I love Department of Eagles' new video...
The band is pretty good, too.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
New(er) Blog
Hey guys.
I haven't been keeping up with this blog as much anymore.
I have started a new one. It's for my music.
I will be focusing more on it now.
http://aaronhalemusic.blogspot.com
Go there and stuff.
I haven't been keeping up with this blog as much anymore.
I have started a new one. It's for my music.
I will be focusing more on it now.
http://aaronhalemusic.blogspot.com
Go there and stuff.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Silver Spoon
My wonderful mother-in-law is starting a new "popsicles made with fresh ingredients" business called "Silver Spoon" in Fredricksburg, Texas. Check out silverspoontrailer.com (which is currently under construction) for more information and a link to her blog.
I did the above illustration for the site.
Stay tuned for updates about her delicious summer treats!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
25 Random Things About Me:
Because EVERYONE is doing it...
1. I hate talking on the phone. I text message.
2. When I was a kid I drew pictures of me and my friends as NBA stars. I was number 32 and played strong forward for the New York Knicks. I averaged 44.5 points per game, yet led the league in assists.
3. Three things scare me more than anything else:
a) Car wrecks
b) Sea creatures
c) Statues of oversized men
4. One of my dreams has always been to work at Disneyland.
5. I won a city-wide contest in 1st grade for drawing a caricature of George Bush, Sr.
6. I once ran an entire race at a junior high track meet in my boxer briefs.
7. On my first trip to Africa my dad and I were almost robbed in the middle of the night, but the Malaria pills I was taking made me have weird dreams and I woke up and scared the burglar off.
8. I have a guaranteed foolproof way to pick up chicks called "The Hale Method" and I have thought of writing a book about it.
9. I cry about anything remotely sentimental.
10. I'm a little obsessed with my dog, Peabody.
11. I love anything involving zombies, ghosts, or monsters.
12. I hate math and I used to have nightmares about numbers.
13. When I was little, I used to go hunting with my dad and, instead of paying any attention to what was going on around me, I walked behind him and stepped in every one of his footprints.
14. I will watch any movie or documentary about Africa.
15. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Indiana Jones, Huckleberry Finn, or Bilbo Baggins. Well, I still want to be Indiana Jones.
16. I'm really picky when it comes to music (even my own) and I throw away 90% of the songs I write.
17. Clothes never fit me right.
18. I once rode my bike while wearing my clothes backwards and listening to a Kriss Kross tape on my walkman. It was very uncomfortable, and I will never understand why those kids wore their clothes backwards.
19. When I was a kid, I choked on a hot dog for like a minute, and my sister and cousins all just stared at me, watching it happen, until I coughed it up.
20. I could eat Phad Thai for every meal.
21. In third grade, I liked this girl (Amy), but she was "going out with" Derek. I gave her a letter that I wrote (on a garfield card), pretending to be Derek, breaking up with her. I actually wrote in the letter that she should go out with me instead. She knew pretty quick that I wrote it, but I still denied it. I was in love with that girl all the way through elementary and junior high school.
22. I didn't start shaving my face until after high school, and I still only need to once every three weeks.
23. I used to collect Marvel comic books and NBA trading cards.
24. I was voted "best personality" and "easiest to fall in love with" by my senior class.
25. I thought about moving to New York and auditioning for SNL once.
1. I hate talking on the phone. I text message.
2. When I was a kid I drew pictures of me and my friends as NBA stars. I was number 32 and played strong forward for the New York Knicks. I averaged 44.5 points per game, yet led the league in assists.
3. Three things scare me more than anything else:
a) Car wrecks
b) Sea creatures
c) Statues of oversized men
4. One of my dreams has always been to work at Disneyland.
5. I won a city-wide contest in 1st grade for drawing a caricature of George Bush, Sr.
6. I once ran an entire race at a junior high track meet in my boxer briefs.
7. On my first trip to Africa my dad and I were almost robbed in the middle of the night, but the Malaria pills I was taking made me have weird dreams and I woke up and scared the burglar off.
8. I have a guaranteed foolproof way to pick up chicks called "The Hale Method" and I have thought of writing a book about it.
9. I cry about anything remotely sentimental.
10. I'm a little obsessed with my dog, Peabody.
11. I love anything involving zombies, ghosts, or monsters.
12. I hate math and I used to have nightmares about numbers.
13. When I was little, I used to go hunting with my dad and, instead of paying any attention to what was going on around me, I walked behind him and stepped in every one of his footprints.
