Project

I've wasted a lot of useful time over the past year and a half. I procrastinate every chance I get, I skip class every chance I get, and I spend the extra time either playing video games or watching crappy TV shows. But most of my spare time is spent surfing the information superhighway (bet you never thought you'd hear that phrase ever again). And most of my time spent surfing the information superhighway is on a Weezer fansite message board.

I'd say it's a negative affliction, my addiction with this board, because it is. I spend far too much time on this board. However, it does serve its positive purposes. It fills many needs, whether it be supplying me with new music through the FTP, keeping me up to speed with big news stories as well as the funny "believe it or not" stories, and finally it gives me people to sort of hang out with when I don't have anyone else around. To use a Weezer song as a comparison, the board is my "garage," where I feel safe. Hey, give me a break; I don't have a roommate and I'm a huge geek. Plus, I like to multi-task, so I can watch TV, listen to music, or play the guitar while I post on the message board AND talk to my real life friends on AIM or feed my Facebook addiction.

It's safe to say that while there are negative side effects to this message board addiction, I'm definitely getting a lot out of it, even the intellectual stimulation of arguing whether OK Computer is a better album than Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (it isn't, by the way). But the one positive side effect I want to mention is the personal relationships developed on the board. It's hard to explain to someone who's not familiar with message boards that you have friends all across the country (and the world, for that matter), but I kinda do. And they're not 45-year-old men looking to cop a feel (well some are, but they're fairly easily identifiable). Most of them are fellow [ex-(?)]Weezer fans like me. Some of them are ridiculously cute girls. Some are dorky guys like me. Basically it's a nerd's wet dream, which pretty much explains perfectly why I'm there.

The most recent personal development I've gained from the message board is with a friend of mine, Keith. He's from Atlanta and is a Braves fan. He knows a shitload about music, both classical and pop. When I talk to a normal person about music, I'm 99.9% sure that I know more about music than them. But I'm 99.9% sure that Keith knows more about music that I do.

Anyway, the other day, Keith pitched the idea of starting up a music review site. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. I guess I was never really committed enough to the idea of writing solely about music, which must be why I was so goddamned lazy with the music reviews in this here blog. But in this case, it's like when I go (or don't go) to the gym: when I have someone to go with, it makes it so much easier to go. When I have a commitment to another person as well as myself, I'm a lot more likely to go through with it. That's the benefit of having Keith with me on this. I know he'll be dedicated to it, so I'm more likely to put my best effort forward.

Why am I doing this? For starters, all I've wanted to do for the past four years is write about music for a living. This could be my start. It would also be a nice feather in my cap to go along with my work with the Daily Collegian and Phroth. Basically, this summer I'll have to maintain a balance among my part-time job, full-time classes, and writing for the Collegian as well as our new site (which, by the way, will be called Stems and Staves). And you know what? I'm up for it. Needless to say, I've got some wasted time to make up for.