July 11, 2020
December 7, 2017
Pipelines. Deadlines.
So where were we?
It's been quite a year. I guess the best way to describe it overall would be... You know what? Never mind. Let's keep this PG. Experience is underrated. Let's just say that.
This blog has been all but forgotten. For the past year or two, I've had a handful of projects, articles and other whatsits sitting here on my computer, gather cyberdust or space-bunnies or something. None of these are finished, but all of them are far along (with the least finished project being that Camp Mix thing that I still won't let go of)... Here, I compose a nice and pointless blog post to fill time and space. Could I be working on any of my other whatsits instead? Why sure, I could be, but that's not how it works, darling.
I have what you might call a mental creative pipeline. I put ideas through one end, out the other end comes a product. That's how it works. Simple, really. Except not. See, I don't know what you imagined when I said "pipeline," but if it was something along the lines of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean Oil Pipeline (ESPOOP for short, which I only point out because POOP), then you're not far off. Good job on the imagination and all that.
ESPOOP is a complex pipeline system that carries crude oil from Russia to China (plus Japan and Korea, I guess). The system spans over 3,000 miles. It's not the longest pipeline in the world, but by golly is it a nightmare. These are two of the most powerful countries in the world (plus Japan and Korea, I guess), but from the moment of its conception, ESPOOP was tangled in embezzlement schemes, fraud, private politics and of course, MURDER. Not to mention the 3,000 miles of pipe. That's a lot of pipe.
What does this have to do with me and Camp Mix? Well, I may have been drifting off-topic. Hmm... My point, basically, is: a pipeline of productivity exists in my head as a long, convoluted, leaky and inefficient delivery system. While the product of such a pipeline is not nearly as valuable as unadulterated petroleum, it definitely takes just as long, if not longer, to be refined into anything that can resemble usefulness. Make sense? No? Well I'm sorry I used up three paragraphs of your time beating around the bush and writing around the fact that my stupid creative pipeline couldn't excrete one solid POOP joke! What a waste!
...perhaps I should have written a rough draft for this post... Wellp, there's no looking back now!
Anyway... We are facing the dawn of a new year, and I don't appear to be any closer to where I was last... Was it November? Of 2015!? Oh dear... Actually, wait a minute, I'm here to prove you all wrong! I am, as a matter of fact, further behind than I was two years ago! Indeed! Why and how, do you ask? It wasn't difficult. I deleted stuff! Such is the way of a writer with no conviction or confidence!
To be completely fair, frank and forthright, I'm relieved. By deleting some of these whatsits, I can start anew... Optimistically, I hope for the momentum I never had before...
But do you know what helps gain some of that momentum? Anti-anxiety medication! I'm kidding. Not really, it does help. But do you know what also helps? Instigating deadlines! Yup yup. I am so NOT kidding. Here goes a list of sorts. Mark your calendars. I'm serious. Do it.
With some ado, I will list my Pipeline Deadline Timeline below. Keep in mind that these might not be the only projects I'll release. There are a few more in the works, but they don't have dates because I'm not completely unreasonable. If I had an editor, I bet she'd tell me to slow down. Suffice to say, after I finish the big one, the Finale, the Camp Mix '15 (three four five years late and thirteen fourteen fifteen years in the making), I will be taking a long break. OR MAYBE NOT.
Eventually - Camp Mix: Remixed and Remastered
TBA 2020 - Camp Mix '15 Official Release
It's been quite a year. I guess the best way to describe it overall would be... You know what? Never mind. Let's keep this PG. Experience is underrated. Let's just say that.
This blog has been all but forgotten. For the past year or two, I've had a handful of projects, articles and other whatsits sitting here on my computer, gather cyberdust or space-bunnies or something. None of these are finished, but all of them are far along (with the least finished project being that Camp Mix thing that I still won't let go of)... Here, I compose a nice and pointless blog post to fill time and space. Could I be working on any of my other whatsits instead? Why sure, I could be, but that's not how it works, darling.
I have what you might call a mental creative pipeline. I put ideas through one end, out the other end comes a product. That's how it works. Simple, really. Except not. See, I don't know what you imagined when I said "pipeline," but if it was something along the lines of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean Oil Pipeline (ESPOOP for short, which I only point out because POOP), then you're not far off. Good job on the imagination and all that.
