believe. I also can't deny that my hard outer shell hides a soft, chewy nougat center (reserved for a select few, of course). Otherwise, I like to think that my greatest personal qualities are my sense of humor (often satirical, sometimes cynical), my integrity, and my acceptance of diverse beliefs, cultures, lifestyles, experiences, etc. (I am a Northern Cali naitive, after all).
My interests and hobbies include: music, live music, recorded music, the music business, DJing (sensing a music-based pattern?); promoting my business interests in all areas; enjoying life in the Bay Area; self improvement, self reliance, self actualization (see my inaugural MySpace blog entry); book & thrift store browsing; haunting the stacks and aisles at Amoeba Records, Streetlight, and Rasputin's (yes, it qualifies as its own hobby); team sports of all kinds (for both watching and playing); the SF 49ers (did I stutter...?); nearly everything old school; panoramic vistas; pop culture; artistic expression of every kind; fine dining, fine living (wherever and whenever possible); building the perfect margarita; the (moderate) pursuit of hedonism in all its forms.
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First and foremost, I'm interested in meeting people who are genuine. Those who are about something other than simply appearances, who are unafraid to take chances and work hard to achieve their goals. Individualists who aren't afraid to wonder and dream. Otherwise, real people with real opinions about real topics are the type I enjoy meeting. In other words, anyone with something interesting or intelligent to say for themselves, who isn't empty-headed, fake or a wannabe, is fair game.
I also enjoy interacting with successful people on all levels, especially the kind who've made their own luck and their own fortunes in life. I resonate particularly with just about anyone who successfully runs their own business (especially in the entertainment and media fields). Only those who have truly "walked the walk" can say exactly how hard it is to really make it happen (as opposed to merely talking a good game). Much respect to anyone who has chased the dream and achieved success. These are the people who know what it takes to build a solid reputation and maintain their ethical perspective, while still earning a good living -- and without ever compromising the sense of stubborn individuality and independence that drove them to take the leap in the first place. Here's to the true entrepreneur . :  Someone who works 16 hours a day for himself to avoid working 8 hours a day for someone else .
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Thought of the Moment:
" I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me . . . "
- Eddie Vedder
/p)Hmm... You know, a lot a people talk about being into "all kinds of music", but only a few of us can claim true "aficionado" status. How can you tell the difference? Easy: Aficionados are the ones who spend WAY too much time and money in dingy, dusty record stores -- not to mention at sweaty clubs and bars, overcrowded arenas, oily Industry events, etc. I'm not kidding when I say that it would literally take a U-Haul to cart away all my accumulated CDs, cassettes & vinyl records --and I've forgotten more concerts than most people have been to.   All I can say is this: if you're into music the same way I am, you know where I'm coming from (to everyone else, it probably seems a bit...eccentric).
One thing's for sure though, a complete list of my "favorite" music could fill up TEN MySpace profiles. From thrash metal to acoustic ballads, classic rock to neo-soul, jazz fusion to Delta blues, hyphy to regaeton, ambient house to drum & bass -- my tastes span just about every genre under the sun. I'm into anything with a strong beat, and plenty of stuff without one. I enjoy thoughtful lyrics, as well as pure rhythm and emotion. 50's Standards, 60's psychadelica, 70's Funk, 80's New Wave, 90's Grunge -- It's ALL good. I'm a true old fool from the old school, but I also enjoy being exposed to new and different music of all kinds (which happens fairly reqularly, given my choice of profession...).
New music I'm into at the moment:
Paolo Nutini, Mickey Avalon, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, The Editors, Cold War Kids, Finger Eleven, The Bravery, Plain White T's, KT Tunstall, Muse, new White Stripes, new Jamie Cullum, new Incubus, new Nine Inch Nails, new Eddie Vedder, the latest Queens of the Stone Age, various others....
Old stuff I'm listening to right now:
Wilson Pickett, Chic Corea, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Prince (tell me, who doesn't like Prince?), Tom Petty, Cheap Trick, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen (the Diamond Dave years, of course), The B52s, The Violent Femmes, Depeche Mode, The Smithereens, The Police!!, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Stone Temple Pilots, etc, etc.
I appreciate movies on many different levels: cinematography, plot, pacing, dialog, music, special effects and, of course, sheer power acting. I especially enjoy old movies 'cause watching them is like also getting a pop culture history lesson for free! (what can I say, I am into pop culture...). Like everyone, I have certain actors and actresses whose work I enjoy (De Niro, Robert Duvall, Christopher Walken, Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, Hilary Swank, Vince Vaughn, Ed Norton, etc.). As far as genres go, my tastes range from noir classics like Casablanca and On the Waterfront", to post-modern gems like the Godfather (natch!) and the Shining, to Fight Club and The Usual Suspects, all the way up to current "big budget" offerings like American Gangster and Bee Movie (and everything in between).
However, I’m most partial to just about any halfway decent comedy that can make me laugh out loud. I’m talking anything from black & white classics like Some Like it Hot, to early Woody Allen and Mel Brooks, to Caddyshack, all the way up through Bad Santa, Old School, 40-Year Old Virgin,, Wedding Crashers and Superbad. Who doesn’t love to laugh? Laughter has proven health benefits!
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Nothing I'm watching with much regularity right now, although I try to catch the following shows whenever possible: The Sopranos (R.I.P.), Entourage, The Shield, Rescue Me, VH1's "Celebreality" line-up and I Love the 70's/80's/90's etc., Mad Money with Jim Cramer, Meet the Press, ESPN's Sportscenter, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Family Guy, Futurama, Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim", random classic (and not so classic) movies broadcast at weird times of the day or night...
The Hit Men (a very compelling "real life" biography of the music industry), Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise & Fall of Death Row Records, The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Not On My Watch: Hollywood vs. the Future, Gerard Jones' Men of Tomorrow, Bill Graham Presents: My Life Inside and Outside Rock and Roll, 100 Bullets (technically a series of graphic novels, but still a kick-ass read), All You Need To Know About The Music Business (still THE best music industry primer out there, bar none).
Harry S. Truman, Warren Buffet, Russell Simmons, David Geffen, Ahmet Ertegun, Bill Graham, Donald Passman, Steve Jobs, O'Shea Jackson, Joe Montana, all the great entrepreneurs, innovators and visionaries who have succeeded in building everything from nothing, and without conceding their vision or thier personal ethics (read my Blog entitled "Heroes" for more on these individuals and what they each specifically mean to me).