January 1, 2004

Happy New Year! I had a great holiday. Hope you guys did as well. I'm looking forward to the New Year. I'm really excited about my records and films.

Happy Birthday to my Dad. I spoke to him this morning. They are having a family gathering later this evening for his birthday. He said he wishes I was there (aww me too, that way I could spend time with him and pick on my little sister). 

My little godbrother is spending the rest of the week here. He and I and my mom went out to dinner last night for New Years. We had a great time. First I took him to the electronics store to buy an apparatus for his video game system that he wanted, which allows him to play video games on TV with people from other countries via the internet. We gave him a gift card for Christmas to avoid getting him something that someone else may have bought, because he gave everyone the same list. 

When we were leaving the electronics store, he made me laugh. He saw a car in the parking lot with Sprewell Rims on it and said "I wanna spin them." I didn't know people did that. 

For most of the evening he kept asking people "Do you know the score to the Oregon game?" He asked so many people that I finally told him, "Why don't you use your cell phone to check it?" Yes, then the light bulb went on and he checked it online to his amazement (yes, I actually am smart and quite resourceful). My mom, being the non-technology person she is was just as stunned - she looked at the scores on his cell phone like she was seeing a television for the first time. Speaking of that, one of my relatives got her a DVD player for Christmas that she wants me to connect to her TV in her room. Ok, she still doesn't know how to use the VCR...

When he logged on via his cell phone and found out Oregon lost by one, me being the sweet person I am laughed cause he'd been wondering for a few hours since we left the house and had to stop watching the game. He jokingly said "You think you're funny don't you" (people keep telling me that... hmm). I had no clue they lost, but he's convinced I did and that's why I told him to check the score on his phone. That's rough losing by one point, though. 

Also, I can't wait until his mom gets the bill for those ringtones he kept downloading. He kept telling me, listen to this one, do you like it? I thought he was just previewing them...turns out he was downloading them...oops! 

After dinner we went home to watch the ball drop on television. Then I spent the better part of an hour trying to help him set up the video game system with the network adapter he'd bought - complete with conference calls to his friend in Palm Beach who bought the same system (yea, setting it up is that complicated). I mean, you could do your taxes quicker than set up that system.

He used my internet account, though I offered to give him a screen name off my account. Do you know what the little brat said "No, I'll use your info, I want to feel like I'm old." He says stuff like that deliberately to annoy me, hence the smirk on his face when he says it followed by laughter (If I were you I really wouldn't annoy me right now considering I'm going to the supermarket and can make sure I don't get all your favorite stuff...just feed him broccoli for the rest of the week). 

January 9, 2004

Hey guys, right now I'm mixing one of the last tracks on the album, track 19. I've been doing a lot of paperwork this week. I've written several new songs as well. 

Song Of The Week

"Be Love" by Plus One from their album Exodus. This is one of my favorite songs right now. To visit their web site please click here.

I read that British singer Daniel Bedingfield was in a serious car crash in his native New Zealand. I want to wish him a speedy recovery. However, typical producer, from his hospital bed, did he ask for some of his favorite things to be sent from England? No. With his family gathered around him, taking care of him, asking him what he needs it was, "Tell the record company to send recording equipment!" You have to admire his work ethic. Leave it to a Brit to try to write a song in traction. Ok, I'm kidding - you know, the British half of my family would kick my butt for that joke. Seriously, get well soon and I pray you'll have a speedy recovery.

January 10, 2004

It's 8:40 PM. I'm here mixing, making beats and writing as well. It's been a very busy week, but thanks to God, a very good one. I've been so busy that I haven't even been able to watch entire DVDs. I watch half one day then watch the rest of it the next day. That is a little too busy, but I have a lot of work to do.

Thanks for all your kind emails, messages and questions for the site. I really appreciate them. The site's been doing really well, especially the music, photo, diary and sound off pages. The internet is amazing. The site consistently gets a lot of hits and link referrals from many countries. The site stats displays that info. 

I hope things are going well for you guys, if not, don't be discouraged. Faith and diligence pay off. God bless you.

January 17, 2004

Good morning. It's 3:06 AM. I've just finished working for the day. And I thought last week was busy...I had all these appointments and things to complete this week. 

On Wednesday I woke up after 12AM and started working. I was so tired when I got home from an appointment and other stops that were business related that I went to bed sometime around 7PM. I haven't been cooking much cause I've been so busy. My mom brought me a pita for dinner on one day and rice rolls on another. 