ESPOOP is a complex pipeline system that carries crude oil from Russia to China (plus Japan and Korea, I guess). The system spans over 3,000 miles. It's not the longest pipeline in the world, but by golly is it a nightmare. These are two of the most powerful countries in the world (plus Japan and Korea, I guess), but from the moment of its conception, ESPOOP was tangled in embezzlement schemes, fraud, private politics and of course, MURDER. Not to mention the 3,000 miles of pipe. That's a lot of pipe.
What does this have to do with me and Camp Mix? Well, I may have been drifting off-topic. Hmm... My point, basically, is: a pipeline of productivity exists in my head as a long, convoluted, leaky and inefficient delivery system. While the product of such a pipeline is not nearly as valuable as unadulterated petroleum, it definitely takes just as long, if not longer, to be refined into anything that can resemble usefulness. Make sense? No? Well I'm sorry I used up three paragraphs of your time beating around the bush and writing around the fact that my stupid creative pipeline couldn't excrete one solid POOP joke! What a waste!
...perhaps I should have written a rough draft for this post... Wellp, there's no looking back now!
Anyway... We are facing the dawn of a new year, and I don't appear to be any closer to where I was last... Was it November? Of 2015!? Oh dear... Actually, wait a minute, I'm here to prove you all wrong! I am, as a matter of fact, further behind than I was two years ago! Indeed! Why and how, do you ask? It wasn't difficult. I deleted stuff! Such is the way of a writer with no conviction or confidence!
To be completely fair, frank and forthright, I'm relieved. By deleting some of these whatsits, I can start anew... Optimistically, I hope for the momentum I never had before...
But do you know what helps gain some of that momentum? Anti-anxiety medication! I'm kidding. Not really, it does help. But do you know what also helps? Instigating deadlines! Yup yup. I am so NOT kidding. Here goes a list of sorts. Mark your calendars. I'm serious. Do it.
With some ado, I will list my Pipeline Deadline Timeline below. Keep in mind that these might not be the only projects I'll release. There are a few more in the works, but they don't have dates because I'm not completely unreasonable. If I had an editor, I bet she'd tell me to slow down. Suffice to say, after I finish the big one, the Finale, the Camp Mix '15 (
**If I miss any of these deadlines, I'm deleting this blog. And all the music on my computer. And I'll never eat chocolate again.**
- Soon - History of Camp Mix - Part II: Tar Balls
- Soonish - History of Camp Mix - Part III: Primetime
- Sometime - History of Camp Mix - Part IV: Robots and Friends
Eventually - Camp Mix: Remixed and Remastered
- This Year, Probs - History of Camp Mix - Part V: Milestones
- Maybe - Fidelity
- Someday - History of Camp Mix - Part VI: Generations
TBA 2020 - Camp Mix '15 Official Release
October 14, 2016
Timing?
For a long time, I've stated that my top three favorite bands are Radiohead, Thrice and Beck.
2016 saw each of these artists release a new album.
This must've been what I was waiting for.
November 8, 2015
History of Camp Mix - Part I: Youth
Pre-2006 (a Brief History of Camp Before Camp Mix)
The idea came in an instant. It was not very original. It was not very surprising nor very exciting. In fact, it was actually very obvious. It was a product seemingly born out of necessity, not out of inspiration or "pure genius." Nonetheless, it was also something seemingly made of greatness, something better than the sum of its parts. It was called Camp Mix. This is the story of its humble beginnings.
Summer. For many in the world, it is the most-loved season of the year. It is an especially big deal to any school-age child with few responsibilities but many friends and siblings. I was most fond of summer because I loved the outdoors. I loved exploring, studying insects and living within my own imagination. If I could help it, I would often spend the entire day - from bed-rise to dinnertime - completely outside.
In 1999, my family traveled to a place called Keller Ferry Campground. I assumed this was going to be like any ordinary family camping trip: unlimited mosquitos, my dad yelling at us for not helping to set up the tent, some s'mores, some miserable rainstorms. Keller turned out to have all of that, sure, but it was also so much more.
I can still remember the first time I saw the campground off in the distance as we drove down steep switchbacks in our rickety old Dodge Caravan. I remember first setting foot on the parched grass, looking out at the lake and up at the cottonwoods that provided partial shade to the entire establishment. It was unbelievably hot (peaking over 100 degrees that year) and almost everything but the lake looked brown and kind of ugly. This type of environment was completely new to me - a new land to explore. This could be fun, I thought, though I was initially unsure why my parents would drive 6 hours to a place that wasn’t particularly pretty.
