I do hope to continue to actually post more on this blog. I don't know how often or what type of updates will be posted, but we'll see. I've been itching to post again, but without any content, it hasn't been that easy. Anyway, I bid you ado until my next post.

That attitude that many libertarians take is frustrating. Why does a candidate have to share one's exact views to be considered electable? It is illogical and childish. I think the problem is that libertarians hold their views in such high regard that they refuse to accept any other form of libertarianism to be valid. I don't think I have to explain why such a thought is so stupid. People are always going to differ in opinions, and no two people share the exact same set of principles and philosophies. We have the ability to be our own individuals, and libertarians just seem to be so full and sure of themselves that the idea of electing someone who disagrees with them is blasphemy.

I never try to believe I'm going to agree with everything about a politician's take on issues. I know that I don't fully agree with the Libertarian Party's platform. I am pro-life, and I proudly stand against the majority of libertarians on this issue. If I were to run for an office, my stance on that issue would be a major turn-off, and it would cost me many votes. Granted, abortion is a larger of an issue to disagree on, but I feel that my pro-life stance doesn't make me any less of a libertarian than the next guy who is pro-choice. I believe in the core belief that the government should be limited to just protecting the people, especially their individual liberties. That's what makes me a libertarian. Most libertarians don't seem to think of it like that.

I don't support the idea of giving up your beliefs, so you can fit in with a candidate's platform. I think selling your beliefs like that makes you a dirty whore. You should never have to give up your values in order to vote for a candidate. You should always be looking for the candidate that fits with you. If they don't fit, then move on. However, just because they don't fit perfectly doesn't mean that you're selling your beliefs. If the issues that candidates disagree with you on are trivial, then I don't see why they should be tossed aside. Again, everybody is different. Every libertarian has beliefs that disagree with another's. If the issues that you disagree with are severe, then it's time to move on, but only then. Tangible issues should not be the deciding factors on who you vote for.

I think the point of libertarians caring too much about themselves is shown by Russ Verney's reaction to Ron Paul's endorsing Chuck Baldwin. When Dave Weigel from Reason Magazine talked to Russ Verney, this is how Mr. Verney responded to the question of "Do you regret skipping Paul’s press conference and holding your own?":

No, it wasn’t a mistake. We stand by our position. This is all about liberty, and liberty-minded voters need to know that concentrating their support in the Libertarian Party.

While Verney makes it clear that he knows the Campaign for Liberty and everything is centered around regaining our lost liberties, he seems adamant about making that come about through the Libertarian Party. It just furthers my assertion that they are trying to turn the LP into the nation's third major party rather than bringing about liberty and the freedom to choose. This "me me me" attitude defeats any progress being made for the libertarian agenda.

All of this fighting between libertarians and third parties is just pushing me over the edge. I really wish I wasn't a libertarian. Now, I love the ideology. I am glad that I support individual liberty at all cost. I just hate having to deal with all of the drama and narcissism that libertarianism has with it. If libertarians could work together towards common, core goals like Ron Paul is attempting, there is no doubt that big waves would be created in the elections. Instead, we fight amongst ourselves, and we get nowhere because of it. Until that stops, I'm convinced we'll just be considered insane and ignored.

It's just sad that when we need the unity, libertarians are so caught up in themselves that they condemn serious, sincere candidates because they're not perfectly aligned. Libertarians are living in just as much of a fantasy world as the other two major party voters are.

Currently, I find myself in a situation where I have to exercise restraint in my desires. I have found myself liking a friend mine. Out of respect for my friend and her relationship, I can't allow myself to progress any farther than friendship until the relationship is on hold or ended. It is not the most ideal situation for me, and knowing that she isn't the happiest in the relationship does not make it any easier, but I do take solace in knowing that I am being respectful, and that it is appreciated. Of course, this is the situation that has driven me to write this entry.

I find that the most important element of a relationship, be it sexual or platonic is the respect that the two parties share for each other. Without this respect, there is no sense of duty or loyalty to one another, and without any moral duty towards someone, you're more likely willing to take advantage of this person. Put on a universal scale, and society cannot function because we are then put into a situation, much like Hobbes' state of nature. We need relationships to help progress as individuals and a society as a whole. While I am not fond of people, I choose to be respectful towards people for this reason.