I recorded a song on Saturday a few hours after I posted on here last, which is the first single from a soundtrack to one of my films. I did more work on that song on Monday, did a lot of paperwork, made business calls and worked on the promo tour. I also did a bit more work on the new web site to add a few things.

I'm still mixing track 19 on the album, as it is the longest of all the tracks. I didn't work on it yesterday or the day before, though, because I was really busy. I did a bit more recording for it last night. It won't take much for me to finish mixing, I'm just trying to distribute my workload evenly so everything gets done. 

My aunt is here visiting from England. She's been enjoying the weather, as it's four below zero in England now. 

Song Of The Week

"Show Me Your Glory" by Third Day from their album "Offerings II: All I Have to Give." I really like this song. To visit their web site please click here 

January 22, 2004

Hi, It's 11:37 PM. My mom and I had a great time going out with my aunt. We mostly went shopping then out to dinner. I wish we got to see her more often (my mom doesn't like flying). It was wonderful spending time with her. She's one of the most genteel people I know. 

My aunt brought loads of great recent pictures. Everyone looks wonderful. My little second cousins are growing so nicely and are quite smart. Well, they'd have to be, as both their parents are doctors. Their grandmother spoils them and they adore her. She's a great mom and grandmom. She plays with her grandkids and takes them to the park. She even has a set of toys for them at her house. She knows all the latest toys as well. When we were looking for toys for them at the store a couple days ago, she knew all the latest stuff. She's good with kids, though. She was a teacher for years in the English school system. She was head of the math and science department at her school. She's retired now.

My other cousin got married recently and the wedding pics are beautiful. I'm so glad they got married. He and his wife make a lovely couple. She is very pretty. Good looks run in her family, you should see her brother (I've nicknamed him Brad Pitt Jr).  

On Monday night I had a recording session that went very well. Tuesday I worked on mixing the album and did some remixes until about 5 AM, then I woke up at about 11:30 AM. 

On Wednesday, didn't really do much work, spent the day with my mom, my aunt and our friend. Went to Palm Beach to visit a relative and friends. Drove through Wellington and Boca on the way back, our usual route, which is always nice. Boca has to be the cleanest city in Florida. I mean you could eat off the sidewalk (though I wouldn't recommend it). Got some great DVDs on the way back. I just finished watching most of the 9 DVDs I bought at Christmas, with the exception of two - one I'd seen already, but bought anyway and the other is a Christmas film that I really don't feel like watching in January.       

Albums Of The Week

Smokey Robinson's "Food For The Spirit." To visit his web site please click here

John Reuben's "Professional Rapper." To visit his web site please click here  

January 28, 2004

Hi guys, how are you doing today. Right now I'm working on remixes and mixing as well. Monday I recorded a song and finished up recording another one I started recording prior to that.  

I miss my aunt, so does my mom. She's on vacation in Jamaica now and is scheduled to head back to England in a week. 

I spoke to another one of my aunts yesterday, Lorna, and she's doing well. She's going to visit soon. She's an award winning author who has written 9 books -cough- available in book stores and online at Amazon.com (she paid me to write that - I'm just kidding). 

I told her that I was just reading one of her book reviews online the day before. She humorously asked, it was a good one wasn't it? I laughed and said yea, they even called you one of the best poets in the Caribbean and I think so as well. She laughed and said nepotism has its perks. I wasn't just saying that though -cough- daddy paid me to (I'm kidding). Another one of my aunts that visited a few months ago, who is her sister is a writer as well (pantomimes, plays and a radio show) and they are both very gifted writers. 

She called my dad this morning cause she's on vacation from Michigan, where she lives and teaches at a university, to ask him to play tennis with her husband (Daddy, I hope you kicked his butt on the court. Yes, he's family now, but you better had won! - kidding). Yes, we're a very loving, uncompetitive family. My aunt recently got married to a very nice gentleman. Welcome to the family. 

Song Of The Week

A very nice song by Audio Adrenaline titled "Leaving Ninety-nine" from their album "Worldwide." To visit their web site, please click here. 

January 29, 2004

I'm having a good day. Last night I worked on mixing my album and making beats for other songs. Right now I'm working on one of my films.  

I wrote an article on the sound off page, to read it please click here