Radiohead at the Grammys

Last night Radiohead won Best Alternative Music Album at the Grammys. I think this public honor is the result of them giving away In Rainbows for "whatever price you want to pay" in the fall of 2007. It brought the album immediate publicity -- introducing them to a whole new generation and reintroducing them to the previous generation. If they had released the album the usual way, it would have only been noticed by the loyal, longterm Radiohead fans. Nobody else would have cared. Last night proved the effectiveness of Radiohead's marketing experiment (although I read they were really aiming at avoiding their album being released as a bootleg before its official release). Who knows what the future holds for Radiohead, their new fans, and for the music industry in general?

Checkin' In

I haven't written anything on this blog for several months now, so I thought I'd write something. Hmmm.. nothing much has changed. See you later!

Cover Letter

Below is a cover letter I used the other day in applying for a job at an ad agency in Chicago. Some of the words they used in describing the ideal candidate were: "curious," "storyteller," "eclectic user of information," "courageous," and "positive." So, I thought I'd show them rather than tell them my qualifications. Upon reflection, I realized that the idea for this letter likely came as a result of having read Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles earlier this summer. We'll see if I get contacted for an interview...

August 29, 2008

Saatchi & Saatchi X:

Greetings people of Chicago on the planet Earth. My real name is Lothan and I am from the orbiting body known to you as Pluto. I have been sent by my people to Earth to secure necessary resources that will save them from impending doom.

Located at a great distance from the central star of our solar system (the Sun), we receive a limited amount of solar radiation, which is necessary to maintain life. While we have developed the technology to utilize the solar radiation we do receive to create an advanced civilization, we are under attack from our competing race that resides on Charon, the moon that orbits our lovely planet. They have destroyed our solar processing plants and have taken control of our government. I have been sent secretly in a rocket ship away from Pluto to seek help from our brothers on the planet Earth.

Being trained in the academies of my people, I will serve as a tremendous asset to your agency, as I have extensive experience at the Great Agora (market), perceived by your people as Planet X, but which is the great trading center of this region of our galaxy (the Milky Way). Account Planning is one of the many skills my people possess and, with my advanced knowledge, I will help your clients strategically enter this lucrative trading network, which will bring great prosperity to your planet in these economically troubled times.

In return for my services, the salary that I receive will be used to assemble solar capsules, which I will send home to my people in order to sustain life. In time, they will organize themselves into a powerful rebellion and once again resume control of our lovely planet and rebuild our civilization.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to speaking with a representative from the glorious Saatchi & Saatchi X advertising agency soon.

With great respect for your noble race,
Lothan
www.flabdad.com

Reconnecting With An Old Friend

Today I ran into an old friend of mine from 20 years ago! David Hart and I knew each other in West Lafayette, Indiana where we went to the same Church and also went to Kindergarten together. My one relatively vivid memory is watercoloring at his kitchen table one afternoon -- I probably remember that because I thought it was so cool that he had paints at his house and I really liked to paint.

So, how did we run into each other after all these years? His dad, Dr. Craig Hart, spoke at today's BYU Devotional, so I thought I'd go say hi. I was surprised when Sis. Hart, recognizing the family resemblance, guessed my last name.

The Saints of San Antonio

For the past year or so I've been working on a video project about the history of the LDS Church in San Antonio, Texas. This year (2008) is the 50th anniversary of the formation of the San Antonio Texas Stake (which is similar to a diocese), so, in addition to video-taping their celebratory fireside, I interviewed (with the help and support of some friends of mine) several pioneers of the LDS Church in Central and South Texas. Footage from all of this is now available on a website my cousin helped me make:

http://www.saintsofsanantonio.com

The Smoking Dumpster

What better way to celebrate Pioneer Day than by starting a fire in a dumpster? Apparently, somebody thought that because that's what happened at my apartment complex. To see what happened, check out the following slide show:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2197854&l=de8b1&id=17823452