001 There is Nothing Like a Blank Journal

... and I just bought one.

You know, this is the first year that I've actually put a planner to good use past January. I think it was my mom got me one for Christmas: The Procrastinator's Planner 2005. (Slightly more amusing than the shirt that read "No job, no car, no money... but i'm in a band!") The Procrastinator's Planner is this coyly written fun-book that when paired along with the dates of the included planner, all of those chores you've been so faithfully putting off will be magically completed. The joke got old by January 15th and as of April 6, the covers are halfway torn off, not nearly strong enough to handle the everyday battle inside the backpack. The secret war between the cdr spools, the notebooks, and the travel bathroom bag. The bathroom bag always wins.

So i had to buy a new one. One with a bendable yet durable plastic cover to protect the spiraled-in pages inside. One that will stand up to the bullies in the bag. One that I can trust to handle the intimate details of money matters, lyrical nonsense, and not to mention my terribly busy schedule, which today involves possibly showering but most definitely throwing old bread at some ducks by the Detroit River. It says it right here on my handmade calendar: "April 6: Do work on records. Feed a duck."

Ah yes, I guess what I'm trying to say is that today is as good a day as any to start a new bloggy blog. In fact it's a better day. 2005 is shaping up to be a humdinger of a new beginning for a lot of people, myself included, so here we go. It's The City On Film Daily, and i hope to make it a daily thing, barring any unforseen circumstances such as i dunno, not paying for the heymercedes domain name anymore... In the end it will all work out. Cityonfilm.com AND Thecityonfilm.com are both owned by yours truly and sooner or later, they will have a nice full informative home where this here "daily" will rent a room with a view.

It will look nicer eventually, too, and share some type of thematic component as the grand scheme of the website, but it's just like me to do everything backasswards so we'll just have to wait for it... and listen to the usual stream of my excuses.

Argh. I think maybe this will be an easy outlet to organize all my thoughts. I'm a list guy as some of you know, and lately the lists are getting LONG. You know the kind of long where you have to start another column? Yes, that kind of long. How nice it feels to cross "Start City On Film Blog" right off the list. Ay-yo!

Ok, so what's my real gameplan today... Here goes. Check all my email. Send a birthday card to my dad. Finish "formatting" my new journal. Finish the cover of "Catch" and send it to Sayrah.net for their next mixtape. Mix and edit the finished recorded version of "Summertime," featuring the wonderful vocal stylings of Ms. Lauren LoPiccolo. Possibly add more vocals to it myself. Add some electronic drums to the cover of "Be Near" which will be on the Post 436 split. Finish lyrics for "One Serious Matchup." Call Gregg regarding the American Diary EP artwork. Make a phone call regarding Hey Mercedes merch. Make a link/bulletin on Myspace & The Wire informing people of this new blog. Links from the blog? Ah, they can wait for now.... and oh yeah, the ducks. Those adorable ducks. Look at em quack.

I had crazy dreams the past two nights. The first involved a plot by some pre-teen kids to topple over a house and make it roll down a hill. Last night, my entire family was championing some kid who somehow helped everyone with their respective love lives?! It was ridiculous. Right before I woke up, they were all getting in line to get this 7 year old's autograph.