While close friendships, in general, need vast amounts of respect to work, sexual relationships require a lot more. If you cannot even show enough respect towards a mate as you do a friend, then the relationship is doomed to fail. It may not fail in terms of longevity, but it will fail to keep both parties happy, especially the party whose being disrespected. I think this is the key principle behind my philosophy of respecting others' relationships. If I cannot respect a potential mate as a friend, then I don't feel that I could respect her in my relationship, as I would not have any concept of respect in a relationship.

I find that if a potential mate allows you disrespect their current relationship, then that only shows that they don't have respect for that relationship, and that could very well be the case for your relationship should it progress to that. If both parties are not willing to respect each other, then the relationship is not worth it. It would only be a relationship of lust, and happiness cannot come from that.

In all, respect is the catalyst for social and individual progression and successful, loving relationships (both platonic and sexual). Not only does showing respect help but to command respect being given back to you, it can also help to judge how others are willing to respect you. If someone is willing to reciprocate the respect that you give to them, then you know it is someone you can trust to be loyal and vice versa.

The Thursday before last, I was approved for my apartment, and I signed the lease on it last Monday. Over the course of last week, I had the WONDERFUL opportunity of moving everything into my apartment from home plus new things that were essential to have for my new apartment. It wasn't fun, but it had to be done, and I'm glad that it's over with.

Last Tuesday was the first night that I got to spend in my apartment. We didn't move my bed into my apartment on Monday due to inclement weather, so we had to wait until Tuesday. I had cable installed last Wednesday, so I have TV and the Internet at my disposal. For Tuesday night, I was able to steal some wireless connection (albeit low connectivity) to hold me over.

I love my apartment, and if I don't actually think about the fact that I've moved out, it doesn't feel too weird. I have adapted pretty well to my new apartment, and I can only see things continuing to go the way that they should. I'm sure I'll encounter some problems, but until then, I'll enjoy the problem-free experience.

There's not much else to say but that. I figured that I would give a finalized update on my situation. That's it for now until I can think of a few more rants to post.

Like I said before, I have a couple projects that I need to get done, anyway. I want to redesign my portfolio, so it looks a little better. It looks great now, in my opinion. I guess it's just not what I'm wanting for my portfolio right now. Who knows what I'll come up with. Of course, whatever I come up with better match or surpass this current design. The other project that I have to work on is a nice little design for the Signing Friends of Jackson, a gathering of local deaf people that my mom helps organize. They want something that would provide basic information regarding dates and updates. They want it to look good, too, so they've come to me for that help. I'm happy to oblige, and now I need to put together a design. We'll see what I can come up with, shall we?

I know what you are thinking. Here is just another angry rant towards women by an irrational guy who can only think with his genitals instead of the brain that they were meant to think with. It's a funny generalization that is, and I would had hope by now that my readers (if I have any) would know not to think of me as any stereotypical norm that they would try to fit me in. It just doesn't work, and now this rambling has detracted from my intended topic. Rest assured that this isn't a baseless attempt to berate women.

Simply put, women never know what they want. Ever. Their emotions are too scattered to even attempt to be stern on an issue. This, of course, is a great argument against a female president, but that's another rant for another day (ie. it is a rant I should right about, but I will pass up on account of being lazy). They constantly change what they want based on what all of their girlfriends and society tells them. They're way too fickle for their own good, and it is us guys that are the ones who end up suffering because of this negative trait that nearly every one of them share.

This is clearly evident when it comes to them finding a spouse for themselves. They have this picture perfect idea of their relationships, wedding, and marriage that is supposed to bring them joy. Regardless of the fact that their ideas are complete fantasies, none of that will bring them true happiness. However, because of this nonsensical mindset that women have, it is the guys that have to endure the backlash of not being Prince Charming. Sure, they know that their ideas probably won't happy, and they will even settle for someone less than Mr. Perfect, but they will not let their dreams die right there. Oh no, they will try to shape and mold you into what they think they want. Of course, this backfires and only pisses them off when they realize that changing a person is futile. Again, who gets the backlash of this unpleasant quality in women? You guessed it, us men.