Less than two minutes after we arrived, I discovered what would truly make this camping trip special: in this ragged, so-called oasis in the middle of an arid wasteland, I would have friends. I spotted Kevin Lee - one of my best friends at the time - and the rest of his family scattered across the campsites. No, it wasn't just a few of his relatives. It wasn't just his parents and sister and brothers that were there. It was his ENTIRE family. Well, at least it was all his family I knew of at the time. But his family was practically my family anyway. In fact, it was only earlier that same year when I found out that the Lees and Taitanos weren't actually our blood relatives.
One of the aspects of Camp that blew my seven-year-old mind was the longevity of the whole thing. This wasn't just a fun weekend getaway - we were there for almost two weeks. This wasn't just a vacation, this was like a summer home! A large portion of my time here was spent simply playing in the sand/dirt and riding Kevin’s bike around the campground. Seven-year-old me found this practically comparable to Disneyland. No, it was better than Disneyland. Here, I had unprecedented independence. I really could spend every waking moment outdoors, and I did. I had the freedom to run around, play pretend games with my friends and play real games with my family. Nothing I did was inherently boring, for there was something in the atmosphere here that ignited my imagination.
It was as if the very air we breathed promoted sheer optimism. Everyone was happy and friendly and relaxed. I had, in my mind, a small idea of what true paradise looked like. Even from that early age, I knew I would fondly remember Keller for the rest of my life...
October 23, 2015
Review Time: Audio Technica QuietPoint In-Ear Headphones
I've long suspected that if I was a man with more means, I'd be somewhat addicted to buying headphones. "There's a pair for every occasion!" The little audiophile inside me is often stymied by a lack of funds, and I usually have to settle for what you might call "ordinary" headphones. I'm not saying that I'm overly upset over this, though. It's actually a very good thing that I don't have the money to blow on multiple pairs of headphones on any whim.
As someone who claims to be an audiophile with a great love for headphones, I can't say I have much real experience. Like I said, I can't afford many of the luxurious high-end Audio-Technicas and Denons and Seinhausers and whatevers. I have, however, tested nearly every pair I've come into contact with, and I like to think I have a pretty good idea how high-quality audio should sound. Even distribution, good mid-ranges and low impedance are all top priorities for my critical ear, and it's surprisingly common to find one or more of these areas lacking among popular models.
Here I am with my first hardware review: the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones (a product name longer than its URL). I bought these prior to my flight to Guam. I was about to spend 13 hours on a plane and my stock Samsung Galaxy earbuds were not going to cut it (even though I'd consider Samsung's earbuds to be better-than-decent for freebies). I wanted in-ear headphones so that I could use them during pretty much any activity. I also wanted something with active noise-cancelling because, you know, planes are actively noisy. They also needed to be comfortable. And of course, they needed to be affordable.
The headphones come bundled with a velvet carrying pouch, an airline headphone adapter and ear-tips of various sizes. In addition to the standard silicone ear-tips, you also get memory foam "Comply" ear-tips. These took a bit of getting used to, but I found them to be slightly better at noise-cancelling and more comfortable over long stretches of time than any of the silicone tip sizes.
Now let's start off with the basics: These headphones are great. In fact, they are simply awesome. Okay, review's over.
But really, as far as sound quality goes, I could hardly be happier with these things. Audio-Technica has always been one of my favorite brands, but they're not immune to questionable design decisions, and in my experience, their budget-level headphones have been far from mind blowing. Since I bought this QuietPoint pair on sale, I wasn't sure where they would fall in terms of quality.
When I truly test a new pair of headphones, I always use high-bitrate music files that I'm intimately familiar with. For this pair, I chose to use what is perhaps my favorite album of all time: In Rainbows (discs 1 & 2) by Radiohead. This album was a doubly good choice because of its wide range of musical tones. While I'm not going to say, "OMG, it was totally like listening to it for the first time," I was definitely more than impressed with these headphones' performance. The humble guitar, hypnotic drums and hauntingly sweet vocals of "Reckoner" were carried beautifully. The echo of "House of Cards" became otherworldly. And don't even get me started on "Down is the New Up". But this is not an album review...