14. I will watch any movie or documentary about Africa.
15. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Indiana Jones, Huckleberry Finn, or Bilbo Baggins. Well, I still want to be Indiana Jones.
16. I'm really picky when it comes to music (even my own) and I throw away 90% of the songs I write.
17. Clothes never fit me right.
18. I once rode my bike while wearing my clothes backwards and listening to a Kriss Kross tape on my walkman. It was very uncomfortable, and I will never understand why those kids wore their clothes backwards.
19. When I was a kid, I choked on a hot dog for like a minute, and my sister and cousins all just stared at me, watching it happen, until I coughed it up.
20. I could eat Phad Thai for every meal.
21. In third grade, I liked this girl (Amy), but she was "going out with" Derek. I gave her a letter that I wrote (on a garfield card), pretending to be Derek, breaking up with her. I actually wrote in the letter that she should go out with me instead. She knew pretty quick that I wrote it, but I still denied it. I was in love with that girl all the way through elementary and junior high school.
22. I didn't start shaving my face until after high school, and I still only need to once every three weeks.
23. I used to collect Marvel comic books and NBA trading cards.
24. I was voted "best personality" and "easiest to fall in love with" by my senior class.
25. I thought about moving to New York and auditioning for SNL once.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Hold fast.
"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof."
"We can either watch life from the sidelines, or actively participate... Either we let self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy prevent us from realizing our potential, or embrace the fact that when we turn our attention away from ourselves, our potential is limitless."
That's exactly what I am trying to do now.
"We can either watch life from the sidelines, or actively participate... Either we let self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy prevent us from realizing our potential, or embrace the fact that when we turn our attention away from ourselves, our potential is limitless."
That's exactly what I am trying to do now.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Did we really just do that?
So, last week Heather and I boarded a ship bound for the Caribbean.
Doesn't that sound nice?
Well, don't get ahead of me...
We boarded the Carnival Destiny for...
...the KLOVE Friends and Family Cruise.
Yeah.
You heard right.
KLOVE - the "positive and encouraging" Christian radio station.
I know what you're thinking, and believe me- we still can't believe we did it either.
It started out as a joke.
Well, here is the quick version of how it came to be:
We had been saving up some money to take a trip to Disneyworld for our first anniversary. We had some money put away. Heather heard about the KLOVE cruise. We made jokes about actually going. Then, we started discussing how we could make some contacts on it to help me out in the industry. Jokes turned to seriousness. We booked it. We trusted God had a plan for us. We made some demos. Then, we started laughing about it again. We started to think it was crazy again. But...
We embarked from Miami on the ship.
Long story short: it was actually pretty fun. We aren't big fans of cruises, and this one was no exception, but we met some really great people.
Got to see my old pal , Brandon.
Got to meet some really cool artists and musicians in the Christian music community.
Made some great friends with Evan (Mandisa's guitar player, and an all-around great dude), Scott (Third Day's road manager), and Jenna (Scott's girlfriend).
Overall, we had a really good experience. And now we are on to the next step in our journey.
Doesn't that sound nice?
Well, don't get ahead of me...
We boarded the Carnival Destiny for...
...the KLOVE Friends and Family Cruise.
Yeah.
You heard right.
KLOVE - the "positive and encouraging" Christian radio station.
I know what you're thinking, and believe me- we still can't believe we did it either.
It started out as a joke.
Well, here is the quick version of how it came to be:
We had been saving up some money to take a trip to Disneyworld for our first anniversary. We had some money put away. Heather heard about the KLOVE cruise. We made jokes about actually going. Then, we started discussing how we could make some contacts on it to help me out in the industry. Jokes turned to seriousness. We booked it. We trusted God had a plan for us. We made some demos. Then, we started laughing about it again. We started to think it was crazy again. But...
We embarked from Miami on the ship.
Long story short: it was actually pretty fun. We aren't big fans of cruises, and this one was no exception, but we met some really great people.
Got to see my old pal , Brandon.
Got to meet some really cool artists and musicians in the Christian music community.
Made some great friends with Evan (Mandisa's guitar player, and an all-around great dude), Scott (Third Day's road manager), and Jenna (Scott's girlfriend).
Overall, we had a really good experience. And now we are on to the next step in our journey.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
My Dream
My dream from last night:
In the dream I watched the story unfold about a widower who took in an orphan boy after years of living alone.
When his wife died he became bitter, sad and lonely.
... All of this was understood to me in my dream without it being explained to me...
He took in this boy and had spent a lot of time with him and, in my dream, he was putting the little boy to sleep one night.
