Who's still reading my blog?

It just dawned on me that my blog is over 4 years old. That's a long time. It's captured many of my ponderings, and as I look back on it I think it captures many of the ways I've grown in the last 4 years. I've been pondering the idea of breathing some life into my blog once again, but there wouldn't be any point if no one reads it.

So, is there anyone out there who still reads my blog? Or, has it come time for my blog to be no more?

Cajz - the one to carry you

That's right, I've just finished the final mastering of this much-

anticipated and long-overdue album I recorded several summers ago

on a crusty machine with a microphone held together by 

shrink-wrap... =)  But, this album sounds pretty alright IMHO - and

exceptionally good considering the equipment.  



Cajz - short for casual - has a laid back cafe-type background 

style with hints of jazz, latin, and flamenco guitar.  For some really

out-of-date info about Cajz, visit a very out of date site kindly 

hosted by my overseas friend Aaron here.  It's the first album I 

have recorded, mixed, mastered, etc etc so of course there's room

for improvement and my upcoming ones will be much better - but

nevertheless, it's a rare classic... the beginning.  



We need about $2000 to make a run of 500 to give to friends, 

family, and to hopefully sell a few to people who we can 

persuade =)  This is a fair bit of cash, so unless people buy

them we can't make them.  We could just release the album via

the net - but most people like the bells and whistles of having the

case.   So, we though we could sell some to recoup the cost and 

perhaps make the album less of a financial failure.  I think we'd 

sell these to the general public who can afford at $20 each and

to friends who also can afford at $15.  The price will not be below

$15 for anyone so don't get ideas - here's why...



IF we can sell them ALL, we'll probably have optimistic maximum

sales of about $7000.  Subtract manufacturing costs of $2000 and

divide by the 3 of us in the band and you wind up with $1666 each.

This hardly makes the 3 months+ work on this album worthwhile.  

If you think $15 is unreasonable then you can go try making your 

own album and see what you'd like to charge for it... 



We hoping to sell a few in church - maybe at $20 minimum 

donation each.  Unfortunately it's not cheap to create music.

Naturally, the proceeds will all go to helping me make more music.  



Speaking of which, this week will see the dawn of a new era... 

Finally, I'm starting on the next album, "read between the lines".

And subsequent albums, "tangent", "something more" and "live

to serve", in no particular order.  In reality I won't get all four

of these recorded and so I'll probably boil the four albums down 

to only three... and of course I will probably run out of time.  

I think I like 'something more' better than 'tangent' anyway.   

"Live to serve" is an album of blatently Christian stuff, while the 

others just have Christian spirit and faith-influenced lyrics.



Don't forget to comment on my last 3 posts... if you'd like. =)

Introduction to the unknown

Greetings.

Hello.

Ki Ora.

or "zdravo" - as you would say in Macedonia. You can learn how to say hello in over 800 languages at http://www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/hello.htm.

This is the beginning. The genesis of what will hopefully prove to be an interesting repository of my verbose yet occasionally concise wonderings. Writing is something to be enjoyed when it is beautiful, as is reading. Sadly, it is common to read in seven sentences what could have been said seven words. Indeed, the eloquence afforded us by the less-known words of the English language seem far more useful than the mindless casual banter of the typical Western commoner. These less-known words are a dying variety, and perhaps their rarity makes them all the more colourful.

Needless to say, this is not the place for belligerant bable, of no relevance to anything significant. Now as for the definition of significant... that is hardly relevant.

The significance of life is far more pertinent. What are we to do with our time, to not look back when we are 50 (failing global nuclear annihilation) and wish we had done something else? Oh course, the only things we do that really matter are for others, not for ourselves, this much is clear. How we influence others outlives us, and in reminiscence become gifts of most precious significance. The striking nature of how we affect others stems from the ultimate meaning of our existence - love. Of course, this is love in its purest and most unadulterated form, in relationships that are deeper than the clothes we wear and the reflections we see in the mirror. I do not speak of the selfish greed, lust or other such things so commonly mistaken.

Where is the point of doing things for ourselves? We gain recognition, we achieve just so that we may feel better about ourselves. In ten years, neither that recognition nor our achievement continues to hold any sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, or even purpose for us. What matters is the lives we touched on the way, the friendships we made. We cannot take our achievements with us, but shadows of those we love live with us forever.

We can forever wonder what our lives might have been, not that it is a healthy habit. Yet, what an incredible thing it is to be told that we have made someone else's life somehow better. How does friendship achieve such a wonder? What is it about friendship that is more precious than countless mansions? Perhaps that is the subject of another post, but whatever it is - let us never take it for granted.