With incredible, gutteral bass tones, crisp treble and most importantly, a clear, unmuddled mid-range, I could hardly believe I was using in-ear headphones. In fact, I would easily say the audio quality is on par with your typical $300-400 over-the-ear studio headphones. And I could not stress this enough: that is amazing. What helps these earbuds achieve this level of fidelity is an in-line amp powered by a single AAA battery. With the amp turned off, the earbuds work perfectly fine, and still outperform my Galaxy earbuds (albeit at a slightly lower volume). But of course, if you want to get the most out of these headphones, including the active noise-cancelling feature, you need to turn on the amp.
The noise-cancelling feature on this device might be its biggest selling point. The product description claims that it eliminates background noise by 90%, and while I find that claim to be dubious, I can say that it really does work. I'd say the active noise-cancelling here does more with enhancing the audible range in spite of background noise than actually eliminating background noise. I've yet to find a pair of headphones that compare to Bose's QuietComfort brand in terms of true noise-cancelling, but these ones still perform admirably -- especially when you consider the price difference.
To get a real feel for the noise-cancelling, I tested these while I mowed the lawn. At first, I was disappointed that I could still hear the lawn mower. I guess I was expecting some sort of magical noise-shield to activate. When I actually started listening to the music playing, I quickly put away my unrealistic expectations and enjoyed the experience.
See, with ordinary earbud headphones, I usually had to crank up the volume to nearly the maximum while I mowed the lawn. Even then, some tones were still drowned out by the noise of the gas-powered engine three feet in front of me. Even worse, I knew I was doing damage to my ears. So then, imagine my delight when I found I could clearly listen to my music and make out nearly every note while operating a lawn mower while the volume sat at less than 60 percent! After finishing, I removed the headphones and did not experience any ringing sensation brought on by eardrum damage. Huzzah!
Alas, these headphones do fall short of perfection. While outstanding at fulfilling its purpose, that little in-line amp is a bit awkward. The AAA battery unavoidably adds some undesired weight to the cord, and although the amp thankfully has a belt clip that you can use on your pocket, I do wish the cords on both sides of the amp were each a bit longer. I haven't yet personally encountered a situation where this is a real issue, but I can imagine someone else could. When the amp is not clipped somewhere, it tugs on the earbuds and it's not the most comfortable. For this reason, I cannot recommend these headphones for jogging/running. Not that noise-cancelling headphones are ever a good idea when you're jogging.
Bottom line: if you find these headphones in the $50 range, you cannot go wrong. If you find them for $80, you cannot go wrong. If you find them for $100, I still could not recommend another pair of earbuds. They sit uncontested at their price point. While there may be better choices for activewear earbuds, as far as pure audio quality is concerned, these are among the best headphones I've ever used, period.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
So what prompted this article? Enthusiasm for some truly great headphones? Perhaps. I've been itching to write something, anything. I've recently resumed slaving on the History of Camp Mix series, but I wanted to take a quick reprieve from those.
I've learned not to announce schedules/deadlines anymore, but you can expect the HoCM articles to start showing up relatively soon. Also, this is far from the last "review" I'll be posting, and you can expect more things like this scattered among the Camp Mix articles.
Why do I announce these things? Does anyone besides myself actually read this blog? Tune in next week to find out! Or whatever!
As someone who claims to be an audiophile with a great love for headphones, I can't say I have much real experience. Like I said, I can't afford many of the luxurious high-end Audio-Technicas and Denons and Seinhausers and whatevers. I have, however, tested nearly every pair I've come into contact with, and I like to think I have a pretty good idea how high-quality audio should sound. Even distribution, good mid-ranges and low impedance are all top priorities for my critical ear, and it's surprisingly common to find one or more of these areas lacking among popular models.
Here I am with my first hardware review: the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC23 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones (a product name longer than its URL). I bought these prior to my flight to Guam. I was about to spend 13 hours on a plane and my stock Samsung Galaxy earbuds were not going to cut it (even though I'd consider Samsung's earbuds to be better-than-decent for freebies). I wanted in-ear headphones so that I could use them during pretty much any activity. I also wanted something with active noise-cancelling because, you know, planes are actively noisy. They also needed to be comfortable. And of course, they needed to be affordable.
The headphones come bundled with a velvet carrying pouch, an airline headphone adapter and ear-tips of various sizes. In addition to the standard silicone ear-tips, you also get memory foam "Comply" ear-tips. These took a bit of getting used to, but I found them to be slightly better at noise-cancelling and more comfortable over long stretches of time than any of the silicone tip sizes.
Now let's start off with the basics: These headphones are great. In fact, they are simply awesome. Okay, review's over.