This is the conversation I saw take place...
"Goodnight, boy," said the old man.
"I love you," said the boy.
"Ok. Get some rest now."
"I love you!" This time he said it louder.
"Shhh. It's late. You need some sleep."
"Don't you love me?" The boy had tears in his eyes.
"There's no such thing as love, boy."
"Yes there is! I love you!" He was crying.
"No. What you feel for me... What we feel for each other... is the recognition that if one of us were to leave, we would be less without them," the old man said and sat down on the bed beside the boy.
"Isn't that love?"
"No."
"What is it then?"
"Look... if we lived in the forest and we needed to gather food and firewood every day to survive, and you were to leave me, I would be sad because making a living was easier with you."
"So you think Jesus died for a different reason."
"Ha. I guess I do, yes."
"No!"
"Don't get angry, boy!"
"Love is all that matters!" The boy yelled, crying hard.
The old man got up from the bed and crossed the room. The boy was still sobbing.
"Goodnight, boy."
He turned and switched the light off, walked into the hall and closed the door behind him.
And then I woke up.
In the dream I watched the story unfold about a widower who took in an orphan boy after years of living alone.
When his wife died he became bitter, sad and lonely.
... All of this was understood to me in my dream without it being explained to me...
He took in this boy and had spent a lot of time with him and, in my dream, he was putting the little boy to sleep one night.
This is the conversation I saw take place...
"Goodnight, boy," said the old man.
"I love you," said the boy.
"Ok. Get some rest now."
"I love you!" This time he said it louder.
"Shhh. It's late. You need some sleep."
"Don't you love me?" The boy had tears in his eyes.
"There's no such thing as love, boy."
"Yes there is! I love you!" He was crying.
"No. What you feel for me... What we feel for each other... is the recognition that if one of us were to leave, we would be less without them," the old man said and sat down on the bed beside the boy.
"Isn't that love?"
"No."
"What is it then?"
"Look... if we lived in the forest and we needed to gather food and firewood every day to survive, and you were to leave me, I would be sad because making a living was easier with you."
"So you think Jesus died for a different reason."
"Ha. I guess I do, yes."
"No!"
"Don't get angry, boy!"
"Love is all that matters!" The boy yelled, crying hard.
The old man got up from the bed and crossed the room. The boy was still sobbing.
"Goodnight, boy."
He turned and switched the light off, walked into the hall and closed the door behind him.
And then I woke up.
Usually, my dreams don't make that much sense when I'm awake...
and I am usually in my dreams, too.
But this was different.
What are your thoughts? Does it mean something? If so, what?
Friday, January 16, 2009
No Line On The Horizon
I am pretty (enter expletive here) excited about U2's new album, which is called "No Line On The Horizon" and is set to release on March 3rd of this year.
I recently saw the cover art for the album:
Looks pretty (enter different expletive here) fantastic, if you ask me!
Here is the tracklist:
01. "No Line On The Horizon"
02. "Magnificent"
03. "Moment of Surrender"
04. "Unknown Caller"
05. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
06. "Get On Your Boots" (which is the first single and it hits the web for streaming Tuesday!)
07. "Stand Up Comedy"
08. "Fez - Being Born"
09. "White As Snow"
10. "Breathe"
11. "Cedars Of Lebanon"
Oh man!
I recently saw the cover art for the album:
Looks pretty (enter different expletive here) fantastic, if you ask me!
Here is the tracklist:
01. "No Line On The Horizon"
02. "Magnificent"
03. "Moment of Surrender"
04. "Unknown Caller"
05. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
06. "Get On Your Boots" (which is the first single and it hits the web for streaming Tuesday!)
07. "Stand Up Comedy"
08. "Fez - Being Born"
09. "White As Snow"
10. "Breathe"
11. "Cedars Of Lebanon"
Oh man!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Dude-A-Day
Artist Andy Helms has a site where he posts a drawing of a "dude" every day for 365 days...
Check it out here.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Scene Stealers
My review of Let The Right One In is on Scene Stealers now.
Also, if you missed my Top Ten Zombie Movies list from a few months ago, here it is.
Also, if you missed my Top Ten Zombie Movies list from a few months ago, here it is.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
My wife is amazing.
My wife made some new posters for my upcoming show using the letterpress we bought a few months back. When we got it, I thought it would sit in our basement (which was an AWFUL experience moving it into) untouched. I was wrong!
That girl is making some really great things!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Let The Right One In
I watched Let The Right One In last night.It's a Swedish romantic horror film based on the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist, which tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire in a suburb of Stockholm.
