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I haven’t been able to update the blog nearly as much as I would like, mostly because my life has gotten slightly more busy due to this thing.

About four months ago he entered into our lives in a slimy heap. Life hasn’t really been the same since, nor would I want it to be. The last four months have been amazingly, tiring, enlightening and life changing. All the cliches are true, and all the truisms you hear from friends with kids are likewise true. Imagining life before Eli is incomprehensible. Possibly because of the lack of sleep. Actually likely because of that.

In the last four months I’ve also been navigating some interesting waters at work, things I can’t talk about yet. If things work out, it’ll be amazing. If things don’t, my job is still amazing besides.

The best thing about my job is that I enjoy it. If I was to go back in time to a 16 year old me and tell him that I was going to work at Warner Bros. Records, home to my favorite band, in an office that looks like this:

Well, I wouldn’t believe it. It’s a pleasure to go to work, even with the challenges the business I’m in is facing. However, challenges are met with talent and I’m surrounded by ample amounts of that.

I am really proud of the work we’ve done, from Digital Detail (more on that in a new post), to sites like Tom Petty’s. I think, and I hope others see, that we are trying to affect change through the elimination of formality and modality from the equation of product. Given that I believe data is our true asset base, it’s nice to be able to create content, products, and hopefully art in any given modality and formal framework without regard to medium.

So, lets run down some things happening:

• I am running a marathon to raise money for the Crohns/Colitis Foundation. My aunt is terminal with this disease, and my dad, sister and wife are in remission. I need to raise 2,800 dollars. Every bit helps. I’d love to come up with some sort of loyalty based incentive for high donations (dinner with me?), but can’t think of any. Donate here please, if you can! I have to run 26.2 miles, you get to fill in a form.
• As part of this, I’m running about 20-23 miles a week right now. I’m finding that running clears my head better than anything, and helps me keep balance.
• R.E.M. releases a new 39 track record on October 27. See the site for it at REMDublin.com. It is probably one of the best live records I’ve ever heard, up there with Stop Making Sense. The band is also going back into the studio soon. The Direct to Fan package for this record is also incredible, and the first digital D2F that we’ve done.
• I recently spoke to the Media Arts and Technology program at UCSB, a program which I was a part of but never finished. I kind of hope my speaking would count as my thesis presentation so I could get my second Masters. The presentation went well, and I’m starting to hone in on a thesis for a standard presentation at conferences. I got offered to keynote a conference in Toronto on December 1, but because of the variability of my schedule I have to pass I think.
• We met with Spotify at work the other day and it reminds me that smart innovation beats “gee whiz” technology obsession any day. Is it a wonder that Daniel and Martin are from ex-US, and especially ex-Silicon Valley?

That’s it for now. I’m due to write some longer posts about my Digital Life, Dell computers purchasing experience, the Mac Book Pro 17″, Digital Detail and more. Soon.

This whole “put the baby to bed early” thing is working out so far.