But really, as far as sound quality goes, I could hardly be happier with these things. Audio-Technica has always been one of my favorite brands, but they're not immune to questionable design decisions, and in my experience, their budget-level headphones have been far from mind blowing. Since I bought this QuietPoint pair on sale, I wasn't sure where they would fall in terms of quality.
When I truly test a new pair of headphones, I always use high-bitrate music files that I'm intimately familiar with. For this pair, I chose to use what is perhaps my favorite album of all time: In Rainbows (discs 1 & 2) by Radiohead. This album was a doubly good choice because of its wide range of musical tones. While I'm not going to say, "OMG, it was totally like listening to it for the first time," I was definitely more than impressed with these headphones' performance. The humble guitar, hypnotic drums and hauntingly sweet vocals of "Reckoner" were carried beautifully. The echo of "House of Cards" became otherworldly. And don't even get me started on "Down is the New Up". But this is not an album review...
With incredible, gutteral bass tones, crisp treble and most importantly, a clear, unmuddled mid-range, I could hardly believe I was using in-ear headphones. In fact, I would easily say the audio quality is on par with your typical $300-400 over-the-ear studio headphones. And I could not stress this enough: that is amazing. What helps these earbuds achieve this level of fidelity is an in-line amp powered by a single AAA battery. With the amp turned off, the earbuds work perfectly fine, and still outperform my Galaxy earbuds (albeit at a slightly lower volume). But of course, if you want to get the most out of these headphones, including the active noise-cancelling feature, you need to turn on the amp.
The noise-cancelling feature on this device might be its biggest selling point. The product description claims that it eliminates background noise by 90%, and while I find that claim to be dubious, I can say that it really does work. I'd say the active noise-cancelling here does more with enhancing the audible range in spite of background noise than actually eliminating background noise. I've yet to find a pair of headphones that compare to Bose's QuietComfort brand in terms of true noise-cancelling, but these ones still perform admirably -- especially when you consider the price difference.
To get a real feel for the noise-cancelling, I tested these while I mowed the lawn. At first, I was disappointed that I could still hear the lawn mower. I guess I was expecting some sort of magical noise-shield to activate. When I actually started listening to the music playing, I quickly put away my unrealistic expectations and enjoyed the experience.
See, with ordinary earbud headphones, I usually had to crank up the volume to nearly the maximum while I mowed the lawn. Even then, some tones were still drowned out by the noise of the gas-powered engine three feet in front of me. Even worse, I knew I was doing damage to my ears. So then, imagine my delight when I found I could clearly listen to my music and make out nearly every note while operating a lawn mower while the volume sat at less than 60 percent! After finishing, I removed the headphones and did not experience any ringing sensation brought on by eardrum damage. Huzzah!
Alas, these headphones do fall short of perfection. While outstanding at fulfilling its purpose, that little in-line amp is a bit awkward. The AAA battery unavoidably adds some undesired weight to the cord, and although the amp thankfully has a belt clip that you can use on your pocket, I do wish the cords on both sides of the amp were each a bit longer. I haven't yet personally encountered a situation where this is a real issue, but I can imagine someone else could. When the amp is not clipped somewhere, it tugs on the earbuds and it's not the most comfortable. For this reason, I cannot recommend these headphones for jogging/running. Not that noise-cancelling headphones are ever a good idea when you're jogging.
Bottom line: if you find these headphones in the $50 range, you cannot go wrong. If you find them for $80, you cannot go wrong. If you find them for $100, I still could not recommend another pair of earbuds. They sit uncontested at their price point. While there may be better choices for activewear earbuds, as far as pure audio quality is concerned, these are among the best headphones I've ever used, period.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
So what prompted this article? Enthusiasm for some truly great headphones? Perhaps. I've been itching to write something, anything. I've recently resumed slaving on the History of Camp Mix series, but I wanted to take a quick reprieve from those.
I've learned not to announce schedules/deadlines anymore, but you can expect the HoCM articles to start showing up relatively soon. Also, this is far from the last "review" I'll be posting, and you can expect more things like this scattered among the Camp Mix articles.
Why do I announce these things? Does anyone besides myself actually read this blog? Tune in next week to find out! Or whatever!
October 17, 2015
Sabbatical Accidental
You'd think I had given up on Camp Mix by now... Perhaps I should have...
