But in the meantime, I can get kind of close.

I’m going on another cruise. I think I take off the 9th of February. I’m going with my recording artist cousin, Bob, and some more family and friends.

If you’ve always wanted to live like a rock star, you should try a cruise. It’s probably not close to the real thing, but it’s good enough that you won’t be able to tell the difference. (Unless you were a rock star in a past life and know the truth.)

I know of one successful business man who says his most profitable months are always the ones following a cruise. I hope that will be the case for me as well.

“Eleveator-Wave-Rumble” by A Stab In The Dark

Update: And this is the sequel…

“Eleveator-Wave-Rumble: Part II” by A Stab In The Dark

“I knew I was a winner. I knew I was destined for great things. People will say that kind of thinking is totally immodest. I agree. Modesty is not a word that applies to me in any way.” ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

I agree with him 100%. It’s not attractive to brag about yourself. And actually, that’s a sign of insecurity. But it is attractive to have confidence in yourself.

I have a lot of confidence in my abilities. Not because I think I’m that special, I just think a lot of things are possible with the right attitude, a good plan and some elbow grease.

Do you have a bad attitude? Do you hold yourself back with negativity? I don’t.

I’d say one of my biggest gifts is ignoring people who say I “can’t do it.” For some reason that’s never been difficult for me. In fact, I don’t even have to try. I barely hear them.

I wonder why more people aren’t that way?

All through school they teach you anything’s possible as long as you “put your mind to it.” Then you get out of school and realize your teachers never believed in that philosophy themselves!

It’s like they were trying to give you false hope of what you have to look forward to… so that maybe you would work hard to graduate and successfully achieve mediocrity.

I didn’t need encouragement in school. I always thought I’d end up doing incredible things. Right now I plan on being a rock star.

It doesn’t bother me that I can barely play guitar, haven’t sang a song in over 10 years, or ever even attempted to write a full song. Those are all obstacles that can be overcome.

I have a plan to achieve my goal. Do you? Why not?

There were two songs I’d been listening to that I felt needed some company: Tyler Fortier’s “Walking Blocks” and the Foo Fighters’ “Miracle.” Those two songs end the iMix and I feel I found a great cast of supporting characters to build up to the finale.

The mood is similar to the vein of the last iMix, “Recovering From A Fall.” So real chill with a splash of hope.

Jimi Hendrix stood out like a sore thumb on paper in the last iMix, but I feel fit right in when listening. This time The Clash is filling that role and doing a spectacular job. Here’s the iMix.

Walking Blocks

1. Ballad of Big Nothing by Elliot Smith
2. We Will Become Silhouettes by The Shins
3. Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John
4. Screaming Infidelities by Dashboard Confessional
5. Wild Night by Van Morrison
6. Such Great Heights by Iron & Wine
7. What Can I Say by Brandi Carlile
8. Be Here Now by Mason Jennings
9. Spanish Bombs by The Clash
10. Miracle by the Foo Fighters
11. Walking Blocks by Tyler Fortier

It grew from one song, “Sit Still” by Brightwood. From there I continued to add songs that fit my mood. During the process I added several songs that I changed my mind about and removed. So unlike the last list that I compiled when I was drunk (and it showed), I put some effort in to this one.

There are some songs that don’t fit the kind of music I generally like. In fact, my roommate told me I ridiculed “The Great Escape” the first time I heard it. I think I gave it a second chance after seeing it in a Ron Paul video.

In any case, here’s the list.

Recovering From A Fall

1. Sit Still by Brightwood
2. Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional
3. The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls
4. Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional (featuring Michael Stipe)
5. You and Me by Lifehouse
6. Only One by Yellow Card
7. Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall
8. All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
9. 1234 by Feist
10. Misery Business by Paramore
11. If She Wants Me by Belle & Sebastian

I wrote a letter on a nothing day.
I asked somebody, “Could you send my letter away?”
“You are too young to put all of your hopes in just one envelope.”

I said goodbye to someone that I love.
It’s not just me, I tell you it’s the both of us.
And it was hard,
Like coming off the pills that you take to stay happy.

Someone above has seen me do alright.
Someone above is looking with a tender eye.
Upon your face, you may think you’re alone but you may think again.

If I could do just one near perfect thing I’d be happy.
They’d write it on my grave, or when they scattered my ashes.
On second thoughts, I’d rather hang around and be there with my best friend,
If she wants me.

And far away somebody read the letter.
He condescends to read the words I wrote about him.
And if he smiles, it’s no more than a genius deserves
For all your curious nerve and your passion.

I’m going deaf, you’re growing melancholy.
Things fall apart, I don’t know why we bother at all.
But life is good and it’s always worth living at least for a while.

If I could do just one near perfect thing I’d be happy.
They’d write it on my grave, or when they scattered my ashes.
On second thoughts, I’d rather hang around and be there with my best friend,
If she wants me.

If you think to yourself, “What should I do now?”
Than take the baton, and girl, you better run with it.
‘Cause there is no point in standing in the past cause it’s over and done with.

I took a book and went into the forest.
I climbed the hill, I wanted to look down on you.
But all I saw was twenty miles of wilderness so I went home.

If I could do just one near perfect thing I’d be happy.
They’d write it on my grave, or when they scattered my ashes.
On second thoughts, I’d rather hang around and be there with my best friend,
If she wants me.

If I could do just one near perfect thing I’d be happy.
They’d write it on my grave, or when they scattered my ashes.
On second thoughts, I’d rather hang around and be there with my best friend,
If she wants me.
If she wants me, yeah.
If she wants me, yeah.
If she wants me, yeah.