Not only this, but women will also want one thing and then let themselves be swayed over to something else in the mere blink of an eye. Regardless of who or what this affects, their emotions are what comes first no matter how sudden and irrational those emotions may be. While us men share a similar quality, we do not let this define ourselves. Most of these sudden changes in emotion are temporary and generally physical/sexual. While this trait in men can be dangerous in keeping a monogamous relationship, we are far less likely to be swoon by someone or something else.

I could go on, but I figure I can always expand this another day. I just felt like this was a nice topic to discuss with the events that prevented itself last night. Anyway, I'm out.

For whatever reasoning I was using, I thought that I had to bode to the requirements of the program each year. Instead, I figured out that I only needed to follow the guidelines that were set when I enrolled into the college. This made things a little more achievable for me. Instead of needing 6 more required classes, I ended up just needing 2, along with elective credits to achieve the 60 minimum credits to get my degree. Needless to say, I was overjoyed with this revelation. For someone who thinks highly of his intelligence, I sure did drop the ball on this, but I did catch the mistake before the semester started, so no harm done.

The two required classes for my degree includes one particular subject that I absolutely love, but I loathe when it is a course that I'm taking. Of course, this class is English writing. As you can see, I enjoy babbling on about things that don't matter to anybody but myself, but when it comes to having to write for a class, I yet again drop the ball. I know, it doesn't make much sense, but that's just the irony of my persona. The other required class is a "Health & Fitness" class. I decided to take a "Stress Management" class. I hear that you just basically practice breathing exercises. I am not entirely sure why this would be required for a degree, but I'm glad to get to take such an easy class for required credits.

The rest of my schedule is made up of two classes that I have an interest in taking. Well, the one is a semi-interest that I was going to take before I realized I didn't need that for a required credit, but I decided to keep the class this semester, so I could just have less of a load to deal with over the summer. The first class is Conceptual Physics. From what I hear about this class, it has little to no mathematics, and just discusses ideas and, well, concepts of physics. My friend says that his Intro to Physics class was too easy for him, so I can't imagine what kind of cake walk Conceptual Physics will be for me. I'm looking forward to this class. The other elective that I decided to keep was Ethics. I've been wanting to take a Psychology class, and I really just wanted to take Logic, but Logic isn't on a Monday/Wednesday schedule for this semester, and I didn't want to take a class on Tuesday/Thursday, so I just stuck with Ethics. I feel that this class will be an interesting one for me, anyway. It'll be interesting to see how the class likes my libertarian views on ethics. It should be fun!

Being able to get my credits for my degree finished before the Fall gives me the option of getting my degree and then going to ASU in the Fall. However, I'm not so sure this is what I'm going to do, anymore. With the recent moving of my friends into the Armory Artswalk in town, it has given me the ability to see the apartments, and my mom got to see them, as well. This led to my mom talking to me about moving into them. She did make an excellent point about getting great prices for brand new, subsidized apartments with nice layouts. It'd almost be too good to be true, and I'm hoping that's not the case. It'll take me a couple months before I could find out if I've been accepted or not, but that would allow me to further my decision making on whether or not I want to move into the Artswalk or continue my pursuit of Arizona State. Right now, I'm leaning towards the Artswalk because I wouldn't have to leave my family, and it'd be a cheaper endeavor than having to pursue my education in Arizona, and I would have a place to sell my web design. However, the job opportunities (and weather) in Arizona are much more appealing than what's here for me in Michigan. Unfortunately, this isn't a decision that I can just make on a whim. Growing up isn't exactly as fun as you once thought it would be as a child. Anybody want to make the decision for me that won't come back to bite me in the ass? Yeah, I didn't think so.

On another note, Christmas was pretty nice. I didn't get a whole lot, but that's not anything important. I'm just glad that my parents enjoy the gifts my brother and I gave them. New Years Eve was a little boring, but I did get to hang out with some friends and drink a little. New Years Day was probably the best day in the past week. I mean, with that stunning upset over Florida, Michigan has actually shown that they're not completely worthless. I'm glad that they let Carr go out a winner, and now I'm excited to see what happens in the Fall, since Michigan showed that they're effective with a spread offense.

Not much else to say, so I guess I'll leave it at that. You've (if anybody but myself reads my blog) had to read enough, so I won't torture you any more.