It was beautiful (and gory) and really fascinating to watch... especially the final scene, which has been described as "one of the best endings in the history of cinema."
I highly recommend this movie. It's my projected Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film of 2008.
Friday, January 2, 2009
How do you live deeply?
This is a new year... and this is my 200th blog post. I thought I would write some thoughts I have had lately to commemorate this momentous occasion.
I have been thinking a lot about how our lives are woven together lately. And about how life is supposed to be lived. How do you live deeply? How can you live deeply when things around you fall apart, or change drastically? How do we keep up? How can life be "good" when you lose someone you care about so much? How can we be happy when we feel so alone?
It seems crazy to me that we can all be so much the same, but try so hard to point out our differences to push us apart. I mean, we are all in this together and we are all trying to figure it out.
I’m convinced that we all want to feel like we’re not alone. I don’t mean that in a spiritual “there-is-a-god” sense, although I think that is a big part of who we are. I’m talking about the longing to feel like we are a part of something. To be interconnected in some way with each other. To know that we aren’t alone in our loneliness. That we aren’t alone in our sadness, and confusion, and doubt. We want our hearts to beat together. We want for our lives to connect and be anchored in someone else. To be understood. To be important. We long for love. We long for someone to desire us and someone to need us. Our vulnerable souls cry out to each other, but our façades of independence muffle the sound.
This world is a broken, bitter, sad place. And we have made it so, but we can fix it.
God gave us each other because we cannot do it alone. I need you. You need me. We need each other. If it wasn’t for each other we wouldn’t be able to walk or talk or learn or grow. If it wasn’t for each other we wouldn’t be able to survive. I am me because of you. You are you because of me. We are us. And we are strong because of each other.
My goal for 2009 is to learn to live deeply... and not so all by myself.
I have been thinking a lot about how our lives are woven together lately. And about how life is supposed to be lived. How do you live deeply? How can you live deeply when things around you fall apart, or change drastically? How do we keep up? How can life be "good" when you lose someone you care about so much? How can we be happy when we feel so alone?
It seems crazy to me that we can all be so much the same, but try so hard to point out our differences to push us apart. I mean, we are all in this together and we are all trying to figure it out.
I’m convinced that we all want to feel like we’re not alone. I don’t mean that in a spiritual “there-is-a-god” sense, although I think that is a big part of who we are. I’m talking about the longing to feel like we are a part of something. To be interconnected in some way with each other. To know that we aren’t alone in our loneliness. That we aren’t alone in our sadness, and confusion, and doubt. We want our hearts to beat together. We want for our lives to connect and be anchored in someone else. To be understood. To be important. We long for love. We long for someone to desire us and someone to need us. Our vulnerable souls cry out to each other, but our façades of independence muffle the sound.
This world is a broken, bitter, sad place. And we have made it so, but we can fix it.
God gave us each other because we cannot do it alone. I need you. You need me. We need each other. If it wasn’t for each other we wouldn’t be able to walk or talk or learn or grow. If it wasn’t for each other we wouldn’t be able to survive. I am me because of you. You are you because of me. We are us. And we are strong because of each other.
My goal for 2009 is to learn to live deeply... and not so all by myself.
Let's Get Crispy, Morton!'s Best Movies of 2008!
So, I still haven't seen The Wrestler, Synecdoche, New York, Man On Wire, The Visitor, or Let The Right One In, so my top 5 might seem ridiculous to some of you who have seen these movies.
I never had time to see the ones I know I will love, but the year already ended and I need to post my favorites that I have seen.
Here they are, in order:
#5 - Burn After Reading
#4 - Doubt
#3 - The Dark Knight
#2 - Wall-E
#1 - Slumdog Millionaire
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
My Top 50 albums of 2008 (per request)
I have had a request to list some more of my favorite albums of 2008...
Here they are - my Top 50 Albums of 2008, in order:
50) No Age – Nouns
49) Langhorne Slim – Langhorne Slim
48) Elvis Costello - Momofuku
47) The Walkmen – You & Me
46) MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
45) Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit – Are The Very Best
44) Eef Barzelay - Lose Big
43) The Black Keys – Attack & Release
42) Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
41) Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams
40) Rachael Yamagata - Elephant...Teeth Sinking Into Heart
39) Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
38) Colin Meloy - Sings Live!
37) Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
36) Chairlift - Does You Inspire You
35) Beach House – Devotion
34) Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - Animal
33) Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
32) The Dodo's - Visiter
31) The Explorers Club - Freedom Wind
30) Bodies of Water - A Certain Feeling
29) Shearwater - Rook
28) State Bird - Mostly Ghostly
27) She & Him - Volume One
26) Coldplay - Viva La Vida (or Death and All His Friends)
25) Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
24) Noah and the Whale - Shape Of My Heart
23) +/-(Plus/Minus) - Xs On Your Eyes
22) Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
21) Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
20) Throw Me the Statue - Moonbeams (re-release)
19) Okkervil River – The Stand-Ins
18) Deerhunter - Microcastle
17) The New Frontiers – Mending
16) M83 - Saturdays=Youth
15) Black Mountain - In The Future
14) Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
13) Santogold - Santogold
12) The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave
11) Dr. Dog - Fate
10) Bowerbirds - Hymns For a Dark Horse
9) TV On The Radio - Dear Science
8) Damien Jurado – Caught In The Trees
7) Blitzen Trapper – Furr
6) Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
5) My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
4) Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
3) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
2) Little Joy – Little Joy
1) Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
There are tons more that I loved this year, but I can't think of all of them. Start with these... Let me know your thoughts!
*I didn't include my own album (Lightning Strike/Phantom Forest) because I thought it would be weird. Haha!*
Here they are - my Top 50 Albums of 2008, in order:
50) No Age – Nouns
49) Langhorne Slim – Langhorne Slim
48) Elvis Costello - Momofuku
47) The Walkmen – You & Me
46) MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
45) Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit – Are The Very Best
44) Eef Barzelay - Lose Big
43) The Black Keys – Attack & Release
42) Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
41) Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams
40) Rachael Yamagata - Elephant...Teeth Sinking Into Heart
39) Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
38) Colin Meloy - Sings Live!
37) Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
36) Chairlift - Does You Inspire You
35) Beach House – Devotion
34) Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - Animal
33) Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst
32) The Dodo's - Visiter
31) The Explorers Club - Freedom Wind
30) Bodies of Water - A Certain Feeling
29) Shearwater - Rook
28) State Bird - Mostly Ghostly
27) She & Him - Volume One
26) Coldplay - Viva La Vida (or Death and All His Friends)
25) Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
24) Noah and the Whale - Shape Of My Heart
23) +/-(Plus/Minus) - Xs On Your Eyes
22) Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
21) Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
20) Throw Me the Statue - Moonbeams (re-release)
19) Okkervil River – The Stand-Ins
18) Deerhunter - Microcastle
17) The New Frontiers – Mending
16) M83 - Saturdays=Youth
15) Black Mountain - In The Future
14) Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
13) Santogold - Santogold
12) The Tallest Man On Earth - Shallow Grave
11) Dr. Dog - Fate
10) Bowerbirds - Hymns For a Dark Horse
9) TV On The Radio - Dear Science
8) Damien Jurado – Caught In The Trees
7) Blitzen Trapper – Furr
6) Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
5) My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
4) Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
3) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
2) Little Joy – Little Joy
1) Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
There are tons more that I loved this year, but I can't think of all of them. Start with these... Let me know your thoughts!
*I didn't include my own album (Lightning Strike/Phantom Forest) because I thought it would be weird. Haha!*
Monday, December 29, 2008
Christmas is over...
My holiday was excellent. It was great to go home and spend time with family and old friends. We drove to Texas (12 hours) with our two dogs. It was insane. But now Christmas is over and it's time to get back in the swing of things...
I just read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Unbelievable. I cried like a baby when it was done. Please read it. I can't wait for the movie.
My top 5 films of 2008 list will be posted next week... I still have a few that I need to check out. This year has been a tough one for good movies for me. I haven't seen some of the ones that are getting critical acclaim, so I need to check them out before I post a top 5 and piss everyone off.
But I will tell you that (as much as I wanted to love it) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will NOT be making an appearance on the list. I recently read the short story and really liked it. The movie was disappointing to me. But more on that later...Friday, December 19, 2008
Christmas Vacation (December 20-28th)
Hey guys! I am taking a Christmas break from my job and from my blog!I will be back on December 29th with plenty of things to share, I'm sure!
Have a happy Christmas and I'll see you when I get back.
Also, if you happen to be in Lubbock, Texas on December 23rd...
Thursday, December 18, 2008
RBC's Blue Water Campaign
RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) has started a campaign to protect pure water. This animation is beautiful.Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
One more thing...
I wanted to post a blog to honor Walt Disney's life, and his life's work. Today is the 42nd anniversary of his death.
Here are a few of my favorite Disney quotes:
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable."
"When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do."
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