From the look of this blog, it would be easy to think that all progress on that project had ceased. It would have been easy to assume the worst (that I had died, duh) and write off the whole idea as another one of my forever unfinished prospects. Far too easy, actually. In fact, I think that's exactly what I did. But lo and behold, here I am posting a new entry that carries the shamelessly hopeful message: "Camp Mix is dead! Long live Camp Mix." Or something to that effect.
In other words, I'm still here. There's piles of music files fermenting on my hard drive back at home. There is an unsquishable modicum of tradition still present in my head that is otherwise known as a Completionist's Itch, a stubborn perfectionism. OCD. Whatever you want to call it, it has brought back this desire to finish what I've set in motion. It's a desire that never really left.
I am not at home right now. I am in Guam. This semi-unplanned furlough in the south pacific has so far been an amazingly refreshing experience. I could not have chosen a better time to leave home for 2 months. And during this time I have away from the common distractions and stresses of the mainland, I am committed to reevaluating my motivations, to resetting my goals and to tying off loose ends.
One of these "loose ends" is Camp Mix '15. It was meant to be an end-all, be-all Grand Finale to the 10-year Camp Mix tradition. In a manner of speaking, it still will be. There is no way I'm continuing Camp Mixes after this year. That part of my life will be behind me. However, I cannot logically just let go of something that I have put so much effort into. Something that, in the 10-year-long scheme of things, is already almost complete. I have been planning to end Camp Mix on its 10th iteration since its 7th. I have pages of ideas and articles and, as mentioned, piles of music files. They've been waiting a long time. And so have I.
This past year may have turned out differently than I ever would have expected. I've since realized that sometimes blessings can truly come in the most unexpected of ways, out of the most terrible of situations. I'm so glad that my life is beginning to really change. Sure, there are old parts of my life that I will deeply miss (one of them I cannot imagine ever forgetting). But when the time comes to say finally goodbye to Camp Mix -- a staple of my adolescence and of so many other things -- I will be ready.
And I won't look back.
From the look of this blog, it would be easy to think that all progress on that project had ceased. It would have been easy to assume the worst (that I had died, duh) and write off the whole idea as another one of my forever unfinished prospects. Far too easy, actually. In fact, I think that's exactly what I did. But lo and behold, here I am posting a new entry that carries the shamelessly hopeful message: "Camp Mix is dead! Long live Camp Mix." Or something to that effect.
In other words, I'm still here. There's piles of music files fermenting on my hard drive back at home. There is an unsquishable modicum of tradition still present in my head that is otherwise known as a Completionist's Itch, a stubborn perfectionism. OCD. Whatever you want to call it, it has brought back this desire to finish what I've set in motion. It's a desire that never really left.
I am not at home right now. I am in Guam. This semi-unplanned furlough in the south pacific has so far been an amazingly refreshing experience. I could not have chosen a better time to leave home for 2 months. And during this time I have away from the common distractions and stresses of the mainland, I am committed to reevaluating my motivations, to resetting my goals and to tying off loose ends.
One of these "loose ends" is Camp Mix '15. It was meant to be an end-all, be-all Grand Finale to the 10-year Camp Mix tradition. In a manner of speaking, it still will be. There is no way I'm continuing Camp Mixes after this year. That part of my life will be behind me. However, I cannot logically just let go of something that I have put so much effort into. Something that, in the 10-year-long scheme of things, is already almost complete. I have been planning to end Camp Mix on its 10th iteration since its 7th. I have pages of ideas and articles and, as mentioned, piles of music files. They've been waiting a long time. And so have I.
This past year may have turned out differently than I ever would have expected. I've since realized that sometimes blessings can truly come in the most unexpected of ways, out of the most terrible of situations. I'm so glad that my life is beginning to really change. Sure, there are old parts of my life that I will deeply miss (one of them I cannot imagine ever forgetting). But when the time comes to say finally goodbye to Camp Mix -- a staple of my adolescence and of so many other things -- I will be ready.
And I won't look back.
May 15, 2015
Camp Mix '14: The Review
Five Months in the Making!
Finally, finally, I present to you the review and analysis of Camp Mix 2014. How odd this year has been. And that doesn't even include what is definitely the oddest Camp Mix ever made. I'm so relieved to have finally finished this review, and I'm excited to be able to share it!
This is just the beginning! Coming off its heels will be the first entry in the History of Camp Mix series! And maybe more! But we'll see about that, won't we?
Please, feel free to leave a comment or three! Or don't! The decision is yours! If you do not have a copy of Camp Mix '14 but would like to have one, please contact me for a digital version.
Camp Mix '14: The Review
Finally, finally, I present to you the review and analysis of Camp Mix 2014. How odd this year has been. And that doesn't even include what is definitely the oddest Camp Mix ever made. I'm so relieved to have finally finished this review, and I'm excited to be able to share it!
This is just the beginning! Coming off its heels will be the first entry in the History of Camp Mix series! And maybe more! But we'll see about that, won't we?
Please, feel free to leave a comment or three! Or don't! The decision is yours! If you do not have a copy of Camp Mix '14 but would like to have one, please contact me for a digital version.
Camp Mix '14: The Review
March 31, 2015
Camp Mix: Cancelled
As many of you know, I've been having some moderately severe health problems over the last few months. And as many of you can see, I've not posted on this blog in quite a while. I put a lot of work into this site and into the planning of this year's Camp Mix, so it comes it comes with a heavy heart when I say this: I'm not going to make Camp Mix anymore.
Pretty much every year I go through a phase where I want to give up, and each year that urge to quit seems to be stronger and harder to ignore. In the end, though, I would always pull through and end up producing a Camp Mix that was arguably stronger than the last. This time, however, it's much different. I don't want to cancel CM15 because I'm feeling down on myself. Actually, as far as my general mood goes, I'm feeling pretty good. The fact is, every time I think about working on Camp Mix, my stomach twists and I'm filled with indomitable dread.
Really, I can't stay optimistic all the time these days. Especially with regards to Camp Mix, a 10-year-old tradition that commemorates a time and place irrelevant to my current life.
I know some of you were looking forward to the tenth year of Camp Mix. I sincerely apologize to everyone I'm letting down. But I believe this has to be done to preserve my sanity. I wish I could better explain my reasoning on all this.
Look on the bright side! At least I don't have to put my friends through another year of my self-promotion and self-praise! It was not as if my taste in music or the order of a few songs I heard that year were ever that outstanding or significant. They were fun to make, sure, but I have to admit that I was getting very tired of getting excited by something that anyone and everyone could probably do in a few hours of their spare time.
From even the best possible future streaks of optimism I can conceive, I can't see myself changing my mind on this. Honestly, the biggest reason I wanted to make CM15 was just to have the entire "Camp Mix Legacy" be a nice round ten years in length.
Of course, that isn't to say I might not pick up Camp Mix again some day in the future, but right now I'm simply out of energy and any will to continue.
Only time will tell.
Lacking a better blog post and a more adequate excuse, I deeply apologize for wasting everyone's time regarding this blog and the entire collaborative production of Camp Mix '15. I hope I can make it up to you in other ways.
Sincerely, Sumo
Pretty much every year I go through a phase where I want to give up, and each year that urge to quit seems to be stronger and harder to ignore. In the end, though, I would always pull through and end up producing a Camp Mix that was arguably stronger than the last. This time, however, it's much different. I don't want to cancel CM15 because I'm feeling down on myself. Actually, as far as my general mood goes, I'm feeling pretty good. The fact is, every time I think about working on Camp Mix, my stomach twists and I'm filled with indomitable dread.
Really, I can't stay optimistic all the time these days. Especially with regards to Camp Mix, a 10-year-old tradition that commemorates a time and place irrelevant to my current life.
I know some of you were looking forward to the tenth year of Camp Mix. I sincerely apologize to everyone I'm letting down. But I believe this has to be done to preserve my sanity. I wish I could better explain my reasoning on all this.
Look on the bright side! At least I don't have to put my friends through another year of my self-promotion and self-praise! It was not as if my taste in music or the order of a few songs I heard that year were ever that outstanding or significant. They were fun to make, sure, but I have to admit that I was getting very tired of getting excited by something that anyone and everyone could probably do in a few hours of their spare time.
From even the best possible future streaks of optimism I can conceive, I can't see myself changing my mind on this. Honestly, the biggest reason I wanted to make CM15 was just to have the entire "Camp Mix Legacy" be a nice round ten years in length.
Of course, that isn't to say I might not pick up Camp Mix again some day in the future, but right now I'm simply out of energy and any will to continue.
Only time will tell.
Lacking a better blog post and a more adequate excuse, I deeply apologize for wasting everyone's time regarding this blog and the entire collaborative production of Camp Mix '15. I hope I can make it up to you in other ways.
Sincerely, Sumo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)